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RSS and Libraries

Michelle MisnerNYLA ConferenceOctober 19, 2007

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Contents

What is RSS? What content is RSS-ified? How are libraries using RSS? Why should I subscribe to RSS feeds? How do I subscribe to feeds? How do I find feeds? How do I search feeds?

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What is RSS? Stands for “Really Simple

Syndication” Content from the Web which is

parsed into an XML, RSS or RDF file Can only be read with a news

aggregator or news reader Can’t be read in a browser on its own Look for the orange XML button or

the Firefox RSS icon

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Sample RSS code

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <rss version="2.0"> <channel> <title>New Databases at NYPL</title> <description>List of recent additions to the Databases and Indexes subscription and free databases at The New York Public Library</description> <copyright>Copyright The New York Public Library</copyright> <link>http://www.nypl.org/rss/databases.xml</link> <image> <url>http://www.nypl.org/databases/images/onsite.gif</url> <title>The New York Public Library</title> <link>http://www.nypl.org/rss/databases.xml</link> </image>

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RSS Examples News Feed – NY Times http://

www.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/index.html

Blogs – Library blogs http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Welcome_to_the_Blogging_Libraries_Wiki

Podcasting – WNYChttp://www.wnyc.org/podcasting/

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RSS Examples II Subscription Databases

http://www.library.wisc.edu/alerts/rss-alert-guides.html

E-Journals Table of Contentshttp://library.usask.ca/ejournals/rss_feeds.php

Government Agencieshttp://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/Libraries/RSS_Library.shtml

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RSS Examples III Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/rss/ Del.icio.us

http://del.icio.us RSS Feed for Search Terms

http://search.msn.com/docs/help.aspx?t=SEARCH_PROC_UseRSStoSaveanMSNSearchQuery.htm

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How are libraries using RSS? Promote Events, New Databases,

Selected Internet Linkshttp://www.nypl.org/rss/

Small Business Feed from The New York Timeshttp://smallbiz.nypl.org

New York Times Book Reviews http://www.nypl.org/branch/books/

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Libraries and RSS Catalog, Book Lists, Events http://

www.hclib.org/pub/search/RSS.cfm Research Guides Updates

http://www.kclibrary.org/rss/ Del.icio.us Research Guides

http://library.southernct.edu/physbib.htm

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Why should I subscribe? Browsing the Web is obsolete Make the Web work for you by having

the content come to you Keep up-to-date in your areas of

interest Saves time checking sites for updates Manage discussion lists: http://

www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/?p=74

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How do I subscribe? Find a News Reader and download the

software OR use a Web-based News Readerhttp://tinyurl.com/5gl6

Set up a Bloglines account http://www.bloglines.com/

Set up a My Yahoo! account Add a Live Bookmark in the Firefox

browser

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3 Steps to Adding Feeds

1. Find the feed in your topic of interest2. Click on the feed URL3. Copy and paste the URL into your news

reader

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How do I find feeds? Syndic8

http://www.syndic8.com Blogstreet http://

www.blogstreet.com/rssdiscovery.html News is Free

http://www.newsisfree.com List of Directories

http://allrss.com/rssdirectories.html

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How do I search feeds? Feedster

http://www.feedster.com Technorati

http://www.technorati.com Blogdigger

http://www.blogdigger.com/index.html List of Search Engines

http://allrss.com/rsssearch.html

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RSS Tutorials RSS Video

http://tametheweb.com/2007/09/tonight_in_lis768_blogs_rss.html

Tufts University – Overview Tutorial http://www.library.tufts.edu/ginn/tutorials/webfeeds/index.html

Bloglines for Librarianshttp://joy.mollprojects.com/myprojects/rss/quickrss.html

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Resources RSS 4 Libraries Blog

http://www.rss4lib.com Bibliography re: blogging and RSS

in Librarieshttp://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/?page_id=93

RSS Compendiumhttp://allrss.com/index.html

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Thank You

Contact Information:

Michelle Misnermmisner@nypl.org