[Web4lib] Open WorldCat Tools

[Teets,Mike]

The Yahoo and Google toolbars in our download area are free from adware.
The Google toolbar provides an option on install of allowing/disallowing
them to anonymously track your traffic for ranking purposes.  The
toolbars come packaged with additional tools beyond just search such as
the Autotext feature of the Google toolbar or the Antispy tool in the
yahoo bar.  Both can easily be uninstalled leaving little trace should
you decide you do not like them.

The two Firefox extensions do just search and only for Mozilla.  They
are quicker to install. They run locally so there is no direct
connection to the search services other than the searches you do using
the extensions.  These can be uninstalled by removing the files from
your \Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins directory.  The .src
files include the source so if you are concerned with privacy, you can
see exactly what the tools do.

If you have specific questions about these tools, feel free to ask.

Mike Teets
Executive Director Product Architecture and Development
OCLC, Online Computer Library Center
Dublin, OH

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Craighton
Hippenhammer
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2005 6:24 PM
To: web4lib
Subject: [Web4lib] Open WorldCat Tools

OCLC now has three open WorldCat-enabled Web tools including Yahoo!
Toolbar, Google Toolbar, and Firefox search extensions.  See
http://www.oclc.org/worldcat/open/searchtools/default.htm.  What are
the pros and cons of each?  I've always been a bit hesitant with
toolbars because of their tendency to drag adware along.  Should I worry
about these?

The "Find Libraries with Item" functionality gives the number of miles
away that the nearest libraries that own the item are from my location. 
The link to my own online catalog is handy, too, as is our statewide
library catalog.  Nice.


Craighton Hippenhammer
Library Information Technology
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
chhammer at olivet.edu
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