Customized Search at Your Library

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Customized Search at Your Library

• Paul Betty
• Regis University
• Distance Learning Librarian
• [phone]
• 1-800-388-2366 x5772
• pbetty_at_regis.edu

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What is customized search?

• A search engine that lets knowledgeable
  users identify the sites and/or search strategies
  that they know will retrieve high relevance, high
  quality content matching the interests of their
  user communities.
• Quint, B. (July/August 2007). A Great Idea!!
  Google Custom Search Engine. Searcher, 15(7), 4,6.

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Why is customized search important?

• There's nothing as compelling as showing clients
  that not only are we not threatened by search
  engines, but we are also able to improve upon
  them.
• Bates, M. (March/April 2007). Building a Better
  Search Engine. Online, 31(2), 64.

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Why is customized search important?

• customers constantly juggling competing
  priorities while under time constraints. They
  welcome tools that help them save time
• Chang, D. Keil, H. (October 2006). Need Another
  Toolbar for Your Toolbox? Searcher, 14(9), 39-43.

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Why is customized search important?

• Search used to be hard it meant having to go
  somewhere, do something, exert some effort, think
  about what to search on, and so on. No more.
  Search is now nearly ubiquitous and nearly brain
  dead a mixed blessing if ever there was one. The
  little box is everywhere, always there, always
  ready and waiting, beckoning.
• Janes, J. (September 2006). Reclaiming the Little
  Box. American Libraries, American Libraries,
  37(8), 70.    

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What can be customized?

• Yahoo! Search Builder (http//builder.search.yahoo
  .com)
• Google Custom Search
• (http//www.google.com/coop/cse)
• Gigablast Custom Topic Search (http//www.gigablas
  t.com/cts.html)
• Rollyo (http//www.rollyo.com)
• Swiki (http//swicki.eurekster.com)

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How is it done? Well, its easy

• Google Custom Search Engines
• Step 1 Create a Google account
• Step 2 Create a new search engine
• Step 3 Specify URLs
• Step 4 Customize display
• Step 5 Add to your website

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So whats this about plug-ins?

• A search engine plug-in allows you to access a
  search engine directly from your browser. In
  Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 you use
  the search bar at the top right. Microsoft
  appears to prefer the term Search Provider but
  there is no difference in function.
• http//mycroft.mozdev.org/

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A little XML goes a long way

• Search engine plug-ins are small XML files that
  reference the URL and search string parameters of
  the specified search engine.
• Creating a search engine plug-ins is as simple as
  modifying the URL of your search results.

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Example Lumen catalog plug-in

• Built using the Open Search standard (compatible
  with Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7)
• Performs a keyword search of the Lumen library
  catalog at Regis University

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Open Search under the hood

• Most of the XML for an Open Search plug-in is
  metadata name, description, and image.
• URL tag contains all the necessary information
  for the execution of the search. It serves as a
  template for the browser.

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Open Search under the hood

• To generate the template, perform a search using
  the phrase TEST
• Copy and paste the URL for the search results
  into the XML document
• In the URL string, replace TEST with
  searchTerms

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Open Search add an icon for your plug-in

• Search plug-ins can include an icon (16X16
  pixels)
• The image can be an external file or included in
  the XML by converting binary code into base64
  code
• conversion tool
• http//www.greywyvern.com/code/php/binary2base64

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More on Open Search

• Autodiscovery meta tag in the ltheadgt of the html
  document.
• Alerts browser that there is a plug-in available
  for download from the website.
• example
• ltlink rel"search" type"application/opensearchde
  scriptionxml" title"Lumen Search plug-in"
  href"http//www.buckrambeats.com/library/lumen.xm
  l"gt

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More on Open Search

• AddSearchProvider Method is a JavaScript function
  supported by the Document Object Model (DOM) used
  by internet browsers.
• It does not require any additional JavaScript
  coding!
• example
• ltINPUT TYPE"button" VALUE"Provider"
   onClick'window.external.AddSearchProvider("http
  //ltyoursitegt.com/Provider.xml")'gt

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Firefox plug-ins

• Rollyo.com
• Log-in required to share search engine
• Create bookmarklet that allows access to all your
  searchrolls
• Add plug-ins to your navigation toolbar in
  Firefox

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Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) plug-ins

• Add Search Providers to Internet Explorer 7
• Option to view xml
• Access to other popular plug-ins

Best of both worlds Firefox and IE7
Searchplugins.net
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Custom search plug-ins

• Create search plug-ins for your custom search
  engines happy patrons!
• Remember to escape out any ampersand symbols in
  the URL ! (replace with amp)

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If you build it, will they come?

• Given that Internet resources are a primary
  research choice librarians should direct
  patrons to excellent Internet resources and
  guides in the same way they do for traditional
  library resources.
• Wright, C. (July 2004) The Academic Library as a
  Gateway to the Internet An Analysis of the
  Extent and Nature of Search Engine Access from
  Academic Library Home Pages. College Research
  Libraries, 65(4), 276-86.

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If you build it, will they come?

• Libraries that do not offer high-quality
  Internet search engine links, user guides, and
  instruction lose a great opportunity to attract
  patrons and to position themselves as the
  primary gateway for information.
• Wright, C. (July 2004) The Academic Library as a
  Gateway to the Internet An Analysis of the
  Extent and Nature of Search Engine Access from
  Academic Library Home Pages. College Research
  Libraries, 65(4), 276-86.

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If you build it, will they come?

• libraries can significantly enhance access to
  Internet-searching resources by focusing
  attention on the following vocabularyweb page
  designcontent
• Wright, C. (July 2004) The Academic Library as a
  Gateway to the Internet An Analysis of the
  Extent and Nature of Search Engine Access from
  Academic Library Home Pages. College Research
  Libraries, 65(4), 276-86.

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Show me more Bookmarklets

• Each bookmarklet is a tiny program (a JavaScript
  application) contained in a bookmark (the URL is
  a "javascript" URL) which can be saved and used
  the same way you use normal bookmarks.
• Kangas, S. About bookmarklets answers to basic
  questions. Retrieved February 19, 2008 from
  http//www.bookmarklets.com/about/

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Show me more Bookmarklets

• LibraryLookup Bookmarklet generator
• Easy to create. Must be able to identify brand of
  library management system used at your library.
• Limited to ISBN search!

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Show me more Toolbars

• An array of buttons which provide single-click
  access to features and/or applications.
• Toolbar. (1999). In Dictionary of Multimedia and
  Internet Applications A Guide for Developers and
  Users. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from
  http//www.credoreference.com/entry/3481537

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Show me more Toolbars

• LibX Toolbar
• Browser plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer
  that provides direct access to your library's
  resources.
• An open source framework from which editions for
  specific libraries can be built.

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Show me more Facebook Apps

• Requires installation and use of the Facebook
  developers application.
• Familiarity with PHP is helpful, but not
  necessary.
• Content (search boxes, links, etc.) can be lifted
  direct from library website.
• Application is hosted remotely (i.e. Facebook
  does not host files)

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Show me more Facebook Apps

• Example Regis Library Lumen catalog application.
• Application lives here
• http//apps.facebook.com/lumen_search/
• Application must include following files hosted
  on your server (1-4 available from Facebook.com)
  
• 1. appinclude.php
• 2. dbappinclude.php
• 3. facebook.php
• 4. facebookapi_php5_restlib.php
• 5. index.php (or other .php file with FBML.
  This is the file with the actual content of your
  application)

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Its over!
Paul Betty Regis University Distance Learning
Librarian [phone] 1-800-388-2366
x5772 pbetty_at_regis.edu