Rightly Sore Subscribers: Where Libraries are Going Wrong with RSS

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Rightly Sore SubscribersWhere Libraries are
Going Wrong with RSS
Gemma Blackburn, Library Systems Developer Mary
Walker, Electronic Resources Librarian Wichita
State University Libraries
Brick Click An Academic Library Symposium,
November 7, 2008
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Todays Agenda

• What is RSS?
• RSS Usage
• Overview of RSS Options for Libraries
• Introducing RSS to Library Patrons
• Future of RSS

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What is RSS?

• RSS trends are surprising
• RSS shrouded in mystery
• Emerged in the late 1990s
• Tool to move information in an automated fashion
• Part of the Web 2.0 suite of technologies
• Most popular use is content summary

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How does it work?

• Content into metadata elements
• In XML document
• Fed into a feed reader or aggregator

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RSS by many other names

• RDF - Resource Description Framework Site
  Summary
• Rich Site Summary
• Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
• Atom

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RSS Usage

• If RSS is such a great tool, why are so few
  people using it?
• Users Classic Early Adopters

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Aware/Unaware RSS Use

• There are many more unaware RSS users than aware
  RSS users
• 27 of internet users are unaware RSS users
• 4 of internet users are aware RSS users
• How is this possible?

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What is Email?

• Most email programs use a protocol called SMTP
• Users dont understand SMTP, but do understand
  the concept of email. The same is true with RSS.

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How RSS IS being Used

• Some companies are trying to promote RSS use
  without promoting RSS by branding as something
  else
• Majority of RSS comes from personal portal pages
• My Yahoo!
• iGoogle
• Information is chosen by the user and fed into
  the portal

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My Yahoo!

• Examples of feeds in a My Yahoo! Account
• This user is completely unaware of what RSS is,
  but is able to manage RSS feeds

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RSS Potential

• RSS has so many uses, and so much potential as an
  information delivery tool
• Profit-driven companies are not embracing RSS
  because of the low number of users
• Non-profits, such as libraries, are more open to
  experimenting with RSS, and have many options
  available

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Uses for RSS feeds

• Library Uses
• Library blogs
• Book reviews
• OPAC search results
• Circulation activities
• New e-resources
• Library news
• New purchases

• Common Uses
• TOC alerts
• News
• Announcements
• Search alerts

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Libraries as intermediaries

• List of RSS aggregators
• List of journals with TOC feeds
• Providing collated feeds from other sites
• Incorporating other sites feeds
• Providing RSS-based search engines

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E-Journals and RSS
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E-Journals and RSS
CSA
Wiley
ASME
Gale
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RSS Library Patrons

• Libraries and librarians are promoting RSS use
  more aggressively than the profit driven industry
• 25 of ARL libraries have RSS feeds available
• 12 of business have RSS feeds available
• We are willing, but are we able?

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RSS Library Patrons

• Little attention has been given to the BEST USE
  of RSS within the library field
• Statistics show a great disparity between the
  enthusiasm of feed publishers and the potential
  user base
• Libraries are in a good position to lead the way
  in promoting RSS as a TOOL and not as a
  TECHNOLOGY

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RSS Library Patrons

• People do not want to learn a new software if
  there is no motivation to do so
• Most RSS feeds consist of a button on a page
• Click on the button and nothing happens
• How are users supposed to know what to do?
• Users dont want to have to learn how to use an
  RSS Aggregator
• The whole RSS process is not intuitive

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RSS Library Patrons

• RSS needs to be intuitive
• If users have no concept of what RSS is, it needs
  to be promoted as something else
• Part of a personal portal
• An extension of email
• An extension of a web browser

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RSS Library Patrons

• RSS needs to be easy to use
• Make it easy for the patrons to subscribe
• My Yahoo! / iGoogle buttons
• Add This buttons
• XSLT for visual display of RSS

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Assessment of RSS Use

• Use statistics are important to gauge the success
  or failure or individual feeds and services
• RSS statistics are difficult to assess, but more
  options are available
• Google Analytics
• My Yahoo! / Add This
• Feed Burner

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Future of RSS

• Fully integrated
• Used in the mainstream
• keep end user needs interests in mind
• Libraries have the potential to lead
• the way for all RSS users!

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Any Questions?

• Thank you!

• Gemma Blackburn, gemma.smith_at_wichita.edu
• Mary Walker, mary.walker_at_wichita.edu