using rss to make library resources an obvious choice for students in blackboard kim armstrong, brad...

Using RSS to Make Library Using RSS to Make Library Resources an Obvious Resources an Obvious Choice for Students in Choice for Students in BlackboardBlackboard

Kim Armstrong, Brad Baker, Kim Armstrong, Brad Baker, Jay Starratt, Jennifer VandeverJay Starratt, Jennifer Vandever

Educause Midwest Regional Conference Educause Midwest Regional Conference March 2007March 2007

Copyright 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is Copyright 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

ContextContext

Library InvestmentLibrary Investment

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

$Billions

1

Halloween

Chips

Extruded

OnlineMusic

Library Materials $2.1 Billion

ARL % of Materials $ - ARL % of Materials $ - ElectronicElectronic

19945%


19967%


19989%


200013%


200220%


200431%


200537%

% on Electronic by % on Electronic by LibraryLibrary

20042004 20052005

Wayne StateWayne State 74%74% 77%77%

DartmouthDartmouth 50%50% 54%54%

SIUCSIUC 34%34% 37%37%

MITMIT 30%30% 35%35%

UICUIC 28%28% 38%38%

EmoryEmory 18%18% 27%27%

HarvardHarvard 11%11% 16%16%

Trend in Use of Trend in Use of ResourcesResources

Vakkari, Pertti (2006) Trends in the use of digital libraries by scientists in 2000-2005: A case study of FinELib

20002000 20052005

Electronic Electronic onlyonly

1%1% 12%12%

Mainly Mainly electronicelectronic

21%21% 46%46%

Equally Equally both both

47%47% 30%30%

Mainly Mainly print print

31%31% 12%12%

Print only Print only 1%1% 0%0%

Current RealitiesCurrent Realities

““Users are not aware of the electronic Users are not aware of the electronic resources libraries make freely resources libraries make freely available.” available.”

OCLC Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources ReportOCLC Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources Report

Current RealitiesCurrent Realities

““Google, Yahoo!, Amazon .. for many Google, Yahoo!, Amazon .. for many users, these services are the first users, these services are the first and last resort for research.” and last resort for research.”

Lorcan DempseyLorcan Dempsey

OCLC Vice President & Chief StrategistOCLC Vice President & Chief Strategist

Within the next five Within the next five yearsyears

“…“…traditional library organizational traditional library organizational structures will no longer exist. structures will no longer exist. Technical services and public services Technical services and public services will have merged into a new group will have merged into a new group called “consulting [something]”. called “consulting [something]”.

Taiga Forum Provocative Statements Taiga Forum Provocative Statements (3/10/2006)(3/10/2006)

Within the next five Within the next five yearsyears“…“…there will no longer be a there will no longer be a

monolithic library Web site. monolithic library Web site. Instead, library data will be Instead, library data will be pushed out to many starting pushed out to many starting places on the Web and directly to places on the Web and directly to users.”users.”

Taiga Forum Provocative Statements Taiga Forum Provocative Statements (3/10/2006)(3/10/2006)

Where we are headedWhere we are headed

“… “… Intermediate consumers of Intermediate consumers of library services will include the library services will include the learning management system, the learning management system, the enterprise portal, the RSS enterprise portal, the RSS aggregator and the search engine.”aggregator and the search engine.”

Lorcan DempseyLorcan Dempsey

What we didWhat we did

Added news feeds and EBSCO Added news feeds and EBSCO searches to Blackboard Economics searches to Blackboard Economics State and Local Public Finance State and Local Public Finance coursecourse

Adding RSS Feeds to Adding RSS Feeds to BlackboardBlackboard

Identify the sources for your Identify the sources for your information:information:– News feedsNews feeds– DatabasesDatabases– JournalsJournals


For News Feeds:For News Feeds: Go to news web siteGo to news web site

– Look for RSS feed icon (usually an orange Look for RSS feed icon (usually an orange “XML”)“XML”)

– Go to the RSS feedGo to the RSS feed– Copy the URL for the RSS feedCopy the URL for the RSS feed

For example, this feed comes from the For example, this feed comes from the MSNBC Politics Feed: MSNBC Politics Feed: http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032552/http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032552/device/rss/rss.xmldevice/rss/rss.xml


For databases & journals:For databases & journals:– Define search termsDefine search terms– Create searchCreate search– Create RSS alert Create RSS alert – Copy the URL for the RSS feedCopy the URL for the RSS feed

