RSS and Blogs For Libraries John J Meier Science Librarian Pennsylvania State University

Not another new technology! There are many new technology solutions available with different functions Don’t let technology drive your workflow – Find a solution that fits your library

There are many new technology solutions available with different functions

Don’t let technology drive your workflow – Find a solution that fits your library

What does a blog look like?

What does a blog look like?

What does a blog look like?

What does a blog look like?

What does a blog look like? Professional Communication Library News Portfolio / Resume New Book Announcements Frequently Asked Reference Questions Staff News and Announcements

Professional Communication

Library News

Portfolio / Resume

New Book Announcements

Frequently Asked Reference Questions

Staff News and Announcements

What are Blogs? Blogs (short form of web-logs) are a method for easily publishing information to the web Usually composed of entries that go in reverse chronological order Can allow multiple authors for entries Can allow anyone to comment on the entries, creating a conversation

Blogs (short form of web-logs) are a method for easily publishing information to the web

Usually composed of entries that go in reverse chronological order

Can allow multiple authors for entries

Can allow anyone to comment on the entries, creating a conversation

What are Blogs? Blogs (short form of web-logs) are a method for easily publishing information to the web Usually composed of entries that go in reverse chronological order Can allow multiple authors for entries Can allow anyone to comment on the entries, creating a conversation Can publish as RSS

Blogs (short form of web-logs) are a method for easily publishing information to the web

Usually composed of entries that go in reverse chronological order

Can allow multiple authors for entries

Can allow anyone to comment on the entries, creating a conversation

Can publish as RSS

What is RSS? Really Simple Syndication Rich Site Summary Uses XML formating

Really Simple Syndication

Rich Site Summary

Uses XML formating

What is RSS? Really Simple Syndication Rich Site Summary Uses XML Formatting Re-use Same Stuff

Really Simple Syndication

Rich Site Summary

Uses XML Formatting

Re-use Same Stuff

Combine the benefits of RSS and blogs Use blogs to easily and quickly write news and information for users and co-workers Use RSS to publish blog entries and other news on multiple web pages and in email More information that is updated frequently for less effort and staff time

Use blogs to easily and quickly write news and information for users and co-workers

Use RSS to publish blog entries and other news on multiple web pages and in email

More information that is updated frequently for less effort and staff time

Strategies for using blogs and RSS Bring it together (Aggregating) Put it on your website Ease the transition to RSS Examples Dust off the Frequent Reference Question blog What they want – new book announcements Eye popping – using RSS in live displays

Bring it together (Aggregating)

Put it on your website

Ease the transition to RSS

Examples

Dust off the Frequent Reference Question blog

What they want – new book announcements

Eye popping – using RSS in live displays

Combine multiple feeds into one Strategies Publish information you create in blogs Publish information from news sources Select from multiple sources Advantages Reduce work by reusing what exists Selecting information rather than creating Be a filter to the information overload

Strategies

Publish information you create in blogs

Publish information from news sources

Select from multiple sources

Advantages

Reduce work by reusing what exists

Selecting information rather than creating

Be a filter to the information overload

Useful Feed Aggregators for Combining Multiple Feeds Google Reader Tag RSS feeds and Share as an Atom feed Bloglines Create a feed of selected entries using “Clip Blog” Feedjumbler Merge/splice several RSS or Atom-based feeds into one combined RSS and/or Atom feed

Google Reader

Tag RSS feeds and Share as an Atom feed

Bloglines

Create a feed of selected entries using “Clip Blog”

Feedjumbler

Merge/splice several RSS or Atom-based feeds into one combined RSS and/or Atom feed

Penn State Aggregated Blogs

RSS on your website XML is just HTML without the formatting, so you can add it to your website Use CSS to add “style” to the appearance For those without XML/CSS expertise Feed2js.org creates java script code to embed any RSS feed in your website Other websites can be used to create “tickers” or other formatting for your RSS feeds

XML is just HTML without the formatting, so you can add it to your website

Use CSS to add “style” to the appearance

For those without XML/CSS expertise

Feed2js.org creates java script code to embed any RSS feed in your website

Other websites can be used to create “tickers” or other formatting for your RSS feeds

