Amazon Affiliate Program

[Park,Go-Woon]

It is a little bit off the topic, but we created browser extensions for Amazon in order to draw users back to our library resources from Amazon. The extension searches the Library, State catalogs, and WorldCat to see if the same book found at Amazon is available in our resource pool. Library does not get any monetary gain, but our patrons save money, thus this benefits users. http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/app/OwensLinky/index.htm

Sarah

From: Web technologies in libraries [mailto:WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Wilhelmina Randtke
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2014 3:16 PM
To: WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [WEB4LIB] Amazon Affiliate Program


In general, Amazon Affiliate links are driving traffic off your library website to Amazon with no benefit to the library other than any payments of money.  If this is not about providing a better service to patrons, it's probably not a good idea.  Pulling cover images or reviews or something useful to a patron has a benefit.  They can see more info about the book and decide whether or not to read it.  Putting a link to get that book from someone other than the library seems to go against the concept of getting books from the library.  Library or Amazon?  Library points at Amazon and shrugs.  Not professional.

-Wilhelmina Randtke
On Feb 5, 2014 7:34 AM, "Graham, Stephen" <s.graham4 at herts.ac.uk<mailto:s.graham4 at herts.ac.uk>> wrote:
Hi All - just wondering if there are any academic libraries out there who are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program? If so, what does it actually entail, and was there any local opposition to becoming a member? We are looking at services which provide content enrichment such as books cover, ToCs, Description etc for our OPAC, and saw that that the Amazon Product Advertising API can be used for this? It seems to use this API, you need to become an Affiliate member. Any thoughts on this? Links to OPACs that use Amazon in this way?

Cheers, Stephen

Stephen Graham
Online Information Manager
Information Collections and Services
University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield.  AL10 9AB
Tel. 01707 286111
Email s.graham4 at herts.ac.uk<mailto:s.graham4 at herts.ac.uk>

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