BookWhere FAQ’s
Directory:
What does BookWhere do?
How does BookWhere work?
What do I need to be able to run BookWhere?
What kind of material can I find with BookWhere?
How many libraries are supported?
What is AutoSynch?
What does BookWhere do?BookWhere will enable you to search hundreds of
online sources for bibliographic data which can be downloaded and exported into NB Ibidem. You will be able to create extensive bibliographies in minutes
using your existing Internet connection. No special configuration is necessary.
Simply install BookWhere, make your Internet connection, and BookWhere will
automatically "sense" it so that you can begin your search.
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How does BookWhere work?BookWhere uses Z39.50 which is the name of an
American national standard defining a protocol for computer-to-computer search
and retrieval. For more information on this standard check out this Z39.50 Information Center.
As an Internet user you are probably familiar with the basic concepts of
TCP/IP. This is the protocol that supports the communication between the various
computers on the Internet. You are probably aslo familiar with a Web browser
(like Netscape). Web browsers use HTTP (Hyper Text Transport Protocol) to send
you information. This protocol exists between the TCP/IP stack and the browser
interface. As such, you don't need to be concerned with how it works.
A Z39.50 protocol stack exists between the TCP/IP stack and the BookWhere
interface. It allows BookWhere to communicate with machines using a standard
search and retreival "language". Just like HTTP you don't really need to
understand how it works, the software takes care of the details.
Just like your Web browser can "talk" to any Web server, BookWhere can "talk"
to any machine that has implemented the Z39.50 standard. A fairly extensive list
of databases that can use this standard is included with BookWhere.
When you use a Web browser the usual dialog between your PC and the Web
server is very simple...."give me the data corresponding to this URL". Z39.50 is
different in that it allows for searching of the database held by the remote
machine. For example..."Do you have any books on Art?" While Z39.50 is a complex
protocol, BookWhere users can search these databases using a simple yet powerful
graphical user interface (GUI).
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What do I need to be able to run BookWhere?The system requirements are as follows:
-- Pentium recommended
-- 15MB of disk space (more if you intend to download large numbers of records)
-- Windows 2000/NT/XP (does not run on ME; contact us if you have Windows 95 or 98)
-- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.5 or greater (Version 6 included on CD-ROM)
-- CDROM drive (for installation only)
-- Internet connection (SLIP, PPP or direct)
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What kind of material can I find with BookWhere?At the present time it
is primarily libraries that have implemented Z39.50 searching. Libraries put a
wide variety of materials into their collections apart from books. Video tapes,
movies, audio tapes, maps, kits and all other materials aquired by libraries are
currently freely available.
In the U.S.A. and Canada there are databases of Government information being
made available. Using BookWhere the resources of the largest single
producer of information are now at your fingertips.
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How many libraries are supported?Over 1800.
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What is AutoSynch?The AutoSync feature was introduced in BookWhere version 4.0. It allows users to automatically update BookWhere's list of searchable databases. With AutoSync, users will always have the most current list of databases and the connection information will always be accurate. AutoSync is free for the first year. After that you should contact Nota Bene to renew if you want to keep this feature active.
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