Re: Google Booksearch Data API: Another blow to library metadata

Sigh. Maybe there are some libraries that do function more like 
bookstores, but as a researcher, I simply cannot accomplish what I 
need to in a bookstore, or using Amazon's approach to book metadata. 
Bookstores stock what is currently available and what is popular - 
research isn't based on those things.

Libraries - at least research libraries - *are* different from 
bookstores. They have vastly different motivations. "Telling people 
about books" isn't what research libraries do except in the most 
superficial understanding of things. They situate materials in a 
larger bibliographic universe, not just somewhere on a shelf where 
you have to browse every book in an overly broad category. They show 
connections between materials in a variety of ways.

I spend a lot of time at Amazon because I think it is important to 
see what's out there for sale and because it's a lot cheaper to buy 
from them than to check library books out and keep them. But Amazon 
works horribly with fundamental collocation issues. This is something 
that is the foundation of library organization and Amazon can't do 
it. Whether by author name or subject, Amazon fails. I've proved this 
on this list. They just can't do it. But I don't believe that failing 
in this really bothers them so much. Libraries seem to be evaluated 
by how quickly and easily one can find something and check it out. 
Bookstores *want* you to stay and browse because the longer you stay, 
the more a chance you will spend money. And while bookstores don't 
care *what* you buy because a dollar is a dollar, librarians are 
educators who want patrons to find the *best* resources. Again, at 
least academic librarians. Maybe the public library world isn't as 
concerned. I would hope they would be, though.