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It isn't unfortunate, it was deliberate. I have a key for the basic api, but I was being advised that I had overlooked the obvious answer of the worldcat search API. I have no confusion between the two, except for the confusion that seems to be promulgated by OCLC itself. kc On 7/12/12 9:46 AM, Karen Coombs wrote: > Karen, > > Unfortunately it looks like you requested a key for the WorldCat > Search API which does have specific eligibility criteria. The WorldCat > Basic API which Ross mentions is available to anyone - > http://www.oclc.org/developer/services/worldcat-basic-api > > It allows you to do an OpenSearch keyword query of WorldCat and get > back basic metadata including the link to the worldcat.org page for > each record returned. > > The easiest way to get a key is to go to http://worldcat.org/config/ > and login with a WorldCat username/password. You should see a link > that says WorldCat Basic API Key which you can use to get a key. > > I apologize for the confusion between the two APIs (WorldCat Search > and WorldCat Basic). The difference is something we've tried to make > clearer in our documentation but unfortunately given your experience > it is still an issue. > > Karen > > > On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 11:33 AM, Karen Coyle <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> On 7/10/12 5:07 PM, Karen Coyle wrote: >>> On 7/10/12 4:02 PM, Richard Wallis wrote: >>>> >>>> But is it available to everyone, and is the data retrieved also usable as >>>> ODC-BY by any member of the Web public? >>>> >>>> Yes it is, and at this stage it is only available from within a html >>>> page. >>> >>> The "it" I was referring to was the API. Roy is telling me that people >>> should use the API, as if that is an obvious option that I am overlooking. I >>> am asking if the general web public can use the API to get this data. I >>> believe that should be a yes/no question/answer. >> >> Since no one here from OCLC had the integrity to answer this question, I >> went ahead and applied for a Worldcat API key, and here is the reply: >> >> ***** >> >> Hello, >> >> Thank you for your interest in the WorldCat Search API, however at this time >> the web service is only available to institutions, primarily libraries, that >> have a specific relationship with OCLC and then only for work related to >> that library's services. The specific relationship is explained further >> here, >> http://oclc.org/developer/documentation/worldcat-search-api/who-can-use. >> >> However, there are other OCLC services that are available to individual's >> non-commercial use. Looking at the list of services available on >> http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/content/affiliate/ you'll see that the WorldCat >> search box and WorldCat links with embedded searches are available to >> anyone. You may also be interested in checking out the WorldCat Registry, >> or low-volume use of the xISBN and xISSN services. >> >> If you have questions about the service, please contact the product manager, >> Dawn Hendricks at [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>. >> >> ***** >> >> There is nothing wrong with having a proprietary API; but pretending that it >> isn't (either directly or through omission), or being afraid to say it, is >> the kind of thing that has caused me to lose respect for OCLC. Nothing >> should be declared "open" that isn't available to all, not just members. And >> advertisements for WC API classes should state "members only." That would be >> honest. And telling folks on a wide-open list that they should use the >> Worldcat API (without mentioning "if you are in a member institution and >> using this for library services) is at best deceiving, at worst dishonest. >> >> I, for one, am tired of OCLC's lies, and I'm not afraid to say it. >> Fortunately for me, retirement is looming and I don't need to care who likes >> what I say. This is a relief, to say the least. >> >> kc >> >> >> >> >> >>> kc >>> >>>> This experiment is the first step in a process to make linked data about >>>> WorldCat resources available. As it will evolve over time other areas >>>> such >>>> as API access, content-negotiation, search & other query methods, >>>> additional RDF data vocabularies, etc., etc., will be considered in >>>> concert >>>> with community feedback (such as this thread) as to the way forward. >>>> >>>> Karen I know you are eager to work with and demonstrate the benefits of >>>> this way of publishing data. But these things take time and effort, so >>>> please be a little patient, and keep firing off these use cases and >>>> issues >>>> they are all valuable input. >>>> >>>> ~Richard. >>>> >>>>> kc >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Roy >>>>>> On Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 2:08 PM, Kevin Ford <[log in to unmask]> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> The use case clarifies perfectly. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Totally feasible. Well, I should say "totally feasible" with the >>>>>>> caveat >>>>>>> that I've never used the Worldcat Search API. Not letting that stop >>>>>>> me, >>>>>>> so >>>>>>> long as it is what I imagine it is, then a developer should be able to >>>>>>> perform a search, retrieve the response, and, by integrating one of >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> tools advertised on the schema.org website into his/her code, then >>>>>>> retrieve >>>>>>> the microdata for each resource returned from the search (and save it >>>>>>> as >>>>>>> RDF >>>>>>> or whatever). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> If someone has created something like this, do speak up. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Yours, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Kevin >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 07/10/2012 04:48 PM, Karen Coyle wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Kevin, if you misunderstand then I undoubtedly haven't been clear >>>>>>>> (let's >>>>>>>> at least share the confusion :-)). Here's the use case: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> PersonA wants to create a comprehensive bibliography of works by >>>>>>>> AuthorB. The goal is to do a search on AuthorB in WorldCat and >>>>>>>> extract >>>>>>>> the RDFa data from those pages in order to populate the bibliography. