University of Minnesota
HAVE A QUESTION? ASK US!

Email | Chat | Phone | FAQ

Tools and Widgets


Libraries Hours


Home   |   Catalogs   |   Indexes   |   E-Journals   |   Subjects   |   Services   |   About Us   |   myLibrary

LibX - Library Toolbar Browser Plugin

LibX is a browser plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer. This version of LibX is customized to provide direct access to the University of Minnesota's library resources.


About LibX

LibX University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Edition is a Firefox extension that provides direct access to your library's resources. It features:

Context Menu

Toolbar & right-click context menu: Search your library catalog directly from the LibX toolbar or using the right-click context menu.

Support for off-campus access via EZProxy/WAM: Using the Library's off-campus proxy, you may reload a page through the proxy, or follow a link via the proxy, making it appear as though you are coming from an on-campus computer.

Quick full text access to journal articles: LibX uses Google Scholar to search for articles and directs the user to the electronic copy subscribed to by your Library. Select a citation, then drag-and-drop it onto the Scholar button on the toolbar. You can use this feature even from inside a PDF file, which makes retrieving papers referenced in a PDF file a snap.
To use this feature, your library must be a Google Scholar library, or you must activate this link in the Firefox profile in which LibX is installed: Activate Google Scholar support. (See also LibX FAQ Question 11)

Support for embedded cues: LibX places cues in web pages you visit if your library has resources related to that page. Whenever you see the cue, click on the link to look at what the Library has to offer. For instance, book pages at Amazon or Barnes & Noble will contain cues that link to the book's entry in MNCAT. Cues are displayed at Google, Yahoo! Search, the NY Times Book Review, and other pages. Watch this screencast for examples of this cool feature. (requires Macromedia Flash Plugin)

Support for xISBN: A book title can have different ISBNs for the paperback, the hardcover, even for different editions. LibX supports OCLC's xISBN service: you can find a book, given an ISBN, even if the library holds this book under a different ISBN.


Setting up LibX

  • After installing the LibX plugin for your browser, click on the LibX UMN-TC icon and select "LibX Preferences".
  • Under the Context Menu tab, select the General tab. Under the Search Option area, select the check boxes as shown.
  • Under the ISBN tab, again select the check boxes as shown.
  • Similarly, under the ISSN tab, also select the shown check boxes.
  • Make sure that the check box under the PMID tab is also checked.
  • Same goes for the check box under the DOI tab.
  • Finally, make sure that the EZProxy is enabled under the Proxy tab.

Installation:

If Firefox displays a message "To protect your computer, Firefox prevented this site... from installing software on your computer.", press the button labelled "Edit Options..." and click "Allow" add libx.org and www.lib.umnn.edu to the list of websites from which extensions may be installed. Then click "Ok" and visit the "Install" link again.

This extension works with Firefox and Internet Explorer. Please note that the Internet Explorer version of this extension is still under beta testing, but should be functional. It does not work with other browsers such as Safari. It has been tested with Firefox versions 1.0, 1.5, 1.5.0.1, and 1.5.0.2 on Windows, Linux, and Macintosh OS-X.

For more information about LibX, visit the LibX Homepage.