Tailoring Z39.50 on existing databases: the ARCA project

The Z39.50 protocol aims at opening databases to client-server communication. However, in the case of large databases, like OPACs, the migration to the client-server architecture may require significant effort. This can hardly limit the diffusion of the open systems environment. The ARCA project gives solutions to these problems by providing a system which makes an OPAC a Z39.50 target with a minimal effort. The paper describes the basic ideas, the general architecture and the main functionality of the system, outlining its contribution to systems interoperability.