Instantly know if that book you’re glancing at on Google Print is available at the local library.
Greasemonkey has been a great tool for creating efficiencies at work, and for hacking fun on the weekend. I like to support the local libraries so I created this mashup of Google Print’s book view and the San Francisco Peninsula Library system’s book search. It immediately let’s you know if the book you’re paging through on Google Print is available in the library. Click on the screenshot for a preview. Get the script
The Greasemonkey Javascript puts a small yellow box in the corner of your Google Print book search. The box includes a book title and a link to the library system’s search results. When clicked, a new browser tab is created containing the library’s lookup page with the book’s location and status.
The script also linkifies the library names on the latter page, to point to the library’s street map, hours and phone page.
This GM script acts on 2 completely separate pages. Should be relatively straightforward to alter for your own local library’s book search API and map and hours.
Install the script from here: http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/8286, then simply goto http://books.google.com, search for something then click through to a specific book. If you don’t have the Greasemonkey extension installed on your Firefox browser, do that first here: http://www.greasespot.net.
This hack was based on Junk Blocker’s Peninsula Library System Amazon Lookup http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/1072, which is based on… the Library Lookup script http://userscripts.org/scripts/source/886
Al Nevarez
Product Manager & weekend hacker