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Apart from all of the issues of getting a perfect match on authors >>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>> of manifestation duplicates (there would need to be editing of the >>>>>>>> results after retrieval at the user's end), how feasible is this? >>>>>>>> Assume >>>>>>>> that the author is prolific enough that one wouldn't want to look up >>>>>>>> all >>>>>>>> of the records by hand. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> kc >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On 7/10/12 1:43 PM, Kevin Ford wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> As for someone who might want to do this programmatically, he/she >>>>>>>>> should take a look at the "Programming languages" section of the >>>>>>>>> second link I sent along: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> http://schema.rdfs.org/tools.**html<http://schema.rdfs.org/tools.html> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> There one can find Ruby, Python, and Java extractors and parsers >>>>>>>>> capable of outputting RDF. A developer can take one of these and >>>>>>>>> programmatically get at the data. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Apologies if I am misunderstanding your intent. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Yours, >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Kevin >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On 07/10/2012 04:34 PM, Karen Coyle wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Thanks, Kevin! And Richard! >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I'm thinking we need a good web site with links to tools. I had >>>>>>>>>> already >>>>>>>>>> been introduced to >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> http://www.w3.org/2012/pyRdfa/ >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> where you can past a URI and get ttl or rdf/xml. These are all good >>>>>>>>>> resources. But what about someone who wants to do this >>>>>>>>>> programmatically, >>>>>>>>>> not through a web site? Richard's message indicates that this isn't >>>>>>>>>> yet >>>>>>>>>> available, so perhaps we should be gathering use cases to support >>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>> need? And have a place to post various solutions, even ones that >>>>>>>>>> are >>>>>>>>>> not >>>>>>>>>> OCLC-specific? (Because I am hoping that the use of microformats >>>>>>>>>> will >>>>>>>>>> increase in general.) >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> kc >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On 7/10/12 12:12 PM, Kevin Ford wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> is there an open search to get one to the desired records in the >>>>>>>>>>> first >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> place? >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> -- I'm not certain this will fully address your question, but try >>>>>>>>>>> these two sites: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Website: >>>>>>>>>>> http://www.google.com/**webmasters/tools/richsnippets<http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets> >>>>>>>>>>> Example: http://tinyurl.com/dx3h5bg >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Website: >>>>>>>>>>> http://linter.structured-data.**org/<http://linter.structured-data.org/> >>>>>>>>>>> Example: http://tinyurl.com/bmm8bbc >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> These sites will extract the data, but I don't think you get your >>>>>>>>>>> choice of serialization. The data are extracted and displayed on >>>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>>> resulting page in the HTML, but at least you can *see* the data. >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Additionally, there are a number of "tools" to help with microdata >>>>>>>>>>> extraction here: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> http://schema.rdfs.org/tools.**html<http://schema.rdfs.org/tools.html> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Some of these will allow you to output specific (RDF) >>>>>>>>>>> serializations. >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> HTH, >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Kevin >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> On 07/10/2012 02:42 PM, Karen Coyle wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> I have demonstrated the schema.org/RDFa microdata in the WC >>>>>>>>>>>> database to >>>>>>>>>>>> various folks and the question always is: how do I get access to >>>>>>>>>>>> this? >>>>>>>>>>>> (The only source I have is the Facebook API, me being a "user" >>>>>>>>>>>> rather >>>>>>>>>>>> than a "maker".) The microdata is CC-BY once you get a Worldcat >>>>>>>>>>>> URI, but >>>>>>>>>>>> is there an open search to get one to the desired records in the >>>>>>>>>>>> first >>>>>>>>>>>> place? I'm poorly-versed in WC APIs so I'm hoping others have a >>>>>>>>>>>> better >>>>>>>>>>>> grasp. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> @rjw: the OCLC website does a thorough job of hiding email >>>>>>>>>>>> addresses or >>>>>>>>>>>> I would have asked this directly. Then again, a discussion here >>>>>>>>>>>> could >>>>>>>>>>>> have added value. >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>>>>>>> kc >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Karen Coyle >>>>> [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net >>>>> ph: 1-510-540-7596 >>>>> m: 1-510-435-8234 >>>>> skype: kcoylenet >>>>> >>>> >> -- >> Karen Coyle >> [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net >> ph: 1-510-540-7596 >> m: 1-510-435-8234 >> skype: kcoylenet -- Karen Coyle [log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net ph: 1-510-540-7596 m: 1-510-435-8234 skype: kcoylenet