The British Library Public Catalogue

"The British Library has today launched its new BLPCZ service, which provides Z39.50 compliant access to the British Library Public Catalogue for the first time. The international standard for communications between computers in the library and information sector, Z39.50 allows simultaneous searching of multiple bibliographic resources via the Internet.

The service allows quick and easy access to bibliographic records from the catalogues of the main British Library collections - already available online at http://blpc.bl.uk. In addition to this, the new feature will allow users with suitable retrieval software to download and make use of the Library's bibliographic citations for their own personal research purposes. This should prove of particular use to researchers and students compiling bibliographies for monographs, research reports or theses.

Developed and hosted by MIMAS (Manchester Information and Associated Services) at the University of Manchester, BLPCZ is the latest result of a co-operative alliance between the British Library and CURL (the Consortium of University Research Libraries) which is aimed at providing wider access to the Library's catalogues. "Further details are available.