iGoogle Gadgets

iGoogle Gadgets More Access to Your Library Katie Lynn, Electronic Services Librarian Wyoming State Law Library Wyoming Library Association, Annual Conference, October 1, 2009

What is iGoogle?

iGoogle is a customizable homepage

http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en&t=0

iGoogle lets you create a personalized homepage that contains a Google search box at the top, and your choice of any number of gadgets below

October 1, 2009 iGoogle Gadgets: More Access to Your Library

What is an iGoogle gadget?

Gadgets are XML mini-applications built using HTML, with JavaScript, Flash or Silverlight for dynamic behaviors.

What is an iGoogle gadget?

Gadgets are XML mini-applications built using HTML, with JavaScript, Flash or Silverlight for dynamic behaviors.

What’s in a gadget?

XML is the language you use to write gadget specifications. A gadget is simply an XML file, placed somewhere on the internet where Google can find it (it can be hosted by Google, as well).

The content of a gadget is typically written in HTML .

JavaScript is a scripting language you can use to add dynamic behavior to your gadgets.

Where can I use it?

Google

iGoogle, Google Apps, Google Desktop, Google Maps, Google Toolbar, Orkut, Blogger, Google Calendar, Google Spreadsheets API and Tools, Gmail, Google Sites

Third-party products and sites

MyAOL, IBM websphere portal, RedHat JBoss portal, SUN portal, BEA weblogic portal

Any webpage

Library web site

Wiki

Blog

Why?

Reach more users

Users can add your gadget to their iGoogle page or web site = more traffic!

Maintenance is easy

Write your gadget once, and with minor changes it can run in multiple places

How?

iGoogle Gadgets @ Your Library - http://www.slideshare.net/edmetz1/igoogle-gadgets-your-library

gadgets.* API Developer's Guide - http://code.google.com/intl/en/apis/gadgets/docs/dev_guide.html

My method

To find gadgets, go to your iGoogle homepage - http://www.google.com/ig .

If you don't have one, it's a lot easier to get one and work through it.

Click the "Add Stuff" link on the top right.

Search for "library" and you'll see many RSS feeds as well as library gadgets. I added several to my iGoogle so I could see how other libraries have used the technology.

I chose a couple of designs that I liked, and noted the URL(s) for the gadget(s) themselves.

My method

I added the Google Gadget Editor to iGoogle, used the "open from URL" command and saved the gadgets I liked in the GGE.

Google hosts this online, so remember that you will want to eventually copy your finished gadget code and save it in a local file for a backup.

Open the gadget you want to modify and save it under a different name.

Then play to your heart's content (easier said than done, but fun all the same).

My method

I followed the gadget created by Duke University libraries for the tabbed structure. I used the tabs for popular legal research content, but I really liked their idea of using the tabs for searching different resources – catalog, databases, ejournals.

The code I used for creating the WYLDCAT search form is in Technote 97 - http://will.state.wy.us/wyld/technotes/note097.html .

Of course, save and preview as you go.

My method

You can publish your finished gadget to the Google content directory or save it on your library server and add the URL to the gadget to the Google content directory separately.

By the time I had pretty much finished the law library gadget, I was fairly familiar with Google's instructions (Developer's Guide). I suggest you return to it often with questions. It will eventually cease to be super scary.

WYLD library gadget October 1, 2009 iGoogle Gadgets: More Access to Your Library

Questions? Want help?