What does LibX do for me?

View video demo

What is LibX?

How does LibX work?

Install LibX

Using LibX helps you determine quickly and easily whether the library has the resources you’re looking for.

What Does LibX Do for Me?

LibX makes it easy for you to search the library’s holdings wherever you are on the Web:

• Find books
  • amazon.com
  • barnesandnoble.com
  • New York Times Book Review
• Find articles
  • Google Scholar
  • PubMed
  • ERIC
• Track down references in online documents
  • Highlight the title and right click
  • Select "Search Scholar" to display results in Google Scholar and the library’s Journal Finder
  • Even works for PDF articles!

View video demo

What Is LibX?

LibX is free software that modifies your internet browser to allow you to search the library from any page on the Web. Currently, it only works with Mozilla Firefox, an open-source competitor to Internet Explorer available for free download here. Instructions for downloading and installling LibX are available below.

How Does LibX Work?

LibX features a toolbar for Firefox that stays with you wherever you go on the web.  This toolbar gives you quick access to many types of searches in the catalog (catalog results will open in a new tab):

Or you can search the catalog using multiple fields, as shown here (catalog results will open in a new tab):

LibX loads visual cues onto the web pages you visit for books and articles.  For example, if you’re looking at a book in www.barnesandnoble.com, you should see a  logo symbol near the description of the book.  Click on the logo to perform a quick catalog search for that item.

You can also perform a quick catalog search by selecting the book’s ISBN number, then right-clicking on it.  Then select "Search Greenwood Library for ..."  LibX will search our catalog to see whether we own the item.  (This feature also works for Digital Object Identifiers (DOI’s) and author names!)

See an article that looks interesting?  Highlight the title, right click on it, then select "Search Google Scholar ..."  LibX will search for the title in Google Scholar and in Greenwood Library’s Journal Finder database, thus improving your chances of finding the article’s full text quickly and conveniently (Google Scholar and Journal Finder results will appear in new tabs).

Working with a PDF?  Perform the same function by highlighting the citation you want, then pressing your mouse button while dragging the cursor over to the "Scholar" button on the right-hand side of the toolbar.  LibX will then activate searches for that article in Greenwood Library’s Journal Finder and in Google Scholar.

Install LibX

1. Open Firefox (if necessary, you can download the free Firefox browser here).
2. Navigate back to this page.
3. Click here to install LibX.
4. 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" to add www.longwood.edu to the list of websites from which extensions may be installed. Then click "OK" and visit the "Install" link again.
5. Enjoy looking up library resources with enviable style and ease.

If you have questions about installing or using LibX, please contact Mark Lenker at 395.2257 or lenkermn@longwood.edu.

Copyright: LibX is distributed under the Mozilla Public License. The copyright is held jointly by Annette Bailey and Virginia Tech.