By Aaron Tay 20/3/2009 An introduction to the use of widgets by libraries (Theory)

What is a widget? “ Widgets bring the Libraries Web services to you. They include Web applications , simple add-ons for your Web browser, and other shortcuts that make researching a little easier.” – University of Texas Libraries

“ Widgets bring the Libraries Web services to you. They include Web applications , simple add-ons for your Web browser, and other shortcuts that make researching a little easier.” – University of Texas Libraries

Examples of library Widgets Search plugins Custom toolbars ( Powerpoint presentation ) Bookmarklets Greasemonkey scripts Web widgets Desktop/browser/mobile widgets Browser widgets Today’s focus

Search plugins

Custom toolbars ( Powerpoint presentation )

Bookmarklets

Greasemonkey scripts

Web widgets

Desktop/browser/mobile widgets

Searchplugin http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/webtool/srchplugin/searchplugin.htm

Custom toolbars I Custom toolbars are packages of toolbars designed to be customized for specific websites or organizations. Most of these custom toolbars require no programming or scripting skill to configure. Example 1 : Conduit toolbar

Custom toolbars II Libraries have started using custom toolbars as a way to promote their resources. Set up custom searches to subscribed databases Links to useful library pages and recommended resources RSS feeds to library rss feeds Embed Meebo widgets for askalib services etc. Federated searches, openurl resolvers Provide enhanced services beyond searchplugins Example 2 : Libx toolbar - Live download of toolbar

Libraries have started using custom toolbars as a way to promote their resources.

Set up custom searches to subscribed databases

Links to useful library pages and recommended resources

RSS feeds to library rss feeds

Embed Meebo widgets for askalib services etc.

Federated searches, openurl resolvers

Provide enhanced services beyond searchplugins

Bookmarklet “ A bookmarklet is an applet , a small computer application, stored as the URL of a bookmark in a web browser or as a hyperlink on a web page . The term is a portmanteau of the terms bookmark and applet . Whether bookmarklet utilities are stored as bookmarks or hyperlinks, they are designed to add one-click functionality to a browser or web page. When clicked, a bookmarklet performs some function, one of a wide variety such as a search query or data extraction.” -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmarklet NUS Proxy bookmarklet Jon Udell’s Librarylookup bookmarklet OCLC’s xisbn bookmarklet (NUS Library version available) Search bookmarklets ( Sample Linc keyword search bookmarklet )

“ A bookmarklet is an applet , a small computer application, stored as the URL of a bookmark in a web browser or as a hyperlink on a web page . The term is a portmanteau of the terms bookmark and applet . Whether bookmarklet utilities are stored as bookmarks or hyperlinks, they are designed to add one-click functionality to a browser or web page. When clicked, a bookmarklet performs some function, one of a wide variety such as a search query or data extraction.” -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookmarklet

NUS Proxy bookmarklet

Jon Udell’s Librarylookup bookmarklet

OCLC’s xisbn bookmarklet (NUS Library version available)

Search bookmarklets ( Sample Linc keyword search bookmarklet )

Greasemonkey scripts Special extension addon for Firefox/IE that allows users to install scripts that automatically modifies certain pages on the fly when loading. Users need to install – Gm4ie (IE) Greasemonkey (Firefox) Some examples Modifies Amazon pages to display if item is available in our catalogue . Modifies pages to add ezproxy proxy stem to outgoing links

Special extension addon for Firefox/IE that allows users to install scripts that automatically modifies certain pages on the fly when loading.

Users need to install –

Gm4ie (IE)

Greasemonkey (Firefox)

Some examples

Modifies Amazon pages to display if item is available in our catalogue .

Modifies pages to add ezproxy proxy stem to outgoing links

Web widgets Reusable web sniplets that are placed on html pages or require web browsers to render them Allows embedding of dynamic information from third party sources Also known as gadgets, badges, modules, snipplets etc. Uses either javascript/DHTML or Flash.

Reusable web sniplets that are placed on html pages or require web browsers to render them

Allows embedding of dynamic information from third party sources

Also known as gadgets, badges, modules, snipplets etc.

Uses either javascript/DHTML or Flash.

