RSS Feeds Frequently Asked Questions
What is RSS and what do I need to use it?
The letters of RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". RSS Feeds are a means of staying current the vast amount of information that exists on the internet. Instead of browsing web sites (such as current news or the library catalog) for the latest information , the information (or feed) is sent directly to the user.
There are two parts to RSS that allow this to happen. First the user needs to have an RSS reader, sometimes called an aggregator. (See our step by step instructions on setting up a Reader in Yahoo or Google.)
The second part of RSS is a web site (our catalog) that has an RSS Feeds set up to work with the news reader.
Where do I look for an RSS feed?
RSS is available in our online catalog. Once you've done a search in the catalog, look for the RSS Feeds button to display on the top, right hand side of the screen.
You will see this RSS image on websites that quickly update information, especially news sites such as CNN and MSNBC - 
What kind of feeds can I get from the catalog?
The online catalog can deliver feeds to your RSS reader based on your search query. You can set up a feed for your favorite author, topic, series, or format. When the library orders titles with your favorite author, topic, series, or format, you will receive an update in your reader.
What do I need to do before I can receive a feed from the catalog?
You will need a create a feed reader for your computer. These are web sites where you create an account, log in and can then view your feeds from any computer with an Internet connection. Examples: MyYahoo!, iGoogle, Bloglines, NewsGator, etc.
Print the step by step instructions for setting up a Yahoo or Google Reader.
How does the catalog search the cataloging record?
The catalog is about exploring and discovering therefore it searches by keyword. For example, if you search for the mystery author Lisa Jackson, the catalog will search all fields of the cataloging record for the word "Lisa" and the word "Jackson". If you do this search, you'll see a list of titles by Lisa Jackson but also by Lisa Wheeler, Lisa Harrison Jackson, etc.
In order to get a list of titles by a specific author, you need to define the search (tell the catalog which fields of the cataloging record to search). Type lisa jackson into the search box. The best way to get a list of books ONLY written by the mystery author Lisa Jackson is to use the Refine section on the right hand side panel of the catalog. By clicking on Lisa Jackson in the author section of Refine, you'll be sure to get titles only by this author.
NOTE: As part of it's "discover" feature, the catalog searches not only for the root word but any prefix or suffix to that word. For example, if your search term is "unit" you will also get results for United, Unitas, unit, unity, Unitarian, etc. You may find titles in your feed that don't pertain to your original search term, but instead are a prefix or suffix version of that term.
The following steps will explain step by step how to set up a Feed Reader in Google or in Yahoo using current versions of the Mozilla Firefox browser or Internet Explorer PLUS, how to use Yahoo to create E-mail Alerts.
PRINT OUT INSTRUCTIONS FOR E-MAIL ALERTS USING YAHOO - CLICK HERE!
STEP ONE. SET UP A FEED READER.
Set up a Feed Reader in
1. Go to www.yahoo.com
2. On the main Yahoo page
a. Click on the tab that says My Yahoo
b. Click on Sign In, and then click where it says, "Don't have a Yahoo ID? Sign UP"
c. Enter all of the necessary information
d. Click the Create My Account button
3. Now that you have a Yahoo account
you can use the Reader to get lists of new books! The next step is to select Firefox or Internet Explorer below, depending on which browser you are currently using.
OR-
Set up a Feed Reader in 
1. Go to www.google.com
2. If you do NOT have an e-mail address, you can sign up for a GMail e-mail account.
a. click GMail
b. Enter all of the necessary information
c. click the Create an Account button
3. If you have an e-mail address, skip to step #4
4. On the main Google page, in the top right corner click Sign In
a. Click on Create an Account Now
b. Enter all of the necessary information
c. Click the Create an Account button
5. Now that you have a Google account
you can use the Reader to get lists of new books! The next step is to select Firefox or Internet Explorer below, depending on which browser you are currently using.
STEP TWO - Perform a Catalog Search & Get Feeds or E-mails about New Titles!
If Using Firefox AND Yahoo
1) Perform a search in the library catalog. Use the right hand Refine panel to narrow the results if needed (author, subject, etc.).
2) On the result screen, look for the RSS Feeds button that appears on the right and click on it. 
3) On the RSS Feeds page, click on the link that says New items for your query '{your search term}'.
4) Select Google or Yahoo from the dropdown menu and click Subscribe Now. Follow the Yahoo or Google steps below to finish the process.
