[Web4lib] New WorldCat Basic API Released

[Roy Tennant]

The new WorldCat Basic API <http://worldcat.org/devnet/wiki/BasicAPIDetails>
provides an easy method to search WorldCat <http://worldcat.org/> for items
in libraries such as books, videos, music and more, and receive results back
in XML. The OpenSearch protocol is supported, and results are returned in
Atom and RSS. Information included in results are authors, titles, ISBNs and
OCLC numbers. Records will be returned in standard bibliographic citation
formats such as APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA and Turabian. The API will also
provide links back to WorldCat.org for geographically-sorted library
information. 
 
Anyone can gain access to the WorldCat Basic API for non-commercial purposes
from the WorldCat Affiliates site
<http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/content/affiliate/>, by signing up for a
unique key to use the service. Commercial uses of the WorldCat Basic API are
encouraged, but interested parties are required to contact the WorldCat
Partnership team 
<mailto:owcpartner at oclc.org?subject=Commercial%20app%20interest%20for%20Worl
dCat%20Basic%20API> to arrange access.

OCLC Web Services offers ways to connect people to knowledge through
libraries, and for libraries to reap the benefits of library cooperation.
There are many other Web Services <http://www.oclc.org/services/web/>
available from OCLC, including the more full-featured WorldCat Search API,
and also ready-made WorldCat widgets
<http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/content/affiliate/> available for download.
 
Feedback about any of the OCLC Web Services is welcome on the OCLC Developer
Network blog and mailing list, available from the OCLC Developer Network
site <http://worldcat.org/devnet/>.
Roy Tennant