Widgets for Libraries - promoting resources easily on your website.
Widgets for Libraries was presented as part of the 'Get on the Bus: Rev up your Reference Skills' 2010 webinar series.
The presentation is archived here
Widgets are snippets of code that are usually created by adding your custom values to a form and then copying and pasting code into your web page code. Often widgets are downloaded and added to a service like iGoogle or My Yahoo pages or a blog.
The webinar covered three library resource related widgets in-depth: Gale search widgets; EBSCOhost search widgets, and Worldcat widgets.
Resources requiring authentication for remote use should include a proxy server address in the widget or URL. The State Library proxy server for statewide resources is http://proxy.lib.wy.us/login?url=
Gale Search Widgets - http://access.gale.com/widgets/
| Examples
1. Single product search 2. Powersearch (multiple databases) |
|
|
- Build your widget here: http://access.gale.com/widgets/
- Select the type of widget you want to build (Powersearch for multiple databases, single product search, Gale eBook Search)
- You will need your Gale Location ID to create the widget: http://will.state.wy.us/wyld/gale/locids.cfm
- For PowerSearch widgets, the next step is to select which databases you want searched
- Click on the 'Create' button in the 'Get the Widget' section of the page, near the bottom
- Choose your embedding option
- iFrame (copy and paste the code displayed when you click on this option)
- Javascript (copy and paste the code displayed when you click on this option)
- HTML Code (Create Your Own) - follow the instructions displayed on the screen for this option
- Facebook (click on the link shown to add to your Facebook profile)
- iGoogle (click on the link show to add to your iGoogle page. It helps to log in to your Google account first)
- Google Sites (follow the instructions displayed when you click on this link)
- Bookmark this results page for your widget to return to make changes or choose another embedding option.
*Wyoming Gale widgets are using geolocation for IPs, so you don't need to add a proxy server value
Tip: You can link to specific Gale searches and results with their persistent linking feature (Infomark/Bookmarks). This is an example of a Bookmarked Gale Item
EBSCOhost Search Widget (Search Box Builder) http://support.ebscohost.com/eit/searchboxbuilder/
- Remember to use the proxy server prefix with this widget - http://proxy.lib.wy.us/login?url=
- Authentication methods - select IP Address and User ID/Password
Worldcat Widgets - http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/content/affiliate/default.jsp
*Worldcat is a free resource, so you don’t need the proxy server value
Types of Worldcat Widgets:
- WorldCat list widget
Let visitors to your Web site view items on your WorldCat list in a compact widget. Scrollable results include links to the WorldCat.org detailed record for each item. - WorldCat keyword search widget
Let visitors to your subject-specific Web page review top results for related library-owned items in a compact widget. Scrollable results include links to the WorldCat.org detailed record for each item. - WorldCat search widget
Put a WorldCat search box on your Web site so visitors can find library items. - WorldCat links with embedded search terms
Create Web links to WorldCat results for one or more subject, author or title keywords.
You will need to create a free Worldcat.org account and also provide your affiliate information (your library)
Worldcat List Widget
More Widgets & Tools
Uber Widget! – LibX Toolbar – see http://will.state.wy.us/wyld/libx.html
Proquest K-12 Widgets Page: http://www.proquestk12.com/widgets/widgets.shtml
Other Proquest databases: http://proquest.com/en-US/utilities/widgets/search.shtml
SIRS Researcher Search Box - Access SIRS, click Educator's Resources to generate a custom widget.
SIRS Researcher Top 10 Leading Issues Access SIRS, select Educator's Resources to generate a resizeable Top 10 content box.
*Note, at the time of writing this guide, you need to manually add proxy server information to the form GET code, as SIRS currently doesn't support adding authentication information for widgets.
Britannica Toolbox: http://newsletters.britannica.com/toolbox/
*these widgets all access the free versions of Britannica at this time
WilsonWeb Search Widget Builder: http://www.hwwstats.com/utilities/wilsonweb/widgets/index.cfm
Other ways to promote resources - download web images and other promotional materials from vendor websites, e.g.:
- Gale Database icons: http://www.gale.cengage.com/images/database_icons/
- Ebsco Promotional Materials: http://support.ebscohost.com/promotion/promo.php
- SIRS Marketing Toolkit: http://www.proquestk12.com/productinfo/marketingkits/RESKIT.shtml
- Don't forget! Persistent links to searches and items from databases can be copied and pasted onto web pages..
More examples and places to get widgets:
- GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/edit?tab=widgets (log in to your account)
- New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/services/timeswidgets/ (requires free account on NYT site)
- Create or get other widgets from WidgetBox: http://www.widgetbox.com/home/ or from Yahoo! Widgets: http://widgets.yahoo.com/tools/
