Fri 21 Sep 2007
isbndb.com is one of several websites that allow you to search for books by isbn, as well as the usual title/author/keyword searching.
Give it a try: grab a nearby book (if you are like me, there are quite a few nearby, aren’t there?) and run a few searches. What you can get is a summary of the book’s content, links to online retailers, and even a general Dewey and LC classification. No MARC records, unfortunately….
I have used ISBN.nu for several years, and one thing it offers that this new site doesn’t seem to is links to other versions of the book. I am likely to use both of these sites when searching for book information in the future.
from Karen Coyle, via the OpenLibrary listserv
September 21st, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Thanks for the link to isbn.nu, which I operate. We are about to update the site with a refocus on what I like to call “unique works,” rather than ISBNs or LCCNs. The idea is that instead of showing an ISBN with “other editions,” we show a page that’s defined by the work itself, like The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz page is persistent over time, although the instantiated editions on it may change. We’ll categorize them by date, binding, audio book, etc.
We’ll also be providing something I’ve been meaning to add for years: an author-focused page that will list all that author’s works. This will come with it the ability to distinguish among authors who are different people but share the same name. John Smith, you’ve been rediscovered!
September 21st, 2007 at 3:23 pm
These updates sound great! I especially look forward to the persistent works and authors pages… these could become a resource in and of themselves!