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December 14, 2004
Building toys for Firefox
Don't get me wrong, I think that the Amazon-Google-Worldcat bookmarklet is a nifty tool. Heck, I helped develop it.
But lately I've been hitting the local OPAC pretty directly. I've been using my library a lot these days, keeping myself entertained with books, tapes, CDs, and DVDs while I job hunt, and borrowing the latest books on librarianship to stay current.
Sometimes I do want to hit Amazon first, to have a look at the "See also" type features and reviews. But sometimes I just want to look up and reserve my item.
Couple with this the fact that I've totally fallen in love with so many new features and plugins in Firefox, and I decided to go DIY geekster. I looked up the instructions on mycroft.mozdev.org for how to create a search plugin.
The instructions speak true when they note that it's not hard if you understand a markup language like HTML, and they do try to give you hints and tricks on finding the information you need for the script. The instructions might be a little sparse for anyone without much tech know-how, or those who aren't big experimentors. But the Mozilla development community is very friendly, so they'll answer questions and help you out if you need it.
Anyway, after some tinkering and testing, I was able to create a keyword search plugin for the Minuteman Library Network OPAC. I've been using it myself and having all sorts of fun. However, before I can submit the plugin to mycroft.mozdev.org for download, or even to my own site, I feel obligated to receive permission. I'll post when/if that happens. I might go about creating one for the Boston Public Library, too.
I often wonder how many libraries have switched over to Firefox. I think I'll research that a bit, see if I can find numbers and stories. If you use Firefox in your library or as a personal user who happens to be a librarian, I'd be interested to hear about your experiences, including any plugins you like to play with.
December 14, 2004 7:13 PM