Welcome!

Are you new to The Library.Link Network? Visit the Getting Started section of the FAQ to learn the basics. When you're ready to learn more, visit the Stats section to learn about your Stats Dashboard, the Living Lists section to learn how to use and build custom Lists and Mixes, and the Under the Hood section if you want more technical details. You can also learn about our partners, participants, and how to request support.

If you are not able to find the answer to your question, please send it to [e-mail].

What's New for Library.Link Network participants?

Syndication Partners

The Internet Archive syndication is live, and Google syndication is live in the United States, Canada, and Australia!

Google

Google is making major progress in learning the best ways to represent libraries on the Web. In December 2020, Google launched the What to Read feature. Search for “books about _” [fill in your favorite topic] and scroll down to see lists of books that fit the bill. Google creates these lists based on their extensive data about what users search for. Click one of the books to see a list of places to borrow or buy the title. Note: What to Read is a new service and currently only available via mobile access in the US. The desktop version is coming soon.

In 2019, Google started including institutional data, eBooks, and most recently, multiple item formats including print into their Knowledge Panels. When searching for a title, users can find their library and use the borrow action via The Library.Link Network. With one click, users are directed straight back to the catalog!

Pathways to the catalog are also integrated into the newly launched Google Books.

Library.Link Network participants can check monthly stats and see how many potential new users found the catalog while searching on the Web or using the new Google Books.

Internet Archive

When users search the Open Library they can now access the catalog by using Find in a Library near you and clicking on Libary.Link right from an item page. When participating in the OpenLibrary Controlled Digital Lending project, on boarding is easy and seamless via The Library.Link Network. Participating libraries can also choose to import MARC records into their catalog for eBooks held at the Open Library that overlap with the library’s print holdings.

• The Board of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) recently endorsed the Position Statement on Controlled Digital Lending by Libraries as a thoughtful analysis that presents a unique model for leveraging print collections in the digital world. Originating conceptually from the copyright community and pioneered by the Internet Archive through their Open Libraries program, Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) allows libraries to digitize older in-copyright print books. In this ‘lend like print’ model, participating libraries choose to circulate either the print or the digital copy of a title. The model supports libraries in making 20th century materials available digitally while respecting copyright laws. The Internet Archive has been circulating a collection of over one million books using this model since 2008.

• See COSLA's announcement here.

Community Outreach and Engagement Tools

Collections.Library.Link provides a way for Library.Link Network users to build custom views of your items, using ISBN lists or Bibframe resources, that can be embedded onto the Web, and direct users back to the catalog. A perfect way to engage with community partners, bringing the library to their website, and users back to the catalog.

You can use lists created by your peers, or learn to build your own!

Bring Linked Data into Your Catalog

BlueCloud Visibility users can now add two new widgets into Enterprise catalogs.

Related Resources - Displays your Linked Data connections based on how your items are cataloged.

More About the Author - Connects both links to items written by and about the author, along with Web resources from Wikidata into a single view.

If you would like to learn more, we would be happy to set up a call or send you further instructions on how you can get started. Send an email Lauri McIntosh for more information.