Ex Libris API Road Map

In an effort to help our customers plan their development projects against Ex Libris products, we’re publishing this product-by-product API Road Map. It represents our thinking about where we’re continuing to invest resources and where we see our APIs progressing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since we’re calling this blog a road map, we need to clearly state that any future plans are just that- plans, which may change. But we feel it’s better to share them with you so you see where we’re headed, even though there’s a risk that the information may change in the future.

This blog will be re-published from time to time with updates to the product-specific road maps. Latest update: 19 September 2016

Primo

Primo APIs, or Web Services, are offered in three “flavors”.

• X-Services– Supported, but deprecated. Will not be enhanced going forward.
• SOAP– A wrapper around the X-Services. Same policy,
• REST– All future Primo APIs will be developed as REST, according to this style

Migrating the most common existing APIs to REST is part of the Primo roadmap and will be done gradually. The Search and E-Shelf APIs were rolled out in 2015. In the coming months we plan to enhance the Search API and add APIs for Browse and Send To (citation, email, permalink).

Alma

Alma APIs are all REST based, according to this style. APIs are under active development and additional APIs are being added with each version. Recent additions include:

• CRUD for digital representations and files,
• Orchestration APIs (job details, run job, job instances)
• Linked Data API for BIBs and Authorities

In the coming months we’re looking to add the following:

• Orchestration APIs (set management)
• Webhook support
• RDA/RDF Linked Data
• APIs for electronic collections and portfolios

Rosetta

Rosetta APIs are SOAP based and are fully supported. Some REST APIs are supported as a part of Rosetta’s involvement in the SCAPE project.

New APIs are being added with each version based on feedback and input from the Rosetta Advisory Group. In recent versions of Rosetta, CRUD Access Rights APIs were added. In the near future we will be adding support for local authentication for APIs, removing the need for interaction with PDS.

bX

bX supports an OpenURL service and XML over HTTP (bX Recommender), or the bX Hot Articles available in several formats. Expansion of these APIs is not currently in the road map.

SFX

SFX supports XML and OpenURL based web services to obtain linking and availability information. Expansion of these APIs is not currently in the road map.

MetaLib

There are two types of MetaLib APIs:

• Adapters – Supported, but deprecated. Will not be enhanced going forward.
• X-Services – Supported, but deprecated. Will not be enhanced going forward.

Aleph

There are two types of Aleph APIs:

• RESTful APIs, which are fully supported. New APIs are added with each version
• X-Services, which are supported but deprecated. Will not be enhanced going forward. Where a RESTful API alternative exists, customers are encouraged to use it instead of the X-Service.

Voyager

Voyager APIs are available in two different formats:

• RESTful APIs are fully supported. New APIs are added with each version.
• XML over HTTP provide much of the functionality required by an OPAC interface. They are depreciated.