[WEB4LIB] Re: We need an Internet Literary Database

[Eric Hellman]

Thanks for the mention!

Look for a major overhaul of the LinkBaton site with much improved 
user interface to go public later this week.

At 2:02 PM -0800 3/26/00, Jeff wrote:
>On Sat, 25 Mar 2000, Hanan Cohen wrote:
>
>[...]
>  > The web needs an Internet Literary Database, similar to the Internet
>  > Movie Database, so we can link to books without looking like we're
>  > trying to sell you something.
>
>The irony bere being that IMDB is run by Amazon.com.
>
>I do believe someone pointed out a site/service the other day that allowed
>you to link to it with an ISBN as an argument, and that site would then
>redirect you (based upon previously set preferences ala cookie) to
>any one of a number of reference sites and/or booksellers.
>
>http://www.linkbaton.com/
>
>Currently, the only options for LinkBaton linking to books appear to be
>commercial, mainly online booksellers.
>
>There are many possibilities if you toss Library of Congress, Z39.50,
>local web-based catalogs, and a few others into the mix.

We're a bit behind schedule for opening up the linking to libraries at large.

The Library of Congress uses session IDs in such a way as to prevent 
direct ISBN linking via http; if we knew of any direct interfaces, 
we'd add it in a flash.

>
>I do believe linkbaton is open source, or soon to be. Unable to find any
>reference to it on the site.
>

LinkBaton is not open source; it is not software, but rather a 
service. Some of the http interfaces are open, others are not.

Don't worry, literary databases will happen.

Eric

Eric Hellman
Openly Informatics, Inc.
http://www.openly.com/           21st Century Information Infrastructure
LinkBaton: Your Shortcuts to Information  http://linkbaton.com/