Precreated widgets Offered by web services/websites e.g web counters, web 2.0 services and more. Limited customization, auto-generates html code that you place on your webpage. Simple matter of just placing html code/snipplet on the part of your webpage where you want it to appear.

Offered by web services/websites e.g web counters, web 2.0 services and more.

Limited customization, auto-generates html code that you place on your webpage.

Simple matter of just placing html code/snipplet on the part of your webpage where you want it to appear.

Some precreated widgets Chat – Meebo etc Filesharing – Slideshare etc Calenders – 30boxes.com etc Web counters Maps – Google maps etc Socal bookmarking linkrolls – Delicious. Etc Social network badges Polls – Polladaddy.com

Chat – Meebo etc

Filesharing – Slideshare etc

Calenders – 30boxes.com etc

Web counters

Maps – Google maps etc

Socal bookmarking linkrolls – Delicious. Etc

Social network badges

Polls – Polladaddy.com

Examples

Sample precreated widget http://www.youtube.com/sharing

How to add precreated widgets Go to service/page and look for html snipplet (customize if needed) Copy snipplet Paste snipplet in part of webpage you want to appear. That’s all

Go to service/page and look for html snipplet (customize if needed)

Copy snipplet

Paste snipplet in part of webpage you want to appear.

That’s all

Creating widgets based on Scopus article search results http://info.scopus.com/htmlfeeds/

Creating widgets based on Scopus article search results

Final result appearing on webpage

Creating widgets based on other academic researches http://www.scopus.com/scopus/search/form/authorFreeLookup.url http://info.scopus.com/topcited/ http://sciencewatch.com/ http://www.scimagojr.com/

http://www.scopus.com/scopus/search/form/authorFreeLookup.url

http://info.scopus.com/topcited/

http://sciencewatch.com/

http://www.scimagojr.com/

Some precreated widgets to add to our subject guides

A) Dynamic bookmarking widgets Allows users who like the page to quickly email, bookmark locally, send to social networks (facebook, Friendster etc), social bookmarking /news sites (Digg, Delicious, Furl) , blogs (blogger , livejournal, etc), IM (icq, msn etc) Allows tracking to see how often page is being emailed, bookmarked, blogged etc. Provides a better measure of “impact” as opposed to simply page views/hits. Options include Addthis! Sharethis Tellafriend Addany Share+

Allows users who like the page to quickly email, bookmark locally, send to social networks (facebook, Friendster etc), social bookmarking /news sites (Digg, Delicious, Furl) , blogs (blogger , livejournal, etc), IM (icq, msn etc)

Allows tracking to see how often page is being emailed, bookmarked, blogged etc.

Provides a better measure of “impact” as opposed to simply page views/hits.

Options include

Addthis!

Sharethis

Tellafriend

Addany

Share+

Alternatives http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/webtool/widgets/sharewidgets.htm

B) Dynamic display of documents Instead of just displaying a link to our powerpoint, word documents, we can add widgets that will display the document Most well known is Slideshare but there are a dozen or more alternatives including Scribd Issuu Slideboom Docstoc Slidesix Myplick Zohoshow edocr

Instead of just displaying a link to our powerpoint, word documents, we can add widgets that will display the document

Most well known is Slideshare but there are a dozen or more alternatives including

Scribd

Issuu

Slideboom

Docstoc

Slidesix

Myplick

Zohoshow

edocr

Alternatives

C) Embeding blogrolls from social bookmarking services Use social bookmarking sites like delicious , spurl , ma.gnolia (down) , Diigo , Qiteria , connotea , Iterisa , Furl (dead), Simpy , Fleck to bookmark pages. Embed widgets provided by these services on subject guide. Result : As you add/remove links to the bookmarking service, subject guide will be automatically updated For more reading “ Delicious Subject Guides: Maintaining Subject Guides Using a Social Bookmarking Site ”

Use social bookmarking sites like delicious , spurl , ma.gnolia (down) , Diigo , Qiteria , connotea , Iterisa , Furl (dead), Simpy , Fleck to bookmark pages.

Embed widgets provided by these services on subject guide.

