Note: Thanks to Andrew Gray in Library Human Resources for creating this documentation!

Firefox differs in certain key ways from Internet Explorer; among them are the ability to customize the browser with Extensions and Themes.

What is an Extension?
Extensions are small add-ons that add new functionality to Firefox. They can add anything from a toolbar button to a completely new feature. They allow the browser to be customized to fit the personal needs of each user if they need additional features, while keeping Firefox small to download.

What is a Theme?
Themes are skins for Firefox, they allow you to change the look and feel of the browser and personalize it to your tastes. A theme can simply change the colors of Firefox or it can change every piece of the browser appearance.

You can access the extensions and themes menu from the "Tools" menu at the top of the screen.

When first installed, Firefox has only one Extension and one Theme installed. You can download others at:

http://update.mozilla.org/extensions/
and
http://update.mozilla.org/themes/

Which theme you choose is a matter of personal preference. In the example above, I have the "Noia 2.0" theme installed. The theme has no effect on the program itself, other than aesthetic.

There are a number of Extensions that may be useful for users, however. Below are a few of those I've found useful.

Googlebar

Unfortunately, Firefox does not support add-on search bars such as the Google Toolbar or Yahoo! Companion. However, there is an extension that replicates the Google Toolbar in Firefox. The Googlebar replicates all of the features found in the Google Toolbar.

IE View
IE View adds and option to the context menu that appears when you right-click on a link that lets you open a link in Internet Explorer. This is useful for those pages that do not display properly in Firefox, and is a nice alternative to cutting and pasting URLs from one browser to another.

DictionarySearch
This extension allows you to search for the definition of a word on Dictionary.com by highlighting it and right clicking. By accessing the options on the Extensions menu you can set it to search any online dictionary or encyclopedia rather than the default dictionary.com.