Z39.50 is an example of which type of technology in library systems?

• A. A cataloging standard
• B. A search protocol
• C. A digital rights management system
• D. A MARC record format

Answer: (B)

Z39.50 is a search protocol used by libraries to locate and retrieve bibliographic records from remote databases. It defines how a client sends search requests and how a server returns results, enabling discovery across different library systems over a network. This makes it a protocol for information retrieval and cross-database searching. It isn’t a cataloging standard (which governs how metadata is created), nor a MARC record format (which encodes data), and it isn’t a digital rights management system (which governs access and usage). In practice, you might see it when your library’s catalog searches another library’s catalog to find items you can borrow.