Classification Resource
Access to the Classify API is provided through a secure endpoint.
If you are on OCLC member library and you know your OCLC symbol and WorldShare username and password, please visit the API Keys page to request a key
If you do not know your OCLC symbol and/or your WorldShare username and password, or if you are associated with a commercial partner, please contact us.
Classify supports two operations.
| Operation | Resource URL | HTTP METHOD |
|---|---|---|
| Read | https://metadata.api.oclc.org/classify/?oclc=57358293&summary=true | GET |
| Search | https://metadata.api.oclc.org/classify/?author=Weinberger%2C%20David&title=everything%20is%20miscellaneous&summary=true | GET |
HTTP Accept Types
- application/xml
Response Options
Summary
| Fields |
Description |
|---|---|
| work/author | author |
| work/editions | number of editions |
| work/format | format |
| work/holdings | number of libraries with holdings |
| work/hyr | |
| work/lyr | |
| work/swid | work ID |
| work/title | title |
| recommendations | This section contains classification recommendations |
| recommendations/ddc | Dewey classification recommendations |
| recommendations/ddc/mostPopular | section for most popular classifications |
| recommendations/ddc/mostPopular/sfa | classification number from the subfield $a of 082/092 or 050/090, or 060/096 |
| recommendations/ddc/mostPopular/nsfa | normalized classification number from the subfield $a of 082/092 or 050/090, or 060/096 |
| recommendations/ddc/mostPopularsf2 | subfield $2 of 082/092 |
| recommendations/ddc/mostRecent | section for the classification from Same possible attributes as mostPopular |
| recommendations/ddc/latestEdition | section for the classification from the latest edition(s) Same possible attributes as mostPopular |
| recommendations/lcc | Library of Congress Classification Same possible subelements and attributes as DDC |
Full Detail
The Full Detail view has the same Work attributes as the Summary format. In addition it has more detailed Edition and Recommendation sections. This view is only available for single works. Example Output
| Fields |
Description |
|---|---|
| edition | node for a particular edition |
| edition/author | author |
| edition/date | date edition was published |
| edition/format | format of edition |
| edition/holdings | number of libraries with this edition |
| edition/language | language of edition |
| edition/oclcnumber | oclc number |
| edition/title | Title |
| edition/classifications | classifications |
| editions/classifications/class | LCCN Year |
| editions/classifcations/class/edition | LCCN ? |
| editions/classifcations/class/tag | Work Identifier |
| editions/classifcations/class/ind1 | Author |
| editions/classifcations/class/ind2 | Title |
| editions/classifcations/class/sfa | Summary output or Full Detail |
| graph | Graph of editions Classified and Unclassified |
| fast | aFAST Headings section |
| fast/graph |
graph of FAST headings |
| fast/headings | FAST headings |
| fast/headings/heading | FAST heading |
| fast/headings/heading/heldby | number of institutions that hold this edition and have this heading |
| fast/headings/heading/ident | FAST identifier |
Multi-Work
| Fields |
Description |
|---|---|
| work/author | author |
| work/editions | number of editions |
| work/format | format |
| work/holdings | number of libraries with holdings |
| work/hyr | |
| work/lyr | |
| work/swid | work ID |
| work/title | title |
Parameters
Below is a list of all the possible parameters that can be used as part of a Classify request:
| Parameter | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| summary | Yes | Determines response type as Summary output, Full Detail (only available for single work), or Multi-Work |
| stdnbr | No | Standard Number |
| oclc | No | OCLC Number |
| isbn | No | ISBN |
| issn | No | ISSN |
| upc | No | UPC |
| ident | No | FAST ID |
| heading | No | FAST Heading |
| lccn | No | LCCN |
| lccn_pfx | No | LCCN Prefix |
| lccn_yr | No | LCCN Year |
| lccn_sno | No | LCCN ? |
| swid | No | Work Identifier |
| author | No | Author |
| title | No | Title |
| maxRecs | No | The number of records to be returned. |
| orderBy | No | desired sort order mancount asc (number of editions, ascending) mancount desc (number of editions descending) hold asc (holdings, ascending) hold desc (holdings, descending) lyr asc (date of first edition, ascending) lyr desc (date of first edition, descending) hyr asc (date of latest edition, ascending) hyr desc (date of latest edition, descending) ln asc (language, ascending) ln desc (language, descending) sheading asc (FAST subject heading, ascending) sheading desc (FAST subject heading, descending) |
Examples
Retrieve summary classification information based on OCLC Number 57358293:
GET http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?oclc=57358293&summary=true
Retrieve summary classification information based on ISBN 0679442723:
GET http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?isbn=0679442723&summary=true
Retrieve summary classification information based on ISSN 0027-1535:
GET http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?issn=0027-1535&summary=true
Retrieve summary classification information based on LCCN 2011588147:
GET http://classify.oclc.org/classify2/Classify?lccn=2011588147&summary=true
Retrieve summary classification information for the title Everything is miscellaneous by author David Weinberger:
Note, a request like the following may retrieve more than one work:
Notes
A Service Explorer and a web interface to Classify also exists.
Status Codes
0: Success. Single-work summary response provided.
2: Success. Single-work detail response provided.
4: Success. Multi-work response provided.
100: No input. The method requires an input argument.
101: Invalid input. The standard number argument is invalid.
102: Not found. No data found for the input argument.
200: Unexpected error.