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Enhancing bibliographic records in the INNOPAC by adding URLs of book reviews and other value-added information from online bookstores. 10 th December 2002. Patrick LO Lingnan University Library (Hong Kong). Amazon.com. Established in 1995.
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Enhancing bibliographic records in the INNOPAC by adding URLs of book reviews and other value-added information from online bookstores 10th December 2002 Patrick LO Lingnan University Library (Hong Kong)
Amazon.com • Established in 1995. • Seattle-based Web retailer for books & other educational products. • Goal - use WWW to transform book buying & shopping into enjoying experience.
Customers - millions of people form more than 220 countries. • In addition to books, also include e-cards, CDs, DVD, toys, games, etc. • Selection over 3 million titles, including 1.5 million English titles.
Less than 10% titles advertised in stock. • Relies on wholesales, publishers, & out-of-print book services to deliver. • Remaining titles to be acquired upon receipt of orders.
Amazon.com Associate Programme • 1996 - Amazon.com Associate Programme established • To attract new customers • Associate Member can earn 5-15% commission on sale
First 3 months, total 5,000 websites signed up to Amazon.com. • 1999 - Associate Members exceeded 350,000. • Recent statistics - over 600,000 websites joined Amazon Associate Programme.
Lingnan – Amazon Project • Lingnan Library has been exploring ways to enhance bib. records for many years. • Summer 2002, LU became Associate Member. • Developed our own Software - to add direct URLs in WebPAC to Amazon.com book database. • Agreed NOT to accept commission.
August 2002 - more than 7,6000 English. monographs issued from 1993 - 2002 - matched against Amazon.com. • Overall matching rate reached 85%. • More than 64,000 English titles are added with URLs to Amazon.com.
Cover Request lists of similar books Table of Contents, full-text excerpts of the books Full-text reviews, customer reviews
Advantages • Obtain book reviews, recommendations & book experts in speedily fashion. • Data can be used as valuable information for collection development. • Based on buyer's habits, Amazon can recommend books based on others with similar preferences.
Software Developed for Matching URL Links • July 2002 - LU developed unique software for tackling this project. • ISBN was used as matching point. • Advantages: • Saved time & manpower from manual checking, matching, & input. • Eliminated human errors during manual input.
Procedures for Locating & Matching URLs in Amazon.com • Select bib. records need to be enhanced. • Export bib. as MARC format out of INNOPAC. • Convert MARC records to TEXT-based via MARCBREAKER.
Actual Processing / Matching • Identifies MARC Tag 020 (ISBN number). • Programme automatically validates ISBN via “Checksum” error checking • If ISBN proven valid, it generates online link query for Amazon.com online catalogue:
Amazon.com URL links will be introduced to subfield z of MARC field 856. • All records upgraded with 856 will be gathered together in the output file.
Text-based file will be converted back to ISO 2709 / MARC records via MARCMARKER. • Importing upgraded MARC records back to library system via FTP. • MARC records upgraded with Amazon.com URL links can now be reloaded & overlay original ones.
Program Screenshot • The following is a screenshot taken from the Software programme.
Conclusion • Major advantages of Amazon Project: • It saved our cost, time & manpower. • Added information in bib. catalogue useful for users. • No special training required for users. • User-interface is highly user-friendly.
Future Developments • Introduce Amazon URL links to our bib. records for AV materials. • To explore other potential websites or web-book retailers specializing in selling Chinese & other oriental-language materials. e.g., Barnes & Nobles, books.com.tw (台灣博客來網路書店), etc.