Result : As you add/remove links to the bookmarking service, subject guide will be automatically updated

For more reading

“ Delicious Subject Guides: Maintaining Subject Guides Using a Social Bookmarking Site ”

OTHER WIDGETS CAN BE ADDED LIMITED ONLY BY YOUR IMAGINATION!!!

D) Other ideas Meebo , Wimzi , Plugoo , Digsby and other chat widgets ( twitter!) Facebook, myspace, and other social networking badges See Libguides for more ideas (requires $$$)

Meebo , Wimzi , Plugoo , Digsby and other chat widgets ( twitter!)

Facebook, myspace, and other social networking badges

See Libguides for more ideas (requires $$$)

Creating your own widgets

Creating your own widget NOT SIMPLE, REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE OF JAVASCRIPT, XML, FLASH PROGRAMMING ETC.

Using "universal" widget maker

RSS Feed widget

Search widget

Widgetbox http://www.widgetbox.com

Netvibes http://eco.netvibes.com/login

Dapper http://www.dapper.net/

Iwidgets

Sprout http://sproutbuilder.com/ (not free)

Widgetmaker commonality Requires no programming. Uses web forms Content is fed via RSS feeds Allows minor changes in color, font etc. “ Universal widget maker” – can be used to put on not just webpages but also blogs, social networking sites, wikis, desktops , online customizable homepages, and more.

Requires no programming.

Uses web forms

Content is fed via RSS feeds

Allows minor changes in color, font etc.

“ Universal widget maker” – can be used to put on not just webpages but also blogs, social networking sites, wikis, desktops , online customizable homepages, and more.

Widgetbox

Netvibes

iwidgets

Dapper

Sprouts (not free)

SELF MADE WIDGET BLOGS e.g. Blogger, Wordpress WEBSITE iGoogle Netvibes MyYahoo Facebook MySpace Opera Windows Live Apple Dashboard Vista Sharepoint Pageflakes Nexus Google desktop Bebo Wiki.nus (Confluence) Adapted from Guus van den Brekel

Where widgets can be added Via 1. Widgetbox , 2. Netvibes , 3. Iwidgets 4. Dapper 5.Sprouts Websites Blogs Social networking sites Start pages Desktops Mobile Other formats Html (Flash/javascript) WordPress 1 Facebook 1 3 5 Netvibes 1 4 5 Vista desktop 2 Iphone 2 3 Json 4 Sharepoint Blogger 15 Myspace 3 5 Igoogle 1 2 3 4 5 Apple dashboard 2 Android 3 Icalender 4 Wiki.Nus 1 (confluence) Typepad 1 Bebo 3 5 Pageflakes 1 4 5 Google desktop 4 Palm 3 CSV 4 Livejournal 1 5 Multipy 1 5 Live.com 2 Opera 2 YAML 4 Ning 1 Nexus (NUS endorsed)? Yahoowidgets 2 3 Googlemap 4 Hi5 3 My yahoo 5 Friendster 5

On webpage

On Blogger

Adding widgets to Social networking sites

On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=556068025&ref=profile

On Myspace http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=394134895

On Bebo http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=8404708977

Adding widgets to custom homepages

On Netvibes http://www.netvibes.com/aarontay#General

On igoogle http://www.google.com/ig

On Pageflakes http://www.pageflakes.com/

In Nexus http://nexus/default.aspx

On NUS.wiki (confluence) http://wiki.nus.edu.sg/display/~clbtcha/Sample+widget+on+nus.wiki

On Opera

Widget on desktop

Putting widgets on your desktop Windows Vista Google gadgets (google desktop) Yahoo Widgets (Konfabulator) Apple dashboard

Windows Vista

Google gadgets (google desktop)

Yahoo Widgets (Konfabulator)

Apple dashboard

NUS related Adding to Microsoft sharepoint ( instructions ) Adding to NUS.Wiki ( instructions ) Adding to Nexus (NUS customized home page)

Adding to Microsoft sharepoint ( instructions )

Adding to NUS.Wiki ( instructions )

Adding to Nexus (NUS customized home page)

Start Put RSS feed into widget maker e.g. Widgetbox Content available in RSS? Use screen scraper e.g. Dapper Further processing (aggregation, filtering, ranking) required? Use yahoopipes, postrank etc End No No Yes Yes

