[Web4lib] form to create static catalog links

[Sharon Foster]

Sara,

I know this doesn't respond to your question directly, but I was
recently grappling with the same problem myself, with the added
complication that my library belongs to a consortium, so the durable
URL to a particular item in our catalog (as opposed to all libraries
in the consortium) is extra-long. I chose to use the ISBN as the
search term. I realize that can omit other editions of the same work,
but I figured that the "find more by this author" link would help.

For example:
http://ibistro.libraryconnection.info/uhtbin/cgisirsi/0/CHESHIRE/0/57/5/?user_id=CHESHIREPUB&password=public&library=CHESHIRE&searchdata1=9780307387899

Whenever I want to include a link to our catalog on our website, I use
this as my template and just change the ISBN.

Jon Udell has created a "find in my library" bookmarklet (actually a
set of bookmarklets for different ILSs) that grabs the ISBN of the
item you are looking at in Amazon and builds a search URL for your
ILS. Maybe that code would be a good starting point for what you want
to do.

http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/stories/2002/12/11/librarylookup.html

Sharon


On 9/17/07, Sara Patalita <spatalita at acpl.lib.in.us> wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I'm hoping to create a quick Web-based application where people can
> enter their search terms and they will be given a static URL which they
> could use to link to the results of this search in our (iBistro)
> catalog.  [Note: I want to provide a URL, not link to the URL.]
>
> Our catalog uses dynamic URLs while actively searching, so you can't
> copy and paste the URLs for later retrieval.  I learned how to construct
> the syntax of search URLs in iBistro (see http://tinyurl.com/32mux5 ) --
> and savvy users can insert their terms into the (admittedly long and
> somewhat cumbersome) basic link structure.  The static URLs are used to
> email catalog links to our Ask a Librarian users, post on our Web site,
> blogs, etc.
>
> I think more of our staff - and maybe patrons - would make use of these
> URLs if they were easier to create.
>
> I assume I can create a simple application where users can enter their
> terms and get a quick URL back -- which would insert their terms into
> the catalog link structure (as described here: http://tinyurl.com/32mux5
> ), and perhaps even then converting to a tinyurl-type URL to shorten
> them and prevent possible line break problems.  The problem is, I'm not
> sure of what application/language I could/should use to accomplish
> this.
>
> Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sara
>
>
>
> --
>
> ***********************************************************
> Sara Patalita
> General Reference Librarian
> Allen County Public Library
> 900 Library Plaza
> Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
> spatalita at acpl.info
> Phone 260.421.1252
>
> "The public library he mistook for heaven." ~The Poisonwood Bible,
> Barbara Kingsolver
> ***********************************************************
> "The views, opinions, and judgments expressed in this message are
> solely those of the author. The message contents have not been reviewed
> or approved by the Allen County Public Library."
>
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>


-- 
Sharon M. Foster, B.S., J.D., 0.58 * (MLS)
F/OSS Evangelist
Cheshire Public Library
104 Main Street
Cheshire, CT  06410
http://www.cheshirelibrary.org
My library school portfolio: http://home.southernct.edu/~fosters4/
My final project for ILS655, Digital Libraries:
http://www.vsa-software.com/ils655

Any opinions expressed here are entirely my own.