Are you spending too much money on books? You aren’t the only one. In fact with the advent of online bookstores, it’s happening more and more. Some of us are spending way too much money on books.
Even though most public libraries have online catalogs that allow us to place requests on books (and sometimes other items) from home, we don’t do it. It’s just too much trouble to open another window, track down the URL for the library and figure out how to search for the book. And we’d rather buy it than go through all that.
But, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. Get your own Library Bookmarklet and be just a click away from requesting books from your library instead of paying for books you will only read once.
Job Udall started the LibraryLookup project. It’s a generator for creating a bookmarklet — A Toolbar shortcut — to a search on YOUR library’s online catalog for any book or item from any web page with an ISBN/ASIN in the URL (It works well with Powells, Amazon and B&N).
After you use the link to create your bookmarklet, here are some of Jon Udall’s tips for making your bookmarklet work.
With this fantastic tool, you are just one click away from getting your book from a library. You won’t ever have to pay for a book (or DVD or CD) again!
(If your library happens to use iBistro online catalog, I’d be happy to share what I know with you. His generator doesn’t yet include an iBistro generator. And if your library uses another online catalog, tell us how you got it to work!)
Updated to add — I should probably explain why I’m writing such an odd diary. It’s because I’ve been working on this project for the last couple of days (it wasn’t easy to do since iBistro isn’t included on the list of generators).
And I wanted to share it with everyone who might be interested — while the steps are clear enough in my mind that I can help anyone who wants it.
I know this isn’t the typical sort of diary, but I’m excited about this tool and I want to share it. I mentioned it at the FBC, but this is a little more detail.
Check out WorldCat. I haven’t installed this, but I discovered it accidentally via a search for a book, The liberal temper in Greek politics. You can use this link, change the zip code & enter a new search and find a book in a library near you.
Yes, I’ve worked with that as well. But, I see the WorldCat (Open Worldcat) option as more of an Interlibrary loan tool. Because the Library Bookmarklet puts you right where you need to be to request a copy from your own library (and it’s not quite that transparent with WorldCat).
I see Open WorldCat as the alternative for when your library doesn’t have the book. Maybe thats because that’s the way I use WorldCat? I use it all the time for books that we don’t own (my library that is) — I would never think to use it for my library.
I did make a WorldCat Bookmarklet at work, however. It took a little tweaking, but not much. If you’re interested I can send it to you (or post it at the Froggy Bottom Cafe) when I get back to work on Tuesday.
Fabulous Katiebird!! I can’t wait to start using it. I sit here sourrounded by my collection of hundreds of books that I am busily giving away to others. This will be a very good tool for me since I have no desire to be a collecter of “things” any more.
Thanks so much for the info and the link.
Hugs
Shirl
Thanks, katiebird! I set up a bookmarklet after you mentioned this at the Cafe the other day, and I’m loving it already — I’m a heavy library user, and anything that makes it easier to find what I’m looking for is much appreciated.
Jennifer, thank you so much! I’ve been wondering if other people actually would use it.
It’s extremely useful for those in your country. Thank you for posting the info. The more we read, the more we know… (I hope that’s not a soundbite from a TV commercial…it’s late..I may have been programmed by the teevee…but it’s true…)
catnip,
why wouldn’t it work in other countries?
Does it? I assumed it only looked through the US library system.
ISBN and ASIN are an international standard numbering system. So all that is necessary is a page with an ISBN/ASIN in the URL and access to an online catalog that allows for searching on that field:
For example, here is a bookmarklet for Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
(I’m hoping it works — ’cause it doesn’t in preview mode, when I drag it up, it thinks it’s aimed at BooMan).
Let me know….
It failed because the bookmarklet is javascript.
So, I can’t prove it, but I have a bookmarklet to the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid on my toolbar.
(sigh)
I’ll check it out again. Thanks.
I’d like to know which online catalog you have. Some take more tweaking than others.
Good luck!