IPSWICH, Mass. — June 5, 2012 —EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) continues its commitment to performance and stability with the release of EBSCO Discovery Service™API (EDS API), representing the new standard for comprehensive content and an array of intricate software features and functionality. EBSCO Discovery Service API enables libraries to use their own portals or website applications for a discovery user interface while making the most of their discovery solution by connecting researchers to the superior content and enhanced search features available from EBSCO Discovery Service.
The EBSCO Discovery Service API solution complements and enhances the search experience for libraries with custom discovery solutions by providing access to premium content available through EDS, as well as a robust set of EDS features and functionality. With EDS API, libraries can integrate critical components of EDS into their library solution including rich metadata, superior relevancy ranking, full-text linking, (including SmartLinks™), persistent links, custom links, facets, limiters and expanders, and book jacket images. By utilizing EDS API libraries also gain access to critical subject indexes via Platform Blending™ which combines rich metadata with subject indexing and abstracts from leading subject indexes that aren’t available through any other discovery service (subscription via EBSCOhost® required).
Ron Burns, Senior Director of EBSCOhost Product Management says the EDS API solution provides a robust set of features for libraries that want to use alternative portals or website applications for their discovery user interface while still providing their users with tremendous EDS functionality. “EDS API gives libraries that are heavily invested in their OPAC or VuFind implementations, or that have developed their own solutions, an easy integration option that greatly enhances every search with superior content and features.”
While EBSCO has long provided open APIs for its products, the company was determined to build a superior, state-of-the-art API for EDS and created EDS API from the ground up. EBSCO’s goal was to create an API with simplicity in mind. In order to offer an easy, simple integration for API consumers, EBSCO designed EDS API to allow for integration with the most popular systems such as VuFind, Drupal, etc. In addition, EDS API provides comprehensive developer documentation and support including XSD (XML Schema Definition), sample XSLTs, VuFind demo as well as sample applications and code.
When creating the API, EBSCO also wanted to enable libraries to create their own user interface experience. EDS API delivers this experience with expanded web service interfaces (SOAP and REST) and improved response formats (XML and JSON) that enable programmers to easily reproduce the EDS result list and detailed record exactly as seen in EDS or to customize the display to fit the interface.
EBSCO Discovery Serviceis quickly becoming the discovery selection for many libraries (www.ebscohost.com/discovery/eds-news), and an obvious partner for content providers. The EDS Base Index is comprised of metadata from the world’s foremost information providers. At present, the EDS Base Index represents content from approximately 20,000 providers in addition to metadata from another 70,000 book publishers. Although constantly growing, today the EDS Base Index provides metadata for more than 64,000 magazines & journals, approximately 825,000 CDs & DVDs, nearly six million books, more than 320 million newspaper articles, nearly 400,000 conference proceedings and hundreds of thousands of additional information sources from various source-types.
Go to: www.ebscohost.com/discovery/api for more information on EBSCO Discovery Service API.
About EBSCO Publishing
EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, the world’s premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives, and e-books. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 e-books. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals and magazines from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all researchers (Academic, Medical, K-12, Public Library, Corporate, Government, etc.). EBSCO is also the provider of EBSCO Discovery Service™(EDS), which provides each institution with a fast, single search box for its entire collection, offering deeper indexing and more full-text searching of journals and magazines than any other discovery service (www.ebscohost.com/discovery). For more information, visit the EBSCO Publishing Web site at: www.ebscohost.com, or contact: information@ebscohost.com. EBSCO Publishing is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.
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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com
