Announcements

• Jan 27, 2010: LibX has been updated to be compatible with FF 3.6. Build a new revision, test it, and make it live for your users.

• Dec 3, 2008: We now have version 1.0 of the LibX extension for IE out. We've addressed the all users install issue, and added a first run dialog to allow users to enable or disable the toolbar component as needed. As always, please rebuild your edition to see these changes.

• Jul 28, 2008: We've once again enabled builds for the Internet Explorer version of the LibX toolbar. See the IE announcement page for more details.

• Jun 15, 2008: Firefox 3.0 is around the corner. You need to ensure that your edition of LibX is compatible, and that you've made a compatible revision live. We have sent an email to all maintainers of live editions to that end.

  If you don't get this done before your users update to FF 3.0, LibX will be disabled, but FF will continue to check for updates. Users are then offered the update eventually. Ideally, though, the compatible update should be installed before or during the upgrade to FF 3.0

  In addition to bug fixes, the latest version of LibX has a number of new features.

  • Cues can now be remotely updated. This means no more rebuilding and updating when the Amazon cue breaks. Javascript-savvy adopters can provide their own cues. The plugin checks for updates every 24 hours and downloads and uses them without prompting the user.
  • Integration of xISSN. Hover over hyper-linked ISSNs to learn more about a journal.
  • The context menu default configuration can now be influenced in the edition builder.
  • LibX now remembers the last selected catalog.

  Note: in the process of making our code ready for FF 3.0, we broke LibX IE. So the edition builder currently does not build a version of your edition for IE; we'll reenable this ability ASAP. On the positive side, we expect that all cues will work in LibX IE as well.

• Apr 25, 2008: We released a new beta of the Internet Explorer version of the LibX toolbar. See the LibX for IE page for more details. We've also deployed an installation of Bugzilla for reporting problems with the LibX toolbar (both the Firefox and Internet Explorer versions) as well as the Edition Builder interface. You may try it out here.

• Mar 18, 2008: We updated libx.org to Fedora Core 8. All services should be back up and running.

• Mar 17, 2008: libx.org will be taken down on March 18, 6pm EST for an OS upgrade.

• Feb 14, 2008: A new page detailing the progress of the Internet Explorer version of LibX has been added. You can view it here or by clicking on the LibX for IE link on the left under the Main Menu

• Feb 7, 2008: There is a new LibX IE beta build. More information and a LibX IE FAQ to follow.

• Oct 8, 2007: We now have an edition builder FAQ.

• Sep 11, 2007: A beta version of LibX for IE is now available on the test edition pages if you rebuilt your revision in the edition builder interface.

• Jul 12, 2007: We are currently performing an agile roll-out of our edition builder interface. If you have an edition and you wish to make changes, do no longer send us config files - instead, sign up for an account and request ownership of your edition. Also, anybody is invited to create and share their own editions.

• Mar 29, 2007: LibX receives 2007 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award.

• Feb 15, 2007: OCLC experienced a hickup when transitioning their xISBN service. As of now, it is unavailable. This outage affect both libraries using an OAI identifier and those that do not. We hope that they will restore service by the end of the week. Update: service has been restored.

• Jan 29, 2007: LibX is steadily growing. We are currently working on the IE edition of LibX and an automated edition builder. We apologize if we cannot always immediately reply to new edition build requests. However, if you don't hear from us after a few days, please send us a reminder.

• Oct 23, 2006: Firefox 2.0 is just around the corner. If you have a live edition that is LibX version 1.1 or above, users should be able to continue to use that version or be prompted to update.

• July 24, 2006: LibX has been upgraded to 1.1, which is compatible with Firefox 2.0. Please read the announcement. If you have a live edition, you should double-check that your new test build works. If you're still testing, you should pull the new build. This update summarizes all bug fixes and improvements introduced since 1.0.2.

• June 28, 2006: The migration to the new Linux-based server has been completed.

• June 2, 2006: After the recent presentation at IUG'14 in Denver, LibX is exploding in popularity. We apologize if it takes us some time to get to your request.

  LibX 1.0.2 works with today's Firefox 1.5.0.4 update.

• May 20, 2006: libx.org was down all day today because Apple's 2006-003 security update caused it to freeze on bootup, that even a complete reinstall was unable to cure. This means it's become unmaintainable, and libx.org will be down sometime next week as we move it to a new (non-Apple) machine. Update: the move will probably happen mid-June.

• Apr 20, 2006: We have received a tremendous amount of interest recently, and are currently in the process of building several new editions. We will release an update shortly thereafter.

• Scholar Search Google Scholar made some improvements to their site that broke LibX's assumptions about their interface. This means that in 1.0.2 editions built before 20060420, the "Scholar" search will not automatically recognize any hits (it will just open the Scholar page.)

  This issue is already fixed in the current bleeding edge edition, and will be pushed out at the next update to all live editions. Similarly, the New York Times layout broke the book review cue; this issue is also fixed and will be pushed out.

  In this context, it may be helpful to explain LibX's development process. Unlike traditional software releases, which are developed, tested, then frozen and finally deployed, LibX's development is continuous. When a library requests an edition, a current snapshot of the software is taken, tested, and released. This edition includes all features up to the build day. As with traditional releases, users pick up new features, or bug fixes, whenever a new version is released. (as pdf)

• Feb 2, 2006: We released version LibX Version 1.0.2 that works for Firefox 1.5.0.1. All supported editions have been upgraded.

  It appears that Firefox, when upgrading to 1.5.0.1, will falsely report that there's no update for LibX. To work around this, do either

  • Clear your cache. Go to: Options -> Privacy -> Cache -> "Clear Cache Now"
    Then, go to Help -> Check For Updates
  • Uninstall LibX, and reinstall it in order to get it working again.

  This appears to be a bug in Firefox.

  
  
  

• Ongoing We are currently looking for libraries that are interested in adapting, evaluating and possibly deploying LibX. Librarians: if your library uses Millennium, Horizon, Voyager, or Aleph, getting your own edition of LibX can take as little as 15 mins, and we are willing to help you set it up. We will add other OPACs as there is interest.

• January 27, 2006: We had missed this: Jim Giles mentioned LibX last year in a News Feature for Nature.

• January 10, 2006: Thanks to Sean Chen at Duke Libraries, LibX now supports Ex Libris's Aleph OPAC in addition to Millennium, Horizon, and Voyager.

• December 16, 2005: LibX Version 1.0.1 was released. See ChangeLog. Version 1.0.1 includes many useful features, such as
  • Support for Firefox 1.5.
  • Display preferences.
  • Support for COinS.

• October 13, 2005: Virginia Tech users: Version 1.0 of the Virginia Tech Edition of LibX was released today. Get it now!

• September 17, 2005 A Release Candidate for Version 1.0 of the Virginia Tech Edition of LibX was released today. Get it now!