rss basics and beyond: tips and tricks for getting the most out of syndicated content

13 June 2007 RSS Basics and Beyond

RSS Basics and BeyondTips and Tricks for Getting the Most out of Syndicated Content

Ken VarnumWeb Systems Manager

University of Michigan Libraries

[email protected]


Quick Questionnaire

Who has heard of RSS?

Who reads RSS feeds?

Who creates RSS feeds?


RSS Working Definition

RSS is a combination of:

1. Data Format• RSS (0.93, 1.0, 2.0…)• RDF• Atom

2. Data Interchange• Syndication


Really Simple Syndication

Syndication is key elementIt enables you -- your library -- to make your

content available to anyone to use.• News• Events• Book lists• Study guides• Etc.

It puts you on par with the AP or Reuters


RSS is Everywhere

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


Where Does RSS Come From?

Automatically Generated• Weblog software (Movable Type, TypePad,

Bloglines, Wordpress, etc.)• Content management systems (i.e., Wikis)

Using Perl, PHP, Ruby, etc.Create feeds from database searches

By HandIf you know HTML you can learn RSS


Finding Feeds

Look for icons on page

Look for icons in browser location bar

If you can find the link, you can use the content. Some conditions apply. See copyright holder for details.


Consuming RSS

All tools have common traits• Access RSS Feeds• Track what a user has already read• Reproduce feed content• Link to original source


Consuming RSS: Readers

PC-Based -- tied to a particular computerSpecial Applications• FeedDemon• FeedReader• NetNewsWire

Web Browsers• Safari• IE7• Firefox


Consuming RSS: Aggregators

Web-based

Access anywhere

Examples• Yahoo!• Bloglines• Google Reader

Even read off-line


Consuming RSS: Integration

RSS is just a stream of informationEasy to integrate into a web pageMany tools have ‘hooks’ to hang RSS on:• Weblog software• Content magement• Wiki software, etc., etc., etc.

But if you’re using good ol’ HTML• Feed2JS• RSS2HTML


It’s This Easy

Go to http://feed2js.org

Click “Build”

Paste in a feed URL (www.loc.gov/rss/pao/news.xml)

Click “Generate JavaScript”

Copy 4 lines of HTML onto the page you want it to appear

http://feed2js.org/


Demonstration


It’s Wednesday Afternoon.Do You Know Where Your Feeds Are?

???

Photo: Chris Moore (http://www.flickr.com/people/ckwmoore/)


What Libraries are Doing

Outward-facing

Information for patrons

Information for community

Information for selves


Create “Live” Subject Guides

del.icio.us lets you ‘tag’ web sitesCreate an account for your libraryLibrarians (or patrons!) tag web pages that

make sense• History• Events• People

As librarians find web sites that are interesting and fit a subject guide, tag them


Subscribe to RSS Feed

Every del.icio.us tag has an RSS Feed

Example: http://del.icio.us/rss/CityPublic_History

Put it in a ‘what’s new’ section on a subject guide -- with Feed2JS or other


del.icio.us result


New Book Lists

Many OPACs can provide RSS feeds• New books• Items on hold• Catalog searches

If your OPAC does not• Do it yourself• Talk to your vendor!


Cambridge (Ontario)


Books Checked Out

Your OPAC might do this on its own

But probably not

Try LibraryElf• 3rd party service• Works with some, but not all, vendors• Patron sets up, not you• Requires borrower info & potential privacy

concerns -- but at patron discretion• No library intervention needed


LibraryElf


Ohio Patrons Are ThereAkron-Summit County Public LibraryAshtabula County District LibraryBristol Public LibraryChampaign County LibraryClark County Public LibraryClermont County Public LibraryColumbus Metropolitan LibraryCommunity LibraryCuyahoga County Public LibraryDayton Metro LibraryDelaware County District LibraryFranklin-Springboro Public LibraryGeauga County Public LibraryGirard Public LibraryGrand Valley LibraryGrandview Heights Public LibraryGreene County Public LibraryHarbor-Topky Memorial LibraryHenderson Memorial LibraryHubbard Public LibraryKingsville Public LibraryKinsman Free Public Library

Lane Public LibraryLorain Public Library SystemMansfield/Richland County Public LibraryMary L Cook Public LibraryMcKinley Memorial LibraryMentor Public LibraryNew Carlisle Public LibraryNewton Falls Public LibraryPortage County District LibraryPreble County District LibraryPublic Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton CountyRock Creek Public LibraryTipp City Public LibraryTwinsburg Public LibraryUpper Arlington Public LibraryWashington-Centerville Public LibraryWay Public LibraryWesterville Public LibraryWestlake Porter Public LibraryWorch Memorial Public LibraryWright Memorial Public Library


Monitoring the Web

How do you know when a web page changes?• New journal issue?• New report from the county board?

Monitoring tools check sites for you• Google Alerts watches topics• Page2RSS watches pages


Page2RSS

Enter any web page URL

RSS feed is updated as the page changes

Page2RSS for the Library 2.0 links pagehttp://page2rss.com/page/rss?url=library.osu.edu/sites/Seminar2-0/links.php

Or simply http://tinyurl.com/ysx4kd

http://page2rss.com/page/rss?url=library.osu.edu/sites/Seminar2-0/links.php

http://tinyurl.com/ysx4kd


Page2RSS


Roll Your Own RSS

Several ways to get an RSS feed• Write one by hand• Set up a (free) blog• Write a script yourself (if you have a

Perl/PHP/Ruby person)• Use a service like FeedXS


FeedXs

http://www.feedxs.com/

Create a feed

Add items to it

Put them here, there, or everywhere

http://kenvarnum.feedxs.com/Library20.rss

http://www.feedxs.com/

http://kenvarnum.feedxs.com/Library20


FeedXs Demo


Beyond the Basics

Mostly talked about existing services that you can leverage

Now turn to some more advanced topics• Search = Feed• Using RSS to get to your patrons where

they “live”


Database Searching

Academic example: Faculty Publications

Homegrown database to collect info

You may have similar things you track


Feed = Live Data

Every search has an RSS feed

User’s reader tracks what’s new

RSS puts content on other web pages via Feed2JS


Knox County (Tennessee)


Other Ways to Use RSS

RSS can put library materials in user’s lives

In academic library, course reserve lists• Course pages• Anywhere else


In a Public Library

Book lists for local organizations’ web sites

Resource lists (from catalog or other) for predictable school projects

Library news for local paper’s web site


Final Thoughts

RSS means simplicity of sharing content

Simple to create, simple to use

Great tool for putting your library “out there” where your patrons are

Flexible

Very low barrier to creation or consumption


Thank You

Contact [email protected]

PowerPoint Slideshttp://varnum.org/papers/basics-and-beyond.ppt

Weblog on RSS in Librarieshttp://www.rss4lib.com/

rss basics and beyond: tips and tricks for getting the most out of syndicated content

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