Libraries and Scanning Projects

[David Bigwood]

This seems like a natural tool for libraries to use in connection with scanning projects. Does anyone know if this is being done? Is it built into Omeka, Greenstone, DSpace or any of the library tools? If your library does use it do you have separate feeds for different projects. Say, one for dissertations, another for the local history project and another for books by state authors. Or do you have just one large feed? Is it being used by the DPLA or Internet Archive? How's it working for you? 

We have plenty of documents we have scanned as well as our own publications. Might this be a good way to make them more discoverable?

[Hadrien Gardeur]

Hello David,

The Internet Archive has an OPDS catalog at: http://bookserver.archive.org/catalog/

The IA was also one of the original supporter of the OPDS specification. I'm not aware of any OPDS catalog from DPLA (they seem to have their own set of APIs) but it would also be very useful.

There's really no rule on how one can organize an OPDS catalog, but if you want to make it useful for a human to browse (and not just a bot), dividing the catalog into multiple sections, providing a search option and using facets are all good to have.

I'm not aware of plugins for Omeka, Greenstone or DSpace but since some of them already have an Atom output, it should be minimal work. The only real requirement though, would be to make sure that these library tools systematically have a publication to download associated to each item (ideally in EPUB).

Best regards,

Hadrien

[Klaus E. Werner]

Dear List,

I just published our (few, as of yet) retro-digitized prints as OPDS, too. Link is http://lupa.biblhertz.it/feed/lupa.atom

The catalog comprises rare rare guide books (15th-19th century) of the Max-Planck Institute for Art History in Rome, Italy.

I think OPDS is a beautiful thing and I hope more of our sister institutes will follow. The main argument for me is the ease of access for mobile devices vs. search & download in a full fledged website.

Best wishes!