What if Users create their own search options? Netvibes examples

What if Users create their own search options? Web technologies allow actually anybody to create almost anything on the Web. Jenny Levine had this great example that stuck in my mind, about an RSS tool that a patron had created on his own website to see what library books should be returned and when. Mind you the Library just did not do it, and could not offer this to their users, although technology allowed it to create this option fairly easy.

Personalised pages/tools like Netvibes, Google Personal, Windows Live (does anybody got a complete overview of the options?) offer much more then just RSS-feeds in small boxes. People can link,use and create their own content and design their own search boxes (with a little skill). And the number of people who have this skill is growing rapidly..

In my opinion Libraries should focus on the users more, and therefore I created some Netvibes search modules to see if communities like it. Have a look at what is out there now!

Here's the list and downloads: Search Modules

• PubMed Search (180)

• MesH Search (Swedish & English) (new)

• Consumer Health and Patient Education (90)

• De NL Biblioblogosphere (30)

• BIBSYS Library Search (195)

• BioMedicalLibrariesBlogs Search (195)

• Helsebiblioteket QuickSearch (105)

• Search the Helsebiblioteket (90)

• MedWorm (225)

• QuickSearchBox CMB (90)

• DermAtlas (120)

• KMLE Medical Dictionary (120)

• SearchingRadiology (78)

TABS (to share)

• Dermatology (5 journals, dermAtlas plus Collection overview UMCG Dermatology) new

Tags: Netvibes, search, modules, medical libraries