Feeds and Mashups

"Feeds and Mashups: A Healthy Diet of Live Content"
Health Libraries Inc Fifth Annual Conference, October 2007
Presentation by Maxus Australia

What is a mashup??

Wikipedia defines a mashup like this:

A mashup is a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool; a typical example is the use of cartographic data from Google Maps to add location information to real-estate data from Craigslist, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally envisaged by either source.

(In fact most Australian real estate agencies do something similar with their own databases, using map data from resources such as Google Maps, Ausway, and Microsoft Virtual Earth.)

Web 2.0 often uses open source software, which makes it easier for programmers to enlist the power of mashups to make two or more applications "talk to each other".

An interesting example of a mashup in a social networking context is the "Visual Bookshelf" application in Facebook. This application enables you to search the various Amazon sites around the world for books that you are reading, want to read, or have read, and tag them for inclusion in your Facebook page. Not only does the application include a reference to the book, it also provides a pleasing visual effect because each book's cover image is visible. And the application is also a business winner for Amazon – if anyone clicks on one of your books, they are taken to the relevant Amazon record with details of its price and how to order it! Here is a screen shot of Visual Bookshelf on a typical Facebook page:

What makes this a mashup is the fact that data is being drawn from more than one resource or application. The bibliographic information and cover photos of the books are coming from Amazon's vast databases, while the "I've read this"/"I am reading this" aspect is tied into an individual's Facebook account and appears on that individual's Facebook page.

Mashups in a library context

Rather than using words to describe how a mashup might be used in a library situation, what follows is a live demonstration that will illustrate the power and appeal of a library-style mashup. The great news is that mashups, like a lot of Web 2.0 applications, don't require that you spend four years gaining a degree in programming. They are easy to create and don't even take a great deal of time! Read on ...