SUSHI API

SUSHI API
Name	SUSHI API
Type	Protocol
Developer	National Information Standards Organization
Initial release	2010s
Stable release	201x–202x
License	Open standard
Website	(see NISO)

SUSHI API

SUSHI API is an automated protocol for exchanging library usage statistics that enables systems to retrieve COUNTER-based reports programmatically. The protocol was developed to streamline interactions among library systems, knowledge bases, and vendors such as ProQuest, EBSCO Information Services, ScienceDirect, Wiley, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis Group, IEEE, JSTOR, OCLC, Clarivate, Elsevier, Gale, Sage Publications and integrates with library platforms like Ex Libris, OCLC WorldShare, Serials Solutions, Koha, Greenstone Digital Library, DSpace and Blacklight.

Overview

SUSHI API standardizes the retrieval of COUNTER reports by defining a machine-to-machine interface that replaces manual downloads and email exchanges. The protocol connects library analytics tools like Alma, Primo, Summon, EBSCOhost Analytics Module, LibInsight, SUSHI clients and institutional systems such as Integrated Library System vendors and Institutional Repository platforms with publisher services from Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, MIT Press, Carnegie Mellon University Press and aggregator services from ProQuest and EBSCO. SUSHI API is commonly used alongside identifiers and standards including DOI, ORCID, ISSN, ISBN, COUNTER and metadata formats like MARC 21, MODS, Dublin Core.

History and Development

Work on SUSHI API traces to standards initiatives coordinated by National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and the COUNTER project, with input from publishers, librarians, and vendors such as Elsevier, Wiley, Springer Nature and consortiums like Jisc and CRL. Early pilots involved collaborations among organizations including ProQuest, EBSCO, OCLC, Ex Libris and university libraries at Harvard University, University of California, University of Oxford and University of Toronto. The specification evolved in the 2010s to address limitations found during trials with services like ScienceDirect and fulfillment systems used by National Library of Medicine and library consortia such as Northeast Research Libraries and California Digital Library.

The protocol's development paralleled related efforts such as COUNTER Code of Practice updates and the growth of web services used by platforms like SFX and OpenURL, and drew on web standards promoted by W3C and security practices influenced by IETF recommendations. Key stakeholders including vendor engineers, systems librarians, and consortia representatives participated in working groups hosted by NISO and COUNTER.

Technical Specifications

SUSHI API uses web-service patterns to request and deliver report packages defined by the COUNTER standard. Implementations typically employ protocols and technologies from organizations such as IETF for HTTP methods, XML and JSON for payload formats, and TLS as specified by IETF RFCs for transport security. Authentication models vary and include token-based schemes similar to OAuth 2.0 profiles recommended by industry players such as Google and Microsoft for API access, and IP-based allowlisting used by publishers like Wiley and Taylor & Francis Group.

Report definitions follow COUNTER report types used by aggregators including EBSCO, ProQuest, Elsevier and Clarivate with fields that reference identifiers like DOI and ISSN. Client libraries and tooling exist in ecosystems supported by organizations like GitHub, with community implementations for languages associated with projects such as Python Software Foundation libraries, Java frameworks maintained by contributors linked to Apache Software Foundation projects, and Ruby gems used by academic technology teams.

Use Cases and Implementations

Libraries at institutions such as Yale University, Columbia University, University of Michigan, MIT, Stanford University and Cornell University use SUSHI API to automate harvesting of usage data into analytics platforms like LibInsight, Alma Analytics, OCLC WorldShare, Ex Libris Primo Analytics and local dashboards built on stacks including Elasticsearch, Kibana, Grafana and Tableau. Consortia including Jisc, California Digital Library, EDUCAUSE members and Canadian Research Knowledge Network use SUSHI API to aggregate vendor reports across multiple subscriptions and perform cost-per-use analyses alongside financial systems from vendors such as Workday and Oracle.

Publishers and aggregators integrate SUSHI API endpoints into customer portals provided by Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, ProQuest and platform providers like HighWire Press and Atypon so institutional subscribers can authorize automated harvesting. Vendors in the open-source community such as Open Library projects and discovery layers like VuFind also offer SUSHI-compatible connectors contributed via repositories on GitHub.

Compliance and Security Considerations

Security practices for SUSHI API implementations reflect guidance from IETF and NIST with encryption via TLS and authentication patterns influenced by OAuth 2.0 and SAML deployments used by federations such as InCommon and Shibboleth. Compliance with COUNTER release cycles and data protection regulations such as those enacted in jurisdictions including European Union (e.g., GDPR) influences operational policies for publishers like Elsevier and Wiley and institutions such as University College London and King's College London. Access controls and audit trails are often integrated with identity providers used by academic networks including Internet2 and administrative systems like LDAP directories.

Standards bodies including NISO and COUNTER publish recommendations for retention, provenance and data integrity; vendors such as OCLC and Ex Libris implement logging and role-based access modeled after best practices from ISO standards.

Adoption and Industry Impact

Widespread adoption by major publishers (Elsevier, Wiley, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis Group, IEEE, JSTOR) and library systems (Ex Libris, OCLC, EBSCO) has reduced manual effort in usage reporting and enabled more sophisticated analytics and collection development decisions at institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Princeton University and University of Chicago. The protocol has influenced complementary standards work by organizations including COUNTER, NISO, Jisc and has been incorporated into procurement and licensing workflows used by consortia such as GES and national libraries including Library of Congress and British Library.

Category:Library and information science standards