Recently, Google changed the way it allows you to embed a Google Map. Now it requires that you set up an API key. At first it looks like you need to add a payment option when using Google Maps, but Google Maps offers $200 credit per month for free and you will not be billed unless you go over this limit.

 

Setting up a Google API

Here are the directions for setting up the APO Keys and their libraries.

What is an API?

API stands for Automated Program Interface. As Wikipedia notes, an API:

… is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.A document or standard that describes how to build or use such a connection or interface is called an API specification. A computer system that meets this standard is said to implement or expose an API. The term API may refer either to the specification or to the implementation.

So Google’s API follows rules (or “specifications”) that other computer systems can hook into. In our case, the Commons (a computer system) is able to understand what Google’s API does and how to connect with it. Google Maps is a service which we (and any other computer system) can use if we follow the agreed upon specifications.

So Why Do We need API “Keys”

An API Key is a way to control the use of a service and monetize its use. The Google Map API, or any API, certainly is costly to build, and API Policies control how they are used. Academic sites such as the Commons are certainly not big Google customers and as long as hit to the API remain relatively low, the service is provided for free. But API keys are needed to track usage.

API Policies

Again from Wikipedia:

The main policies for releasing an API are:

• Private: The API is for internal company use only.
• Partner: Only specific business partners can use the API. For example, vehicle for hire companies such as Uber and Lyft allow approved third-party developers to directly order rides from within their apps. This allows the companies to exercise quality control by curating which apps have access to the API and provides them with an additional revenue stream.
• Public: The API is available for use by the public. For example, Microsoft makes the Windows API public, and Apple releases its API Cocoa so that software can be written for their platforms. Not all public APIs are generally accessible by everybody. For example, Internet service providers like Cloudflare or Voxility, use RESTful APIs to allow customers and resellers access to their infrastructure information, DDoS stats, network performance, or dashboard controls. Access to such APIs is granted either by “API tokens”, or customer status validations.