Betas & Widgets  

Betas:

• Current betas
• Beta graduates
• Beta graveyard - discontinued beta tools and services

Widgets - bookmarklets, browser extensions, & more

Apps for Academics: mobile web sites & apps

• Lunch & Learn demos in Stata
• LibX 2.0 beta
• MIT Libraries on Foursquare
• Mobile music with QR codes
• Kindles & Nooks in Hayden Library
• Borrow an iPad from the Lewis Music Library

Ask Us! if you have questions

Research Consultations- appointments with subject experts for in-depth help

Tell Us! how we can serve you better. We want to hear from you.

The MIT Libraries are experimenting with new technologies and services to help make access to information easier. The tools below are in "beta" form and have been created or adapted for the MIT community.  They are still being tinkered with, but we'd like you to try them out and tell us what you think!

To receive updates on new betas & widgets, follow the betas & widgets category of the news blog.

What works well? What doesn't? Have you written any scripts or tools yourself? Let us know! Email us at betas-lib@mit.edu.

The MIT Libraries have a space in the Stata Center, called the Information Intersection. Typically, it's a place where you can sit and eat lunch, take or leave a book on the community bookshelf, or return library books.  

This spring, we're trying something new by offering 10 minute demos of library tools and resources in the Information Intersection. Drop by during one of the scheduled times to learn about a variety of topics, including patents, online music resources, and making Google Scholar work better with MIT resources.

Anything you'd like to learn about in Stata? Tell us what else you'd like us to teach!

- Posted March 22, 2012

LibX had started here as a beta, and it was so popular that it quickly became a beta graduate. Good news - There's a new version of LibX, and it will not only work with Firefox, but also Google Chrome!

What is LibX?

LibX is a browser extension you can download for Firefox and Google Chrome. LibX will give you easier access to MIT resources from anywhere. LibX will help you to:

1. get access to journals easier and faster, especially from off-campus, by reloading pages through the MIT Libraries proxy.
2. search the Barton catalog, Vera, and Google Scholar quicker – they’re only 1 click away from any web page.
3. find out if books on Amazon (and other popular websites) are available to borrow from MIT Libraries.

How do I get LibX 2.0?

Download the LibX 2.0 beta for Chrome or Firefox. After you download it, LibX will ask you to “select a LibX edition.” Type “MIT,” select the “MIT Libraries” version, and you’re set!  For more information, see our LibX 2.0 - Beta guide. 

If you're not ready to try LibX 2.0, you can still use LibX 1.5 while you wait for the new version. (There is no other version of LibX for Chrome.)

Questions or suggestions?

Contact betas-lib@mit.edu.

- Posted September 23, 2011; updated January 4, 2012

If you have a smart phone and use the Foursquare app, follow the MIT Libraries!  Foursquare is an app that allows you to check in at locations and read tips and reviews from other users about that place. We've added tips about all of the MIT Libraries locations, and if you follow us, those will pop up when you check in around campus.  We've also set up a list of libraries, so if you follow the list, you can take a tour of the MIT Libraries with Foursquare!

- Posted September 6, 2011

Have you caught on to the e-book craze?  Want to try one before you commit to buying one? If you've wanted to see if e-reading is for you, now is your chance to test-drive the technology. Hayden Library owns 2 Amazon Kindle e-book readers and 2 Barnes & Noble Nook Colors that are available to borrow for one week. Each device comes with a few books already installed. Check availability & contents:  Nooks  |  Kindles Stop by the front desk of Hayden Library to see if they're available to borrow, and if not, contact any service desk to add your name to the waiting list. Have thoughts or comments about the Kindle?  Contact us.

- Posted October 8, 2009; updated July 11, 2011

Want to check out an iPad for a few hours? The Lewis Music Library has purchased an iPad to lend to MIT faculty, students, and staff. It contains over 85 music apps, along with an iTunes library holding over 3,000 sample tracks and video clips from the library’s recently-received CDs and DVDs. Borrow an iPad for 4 hours (no renewals or overnight loans). First come, first served. The iPad was purchased with money from the Class of 1982 Music Library Fund. We'd love to hear ideas on how you would use an iPad in your work at MIT, especially with library research. Tell us about it!

- Posted May 6, 2010