LibX
Encyclopedia
LibX is a free
, open source
scholars' extension for the Firefox and Internet Explorer
browsers that lets people use services offered by their library. Users can search their library catalog(s) and databases through a search bar or through a context menu. The context menu is adaptive (changing depending on what the user selected) and configurable (allowing the user to include any configured resource). LibX supports the catalogs of all major vendors. In addition, any resource that can be searched using an http GET request can be included, similar to Firefox's smart keywords.
Resources can also be accessed using auto-generated links for DOIs
, ISBNs
, ISSNs
, and PMIDs. Links are also placed in specific pages, such as book vendor sites or book review sites.
To support off-campus access to resources, users may reload a current page, or follow a link through a proxy server
. LibX activates COinS
with the library's OpenURL
resolver.
LibX supports a "magic search" functionality, which creatively integrates use of the Google Scholar
service. LibX searches Scholar, performs a heuristic similarity analysis to determine if a match was found, then redirects the user to the user's OpenURL resolver to obtain an accessible copy
.
Librarians, as well as ordinary library users, can create a LibX edition through an AJAX-based web interface, called the LibX Edition Builder. This interface allows anybody to create, edit, maintain, and distribute an edition. As a starting point, users can clone an existing LibX edition and modify it, or start from scratch. The LibX edition builder makes heavy use of auto-detection of resources through global registries such as OCLC WorldCat or OpenSearch
. It includes a revision control system for editions and facilities for multiple maintainers to share ownership of an edition. The LibX edition builder was built using the ZK
AJAX toolkit, by Tilottama Gaat and Godmar Back.
LibX is produced by Virginia Tech
, which hosts customized versions of the extension for over 256 different libraries. Annette Bailey and Godmar Back, the creators of LibX, won the 2007 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award for their work on LibX.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
scholars' extension for the Firefox and Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
browsers that lets people use services offered by their library. Users can search their library catalog(s) and databases through a search bar or through a context menu. The context menu is adaptive (changing depending on what the user selected) and configurable (allowing the user to include any configured resource). LibX supports the catalogs of all major vendors. In addition, any resource that can be searched using an http GET request can be included, similar to Firefox's smart keywords.
Resources can also be accessed using auto-generated links for DOIs
Digital object identifier
A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an object such as an electronic document. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found...
, ISBNs
International Standard Book Number
The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering code created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H...
, ISSNs
International Standard Serial Number
An International Standard Serial Number is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic periodical publication. Periodicals published in both print and electronic form may have two ISSNs, a print ISSN and an electronic ISSN...
, and PMIDs. Links are also placed in specific pages, such as book vendor sites or book review sites.
To support off-campus access to resources, users may reload a current page, or follow a link through a proxy server
Proxy server
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
. LibX activates COinS
COinS
ContextObjects in Spans, commonly abbreviated COinS, is a method to embed bibliographic metadata in the HTML code of web pages. This allows bibliographic software to publish machine-readable bibliographic items and client reference management software to retrieve bibliographic metadata. The...
with the library's OpenURL
OpenURL
OpenURL is a standardized format of Uniform Resource Locator intended to enable Internet users to more easily find a copy of a resource that they are allowed to access...
resolver.
LibX supports a "magic search" functionality, which creatively integrates use of the Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. Released in beta in November 2004, the Google Scholar index includes most peer-reviewed online journals of Europe and America's largest...
service. LibX searches Scholar, performs a heuristic similarity analysis to determine if a match was found, then redirects the user to the user's OpenURL resolver to obtain an accessible copy
OpenURL
OpenURL is a standardized format of Uniform Resource Locator intended to enable Internet users to more easily find a copy of a resource that they are allowed to access...
.
Librarians, as well as ordinary library users, can create a LibX edition through an AJAX-based web interface, called the LibX Edition Builder. This interface allows anybody to create, edit, maintain, and distribute an edition. As a starting point, users can clone an existing LibX edition and modify it, or start from scratch. The LibX edition builder makes heavy use of auto-detection of resources through global registries such as OCLC WorldCat or OpenSearch
OpenSearch
OpenSearch is a collection of technologies that allow publishing of search results in a format suitable for syndication and aggregation. It is a way for websites and search engines to publish search results in a standard and accessible format....
. It includes a revision control system for editions and facilities for multiple maintainers to share ownership of an edition. The LibX edition builder was built using the ZK
ZK (framework)
ZK is an open-source Ajax Web application framework, written in Java, that enables creation of rich graphical user interfaces for Web applications with no JavaScript and little programming knowledge....
AJAX toolkit, by Tilottama Gaat and Godmar Back.
LibX is produced by Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, which hosts customized versions of the extension for over 256 different libraries. Annette Bailey and Godmar Back, the creators of LibX, won the 2007 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award for their work on LibX.