APIs for Libraries

APIs are used all over the web’

APIs alllow applications to request data from web servers

There are several types of APIs

APIs can act as a ‘middle-man’ between you and data

APIs can help gather bulk data & metadata from library services

How to read structured data types: JSON & XML

What are parameters?

What are appropriate uses of data retrieved via API?

REST APIs use query stings to make requests

URL queries are found all across the web

You can request and process data from APIs using Unix shell tools

JSON or XML results can be parsed to plain text, to be consumed by standard Unix shell tools

You can augment existing data in OpenRefine with ‘Add column by fetching URLs

JSON or XML results can be parsed within OpenRefine

You can apply your knowledge of APIs to any of the many APIs available to you.

By linking to the NCBI Entrez system through the E-utilities, you can make complicated data requests across a huge dataset.

Such API calls can be custom built, or one can use existing Reconciliation services to enrich data

OpenRefine can be further enhanced by installing extensions