How To Use RSS Feeds From Library Databases  Tags: rss_feeds rss feeds how_to  

RSS feeds allow you to receive updates whenever new content is added to a library database on a particular topic, or whenever a new issue of a journal is added to a library database.

RSS works by sending automatic updates to an RSS feed reader rather than an email address; this allows you to stay on top of research in your field without constant searching and without cluttering up your inbox. For more information, please see the University of Chicago's excellent guide to RSS: http://www.uchicago.edu/feeds/what-is-rss.shtml.

To receive RSS alerts, you will need two things: a feed reader, and the URL for the RSS feed. Google Reader and Bloglines are two recommended web-based feed readers; you can also subscribe to RSS feeds through an email program like Outlook 2007 or Thunderbird if you prefer a desktop-based reader.

Once you have a feed reader, you will need to poulate it with the URLs of RSS feeds. The following database providers support RSS feeds:

• EBSCOhost
• ProQuest
• WilsonWeb

You can use these databases to subscribe to new item feeds for topic searches, or to table of contents feeds for individual journals.

When you subscribe to an RSS feed, you will always know about new content that has been added to the feed. For example, the items below are from an Academic Search Premier RSS feed for articles on global warming and corporate social responsibility. The contents of the box change whenever a new article on the topic is added to Academic Search Premier:

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