Rolling Out Your Own Browsers

Presenter: Art Rhyno, University of Windsor Library

Remember when the web browser was a small download and web interfaces to library systems seemed like a radical idea? The web browser has quickly evolved from a simple application to consuming the desktop and most library systems now provide a "webcat" for accessing the catalogue. Libraries are often faced with the somewhat daunting task of locking down and hiding features of browsers when using the web to access network resources. In addition to utilizing special software and third-party applications to offer a fully-featured, locked-down browser, another approach is to construct a browser from the ground up using mainstream components. This session explores options for putting together a browser with a high level of customization using components from Netscape, Microsoft, Sun, and others.