Thursday, November 19, 2009

100 Essential Firefox Add-Ons for Librarians

Firefox is an incredibly flexible browser that has proven popular among many Internet users. And as libraries become more web savvy, librarians often find themselves adopting the Firefox browser. If you're one of those librarians, check out our collection of awesome tools you can add on to Firefox. If you're not, take a look at everything you're missing out on.

Communication

Stay in touch with patrons, students, coworkers, and the community with these add-ons.

  1. Twitterbar: Tweet from your browser's address bar and share useful links using this add-on.
  2. Webmail Notifier: Get notified about unread emails with this add-on.
  3. Meebo: This add-on lets you put all of your buddy lists in one convenient place in your browser.
  4. FoxLingo: This handy add-on will translate web pages and searches automatically.
  5. Shareaholic: Using Shareaholic, you can easily share urls, twitters, bookmarks, and so much more.
  6. Facebook Toolbar: Supercharge your library's Facebook experience with this ultraconvenient toolbar.
  7. Digg This!: Digg stories from the right-click menu with this add-on.
  8. StumbleUpon: Browse reviewed sites and share your favorites with this add-on.
  9. ScribeFire: With this blog editing add-on, you can post without ever leaving Firefox.
  10. TinyURL Creator: Create tiny URLs quick and easy using this add-on.
  11. Email This!: Using this add-on, you'll save time by being able to send highlighted text and links straight from your browser.
  12. WordLearner toolbar: Using this toolbar, you'll be able to improve your foreign language vocabulary.

Organization

Keep all of your browser work neat and clean with these add-ons that offer organization.

  1. Colorful Tabs: This add-on will make every tab a different color so that you can distinguish between them more easily.
  2. Open IT Online: Open your documents and images right in Firefox using this add-on.
  3. PermaTabs: Using PermaTabs, you'll have tabs that automatically open every time you launch Firefox.
  4. ReminderFox: Save your memory and sanity with this add-on that sends you date-based reminders and to-do list items.
  5. Morning Coffee: With this add-on, you can open up pre-set web pages for each day of the week.
  6. Vertigo: With Vertigo, you can get more screen size by putting tabs on the side.
  7. AutoFill Forms: Use this add-on to have forms automatically filled in for you.

Research & Citation

Corral your notes, get help with answers, and more, all with these useful add-ons.

  1. Clipmarks: Capture important bits from around the web using Clipmarks.
  2. Google Notebook: Using Google Notebook, you can take notes right in your browser.
  3. Fleck: Fleck allows you to add notes and comments on web pages for yourself and others.
  4. Googlepedia: When you use Googlepedia, every time you search with Google, you'll see a relevant Wikipedia right alongside your results.
  5. Taboo: If you keep lots of tabs open for reference later, use this add-on that allows you to save them elsewhere.
  6. Endnote: Endnote allows you to easily download a citation from Firefox.
  7. Copy Plain Text: Using this add-on, you can turn all web page text into plain unformatted text.
  8. Yoono: Start a scrapbook of resources, or just see what others have discovered by using this add-on.
  9. Screengrab: Save pages for archiving and sharing with this add-on that will save entire pages or portions of a page as images.
  10. Answers: Get answers as fast as one click using this add-on.
  11. Fireshot: Take snapshots of pages, annotate them, and save them in a number of different formats with this add-on.
  12. Who is this Person?: Using this add-on, you can highlight any name on a web page and find their information on Wikipedia, LinkedIn, IMDB, and lots more.
  13. Surf Canyon Search Engine Assistant: With this add-on, you can find what you're looking for faster.
  14. Hyperwords for Firefox: Get access to references, searches, conversions, translations, and lots more using Hyperwords.
  15. 1-Click Answers: You can click any word to get definitions, facts, and more using this add-on.
  16. Dictionary Search: This add-on looks up selected words in an online dictionary.

Bookmarking

These add-ons will make it easy for you to stay on top of useful web links.

  1. del.icio.us Bookmarks: Put your del.icio.us bookmarks right in your browser with this add-on.
  2. Bookmarks LinkChecker: Find broken links in your bookmarks with this checker.
  3. Zotero: Use Zotero to store citations and notes in Firefox.
  4. Column Bookmarks: This add-on allows you to view your bookmark list in a column and avoid excessive scrolling.
  5. WebMynd: Record your visual browsing history using WebMynd.
  6. Bookmark Duplicate Detector: With this add-on, your bookmarks will be more organized than ever.
  7. Copy URL+: With Copy URL+, you can copy a site's URL, title, and lots more.
  8. MyPortal: MyPortal will create a page with all of your bookmarks.
  9. Enhanced Bookmark Search: This add-on makes the bookmark search much easier to work with.

Development

If you're in charge of maintaining your library's website, you'll get lots of use out of these add-ons.

  1. Firebug: Work on CSS, HTML and JavaScript in your browser with Firebug.
  2. Web Developer: With this add-on, you'll get a toolbar to help you validate code, edit images, and lots more.
  3. Yslow: Find out why the page you're on is slow and with Yslow.
  4. CSS Viewer: Use this add-on to view CSS information in your browser.
  5. Fire Sizer: See how your pages look in different dimensions using this development add-on.

