Library Daydreams

“…what I've been daydreaming about is the ability to export a list of books I've checked out so that it could be put on my university website and automatically be updated--sort of like Bloglines maintains my blogroll.  A ‘currently reading’ list on my university website would help communicate my current research interests.  I guess I can do this via allconsuming.net (still need to check out that site, recommended by Mel earlier), but it would be neat to do it through my own library….

Also, (and this might actually be possible soon, if it isn't already possible) I would LOVE to be able to provide deep links to the library catalog, allowing those who see my "currently reading" list to learn more about each book.  I can do something similar through Amazon, of course, but I'd rather not advertise a for-profit business on my university website.  Plus, the deep links would be handy for course websites, too (e.g., for listing what I've put on reserve for a class).  (Yes, students can get that from the catalog, but it would be handier to deep link.) 

The librarian didn't seem terribly enthusiastic about these ideas.  Apparently, she doesn't blog, heh heh.  Seriously, her lack of enthusiasm stemmed from her abiding concern for patron privacy.

It's so sad that a library has to be more worried about protecting information than sharing information.  I am grateful that my library is attending to the issue, I just think it's sad….” [iBeth, via It’s All Good]

Help me out here… what’s a three-letter abbreviation for something that could help Beth display her list of checked out books?

I’m blanking out….

I just can’t think of it….

Waaaaiiiitttt a minute – could it be… RSS?!

Don’t even get me started on “the librarian didn’t seem terribly enthusiastic about these ideas” part, though. The privacy issue is exactly why ILS vendors should be providing the feeds.