[Web4lib] Issue 4 of Code4Lib Journal Now Available
Ken Varnum
varnum at umich.edu
Mon Sep 22 16:36:09 EDT 2008
The fourth issue of the Code4Lib Journal is now available at
http://journal.code4lib.org/ .
Editorial Introduction -- Issue 4
Ken Varnum
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/363
Auto-Populating an ILL form with the Serial Solutions Link Resolver API
Daniel Talsky
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/363
In this article we'll take a tour of the OpenURL protocol; discover
how to use it to get an XML API response from the Serial Solutions link
resolver; and see how to receive and process that XML data using PHP to
create an Interlibrary Loan webform. Finally, we'll see a few examples
of how to handle form processing. This article will be of interest to
beginner programmers interested in examples of programming with OpenURL
and XML in PHP, and to more experienced programmers interested in taking
a look at the Serial Solutions 360 Link API.
Mining Data from ISI Web of Science Reports
Alfred Kraemer
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/110
Journal citation data is valuable as a selection tool for adding new
journals
as well as for discontinuing subscriptions that are no longer
cost-effective.
This article presents and discusses an example of data extraction from a
typical ISI Web of Science report. The strategy was developed following a
review of the data relationships and embedded data output format. While
Perl
was used in the example, the method described can be implemented with most
programming/scripting languages. The example demonstrates also that
citation-based studies and reports can be based on large sets of extracted
data rather than the typical, small samples. The value of the data is
discussed using a actual decision-making scenario.
Unveiling Jangle: Untangling Library Resources and Exposing them through the
Atom Publishing Protocol
Ross Singer and James Farrugia
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/109
The Jangle project intends to expose the data hidden in library systems by
using the Atom Publishing Protocol to provide simple, consistent access to
content and resources. The lack of uniform access to the underlying data
in
library systems is a major impediment to library development. The Jangle
project has the potential to enable new development opportunities by
leveraging simple to use and easy to understand processes. This article
discusses the benefits of the Atom Publishing Protocol and how Jangle
utilizes it, including a description of the current JangleR reference
implementation and case studies of the simplicity of developing within the
framework.
LibraryH3lp: A New Flexible Chat Reference System
Pam Sessoms and Eric Sessoms
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/107
LibraryH3lp is an integrated IM and web chat system designed specifically
for
Virtual Reference services in libraries. The software was designed for,
and
is currently used by, a night-time chat reference collaboration between
several large academic libraries. LibraryH3lp is designed for the workflow
of
chat reference, supporting multiple simultaneous operators and routing to
queues of operators in a particular service area. It also supports web
page
embeddable chat 'widgets', as well as simultaneous gateways to multiple IM
protocols. This article discusses the motivation for the development of
the
software, and provides an overview of LibraryH3lp's features and technical
architecture. Parts of LibraryH3lp are available as open source. The
complete application is available as a low-cost hosted service, and will
eventually be available to be licensed for local hosting.
OpenBook WordPress Plugin: Open Source Access to Bibliographic Data
John Miedema
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/105
OpenBook is a WordPress PHP plugin that implements the Open Library APIs
to
insert book covers, titles, authors and publishers into web pages. The
motive
behind the development was to provide an easy alterative to the common
practice of linking to Amazon. Open Library was selected as a data source
because it is both open source and open data. The plugin is useful for
book
reviewers, library webmasters, anyone who wants to put book covers and
data
on their WordPress blog or website. The plugin also allows users to add
links
to publisher websites, a feature that was considered significant to
independent publishers.
The Library Search Engine: A Smart Solution for Integrating Resources Beyond
Library Holdings
Karin Herm and Sibylle Volz
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/142
The Cooperative Library Network Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV), Germany
addresses
the problem of how to integrate resources found outside the library and
library holdings into a single discovery tool. It presents a solution that
uses open source technology to develop a next-generation catalog interface
called the Library Search Engine. This pilot project was launched in 2007
with the library of Albert Einstein Science Park, Potsdam. The idea was to
design and develop a fast and convenient search tool, integrating local
holdings (books, journals, journal articles) as well as relevant
scientific
subject information such as open access publications and bibliographies.
BOOK REVIEW: Two Books about FRBR, Compared
Christine Schwartz
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/138
This article reviews 2 books on FRBR published in the past year. Although
both books aim to be introductions to FRBR, their approaches are very
different. One is sort of a FRBR study guide with commentary, the other a
collection of essays. Robert Maxwell's book, FRBR: A Guide for the
Perplexed,
takes the study guide approach. Arlene Taylor edited Understanding FRBR:
What
It Is and How It Will Affect Our Retrieval Tools, a book of essays about
FRBR
and FRAD, written by cataloging experts, aimed at a broader audience, not
just the cataloging specialist. The first seven chapters lay out the
basics:
introductions to FRBR and FRAD, FRBR research, FRBR and the history of
cataloging, FRBR and RDA. These chapters provide an excellent introduction
for those new to FRBR. The last seven chapters each look at different
types
of resources in relation to FRBR.
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