Get More from Your Library Databases

Using Alerts and RSS feeds for Current Awareness Services and Dynamic Web Content

RSS

Definition

"RSS is an XML-based language and its early roots can be traced to back to 1995, to Apple Labs and then slightly later to Netscape, Userland Software and Microsoft. The first major use of RSS was in 1999 when it was integrated into the My Netscape portal. So RSS is not a new kid on the block, in fact it was around way before the new Social Web came about. So why did it not take off earlier? It appears to have been misunderstood and de-emphasized by AOL, and was downplayed after the Netscape acquisition"

and

"Each RSS file consists of items delivered in a single channel. Each item has a title, a link and a description (attributes). The on-demand aspect of RSS is enabled by two timestamps - the lastBuildDate in the channel indicates the last time this channel changed, while the pubDate of the item indicates when the item was published. RSS aggregators (a.k.a. RSS readers) take advantage of these timestamps to decide when new content is available."

• Future of RSS

Use

• Blogs
  • First popularized use of RSS
  • Feeds work well for chronological format of blog postings
• Aggregators
  • “feed readers”
  • Allowed users to pick many feeds and read them in one place
• Sources
  • News sites, blogs, libraries, stores...

Using Ebsco Host RSS Feeds

• Does EBSCO support RSS Feeds for Alerts?

• Search Alerts

• Narrow the topic appropriately

• Click the “Create Alert For This Search” link

• Note the standard RSS symbol before the link

• Copy the syndication feed in the window that pops up

• Use it (more on this later...)
• Journal Alerts
  • Click on the “Title List” link under any database in the Choose Database screen
  • Click on the RSS symbol before any Journal
  • Copy the syndication link from the next page
  • Use it!

Using RSS Feeds in your site

Javascript Solutions

• Feed2JS
• RSS-TO-JAVASCRIPT
• RSS Viewer
• FeedSweep
• About mySyndicaat

Code Solutions (PHP & ASP

• Tecnorama: PHP RSS Reader (DreamWeaver Extension - PHP)
• CaRP : RSS to HTML converter (PHP - free and for pay versions)
• How to display RSS/XML news feed in ASP/ASP.NET using RSS2HTML.ASP script (ASP)

Free Solutions with Examples

• RSS to Web Page: Tool Output Examples

Using RSS and Email Alerts for Current Awareness Services

• Ongoing research (months or years)
• Individual Patrons - Academic Researchers, Authors, Hobbyists, Re-enactors, Librarians
• Ego searches
• RSS Reader or EMail
• Set up search terms for relevancy

Publicity for RSS and Email Alerts

• Training
• One-on-one
• Newsletters, brochures,and other marketing material
  • ITeach newsletter article
• Informational web page

Lists of Database Providers with Alert Services

• Rochester Institute of Technology's Wallace Library Database Alert Services
• University of Wisconsin - Madison - Libraries Alerts and RSS Feeds
• University of Washington Bothell Campus Library Alert Services
• Washington University Libraries Database and Search Engine Alerts