Using Alerts and RSS feeds for Current Awareness Services and
Dynamic Web Content
Get More from Your Library Databases
Robin Hastings Information Technology Manager Missouri River Regional Library [email protected]
Joy Weese MollLibrarian [email protected]
Virtual Handoutmladatabasepresentation.pbwiki.com
What Is RSS?XML-based languageConceived in 1995First used in Netscape's “My Netscape” portal in 1999AOL didn't like it, downplayed itReally took off in 2003
RSS StructureStructure
Items in a single channelEach item contains title, link & description (attributes)LastBuildDate & pubDate enable “on demand”
publishing – let aggregators know what is new<item> <title>Lloyd George Knew My Great-Great
Grandmother.</title>
<link>http://0-search.ebscohost.com.catalog.mrrl.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=24441857&site=ehost-live</link>
<description>History Today; 03/01/2007<br />(AN 24441857)<br />Academic Search Elite</description> <author>Snow, Dan</author> <guid isPermaLink="false">afh_AN_24441857</guid> </item>
How is RSS used in the real world?Blogs
First popularized use of RSSFeeds work well for chronological format of blog postings
Aggregators“feed readers”Allowed users to pick many feeds and read them in one place
SourcesNews sites, blogs, libraries, stores...
Search FeedsSearchNarrow the topic appropriatelyClick the “Create Alert For This Search” link
Note the standard RSS symbol before the link
Copy the syndication feed in the window that pops upUse it (more on this later...)
Creating A Search Feed
MRRL’s Search Alert - Genealogy
Journal Alerts
Click on the “Title List” link under any database in the Choose Database screenClick on the RSS symbol before any JournalCopy the syndication link from the next pageUse it!
Creating A Journal Alert pt1
Creating A Journal Alert pt2
Using RSS in your site - JavascriptEasy – no server side tech requiredUnpredictable – their server goes down, your feed goes downhttp://itde.vccs.edu/rss2js/build.php - Feed2JShttp://www.rss-to-javascript.com/p/138.html - RSS -To-Javascripthttp://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/ - RSS Viewer & Feed Combinerhttp://www.howdev.com/products/fs/ - FeedSweephttp://www.mysyndicaat.com/mysynd/home/1 - mySyndicaat
Using RSS in your site – Server SideRequires PHP or ASP server side languagesOther languages (Ruby on Rails, Cold Fusion, etc.) have parsers, toohttp://www.rss-info.com/en_rssinclude-simple.html - (JS or PHP)http://www.tecnorama.org/document.php?id_doc=68 - (DreamWeaver Extension - PHP)http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/ - (PHP - free and for pay versions)http://www.bytescout.com/how_to_display_rss_using_asp.html - (ASP)
Free Solutions – with examples!
Page created to show many different ways to put RSS on your siteEach link shows an example of the way your feeds will lookhttp://www.davidrothman.net/rss2webpage.
html
All links on all previous slides are on the virtual handout – don't forget!
Current Awareness ServiceOngoing research (months or years)Individual Patrons
Academic ResearchersAuthorsHobbyistsRe-enactorsLibrarians
Ego searchesRSS Reader or EMail
Search TermsAn art – but you do it everyday!Experiment – aim for relevancyLibrarians’ best friends
Subject headingsThesauri
PublicityTraining
Drop-in sessionsWorkshopsBI sessions
One-on-oneAppointmentsReference Desk encounters
Newsletters, brochures, other marketing materials
Informational web page
Web newsletter for teaching faculty
Database Providers offering Alert ServicesEBSCOhostProject MuseWilson WebThomson GaleMany more
See links on virtual handout (mladatabasepresentation.pbwiki.com) to lists that other libraries have created
And more every day