Personal Z39.50 client, anyone?

[Ben Ostrowsky <sylvar@vaxer.net>]

This is a call to arms, a call for discussion, and (I hope) a call to
someone who wanted to contribute but hasn't figured out where to start.

My vision is of a personal Z39.50 client -- call it a "library intelligent
agent" if you like.  I'll use the name ShelfMinder for now, but I'm not
attached to it.

Users can configure it by clicking once on the "ShelfMinder" button on the
library's website.  This delivers the port number, IP address, etc. that
the software needs to know.

Users search one or many libraries to find items they want.  More to the
point, though, they can save those searches and let ShelfMinder check
every night to see if any new books by their favorite author have been
added to the system.

There could be modules that would allow you to get in the queue when the
item is available; to start out, this would send an e-mail to the
circulation staff if the ShelfMinder config packet contained such an
address.  Later, it might trigger a script to telnet in, build and send
the appropriate HTTP request, or in some way actually place the
request.  Maybe not; that's not the point.

The point is that users would finally be able to watch their libraries'
catalogs for new stuff with as much glee and fervor as they now watch
eBay, using auction helpers similar to ShelfMinder or whatever it gets
called.

What do you think?

Ben
who wishes he knew how to write even a small application along those
lines...

-- 
The world is coming to an end!  Repent and return those library books!