WorldCat Search API enhanced, WorldCat Basic API planned
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.