[Web4lib] Web services for LII content?

[HAZEL Margaret E]

If you can utilize tags that will enable localization of information
returned, this might be a great option.

-Margaret
 Eugene Public Library
 Eugene, OR 

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of K.G. Schneider
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 1:29 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Cc: 'PubLib '
Subject: [Web4lib] Web services for LII content?

(Originally posted to code4lib.)

Wearing my LII hat (http://lii.org ) I have been approached by a
library--and had suggestions on our user survey--for something I've
wanted to offer from LII as an added value service (possibly through a
Flickr model, where little tastes are free but if you want a cone you
pay for it) but wasn't able to articulate very well either in  execution
or in technology. One survey response that I just read said:
 
"Develop web services (accessible by subscription) to allow a developer
to include some of the LII in an application."
 
The library I've been talking to has said they are interested in an easy
way to show LII content on their site. [Since this post I've heard from
several more.] I have spoken briefly with their developers and indicated
an interest in doing this, and even sent PDFs displaying our table
structure internally.
In turn, I've asked them what they would expect to see on their site.
URLs?
Links to LII content? Parsing-in of categories? Mini-descriptions, like
titles plus the first ten, sort of like pulling in an RSS feed?
 
If this helps, we generate XML very nicely in LII, through our new CMS
(Community Servers, a front end for MySQL), and we have authentication
options as well, and our developers have ecommerce experience.

I keep wondering if this would be selling a service, an application, or
both. 
 
I can see this being hugely useful for libraries--instead of maintaining
lists of local links, display LII links, optionally with or without
content.
Our users tell us our content is useful and this is one more way we can
be a good "business to business" service to libraries. I have informally
heard from library reference managers who don't want to use so much
staff time "recreating LII," as several have put it to me; that has a
real dollar and cents component to it. It just needs some technical
guidance and thinking-through. I really think we could get grant money
to do this, too.

I've had one librarian say, oh, well, if we had to pay we won't pay for
it, we'll just write an application and do it ourselves, and my thoughts
there are well if you can do it yourselves be my guest, but convenience,
particularly translated to personnel hours, is often worth what you pay
for it. 
 
So, thoughts?
 
Karen G. Schneider
kgs at lii.org http://lii.org
Librarians' Internet Index
Websites you can trust!
 

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