Mla Databases

Slide 1: Get More from Your Library Databases Using Database RSS Feeds For Dynamic Web Content Robin Hastings Information Technology Manager Missouri River Regional Library robin.hastings@gmail.com 05/20/2008

Slide 2: Getting To Know You • HTML skills? • What do you expect from this workshop? iki.com ss.pbw Webgodde Handout! Virtual

Slide 3: *We* know what great stuff is in our subscription databases. How do we get our patrons to realize that? Put database results (and links) in front of them as often as possible!

Slide 4:  RS S  Definition, structure and usage  B reak!  Database S earch Feeds  E B S COHost examples  Database Journal A lerts  E B S COHost examples  Other Databases  B reak!  Using RS S On Y our Website  M arketing Y our New S ervice

Slide 5: Definition, structure and usage

Slide 6:  Feed  A n xml file containing headlines and descriptions also called news feed, content feed, xml feed or web feed.  A ggregator  Web-based aggregators allow individuals to subscribe to feeds online and read feeds in a web browser. Desktop aggregators are software programs installed locally that updates when feeds are updated. The aggregator shows new information and allow for users to read feeds.  OPM L  an XML -based format that allows exchange of outline-structured information between applications running on different operating systems and environments .  http:/ www.feedforall.com/ / rss-glossary.htm

Slide 7:  Parser  process of analyzing a sequence of tokens to determine grammatical structure with respect to a given (more or less) formal grammar.  http:/ en.wikipedia.org/ / wiki/Parser  S ubscribe  The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RS S icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The RS S reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content  http:/ en.wikipedia.org/ / wiki/ S _(file_format) RS  S yndicate  To supply information or content for simultaneous publications in several periodicals or web sites  http:/ www.feedforall.com/ / rss-glossary.htm

Slide 8:  eX tensible M arkup L anguage  Father (mother? ) of HTM L , S GM L , M athM L , and a bunch of other M L s (as well as RS S )  Uses DTDs (Doc Type Definitions) or S chemas to define a language of tags  Tags define the data the machine expects and allows machines to read data  V alidation

Slide 9: • XML-based language • Really S imple S yndication • RDF S ite S ummary • Rich S ite S ummary • Conceived in 1995 • First used in Netscape's “My Netscape” portal in 1999 • AOL didn't like it, downplayed it • Really took off in 2003 ot ’s N It M A T O

Slide 10: • Structure o Items in a single channel o Each item contains title, link & description (tags with attributes) o PubDateenables “on demand” publishing – let aggregators know what is new

Slide 11: <rss version="2.0"> <channel> (title, link, description) <item> <title>Lloyd George Knew My Great-Great Grandmother.</title> <link>http://0- search.ebscohost.com.catalog.mrrl.org/login.aspx?dire ct=true&amp;db=afh&amp;AN=24441857&amp;site=eh ost-live</link> <description>History Today; 03/01/2007&lt;br /&gt;(AN 24441857)&lt;br /&gt; Academic Search Elite</description> <author>Snow, Dan</author> <guid isPermaLink="false">afh_AN_24441857</guid> </item> </channel> </rss>

Slide 12:  http:/ www.mls.lib.il.us/ / ennounce/ennounce.rss  B rowsers are helpful – you might get a “ subscribe” page  Use V iew menu – choose S ource option to see raw RS S code

Slide 14: Blogs Aggregators o Sources o News sites, blogs, libraries, stores...

Slide 23: Coming June 2008!  New, cleaner search  A dvanced S earch screen screen  L ots of new features  Result list with user-  B randing customization features  A dd your logo to  Preview the article’s citation EbscoHost’s pages from result list  Image V iew  L imiters in right hand  S ee images without opening column the article  M y E bscoHost  Improved bibliographic  S hare with other EbscoHost functions users  V isual S earch

Slide 25:  Easy – no server  Unpredictable – side tech required their server goes down, your feed goes down

Slide 26: http://itde.vccs.edu/rss2js/build.php - Feed2JS

Slide 27: http://www.rss-to-javascript.com/p/138.html - RSS -To-Javascript

Slide 28: http://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/ RSS Viewer & Feed Combiner

Slide 29: 1. Open Notepad, start a new file 2. Type in <html><title>RS S Test</ title><body> 3. Copy in Javascript code from RS S to Javascript service 4. Type in </ body></ html> 5. S ave the Notepad file 6. V iew your page in your browser

Slide 30: • Pre-written libraries  Requires PHP or ASP available in lots of other server side languages languages (Ruby on Rails, Cold Fusion, etc.)  Requires some access to the server  Requires some knowledge of programming

Slide 31: • http://www.rss-info.com/ - (JS or PHP) • http://www.tecnorama.org/document.php?id_doc=68 - (DreamWeaver Extension - PHP) • http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/manual/- (PHP - free and for pay versions) • http://www.bytescout.com/how_to_display_rss_using_as - (ASP)

Slide 32: • Page created to show many different ways to put RSS on your site • Each link shows an example of the way your feeds will look • http://www.davidrothman.net/rss2webpage.html All links on all previous slides are on the virtual handout – don't forget!

Slide 33: DATABASE PROVIDERS OFFERING ALERT SERVICES • EBSCOhost • Project Muse • Wilson Web • Thomson Gale • Many more o See links on virtual handout (webgoddess.pbwiki.com) to lists that other libraries have created • More every day…

Slide 34:  Find A rticles (www.findarticles.com)  S earch Results (Y ahoo! News S earch, Google, Google News, del.icio.us, etc.)  http:/ news.search.yahoo.com/ / news/ p=ebooks rss?  http:/ sitening.com/ / evilrss/ ? q=ebooks& num=20 rss/  http:/ news.google.com/ / news? hl=en& ned=& q=ebooks  http:/ del.icio.us/ tag/ / rss/ ebooks

Slide 35:  S ocial Networks  M yS pace, Facebook, Ning  A nnouncements – B log, Twitter  B ookmarking – del.icio.us, mag.nol.ia – bookmark it and share your account with the world!  Word-Of-M outh  S taff Training  Programs (mention it early & often!)  Traditional  B ookmarks, flyers, brochures