AND if you selected these steps will show you a) how to set up the Feeds AND b) how to get
E-mail Alerts!
1) After clicking Subscribe Now, the link will take you directly to your My Yahoo Reader page and say New
Content Added.
2) Click Keep It.
3) If you want E-MAIL ALERTS, click Options, then click on Alerts
a) Click Add an Alert
b) This is where it gets a little strange. In the first section where you have a choice between A & B, you
should be able to select B, but it says there is no subscription, so, you have to go back to the
catalog and redo the search so you can paste the URL in to the box by A.
i. Open another tab in Firefox.
ii. Go into the catalog, do your search and click the RSS Feeds icon.
iii. Then RIGHT CLICK on your query and select Copy Link Location.
iv. Go back to your Yahoo screen, hover your cursor over the box, right click and select Paste
c) Select how often you want to get your alerts.
d) Put a check mark next to e-mail. If you have an address you want to use instead of a Yahoo e-mail
address, click on the orange arrow and add the address you'd like to use.
e) Click Save Alert.
If Using Firefox and Google
1) Perform a search in the library catalog. Use the right hand Refine panel to narrow the results if needed (author, subject, etc.).
2) On the result screen, look for the RSS Feeds button that appears on the right and click on it.
3) On the RSS Feeds page, click on the link that says New items for your query '{your search term}'.
4) Select Google or Yahoo from the dropdown menu and click Subscribe Now. Follow the Yahoo or Google steps below to finish the process.
AND if you selected a account, you can choose to put your Feed on your Google Home page or in your Reader. Simply click "Add to. . ." the one you prefer. That's it! Google currently does not have the option to get E-Mail Alerts on Feeds. You will need to log in to your Google account to find new titles.
OR-
If Using Internet Explorer and Yahoo
With Internet Explorer, you can't just click on the query link on the RSS Feed page and have it place the query into your Google or Yahoo account. You will need to copy the link, go to the appropriate page of your account and paste it.
1) Perform a search in the library catalog. Use the right hand Refine panel to narrow the results if needed (author, subject, etc.).
2) On the result screen, look for the RSS Feeds button that appears on the right and click on it.
3) On the RSS Feeds page, RIGHT click on the link that says New items for your query '{your search term}' and select Copy Shortcut.
AND if you selected a account, follow steps 1-3 above, then
a. from Yahoo's main page, click on the My Yahoo tab and sign in if you haven't already.
b. Click the Add Content button.
c. Click Add RSS Feed.
d.
Right click in the box and select Paste. The URL will paste in to the box and you can click Add.
If you want E-MAIL ALERTS, click Options, then click on Alerts
a) Click Add an Alert
b) This is where it gets a little strange. In the first section where you have a choice between A & B, you
should be able to select B, but it says there is no subscription, so, you have to go back to the
catalog and redo the search so you can paste the URL in to the box by A.
i. Open another tab in Firefox.
ii. Go into the catalog, do your search and click the RSS Feeds icon.
iii. Then RIGHT CLICK on your query and select Copy Link Location.
iv. Go back to your Yahoo screen, hover your cursor over the box, right click and select Paste
c) Select how often you want to get your alerts.
d) Put a check mark next to e-mail. If you have an address you want to use instead of a Yahoo e-mail
address, click on the orange arrow and add the address you'd like to use.
e) Click Save Alert.
If Using Internet Explorer and Google
With Internet Explorer, you can't just click on the query link on the RSS Feed page and have it place the query into your Google or Yahoo account. You will need to copy the link, go to the appropriate page of your account and paste it.
1) Perform a search in the library catalog. Use the right hand Refine panel to narrow the results if needed (author, subject, etc.).
2) On the result screen, look for the RSS Feeds button that appears on the right and click on it.
3) On the RSS Feeds page, RIGHT click on the link that says New items for your query '{your search term}' and select Copy Shortcut.
AND if you selected a account , follow steps 1-3 above.
a. from Google's main page, in the top left corner click
the down arrow next to More
b. select Reader from the list and click on the Add a subscription link.
c. Right click in the box and select Paste. The URL will paste in to the box and you can click Add.
d. The results will fill the screen.
e. Click the button that says "Mark All as Read".
f. Now each time you go to the Reader, you will only see the new titles highlighted.
|
