Rutgers Libraries LibX Toolbar Connecting users and libraries

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Rutgers Libraries LibX Toolbar - Connecting users
and libraries

• Mei Ling Lo
• (Math/Computer Science Librarian)
• mlo_at_rci.rutgers.edu
• and
• Choong Hoong Liew
• (Web Designer)
• chliew_at_rci.rutgers.edu

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What is a toolbar?
noun A row of icons on a computer display
providing quick access to certain functions.
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Why is there a need for a libraries toolbar?

• More library resources are available online.
• Fewer people visit the Rutgers libraries. Lack
  of foot traffic.
• Need to find new ways to reach our communities
  and draw them back into the libraries both
  virtually and physically.
• Free commercial websites such as Google Scholar
  and Amazon.com are available to the users.
  Implement web localization by placing Rutgers
  logo on the commercial web pages.

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Goals for having Rutgers Libraries Toolbar

• Establish a visible branding tool remind
  patrons of the presence of Rutgers Libraries
• Connect users and libraries put Rutgers
  Libraries on users desktops
• Provide a quick and easy channel for users to
  access our resources from anywhere.

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Options for creating a Library toolbar?

• Conduit.com (Effective Brand)
• Toolbarstudio.com (BestToolbars.net )
• LibX.org (Virginia Tech) used for Rutgers
  Toolbar
• Annette Bailey (Digital Assets Librarian) and
  Godmar Back (Computer Science Professor) are the
  creators of LibX, which is a free, open source
  extension for the Firefox and Internet Explorer
  browsers.
• The funding is from the Institute of Museum and
  Library Services.

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LibX and Rutgers toolbar

• Why do we pick LibX?
• LibX is much more than a toolbar. It supports the
  ability to attach JavaScript to pages a user
  visits.
• It provides buttons, drop-down menu and search
  fields which give direct access to our catalog
  and other library resources.
• It places cues in web pages such as Amazon.com.
• It allows you to highlight and right-click words
  to automatically search our library catalog.
• It uses Magic Scholar button to retrieve
  full-text journal articles.

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Features of the Rutgers Libraries Toolbar

• See the demo

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Retrieving an article without toolbar
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Users feedback - Librarians and Staff at Rutgers

• Eager to try the toolbar and install it.
• Volunteer to include the toolbar into their
  library instructions.
• The toolbar reinforces information literacy
  skills by embedding our libraries on users
  desktop. Instead of only using wikipedia, the
  students access our library resources through the
  toolbar.
• Retrieving a full-text article is no longer
  multi-screens away from the citation page. Some
  librarians use the Magic Scholar button to
  answer reference questions at the desk and on
  Meebo (chat reference).

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Using Meebo and the Scholar button
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Users perspective Library patrons

• A small group of teaching faculty has tried the
  toolbar.
• Enjoy being one-click away from our library
  resources.
• Searching our library catalog, IRIS, is much
  faster from the context menu.
• Impressed by the drag-and-drop feature from
  Magic Scholar button. (The toolbar saves time!)

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An email from a user 4/14/2008

• thank you so much for your presentation of the
  Library services yesterday for the Teaching of
  History course. I'm starting using the Library
  toolbar and it's really cool and not invasive at
  all. It has an additional feature when you
  google something, clicking on the R it is search
  automatically in the Rutgers IRIS. Many thanks!
  

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Marketing plan for the toolbar

• The toolbar will be included in the library
  instructions, especially for the freshmen.
• The toolbar will be installed on the machines at
  the computer labs in Sept 2008.
• Advertising of the toolbar will appear in Rutgers
  students newspaper, the student portal web site
  -my.rutgers.edu and other social networking web
  sites such as myspace.com.
• Teaching faculty will be asked to post the
  information of the toolbar on their Sakai web
  sites and the Blackboard web sites.

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Impact on our information community

• xISBN allows linking from Amazon.com to Rutgers
  Library catalog. On the same screen, users will
  have links to Worldcat.org.
• The toolbar therefore links users to their local
  nearby libraries. It helps the local libraries
  to reach their users.

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Impact on perception of the librarian

• Librarians are collaborators with commercial web
  sites. The toolbar brings together library and
  non-library resources.
• The toolbar acts like a virtual librarian
  helping users 24/7.
• The librarians are considered savvy users of
  technology.

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Words for Thought Role of librarians

• We should continue to engage our users through
  technologies.
• Commercial web sites are not our competitors. We
  can place our identity on their web sites by
  launching the effort to establish Web
  Localization.
• We will then be able to better serve the needs of
  our users!

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• Thank you.
• Mei Ling Lo
• mlo_at_rci.rutgers.edu
• Choong Hoong Liew
• chliew_at_rci.rutgers.edu

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