A very brief presentation on the Europeana API Strategy presented at the Open Cultuur Data Masterclass April 23rd 2012. The presentation was not focused on technology but on what to consider when deciding to (or not) to develop an API and how to relate that to your existing strategy, plans and activities.

1. The Europeana API Strategy
And what I think you can take away from it
David Haskiya, Product Developer

2. API Strategy? We don’t have
one! Let me tell you why.

4. Mission and Strategy
“Europeana enables people to explore the digital
resources of Europe's museums, libraries, archives and
audio-visual collections. It promotes discovery in a
multilingual space where users can engage, share in
and be inspired by the rich diversity of Europe's cultural
and scientific heritage.”
But how? We try to answer that in our strategy: A multi-
channel approach combining end-user services,
content re-use services and social media.

5. What is an API?
Application Programming Interface
• Well, that’s not very understandable…
• OK, let’s try this: It’s what a developer queries, reads
from and writes to when developing services
• For example: An API is what allows other sites than
Google Maps to have interactive (Google) maps on them

6. The API is one among many tools
Europeana Distribution tools
The portal
Semantic mark-up
Search Engine Optimization
The API (and programming libraries, re-use widgets)
Linked Open Data, dumps and SPARQL (pilot)
Wikimedia Commons batch upload (planned development)

7. The Plan 1.0

8. The first plan in brief
Develop a simple search API
• 5 Beta developers from within the network
Launch with a Hackathon
Sales: Target our high-traffic partners for adoption
• To maximize referral traffic
• But this was ditched when the commission made a call
KPI: 20 API-implementations by end of 2011
• We had 19 by the way
• As a proportion of total traffic API-referral traffic is small (but it
shows deep engagement)

9. Hack4Europe!
4 hackathons in 4 countries with a focus on non-
GLAM developers
Goal: To show the potential of Open Data in the
European knowledge economy
Results:
• 70 prototypes
• Increased acceptance within our network for Europeana
as platform
• Increased awareness of the necessity for Openness
• Problem 1: Our (meta)data isn’t Open so
prototypes remain prototypes
• Problem 2: We lacked resources to do
Hack4Europe AND target our major partners

10. The Plan 2.0

11. The second plan in brief
Develop an improved API
• Based on developer feedback
• Automated API-management
Launch when the Data Exchange Agreement takes effect
• The DEA makes our metadata Open thus allowing for
commercial use of our API
• The Europeana Licensing Framework clarifies re-use of partner
content
Sales: Target our high-traffic partners for adoption and
investigate PPPs with select commercial companies
Create a Developer Outreach Programme
• Of which Hack4Europe 2012 is a component

12. The Europeana API version 2.0 (Q3 2012)
Is under development
• Simpler for developers (REST,JSON)
• More powerful (anything we can do, you can do)
• More scalable (logging, throttling, direct sign-up)
• Write functionality for user annotations (OAuth)
• Better documented (interactive docs, API console)
Direct sign-up for API-key
Is paired with a Development Outreach Programme
• Hack4Europe 2012 in May and June
• Copenhaguen, Warzaw, Leuven and Berlin
Will be an Open API
Made possible by the new Data Exchange Agreement

13. What’s your strategy and
plan?

14. Do we need to build an API?
It depends…
• On your mission and how to best accomplish it
Does it have to be public?
• No, you could start with an internal API, perhaps between
you Collection Management System and Content
Management System
Does it have to be Open?
No, but usually difficult to get a good Return on Investment if
you not

15. Some API wisdom, Strategy and Planning
Integrate your API in the overall long-term strategy
• Realizing they’re one means among many, not the only means
and not a goal unto itself
Make the business case for the API customer
• It’s not about you
• Cases and testimonials over statements
Plan your API-activities
• Set goals, define metrics and measure them
• Hint: For most GLAMs it won’t be quantity of web traffic
Communicate your API
• Build it and they will not come!
• Sales and Developer outreach are 2 different things
• Hackathons are probably your best tool to build awareness
and generate buzz!

16. Some API wisdom, low threshold
Clear Terms of Use
• By whom and for what purpose
• Demystify, undramatize!
Clearly licensed content
• Creative Commons
Open Data makes for clarity
Low threshold of adoption
Low negotiation cost

17. Tech choices and guidelines
Consider whether you need to build an API yourself
• Your CMS may come with one out of the box
• As a Europeana partner you already have one
REST over SOAP
JSON over XML
Clear versioning
Clear SLA
Ensure you can log and follow up on your metrics
Build you own services based on the API you offer
others
Interactive documentation over static documentation
• Also libraries, code snippers, how-to’s, case studies
• Improve iteratively based on developer feedback

18. That was it! Questions?
Please contact me if you want to know
more or use our API!
Email: david.haskiya@kb.nl
Twitter: @david.haskiya