1) If you’re trying to get a cover image into a “Books from the catalogue” box on LibGuides, but the book (or CD or DVD etc) doesn’t have a 10-digit ISBN then:
- find the item on Amazon;
- right-click on the cover image you want (Note: if it says ‘Click to look inside’ then the image can’t be used – I don’t know any alternative yet);
- in Firefox: select ‘Copy Image Location’;
- in IE: select ‘Properties’ then select and manually copy the url (make sure you get everything from http: to .jpg – some of it’s hidden at first but scrolls into view as you drag the cursor);
- back on LibGuides, paste this url into “Cover Art”;
- click on the square Amazon icon so the cover image displays;
- click ‘Add Book’ or ‘Save Changes’.
Not sure exactly how kosher this is but it seems to work.
2) If you’re wanting a library catalogue widget with drop-down options other than the default ones, let me know and I can modify one for you. See for example this DVD/video search box. I can easily make a similar one for CDs, journals, etc.
Deborah
I am not sure whether it is kosher to procure cover art in this manner. In the Conditions of use of Amazon it says, "Amazon grants you a limited license to access and make personal use of this site and not to download (other than page caching) or modify it, or any portion of it, except with express written consent of Amazon." Could someone adjudicate before we go too far down this track? Cynthia.
My understanding is that LibGuides has an agreement with Amazon to use their cover art with a link that goes back to Amazon. The standard LibGuides method does this. I am not sure that the method described above meets this criteria. In general we should not be using Amazon cover art due to the copyright issues unless there is specific approval. Cheers Anne
We emailed LibGuides re the problem in getting images for ISBN-13 books and they suggested browsing Amazon for the image. However I may have misunderstood the details of the method they were suggesting.
Deborah
Deborah is correct in that the suggestion to use the Amazon images in this way came from LibGuides. The url is usually found automatically by the LibGuides software, but doesn’t work for a 13 digit ISBN.
As they advised us to do it this way, I would imagine that they have a licence for the Amazon images to appear on LibGuides pages. We shouldn’t use them on any other pages without permission.
Catherine