New WorldCat Search API

There's a new Web service available for you IT developer types, called the WorldCat Search API. It will help libraries integrate WorldCat data into their own Web sites, link resolvers and other applications. It joins other Web services like xISSN that helps library developers do more with WorldCat data.

Here's some more technical information about the API, borrowed from the information on the OCLC Web site.

With the WorldCat API, developers can:

• Query the WorldCat database, containing more than 100 million bibliographic records contributed by librarians and other information professionals at thousands of WorldCat member libraries worldwide


• Retrieve a geographically sorted list of WorldCat libraries that own a specific item. Each library listing includes the institution name, location and the URL of the library's Web catalog record for that item


• Gain access to WorldCat from clients that can send RESTful URI queries with either the OpenSearch or SRU protocols and can accept RSS, Atom, MARC XML or Dublin Core® responses.

The API is free to qualifying libraries who are Governing members of OCLC. Other organizations interested in using the API can use this handy sign-up to receive additional information.

I am really excited to see what cool new tools and mash-ups emerge from the developer community with this new point of access. In fact, we have an event for developers in the planning stages, related to the WorldCat API. If you've ever played around with Amazon Web Services, I think you're going to like this