Transition from email to blogs Email may be the traditional form of communication to staff or users For blogs Send out an email with the headline of each new entry and a link to blog for reading it (some blog platforms can do this for you) When the RSS feed from the blog is used on the web it will lead readers back to the blog

Email may be the traditional form of communication to staff or users

For blogs

Send out an email with the headline of each new entry and a link to blog for reading it (some blog platforms can do this for you)

When the RSS feed from the blog is used on the web it will lead readers back to the blog

Transition from email to RSS RMail and RSSFwd are two examples of many services that can put feeds in the inbox Methods for moving to RSS Introduce a RSS reader for everyone to use Find a reader that is built into a browser, your email program, or an online account

RMail and RSSFwd are two examples of many services that can put feeds in the inbox

Methods for moving to RSS

Introduce a RSS reader for everyone to use

Find a reader that is built into a browser, your email program, or an online account

Examples Firefox – you can bookmark RSS feeds You can also install an RSS ticker in the browser Thunderbird – you can set up an inbox for all your RSS and news feeds Google Reader – if your staff or users have a Google account, it is very easy to add RSS feeds to Reader and place in the iGoogle homepage

Firefox – you can bookmark RSS feeds

You can also install an RSS ticker in the browser

Thunderbird – you can set up an inbox for all your RSS and news feeds

Google Reader – if your staff or users have a Google account, it is very easy to add RSS feeds to Reader and place in the iGoogle homepage

More examples (to avoid lawsuits) Other browsers Internet Explorer Other email clients Eudora Other websites My Yahoo Feedburner

Other browsers

Internet Explorer

Other email clients

Eudora

Other websites

My Yahoo

Feedburner

What does a blog look like? Professional Communication Library News Portfolio / Resume New Book Announcements Frequently Asked Reference Questions Staff News and Announcements

Professional Communication

Library News

Portfolio / Resume

New Book Announcements

Frequently Asked Reference Questions

Staff News and Announcements

Reference Desk Blog Early staff use of a blog platform Transition from paper notebook Hard to get staff to use consistently

Early staff use of a blog platform

Transition from paper notebook

Hard to get staff to use consistently

Reference Desk Blog Early staff use of a blog platform Transition from paper notebook Hard to get staff to use consistently Tips to make it work Integrate into a system that is already in use, like iGoogle Make it a public page as well, this could serve as a Frequently Asked Questions page

Early staff use of a blog platform

Transition from paper notebook

Hard to get staff to use consistently

Tips to make it work

Integrate into a system that is already in use, like iGoogle

Make it a public page as well, this could serve as a Frequently Asked Questions page

New Books Blog Use the Catalog Many library catalogs that supported email alerts offer the same as RSS May or may not support images Do it yourself Only blog highlights or the most popular titles You have more control over how much content there is, but it’s a lot more work

Use the Catalog

Many library catalogs that supported email alerts offer the same as RSS

May or may not support images

Do it yourself

Only blog highlights or the most popular titles

You have more control over how much content there is, but it’s a lot more work

New Books Feeds There are also many library services on the web that offer RSS and javascript updates including images LibraryThing GoodReads Shelfari Some are only free to small libraries or personal collections

There are also many library services on the web that offer RSS and javascript updates including images

LibraryThing

GoodReads

Shelfari

Some are only free to small libraries or personal collections

Small organizations and libraries can use LibraryThing to as a catalog for their collection.

You can be a goodreads “Librarian” if you have over 50 books in your profile (cheaper than a MLS)

Actively feed to a Powerpoint presentation Requires purchase of software Presentation Point add-on for Microsoft Powerpoint Allows the updating of a file during real time You can display streaming database information Has additional Datapoint and Newspoint functions to show SQL data and RSS feeds

Requires purchase of software

Presentation Point add-on for Microsoft Powerpoint

Allows the updating of a file during real time

You can display streaming database information

Has additional Datapoint and Newspoint functions to show SQL data and RSS feeds

Example: Plasma Screen Displays including RSS Content Static content Information about the library Pictures of library staff Database driven Library instruction class times of the day RSS Feed driven News feeds via third party software

Static content

Information about the library

Pictures of library staff

Database driven

Library instruction class times of the day

RSS Feed driven

News feeds via third party software