bibliotheekAPIs

BibliotheekAPIs are application programming interfaces exposed by libraries or library platforms to access and manipulate library data and services, enabling programmatic discovery, borrowing workflows, digital resource access, and administrative tasks. They allow developers to integrate library services into other software and automate common processes.

Common API offerings include catalog and discovery APIs for searching the library catalog and retrieving metadata and item availability; loan and reservation APIs to place holds, renew loans, and manage fines; and user and authentication APIs to verify patron identity and manage sessions while enforcing access control. Additional APIs address licensed digital content, remote access authentication, and linking to full text. Metadata and repository APIs support harvesting or syncing catalog data via standards such as OAI-PMH, SRU/SRW, or MARC-based services, while digital object APIs provide access to downloadable or streaming content.

Standards and protocols used by bibliotheekAPIs vary by system but often include REST and GraphQL as modern API styles, with SOAP still present in some legacy implementations. Metadata standards such as Dublin Core, MODS, and MARC are commonly represented in JSON or XML during transmission. Interoperability is supported by discovery and retrieval protocols such as Z39.50, SRU/SRW, and OAI-PMH, which facilitate data sharing between libraries and partner systems.

Security and governance considerations include patron authentication for access to restricted resources, authorization controls, rate limiting, versioning, auditing, and privacy compliance. Proper implementation supports scalable integration with university portals, mobile apps, external discovery tools, and cooperative catalog ecosystems, while maintaining license compliance and data protection.