Six new Web services available through the OCLC WorldShare Platform

You've probably heard about the OCLC WorldShare Platform, officially launched in December—the framework, architecture and infrastructure that Karen described in previous posts. Now I am pleased to say, there are SIX (6) new Web services available through the Platform for you to experiment and innovate with, in this new environment. And a lot of other great stuff, too. This post is long overdue--but worth the wait!

What does WorldShare mean?

 The "cooperative platform" was our working title while we were in pilot, but now you'll know it as the OCLC WorldShare Platform. It's WorldShare because it encompasses the shared technical infrastructure of the Platform, making it easier to share your work with others--your code, apps, ideas and more. More on the Platform from a high-level view.

Six new Web services
Now you'll see more Web services available, including 5 all-new APIs related to the OCLC WorldShare Management Services (formerly known as OCLC Web-scale Management Services or OCLC WMS) and one for the WorldCat knowledge base:

  • WMS Acquisitions API
  • WMS Circulation API
  • WMS Collection Management API
  • WMS Vendor Information Center API
  • WMS NCIP Service
  • WorldCat knowledge base API

Library developers now have more than 20 APIs and Web services—including several that have write access!—at your fingertips.

More documentation
Your coding projects are supported by at least 20 to 25 new pages of documentation that provide all of the details you need about OCLC Web services and how they work. Going forward, you'll see a consistent set of documentation for each API you can use.

More access
Previously, most of the Web Services you could use from OCLC were available to everyone, but there were a few such as the WorldCat Search API that were only available to qualified institutions. As of today, any developer at a library with an active subscription to one or more OCLC products can access any and all of the Web Services available through the WorldShare Platform in a test environment. To move an app into production, a library must secure a use license for the service—typically a subscription to the relevant product.

More sharing
You've always been able to share your apps through the applications area of the Developer Network, but the WorldShare App Gallery takes it to the next level. Now you can create a cool app, submit it to the App Gallery and a library can install it directly into the OCLC product they subscribe to with one simple click. While this feature in and of itself is cool, the Platform also lets you create and share apps that don't require OCLC services at all, but bring external information into the context your library’s workflows. All of these new integration features are enabled by the OpenSocial framework – an evolving standard for developing social applications.  Right now, the click-to-install option is available for WorldShare Management Services, but work is underway to ensure that all relevant OCLC products (applications) are engineered or reengineered to take full advantage of this new architecture going forward.

More support
We're all about cooperation and collaboration to bring great ideas to life. The Platform helps put the tools in place to make the entire library ecosystem (your library. consortia, institution, vendors, publishers, partners, developers, etc.) work together more easily.

What makes the WorldShare Platform different from the Developer Network?

The Developer Network is the community place for library developers to get documentation, inspiration and discussion on how to work with OCLC APIs and Web Services. The WorldShare Platform provides that externalized integration environment (the framework, architecture and infrastructure) to be able to share your work more broadly through the WorldShare App Gallery and elsewhere.  The Platform builds upon and extends the support that you’ve enjoyed on Developer Network.

What next?
Go build some apps! And plan to attend Karen's preconference at Code4Lib for how to work with Platform-based Web services.

Developing Apps using REST Web services
Monday, Feb. 6, 2012
Full Day, Pacific Time

More about the Code4Lib preconference

We’re really excited about all the new features of the WorldShare Platform, and we’re looking forward to seeing the creativity that you, the community, bring to the app gallery. We’re also eager for input on the Platform…ideas, comments, questions, apps you name it, we’re listening!