Library Extension

Library Extension: What Is It?

Library Extension is a free extension for the Chrome, Firefox, and Edge web browsers. It lets users instantly view whether a book they’re looking at online is available at their chosen libraries. Once the extension is installed, it runs in the background, popping up when it’s needed.

*The link to get the extension is at the bottom of these instructions, because after you install it, it has to be set up before it will do anything.

How Does Library Extension Work?

When you install Library Extension, it asks users to identify the libraries from which they get books–physical or digital. There are several thousand libraries in the Library Extension database to choose from. More are being added all the time.

Once users have set up their preferences, Library Extension sits in the background, waiting for users to visit a web page about books. Amzaon, Audible, Barnes and Noble, GoodReads–if it lists books, Library Extension will pounce! (Technically, it runs on over 40 different book-oriented sites, which you can view on their Frequently Asked Questions page).

When a user lands on one of these pages, Library Extension goes to work. It checks the catalogs of the user’s chosen libraries and pops up a panel right on the current web page. That panel lists which libraries have copies of the book. It also offers a button that will bring users to each library’s catalog, where users can sign in and reserve books. Check out the three minute Library Extension introductory video.