[WEB4LIB] Re: library marketing was RE: Google Mail (fwd)

[Elizabeth Thomsen]

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 20:53:02 -0800 (PST) Sue Kamm wrote:
> I think it's possible to search for library materials using ISBN, but 
> that search wouldn't necessarily provide the seeker with the answer to 
> the question.  For one thing, libraries may have different editions of 
> the same book, which would have separate ISBNs.  In a library, searching 
> by author, title, subject, or keyword would generate more results than 
> searching by ISBN.

That's why I'm so interested in OCLC's xISBN project:
http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/xisbn/technical.htm
which can accept an ISBN as input, and return a list of related ISBNs as
output.  It's a start...

This is another area where the onine booksellers have it all over library 
catalogs.  With Amazon, however you get to an individual edition of a
book, by ISBN or whatever, you always see link to other editions right
there as links, clearly labelled "Hardcover," "Paperback," "Audio CD,"
etc.  

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
Danvers MA 01923
et at noblenet.org