WorldCat Search API enhanced, new WorldCat Basic API planned
Application Programming Interface’s (APIs) and Web Services have gained wide popularity of late as a way to share data and devise collective solutions to common challenges. In web development this process is referred to as a “mash-up”, whereby developers combine multiple API’s to devise new applications and services.
The WorldCat Search API was released in 2008 with this popularity in mind. Since then it has become known in the library developer circles as a good way to gain access to structured data in WorldCat. Many qualifying libraries have used the API to increase the number of links into their catalogues and providing WorldCat access to users from within their Web site.
Members of the OCLC Developer Network worked with OCLC to develop this API, and the Network continues to advise OCLC on ideas for additional Web services in the future. Indeed, a recent WorldCat “Mashathon” hosted in by OCLC in Amsterdam resulted in nine new tools for European library users to implement in their own library catalogues (read more here).
The latest enhancement to the WorldCat Search API has allows developers to build apps that limit by an individual library's holding symbol, without authentication, at all service levels. The Eligibility requirements for the API have also been updated to accommodate this much-requested feature. All of the 200+ institutions around the world that already have access to the WorldCat Search API will remain active through at least 1 September 2010 as a result of these changes.
In addition, OCLC has announced plans for the introduction of a WorldCat Basic API, a simple API into WorldCat that anyone and everyone in the world can use, for non-commercial use. WorldCat Basic API will provide a mashable access point for lightweight apps built by developers who may or may not have ties to the library community.
Learn more about the WorldCat Basic API on the Developer Network blog.