> Nobody in the *library world* uses
> it, much less non-libraries.
Ironically, I was just checking email in between using the WorldCat SRU server.
In addition to the systems Rob mentioned, there are also article databases like JSTOR and Springerlink that implement SRU, and every metasearch system in use in libraries today consume SRU web services.
But I think the folks at OpenLibrary should implement an OpenSearch interface. I mean come on! OpenLibrary, OpenSearch. A match made in heaven! ;-)
--Dave
-------------------
David Walker
Library Web Services Manager
California State University
http://xerxes.calstate.edu
________________________________
From: Code for Libraries on behalf of Casey Durfee
Sent: Wed 5/7/2008 1:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Latest OpenLibrary.org release
SRU is crap, in my opinion -- overengineered and under-thought,
incomprehensible to non-librarians and burdened by the weight of history.
The notion that it was designed to be used by all kinds of clients on all
kinds of data is irrelevant in my book. Nobody in the *library world* uses
it, much less non-libraries. APIs are for use. You don't get any points
for idealogical correctness. A non-librarian could look at that API
document, understand it all, and start working with it right away. There is
no way you can say that about SRU.
Kudos to the OpenLibrary team, whatever the reason was, for coming up with
something better that people outside the library world might actually be
willing to use.
On Wed, May 7, 2008 at 12:55 PM, Dr R. Sanderson <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> I'm the only non-techie on the team, so I don't know that much about
> > SRU. (Our head programmer lives in India, and is presumably asleep at
> > the moment, otherwise I'd ask him!) Is it an interface that is used
> > primarily by libraries? We are definitely hoping that our API will be
> > used by all kinds, so perhaps that's the reasoning.
> >
>
> It's designed to be used by all kinds of clients on all kinds of data,
> but is from the library world so perhaps the most well defined use cases
> are in this arena. Have a look at:
> http://www.loc.gov/standards/sru/
>
> But this is an Open Source project, so if anyone would like to volunteer
> > to build an SRU interface... you can! Please do! :-)
> >
>
> I feel a student project coming on. :)
>
> Rob
>
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