Glossary

This glossary contains terms that can help you better understand the Information Portal process and the System Administration tools. (The definitions explain how the terms are used in this guide; they may not explain how the terms are used in other contexts.)

Table A-1: Glossary

Glossary Term

Definition

856 Tag

The tag in a MARC bib record that contains URL information. You can set up the full bib display in Information Portal to show the tag and make it a hyperlink.

Add-On Product

Those products that are not delivered with Information Portal, but which can be purchased from SirsiDynix and added to Information Portal after installation (for example, Syndetics cover art, WebFeat, and so forth).

Administration tool

The part of Information Portal where you maintain, set up, and customize the look and feel and the functions of Information Portal.

Application Server

The Application Server is the computer where the Application Server software is installed and running.

Application Server software

The group of programs with common components that have been bundled together for easier installation. These programs include Horizon Information Portal, NCIP Responder, and zServer Pro.

Application Suite

The name for the Horizon Application Server software, Horizon Index Services software, and the supporting XSL processor software.

Aspect

As a variable in an Information Portal searching URL, the Information Portal sub-tab that you are on when you generate a search. Displays as “aspect=xxx” where “xxx” is the name of the sub-tab.

Borrower

see User

Borrower Type

A code assigned to a user that determines general circulation rules that apply to that user or group of users.

Broadcast searching

Searching the library catalog of a remote location using a Z39.50 connection or another Horizon database or Consolidated Searching connection.

BTYPE

see Borrower Type

Connection

The information that lets users find a library catalog on the web. Can apply to Z39.50 libraries.

Datasource

A set of information that lets Information Portal access the Horizon database. It contains the Horizon database name, IP address, user name, and password.

Display

The collection of elements on an Information Portal search results page that determines how users view their search results.

Element

One piece of a record that is displayed on a search results display (such as due date, author, or title).

Hook-to-holdings

A custom hyperlink that lets external sources (such as a database supplier) view holdings in your library database.

HTML display element

see 856 tag

Httpd service

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Daemon. A server that lets users access information when using web browsers.

Hyperlink

An image or string or word of text that is mapped to another location via a directory path or URL. A hyperlink lets you create a shortcut to a particular place or type of search.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

A partnership between separate libraries or organizations to share resources and items with each other.

Index

The search options that are brought in from the Horizon server to be used within Information Portal (such as title keyword, subject keyword, or author browse).

Information Portal Library

A set of information representing the main Horizon database, including the PAC flavor settings, imported into Information Portal. This Library’s locations are imported as profiles. However, you must set up Z39.50 connections differently than the main Information Portal Library.

Information Portal User

A user ID specifically created for Information Portal in Horizon.

JBoss (Application Server process)

The Information Portal process that directs all Information Portal activities and ensures that Information Portal displays correct information.

Library

1. (initial lowercase) Main facilities, branches, or collections where materials such as books or music are kept.

2. (initial uppercase) see Information Portal Library.

Limit

A tool applied to narrow the results of a search in a certain way. (For example, you can limit a search to items published between 1980 and 1997.)

Location

Main facilities, branches, or collections where materials such as books or music are kept. These are imported into Information Portal as profiles.

Lookup code

A Z39.50 representation of an element on an item display such as a boolean (true/false) value or a coded text string.

My Account

The portion of Information Portal that lets users see how many items they currently have checked out; view the number and status of their hold requests and blocks; or send a message to the library staff to change their user profile. The system administrator must give users access to this part of Information Portal, and users must register with their library to set up their account.

My List

A book list that users can create during Information Portal searches. This list can be temporary (it no longer exists when the user leaves the current Information Portal session). If users log into My Account before creating My List, they can save and manipulate the lists they create.

Option

On an Information Portal page, a hyperlink found somewhere other than on a tab or sub-tab.

Patron

see User

Profile

1. A profile is a location. It can include main facilities, branches, or collections.

2. In the Information Portal interface, a search environment. Establishes how the user views each Information Portal Library’s search process, including the content and color scheme of both the search pages and the search results pages. It includes a tabset, sorts, limits, requests, and the booklist.

3. Similar to a patron or borrower record. A user profile contains identifying information about the user, such as an
e-mail address or a PIN.

Qualifier

In a result type, the search index you choose if you are setting up Browse redirected searches. Information Portal uses this search index to perform new searches.

Quick search

Pre-designed searches (such as for bestseller lists or topical listings) that you can create and post as hyperlinks on an Information Portal searching page.

Redirected search

A data element that has been turned into a hyperlink for a particular type of search. (For example, if the author’s name within a search is a hyperlink, when you click on it a redirected search is executed on that author’s name.)

Resource request

A request sent via e-mail from a user to the library Resource desk for staff members to evaluate and fulfill.

Resource Sharing System (RSS)

A software program that lets libraries manage their interlibrary loan (ILL) transactions electronically.

Result type

Ties together an index (or search) and the search result displays that Information Portal uses for each type of search. (For example, the result type “title.list” will display the results of your search by title.) If you want to use any of the displays that you create, you must add them to a result type.

Search category

A quick-search level that organizes pre-designed searches into topics (such as Art, Literature, Science, and so forth).

Search category group

A set of search categories that you want to put together.

Search Result display

see Display

Search Option

see Index

Sort

The order in which Information Portal displays the results of a search. (For example, in a sort order such as author, title, and publication date, Information Portal would display the items in alphabetical order by author, with the title listed next and the publication date listed last.)

Sub-tab

A sub-division of a particular Information Portal feature. (For example, under the Status tab there are various statistics types listed on sub-tabs.) You can click on a sub-tab to open the page it describes.

Tab

A division or grouping of Information Portal features.

Tabset

A collection of categories and sub-categories arranged in tabs and sub-tabs across the top of the screen.

Universal ID

A unique code that identifies an index so that remote searching locations can use it for broadcast searching. (For example, “GW” could be the universal ID for a General Keyword search.)

URL

Uniform Resource Locator. The address or location of documents or other items on the World Wide Web.

User

Someone who accesses your library catalog using Information Portal. A borrower or patron.

User interface

The part of Information Portal used for searching a library catalog and getting other library information.

Variables

Values in Information Portal’s searching pages that appear to be coded into the software, such as text strings, images, fonts, and so forth. You can change some of these values.

Wizard

An Information Portal interface that walks you through multiple screens to create something, such as a new index.

XSL processor

An XSL processor accepts the XML data from the Information Portal server, converts it to HTML, and returns it to the Information Portal server. You must have at least one XSL processor running in order for Information Portal to display properly.

Z39.50

A protocol that lets users connect to and search the library catalog of a remote location, if both libraries are set up to do this.

 

 


© 1998-2017 Sirsi Corporation