When all you've got is a hammer: Solving all a librarian's problems with 8 simple javascript bookmarklets

Abstract

Ever wished you could click a single button to search for a definition, a MARC code, or a bib ID; get off-campus access or even open access to a journal article; or mock-up some tweaks to a web page? You don't need complex infrastructure, high-level coding expertise, or even permission – anyone can create a bookmarklet in their own web browser containing simple javascript code that quickly visits webpages or manipulates information on them.

This presentation will show how users can create their own bookmarklets. I’ll look at some common library tasks I’ve faced and show the simple javascript I’ve used to carry them out with the click of a button. The code discussed will be available for download and I’ll talk through how it works so users can easily tweak it to fit their own day-to-day needs.