LibX browser extension for Duke Libraries

Add Duke Libraries to your Web Browser

LibX is a web browser extension (also known as a plug-in or add-on) that places a toolbar in your browser, visual "cues" in certain web pages that link to Duke Library resources related to the item you're viewing, and new menu items in the right-click menu in your browser, getting you quick access to Duke Library resources from whatever web page you're on.

Here are some of the things you can do with Duke LibX: 

• Use the toolbar to search Duke's online catalog, e-journals, articles, databases, Google Scholar, WorldCat, or library web pages directly from your browser window.

• Highlight a citation (or any text) on a web page or PDF file and drag and drop it to the "Scholar" button on the toolbar to search Google Scholar for the article. Follow the Get It @ Duke link in Google Scholar to get full-text of the article. (If you are not on the Duke campus network you will need to set Duke as your library in Google Scholar).

• Highlight names, terms or citations on a web page, right click, and on the menu that appears you can choose to search Duke Library resources, Google Scholar, WorldCat, or the library web site.

• If you are not on the Duke campus network and are trying to use a resource that is only available to the Duke community (for example, subscription databases like JStor and Lexis Nexis), right click anywhere on the page and choose "Reload ... via Duke University EZProxy" from the menu that appears. You will be forwarded to Duke's EZProxy service, and asked for your NetID and password to show that you're a member of the Duke community and entitled to use resources Duke Libraries have subscribed to. Note that not all library subscriptions work with this service, and you may need to use the Duke VPN for some of them - see the Off-Campus Access to E-Resources page for more information.
  

• Look for the library's Reading Blue Devil "cue" when you are at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Books, the New York Times Book Review, and many other sites. Click on it to search the Duke library catalog for the book being referenced, and find out whether Duke Libraries have the book before you buy it.

• When LibX detects ISBN or ISSN numbers in web pages, it will add links (with dotted underline) to resources at Duke relevant to the items they reference. This is called "Autolinking" and can be turned off in the LibX preferences if you don't want it (sometimes it mistakes other numbers for ISBNs).

• The toolbar also has quick links to the library web site, Ask a Librarian, the Duke online catalog, your library account, and more.

• You can customize or disable many of these features in the LibX Preferences window, and can hide the LibX toolbar altogether when you don't need it.
  

Installation

Firefox 

The Firefox version of LibX works with Firefox versions 1.5.x and 2.x on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Click this link to install the Duke Libraries edition of LibX in Firefox

Firefox may display a message that reads "To protect your computer, Firefox prevented this site (library.duke.edu or libx.org) from installing software on your computer." Since some browser plugins could potentially be malicious, Firefox prompts with this warning when you attempt to install a new add-ons to it. The open source LibX add-on was developed by Virginia Tech and is in use by many universities around the world, and we believe it not to pose any security or privacy risks. If you wish to use the LibX add-on, you will need to tell Firefox that you trust the source of the program, and to allow it to be installed.

To continue the installation after seeing this warning, press the button labelled "Edit Options..." that has appeared near the top of your browser window and click "Allow" to add library.duke.edu or libx.org to the list of websites from which extensions may be installed. Then click "OK" and visit the above "Install" link again. After the installation is completed, you will need to restart your browser for the add-on to take effect.

Internet Explorer

While the Firefox version of LibX has been available for some time and is very well tested and stable, the Internet Explorer version is relatively new, and is still considered to be beta software. If you choose to install it, be aware that some of the functions noted above (specifically, the embedded cues and autolinking) do not work, and that it may cause other problems with your browser. We will update this page (and the Library Hacks blog) with more information on the ongoing development of the Internet Explorer edition as it becomes available.

 Click this link to download the Duke Libraries beta edition of LibX for Internet Explorer 7

Save the file. Close all Internet Explorer windows and run the file. A wizard will walk you through the installation process. Check the box to re-start Internet Explorer before you click "finish". LibX IE requires that .Net 2.0 or later is installed. You may need to check your Windows Update.

Copyright and Privacy

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

By using this extension your browser may send the URL of pages you are currently visiting to Duke University Libraries' catalog server. Such information is sent only if you are actively using the extension; it is never sent automatically. If you wish to avoid this you must turn off the referrer URL by setting network.http.sendRefererHeader to 0 in your Firefox preferences (note that this may cause some web sites that require referer information to not work correctly). Please see Duke University Library's privacy policy if you have concerns about transmission of data from your browser to library servers.

For more information about LibX, visit the LibX Homepage.

For questions or concerns about this tool, please Ask a Librarian.