How to create widgets without programming Step 1 : Obtain data/content - Needs to be in RSS format to be dynamic. Content available in RSS/ATOM/JSON etc ? If No go to step 2 , otherwise go to Step 3 Step 2 : Do screenscaping of required data. Use Dapper or feedity to convert htm page to RSS feed. Step 3 : Aggregate, filter, manipulate, rank, RSS feeds – You might want to combine different feeds from different sources (e.g. results from Google scholar, Scopus, web of science), filter/de-dupe etc. Use Yahoopipes , Postrank etc. Step 4 : Enter RSS feed into one of the following widget generators Widgetbox , Netvibes , Iwidget Dapper , Popfly . (advanced, requires Microsoft Silverlight) Step 5 : Do some minor adjustment s to color, font and you are done.

Step 1 : Obtain data/content - Needs to be in RSS format to be dynamic.

Content available in RSS/ATOM/JSON etc ? If No go to step 2 , otherwise go to Step 3

Step 2 : Do screenscaping of required data.

Use Dapper or feedity to convert htm page to RSS feed.

Step 3 : Aggregate, filter, manipulate, rank, RSS feeds – You might want to combine different feeds from different sources (e.g. results from Google scholar, Scopus, web of science), filter/de-dupe etc.

Use Yahoopipes , Postrank etc.

Step 4 : Enter RSS feed into one of the following widget generators Widgetbox , Netvibes , Iwidget Dapper , Popfly . (advanced, requires Microsoft Silverlight)

Step 5 : Do some minor adjustment s to color, font and you are done.

More advanced tools Microsoft Popfly Yahoo pipes

Microsoft Popfly

Yahoo pipes

Microsoft Popfly

Popfly capabilities Allows you to create more flexible widgets by combining content. Combine and filter images, video, text from flickr, twitter, youtube etc Rumoured to be discontinued soon?

Allows you to create more flexible widgets by combining content.

Combine and filter images, video, text from flickr, twitter, youtube etc

Rumoured to be discontinued soon?

Sample widget created by popfly Sample widget – Carrousel of book jackets from recently added Economics books

Yahoopipes Combine, filter rss/json feeds from different sources. Alters output Can be output in various formats including RSS, to netvibes, igoogle, myyahoo.

Combine, filter rss/json feeds from different sources.

Alters output

Can be output in various formats including RSS, to netvibes, igoogle, myyahoo.

Yahoopipes source http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.edit?_id=02d2b020817aa3511b6647f33a631fd5

Yahoopipes example http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=02d2b020817aa3511b6647f33a631fd5

Problems of using widgets Slows down loading – Information is drawn from third party. Content from third party might go down (e.g. Youtube, Slideshare goes down) Intermediate services such as screenscapers, Widget maker might be down. Widgets require either Javascript, Flash or rarely silverlight. Some users might not have javascript turned on, or lack the flash plugin.

Slows down loading – Information is drawn from third party.

Content from third party might go down (e.g. Youtube, Slideshare goes down)

Intermediate services such as screenscapers, Widget maker might be down.

Widgets require either Javascript, Flash or rarely silverlight. Some users might not have javascript turned on, or lack the flash plugin.

Links/resources https://team.nus.edu.sg/library/socialsciences/Tutorials/subjectguidewidgets.htm http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.cali.org%2Fcalicon08%2Fuploads%2FSessions%2FWidgets-CALI2008v5a.ppt&ei=hnzDSc67NNiUkAXyg4XHDA&usg=AFQjCNGh7DYW-ycwUS2fUqUZgAoajmgS5Q&sig2=ZM8P2JVniHmCMHnG4YAguw

https://team.nus.edu.sg/library/socialsciences/Tutorials/subjectguidewidgets.htm

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.cali.org%2Fcalicon08%2Fuploads%2FSessions%2FWidgets-CALI2008v5a.ppt&ei=hnzDSc67NNiUkAXyg4XHDA&usg=AFQjCNGh7DYW-ycwUS2fUqUZgAoajmgS5Q&sig2=ZM8P2JVniHmCMHnG4YAguw