RSS Frequently Asked Questions
What is RSS and what do I need to use it?
RSS most commonly stands for "Really Simple Syndication" and is a technology that allows web users to receive ongoing, updated content from a variety of web sites. This information is supplied through a mechanism called a "feed" that users can subscribe to. When new information is posted on the news site, blog or other web page providing RSS, the information is delivered to the user.
There are two parts to the RSS system that allow this to happen. First the
user needs to have an RSS reader (sometimes called
an aggregator). This is a program which collects the raw XML feeds from web
sites that are RSS-compatible and turns them into text and links that a user
can browse through at his or her leisure.
The second part of the RSS system is a web site with a feed specially set
up to work with the news reader.
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Where do I look for this RSS feed?
RSS is currently available in our online catalog. Look for
the orange RSS symbol 
displaying in your browser of choice. Sometimes it is in the address
bar or sometimes in the lower right hand corner of the browser window.
BUT
Most
importantly, once you've done a search in the catalog, look for the RSS Feeds
button  to display on the right hand
side below Print.
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What kind of feeds can I get from Columbus Metropolitan Library?
Our online catalog can deliver feeds to your reader/aggregator
for new items added only within the last 7 days. You can
also set up a feed for your favorite author, subject, or series, even if the
library hasn't ordered anything on this topic in the last 7 days. When the
library does order titles with your favorite author, subject, or series, you
will receive an update to your feed.
Currently we only offer RSS feeds through our catalog but hope to offer
other library-related RSS feeds in the future.
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What do I need to
do before I can receive a feed?
You will need a feed reader or aggregator for your device of choice. Most
readers are free or have a version that is free. Listed
below are some suggestions of readers for different operating systems and
devices. This by no means is a complete list, as there are over 2,000 readers
available.
There are 3 major types of RSS feed readers:
- Web
Based - These are web sites where you create an account, log
in and view your feeds from any computer with an Internet connection and
a browser. They are great if you travel or use multiple computers
(e.g. work and home) as you can access this type of reader anywhere.
Examples: Bloglines, MyYahoo!, Google, NewsGator,
etc.
- Client Based - These are programs that must be downloaded
and installed on your computer. They are great for people who only
use one computer or only access their feeds from one location (e.g. only
from home). Examples: Thunderbird, FeedReader,
BottomFeeder, etc.
- Browser Based - These readers are inherent to particular
web browsers. They are set up within the browser, often as a bookmark or
favorite. Keep in mind if you set up your feed in your browser at your work
you'll also need to set up your feed in your browser at home. Examples:
Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 (older versions are not compatiable), Safari,
and Opera.
What readers can I use with Windows?
List of some feed readers for Windows operating system.
What readers can I use with
Macintosh?
List of some feed readers for Macintosh operating system.
What readers can I use with
Linux or my PDA?
List of
some feed readers for various operating systems and devices.
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Are there any feeds
already set up to which I can subscribe?
Yes. We have already done the searching and refining for several popular
searches. To add these feeds to your reader, simply right click on one of
the links on RSS Feeds page.
Select Copy Link Location (if using Firefox) or select Copy
Shortcut (if using Internet Explorer). Then paste the link (URL)
into your feed reader of choice.
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How do I get a feed from the catalog?
Your feed is based on the search you do in the catalog. You can search for
authors, subjects, series, etc. or narrow your search results to a particular
branch location or format. To understand how the catalog searches so you get
the results you want, refer to Catalog Search Information.
Once you have done a search, scroll through the results to make sure they
are what you expected (e.g. no DVD titles if you are only looking for audiobooks).
Use the refine selections on the right hand side to help you focus your results, and get the best search for the feed you want.
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.
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I have my search exactly
as I want it. What next?
When you have the exact results you want, click on the RSSFeeds
button
on the right hand side above Select Location. You'll be taken to an RSS Feeds
page which contains 2 links.
The first link is a feed for anything new added to the catalog in
the last 7 days. This link always displays, no matter what your search tems
were. The second link, New items for your query '____'
pertains to the search you just performed. Right Click on
this link, Copy Link Location (if using Firefox) or Copy
Shortcut (if using Internet Explorer). Then paste the link you just
copied into the feed reader of your choice.
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Why did the results for my search not give me a feed?
Keep in mind that the catalog supplies feeds for only new items
and only new items that have been added to our collection in the last
7 days.
Make sure spelling and punctuation are correct as these can affect whether
or not you receive a feed.
NOTE: Keep in mind that you
can set up a feed for an author or series you know is going to be published
in the future. Once that title is added to our collection
you will then receive a feed.
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How is the catalog record searched?
The catalog search is designed to let you explore and discover, therefore it searches by keyword.
For example, if you search for the mystery author Lisa Jackson using the regular search box, the catalog will search all fields of the bibliographic 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 may want to use the advanced search functionality to define
the search (tell the catalog which fields of the bibliographic record to search).
By typing" lisa jackson" in the author search box, the catalog
knows to only look in the author fields of the bibliographic record, including
additional authors field.
Another easy 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 screen. 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.
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