Media

Take advantage of all that music, video, and other media has to offer, right from your Firefox browser.

  1. FoxSaver: This add-on will show digital photos when your browser goes idle, so you can display fun vacation photos or even your library's logo.
  2. FoxyTunes: You can listen to music, check out lyrics, and more, all with this add-on.
  3. Download Embedded: With this add-on, you can download all embedded files on a web page, including animations, music, and more.

Search

Turn Firefox into a lean, mean, searching machine with the help of these add-ons.

  1. CustomizeGoogle: Enhance Google search results with links to Yahoo, MSN, and more, and remove unwanted items like spam using CustomizeGoogle.
  2. GoogleTabs: This add-on will open up the first 10 search results in their own tabs.
  3. Groowe Search Toolbar: This toolbar bundles functions from lots of diferent search engines, including Google, Wikipedia, and del.icio.us.
  4. SEO for Firefox: With this add-on, all of your searches will show Google page rank, age, and more under results.
  5. Add to Search Bar: Put the search functionality of any web page on your browser bar with this add-on.
  6. GoogleEnhancer: GoogleEnhancer offers icons, numbers, and highlighting embedded in Google search results.
  7. Interclue: With this add-on's tooltip windows, you'll get extra information, previews, and loads more.
  8. Google Advanced Operations Toolbar: Get shortcuts to some of Google's advanced search functions with this toolbar.
  9. Googlebar Lite: This search toolbar adds 12 different search types and more.

Supercharged Browsing

If you spend a lot of time using Firefox, you're sure to appreciate all that these add-ons have to offer.

  1. FasterFox: Make your Firefox experience faster using this add-on.
  2. Snap Shots for Firefox: Use this add-on to get a preview of any website when you hold your mouse over the link.
  3. IE Tab: Embed Internet Explorer in your Firefox browser using this add-on.
  4. iMacros for Firefox: With this add-on, you can record and replay repetitious work performed on Firefox.
  5. FireGestures: Using FireGestures, you can customize mouse gestures to execute a variety of commands.
  6. SessionSaver: Use Session Saver to make sure you never lose your previous tabs.
  7. PDF Download: Open up PDF documents as HTML and save yourself some time using this add-on.
  8. Faviconize Tab: This add-on reduces your tabs down to favicons so that more will fit.
  9. Flashblock: Keep annoying Flash animations at bay with Flashblock.
  10. BlueOrganizer: This add-on enhances the content of web pages by turning addresses into Google maps links, book reviews into Amazon Wish List entries, and lots of other functions.
  11. Feed Sidebar: Stay on top of your feeds right in your browser using Feed Sidebar.
  12. Snap Links: With Snap Links, you can draw a box around links you'd like to open.
  13. Tab Scope: Using this add-on, you can hover over a tab for a preview of the web page.
  14. Google Preview: See thumbnails of sites you're looking up in Google search.
  15. DownThemAll!: This download manager and accelerator will supercharge your browsing experience.
  16. Nuke Anything: Hide just about anything via right-click with Nuke Anything.
  17. URL Fixer: If you're constantly making URL typos, check out this add-on that will fix them for you.

Privacy & Security

Save yourself from the evils of viruses, phishing, and other Internet maladies by using these add-ons.

  1. NoScript: NoScript will help you prevent JavaScript and other executable content from running without your permission.
  2. Password Exporter: Keep your passwords safe using this add-on.
  3. BlockSite: Prevent yourself from accidentally visiting malicious sites using BlockSite.
  4. Add N Edit Cookies: Add and edit session and saved cookies with this add-on.
  5. Dr. Web Anti-Virus Link Checker: With Dr. Web's add-on, you can check links for viruses before you visit them.
  6. BugMeNot: Avoid having to register for information with this add-on.
  7. TabRenamizer: Keep your tab titles private using TabRenamizer.
  8. Adblock Plus: Get rid of ads on web pages with Adblock Plus.
  9. SiteAdvisor: Find out if a site is safe or not using SiteAdvisor.
  10. SplitLink: Using SplitLink, you'll be able to see the true URL you're visiting.
  11. TrackMeNot: Use TrackMeNot to protect yourself against search data profiling.
  12. FoxyProxy: With FoxyProxy, you'll enjoy advanced proxy management.
  13. Sxipper: Let Sxipper accurately fill in forms, passwords, and more for you.

Patrons

These add-ons will help make Firefox more patron-friendly.

  1. LibX: LibX allows you to provide library-specific searches right in the Firefox browser.
  2. Glubble Family Edition: With this parental control suite, you can ensure that browsing stays appropriate for elementary school age children.
  3. Print Preview: Cut down on mistakes and wasted paper by letting patrons preview their prints in Firefox.
  4. Public Fox: Make Firefox a public web browser and control preferences, add-ons and other options.
  5. Netcraft Toolbar: Block malicious sites using the Netcraft Toolbar.
  6. Menu Editor: Cut down on toolbar menus that patrons don't need to use with this add-on.
  7. Greasemonkey: Control the way webpages are presented using Greasemonkey.
  8. WOT: This useful add-on will warn users about risky websites before visiting them.
  9. Image Zoom: Use Image Zoom to make viewing extremely large photos easier for your patrons.

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