Tip for 09.04.18

Did you know there are some browser extensions you can use to make your tabs stand out?

Tabs allow you to browse multiple pages in a single browser window. There is usually a setting in your browser to open new pages as new windows or new tabs, and you can usually move windows into each other to group tabs. Different browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) use different methods to display tabs. The different browsers also allow extensions to spice-up your browsing experience.

Chrome

Chrome shows little icons, called favicons, by the title of each tab, making it easier to see what that tab is for. In the case of Alexandria, all the favicons show the Alexandria icon, so you only have the text on the tab to go off of. But you can distinguish or group different Alexandria modules using an extension like Tab Modifier.

Tab Modifier lets you assign specified URLs certain colored icons. The icon selection is limited to a few Chrome icons and circles with different colors, but that is enough to let you distinguish, say, your Reports tab from the other modules by entering that specific URL (e.g. yourlibrary.goalexandria.com/reports).  It also gives you options to always pin tabs, mute tabs, and more. Try out this extension or let us know of a different one you’ve used!

Safari

Safari does not show favicons*, and at least to me, all the tabs just look the same. (Pretty… but the same.) There are some extensions for Safari that let you add favicons though! Sort of. Emoji Tab Icons gives you a limited set of icons, and you can assign those icons to certain URLs. 

Set Slideshow to a movie icon, Search to a search icon, Items Management to a book icon, and Operations Management to a mailbox. Whatever you do, let us know, or send suggestions for other Safari extensions!

*Update: Safari 12.0 supports favicons. Open Safari Preferences and go to Tabs; check the box Show website icons in tabs

Firefox

Firefox shows favicons, and from all that I could find, that’s as good as you can make it. I found an add-on called Colorful Tabs, but it only colors the tab when that tab is active. Still, if Firefox is your browser of choice, give it a shot and let me know how you like it or send a different suggestion if you have one!

Edge

Do you use Microsoft Edge, which is slowly replacing Internet Explorer? I couldn’t find any tab extensions for Edge, so if you know of something, do tell!