Find Libraries in London

I’ve finally made some progress on the library lookup project I started last year. There’s still more I’d like to do, but it’s reached the stage where it’s somewhat usable.

I’ve been working on two separate parts:

  • a web service for developers
  • a front-end for users wanting to find libraries or check book availability

I’ll try and write a little more about it later, but here are a few things users should know…

Web Service

  • currently offers access to a database of 371 libraries in London
  • the database holds very limited information about libraries: name, postcode, latitude and longitude
  • 346 out of 371 libraries can be checked for book availability
  • the availability checker is experimental—don’t rely on it!

Front End

  • currently checks libraries for a maximum 5 editions of each book
  • popular books will therefore return inaccurate results
  • relies on the following services: Library Lookup, xISBN, Google Book Search
  • uses Mapstraction, jQuery and lots of jQuery plugins
  • the availability checker is experimental—don’t rely on it!
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