[WEB4LIB] RE: Yahoo-OCLC toolbar

[Ross Singer]

K.G. Schneider wrote:

>I wouldn't use it, based on this experience, because I don't trust it. I'll
>start with my local catalog and go from there. Still, in the realm of hot
>new cool tools, kinda fun. Though if users believe this is a trustworthy
>resource, but it's not leading people to YOUR local catalog, beware, beware.
>"Yahoo says it's not there!" Go ahead and talk yourself blue in the face
>about how your catalog works... it won't matter. You don't have a billboard
>on 101 South, or commercials on national TV. 
>
>  
>
This is a very good point.  I was trying to use Openworldcat in 
conjunction with the Google API for a simple federated search proof of 
concept I was working on (which would search our ILS, our consortial 
union catalog, worldcat, crossref and Amazon... no I don't have any real 
reason for those choices, except they were all free and relatively 
simple to search).  My results back from Openworldcat were wildly 
different through the Google API than they were through the native 
search interface.  I would, for instance, get 13 results back from the 
API search vs. 568 in the native interface. 

Further, my searches in OCLC's Worldcat interface would bring up a 
completely different result set.

This makes sense (well, not the Google API vs. Google native 
difference), since OCLC would index the data differently than Google 
would.  Plus, I think, the expectations on OCLC's interface are a little 
different since we pay for it.

What this does raise, however, is a burden on you, the librarian, to 
explain this to the uninformed user.  If we publicize or promote 
products like the Yahoo/Openworldcat search bar, we need to be prepared 
for the idiosynchracies it brings with it.

Not to mention the hijinks and hilarity that ensues when trying to 
embark on projects like I was attempting.

-Ross.