August 2009 Archives
New limit by holdings for WorldCat Search API
Good news for WorldCat Search API WSkey holders. The WorldCat Search API has been enhanced. You can now limit the results returned to an individual library's holding symbol, without authenticating the application's users, at all service levels. In lots of discussions with developers, people have asked for this feature. Yay, now it's here.
With this functionality update, the eligibility requirements for the WorldCat Search API have also been updated.
NB: ALL 200+ current WorldCat Search API WSKeys will remain active through at least Sept 1, 2010. This eligibility change should affect very few future requests for service. In addition, there is even more good news if your library doesn't currently qualify--or if you're a developer who is not connected to a library.
WorldCat Basic API planned
For a long time now, OCLC has wanted to provide a general Web service to WorldCat in addition to WorldCat.org. This wish is now becoming a reality. Later this year you'll have a simple API into WorldCat that anyone and everyone in the world can use, for noncommercial use. Called the WorldCat Basic API, it provides a mashable access point for lightweight apps built by developers who may or may not have ties to the library community.
The WorldCat Basic API is planned to use OpenSearch and return feeds in Atom and RSS. Results include OCLC number links to WorldCat.org, ISBNs and formatted citations.
We're excited to announce these improvements and updates, expanding the range of developers able to include WorldCat and library data in their apps. Sign up for the Developer Network listserv (WC-DEVNET-L) if you haven't already, to hear when the WorldCat Basic API is available.
You might have noticed the SXSW Panelpicker image on your left. That's right, OCLC has submitted a proposal to be at SXSW Interactive, and we need your help to get selected. The topic is "Discovery, Identity and Rights: Three Deep Web Problems," and it's all about topics that might keep you up at night--authentication, authorization, and access to content not necessarily available through a standard Web search.
Read the proposal for the full details--but the main idea is to make sure libraries are a part of the mainstream Web conversation at SXSW.
Not going to SXSW? No problem. You're still encouraged by conference organizers to make your voice heard. Go to http://bit.ly/vuPu5 and pick the thumbs-up sign. Registration is simple--a standard e-mail confirmation bounceback, and then you can go pick the Deep Web panel (and any others that look interesting.)
The selection process closes on Friday, Sept. 4, so please take a minute today/tomorrow/this week to give OCLC's proposal the "thumbs up."
Lots of discussions going on with the crew working on OCLC Web Services--everything from making our services more mobile-friendly to upcoming API enhancements to long-term vision and plans to make more APIs for more OCLC services.
In the midst of all these discussions, though, we're quite pleased to announce the VALAtech Boot Camp OCLC API Mashathon. Planned for Monday, 8 February as a preconference for VALA2010, the OCLC Developer Network (at least some of us) will be in Melbourne, Australia to help more library developers make the most use of library APIs and Web services.
As the conference site says,
"... participants a firm grounding in a variety of OCLC-provided APIs, including the WorldCat Search API. All of these services are free to qualifying institutions. You will emerge well-prepared to use a rich array of library APIs to enhance your local services."
What the site doesn't say is that we're also sure you'll make connections with a lot of like-minded people, get answers to your questions (we hope) and basically have a great time thinking up new and creative uses for data. Stay tuned.
