general introduction to apis
TRANSCRIPT
API opportunities
A general introduction to APIs and how they might be used
at the Watson Library
API opportunities API e.g.
Application:Open Library Data
Program:“FindIt Catalog”
Interaction:Application hosts images. It accepts requests for an image with ISBN match.
Program can display the book cover image if the application provided one.
API opportunities
Application:Google Books
Program:“FindIt Catalog”
Interaction:Application hosts book descriptions. It accepts requests for information from programs.
Program can display the book information.
API e.g.
API opportunities
Application:Internet Archive digital collection
Program:“FindIt Catalog”
Interaction:Application hosts digitized books. It accepts requests from programs.
Program can display a link to the digitized book.
API e.g.
API opportunities
An “API” is a defined interaction between that part of a computer application which accepts requests from other programs and responds by providing some data.
Application Program Interfaceor
Application Program Interaction
API basics
API opportunities API Technical Stuff
Impress your colleagues
Just four simple techy thingsto know about
Application Program Interactions
API opportunities
In order for a program to interact with an API, it must follow well defined, well documented syntax for making requests. We saw the book cover in the library catalog. That API requestlooks like this …
https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/isbn/0300120273-M.jpg
API opportunities
Secondly, note that the response from the application is data…
<breakfast_menu> <food>
<name>Belgian Waffles</name> <price>$5.95</price> <description>Two of our famous Belgian Waffles with real maple syrup</description> <calories>650</calories>
</food> </breakfast_menu>
API opportunities
FoLok
or as JSON data …
{"request_date":"2017-11-14 15:26:52.195","search_value":[ {"operator":"contains","field":"Index","value":"c"}], "search_type":"search","results":[{"lastName":"Cadmus","displayDate":"1904-1999","index":"C","id":1144,"alphaSort": "Cadmus, Paul","isArtist":1, "firstName":"Paul","displayName": "Paul Cadmus"},{"lastName":"Cain","index":"C","id":2934, "alphaSort":"Cain, David","isArtist":1,"firstName":"David","displayName":"David Cain"},{"lastName":"Calder","displayDate": "(b. 1898, Lawnton, Pennsylvania - d. 1976, New York, New York)","index":"C","id":5616,"nationality": "American", "alphaSort":"Calder, Alexander","isArtist":1,"firstName":"Alexander","displayName":"AlexanderCalder"}], "total_results":125}
API opportunities
• Some APIs only accept requests from authorized programs.• In that case you have to register for an “API Key” first.• The “key” is sent as part of the request.
…/American/5616/Stella/t4jue8Y#%kwnYT&20171114M
API Key
API opportunities
Lastly, your program will need to have coding that tells it how to parse the data and do something useful with it …
def make_openlib_holding(book):
holding = {
'LIBRARY_NAME': 'IA', 'LOCATION_NAME': 'OL’,
'LOCATION_DISPLAY_NAME': 'OL: Open Library’ }
if book.keys():
holding['ITEMS'][0]['DISPLAY_CALL_NO'] = \
book.get('identifiers', {}).get('openlibrary', [])[0]
holding[‘DATA = book.get('url', '')
return holding
API opportunities @ Watson
Benefits of using APIs @ the Watson Library
• Help the library / museum staff do their work • Improve usability of our services for library patrons• APIs might be used advocate the value of the library to the
museum and the community by providing informative ‘dashboards’
API opportunities
Types of info we can get or update from Sierra
RETRIEVE ADD or DELETE
UPDATE
• Bibliographic data• Item data• Order data• Patron data
• Checkouts • Fines• Holds
@ Watson
• Hold data
• Patron names • Addresses• Phone numbers• Emails.
API opportunities @ Watson
API opportunities @ Watson
API opportunities Learn about APIs
API opportunities
BD
Learn about APIs
API opportunities
What’s next?
• Let’s learn what APIs are offered.• We can network with the Sierra and TMS community of API
developers from other libraries• We’ll form a group of library staff to brainstorm ideas –
and set priorities for which ones we might try first.• APIs are powerful, and free, let’s use them!
Use APIs
API opportunitiesQuestions?
API opportunities
Image credits[14] Alma DashboardRetrieved from http://discoveralma.com/classes/819hdh90faspaFJ0aKD9/classes_secure_dashboard_102.html
[15] LibAnalytics DashboardRetrieved from https://buzz.springshare.com/springynews/news-26/laninsight
[19] To Decide the QuestionJohn George Brown (American (born England), Durham 1831–1913 New York)Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/10241
API opportunities
Michael [email protected]
November 2017Metropolitan Museum of ArtThomas J. Watson Library