[Web4lib] Firefox cardcat search

[Wayne Graham]

There are a lot of these types of plugins over at 
http://mycroft.mozdev.org. Since I'm on the project, I try to add the 
academic ones when I see them. So, if you want to write and/or request 
other plugins, this is another great place to look and add plugins.

This discussion actually motivated me to finish up an extension I had 
been working on for a while that allows you to select text in Firefox 
(I've not tested it in Mozilla yet) and then launch a search for that 
text against our library catalog(s). Since we're a consortia, I made a 
menu that allows you to select which library you would like to launch 
the search against. In the plugin options, you can set the order, the 
resources to search, and how the results are displayed (new tab, same 
window, new window). You can add your own search engine(s) to this list 
and customize it to your heart's content. If you ever mess it up beyond 
all recognition, you can always restore the defaults.

You can get the plugin at http://swem.wm.edu/blogs/waynegraham/ (direct 
link: http://swem.wm.edu/blogs/waynegraham/software/librarysearch.xpi). 
You can read the blog post about it at 
http://swem.wm.edu/blogs/waynegraham/index.cfm/2005/7/22/firefox-library-search. 


Wayne

Drew, Bill wrote:

>I am beginning to think browser plugins are not the best way to help our
>users.  It requires them to download and install software.  We need to
>do more to integrate our resources in to their world view.  The plugins
>are great for power users but are of no use to the typical user.
>
>Bill Drew 
>
>  
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org 
>>[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of cruby at micron.com
>>Sent: Friday, July 22, 2005 10:40 AM
>>To: web4lib at webjunction.org
>>Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Firefox cardcat search
>>
>>Apparently they are pretty responsive to requests.  One our 
>>local public
>>libraries reports they requested to be added to the list of libraries
>>and they were on the list in about an hour! 
>>    
>>
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