Thanks to Denise Getts, a librarian assistant at the Tucker Free Library in Henniker, NH, there is now a LibraryLookup bookmarklet for Tucker's SageBrush InfoCentre catalog system. With the addition of SageBrush, there are now 20 different types of catalog systems supported by the bookmarklet generator.
When Denise first wrote to me about this, I told her that I couldn't suss out the URL-line query that would work for the SageBrush OPAC, so I suggested that she ask the vendor for help. The company responded, and now a problem has been solved not only for the patrons of the Tucker Free Library but for some unknowably larger set of SageBrush implementations in libraries around the world. Although Denise may not (yet) realize it, what she has done here is a perfect example of Wiring the Web.
Update: I just noticed on the Tucker Library's website that there's a program called New Hampshire downloadable audio books. Excellent! And my library participates. Most excellent!
I've said to several folks in the past week that it's a challenge to be aware of all of the new services coming online, and that I have to remind myself to visit sites I'm involved with in order to see what new services may have appeared.
Does this sound familiar? It should, it's another version of the RSS story. Rather than visiting a bunch of websites to discover what new services they've added, I should be subscribed to a "new services" feed at each site, and flow those into an aggregate "new services" feed.
I've recently discussed with a couple of folks how RSS, for all its momentum, has yet to cross the chasm. This example suggests another angle of attack. If I'm slapping my forehead for not knowing that the New Hampshire libraries have downloadable audio books, you can bet a bunch of people are in the same boat. We all hate missing out on a good deal, and we also hate scattershot email notifications. An aggregated "new services" feed neatly solves both those problems.
Former URL: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/2006/11/14.html#a1561