[Web4lib] A solution for RSS and Journals

[David Walker]

Considering all the problems facing RSS and journals, which I laid out
in the last e-mail, I think perhaps we can come-up with a better
solution.

Here is a prototype system I call "RSS Creator," which allows us to
create RSS feeds for any journal or newspaper indexed and abstracted in
our current subscription databases. 

http://public.csusm.edu/dwalker/rss.htm


The system leverages Ex Libris' SFX and Metalib systems (using Metalib's
XML-based API) to create the feeds, but the idea behind it is not
specific to SFX or Metalib, and could be done with other technology.

Here are some of the benefits:

(1) Gives a library instant access to 20,000 to 40,000 or more feeds.

The system can create an RSS feed for any journal or newspaper indexed
by one of our databases, so long as that database is searchable via
Metalib -- regardless of whether the publisher or database provider
makes those feeds available now. 

(2) Requires virtually no discovery, collection, or maintenance.

All of the information about the journals is already available (and
updated) in the SFX knowledge base. A library simply downloads this
information out of SFX, uploads it into RSS Creator, and RSS Creator
takes care of the creation and maintenance of the feeds themselves. All
of the feeds are in one place, conveniently available to our users.

(This takes maybe 30 minutes every three months or so.)


(3) All links point back to SFX 

RSS Creator simply creates an OpenURL for each article title, which
links the user to our SFX menu. If a faculty member sees a journal
article they want to read, regardless of whether they are on-campus or
not, SFX will provide them proxied access to the full-text, provide
information about print availability in our library, or even provide a
pre-populated ILL form if we don't have access to the article online or
in print.

It is, in other words, a large, free RSS-based table of contents system.
I just need to find some time in between more pressing matters to finish
it up.  But I'm hoping to roll it out to our faculty here this fall.


--Dave

=================
David Walker
Web Development Librarian
Library
Cal State San Marcos
760-750-4379
=================



-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Peter Scott
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 8:07 AM
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] RSS

Speaking of RSS.....

Cambridge Journals Online now has RSS feeds for all its journals
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/byFeeds

Springer has RSS feeds for its publishing alert service
http://www.springeronline.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,5-40691-12-14754
0-0,00.html

Google now has RSS and Atom feeds for its news service
http://news.google.com/intl/en_us/news_feed_terms.html
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