Module 5 - FAQs

1. How many suppliers have search servers to enable people to search and access their data inventory?
   
   
2. Who can I contact for help?

1. How many suppliers have search servers to enable people to search and access their data inventory?

There are 240 on the GeoConnections Discovery Portal alone, but there are hundreds more around the world. While the GeoConnections Discovery Portal does make an effort to import search server information for international data collections, these use geospatial search profiles that are not used by the GeoConnections Discovery Portal (for example, Z39.50-CIP). In the non-geospatial world, there are thousands of libraries that make their catalogues searchable using Z39.50-BIB1.

2. Who can I contact for help?

The GeoConnections Discovery Portal operations team:

• Monitors the responsiveness of external databases connected to GeoConnections Discovery Portal Databases which are chronically unavailable for searching. are temporarily disconnected by GeoConnections Discovery Portal staff;
• Answers questions submitted by email. Questions are submitted through the system's 'Feedback' link;
• Offers assistance with entering product descriptions and connecting Internet databases;
• Reviews entries and performs quality control of new entries;
• Helps connect Internet databases to the GeoConnections Discovery Portal; and
• Provides further information on how to use the free tools.