[Wikipedia-l] Book links (was: ISBN links)

[Fred Bauder]

At 04:35 PM 8/31/02 +0200, Axel wrote:
>> As time goes on, and more and more books are printed with their LC
>> numbers, that code would end up coming out as even better.
>
>Isn't it true that every book in the Library of Congress, i.e. pretty
>much every book in the English language, has an LC number, even if it
>isn't printed inside the book? If so, then LC numbers are close to
>ideal book identifiers.
>
>However, an ISBN -> {all equivalent ISBNs} converter would also be
>really nice. Personally, I think there's nothing wrong with the
>traditional method of identifying a book by title and author though.
>Spelling differences can always be solved by appeal to authority: use
>the spelling of the Library of Congress.

Not sure anyone has worked on that type of converter, never seen it anyway.
Could be useful or even profitable.

Use of Library of Congress numbers is complicated by several things: one is
the use by many libraries of the Dewey Decimal System; the other is the
ease of use of the ISBN number and its entrenched position on the internet.

BTW check out [[how to find a book]] and see how it is and how it could be
improved. Needs more work on how to find a book in your local library.

Fred