On 8 October 2011, Michel, Jason Paul wrote:

> I'm a lurker on this listserv and am interested in gaining some insight 
> into your experiences of utilizing web service APIs in either an 
> academic library or public library setting.
>
> I'm writing a book for ALA Editions on the use of Web Service APIs in 
> libraries.  Each chapter covers a specific API by delineating the 
> technicalities of the API, discussing potential uses of the API in 
> library settings, and step-by-step tutorials.

Where I work we use the Google Books API to link to their versions of 
things, and because we use VuFind we pull in book covers from Open Library 
and so on.

Are you covering how libraries make their own APIs?  We have a few that 
are used in our university's student portal and course management system 
to suggest subject guides, course guides and My Librarian.  The docs (now 
somewhat outdated) are here:

 	http://www.library.yorku.ca/ccm/web/docs/apis/

How libraries use APIs from big services is interesting, but I'd be very 
interested in reading about how libraries make their own APIs that others 
can reuse, even locally inside large institutions like universities, 
colleges, school systems, cities, etc.

Bill
-- 
William Denton
Toronto, Canada
http://www.miskatonic.org/