Adding RSS Feeds to Adding RSS Feeds to BlackboardBlackboard Use a site that builds a feed for Blackboard: Use a site that builds a feed for Blackboard:

– Build a Feed, Build a Feed, http://feed2js.org/index.php?s=buildhttp://feed2js.org/index.php?s=build

Paste the RSS URL into the boxPaste the RSS URL into the box Change any of the options you’d like. Some of the Change any of the options you’d like. Some of the

recommendations:recommendations:– Change “Show item posting date” to YesChange “Show item posting date” to Yes– Change “Target links in New Window” to YesChange “Target links in New Window” to Yes– Use UTF-8 encodingUse UTF-8 encoding

Click “Preview Feed” – you should see the feedClick “Preview Feed” – you should see the feed Click “Generate JavaScript”Click “Generate JavaScript” Copy the JavaScriptCopy the JavaScript

Adding RSS Feeds to Adding RSS Feeds to BlackboardBlackboard Open Blackboard and navigate to the proper course Open Blackboard and navigate to the proper course

– Go to the location where you are posting the RSS feed (for Go to the location where you are posting the RSS feed (for this we are using the Course Menu)this we are using the Course Menu)

– Click “Add Item”Click “Add Item”– Type the title for the item. (This would be MSNBC Politics Type the title for the item. (This would be MSNBC Politics

RSS Feed.)RSS Feed.)– Click the “HTML” button, above the content area.Click the “HTML” button, above the content area.– Paste the JavaScript from earlier into the HTML box.Paste the JavaScript from earlier into the HTML box.– Click “Submit”Click “Submit”– (There’s a quirk in BB6.3, so you will have to click “Modify” (There’s a quirk in BB6.3, so you will have to click “Modify”

and then click “Submit” again.)and then click “Submit” again.) Now, “View RSS feed” should appear under the Now, “View RSS feed” should appear under the

title. If you click on this link, the RSS feed should title. If you click on this link, the RSS feed should appear. appear.

Adding EBSCO Searches Adding EBSCO Searches to Blackboardto Blackboard

Conduct a search in EBSCO. The Conduct a search in EBSCO. The interface will build a search interface will build a search string from the information you string from the information you enter. For example:enter. For example:

– ((SU finance, public AND AB state ((SU finance, public AND AB state revenue OR AB state expenditure) revenue OR AB state expenditure) and SO public finance review) and SO public finance review)


Because of the proxy server, you Because of the proxy server, you should build the search from off-should build the search from off-campus or a proxied machine. campus or a proxied machine. Otherwise, students will only be able Otherwise, students will only be able to access the search from on-campus to access the search from on-campus machines. machines.

You will need to know the URL of your You will need to know the URL of your own proxy server and its port number own proxy server and its port number to make the search work properly.to make the search work properly.

Adding EBSCO Searches Adding EBSCO Searches to Blackboardto Blackboard When the search results are satisfactory, click When the search results are satisfactory, click

the “Display link to search” link and copy the URL the “Display link to search” link and copy the URL displayed. displayed.

For SIUE, it will be in this form: For SIUE, it will be in this form: – http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2058/login.aspx?http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2058/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=bsh&bquery=((SU+financedirect=true&db=bsh&bquery=((SU+finance%2c+public+AND+AB+state+revenue+OR+AB+state%2c+public+AND+AB+state+revenue+OR+AB+state+expenditure)+expenditure)+and+SO+public+finance+review)&type=1&site=eho+and+SO+public+finance+review)&type=1&site=ehost-livest-live

Replace http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2058 withReplace http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2058 with– http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2048/login?url=http://http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2048/login?url=http://

search.epnet.com/search.epnet.com/– Remove “&type=1&site=ehost-live” from the end of Remove “&type=1&site=ehost-live” from the end of

the URLthe URL


The resulting URL can be added The resulting URL can be added to your Blackboard course:to your Blackboard course:– http://proxy.library.siue.edu:2048/lohttp://proxy.library.siue.edu:2048/lo

gin?url=http://gin?url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?directsearch.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct==true&dbtrue&db==bsh&bquerybsh&bquery=((SU+finance%2c+public+AND+A=((SU+finance%2c+public+AND+AB+state+revenue+OR+AB+state+eB+state+revenue+OR+AB+state+expenditure)+and+SO+public+financxpenditure)+and+SO+public+finance+review)e+review)

Student SurveyStudent Survey

1. How often do you use the SIUE 1. How often do you use the SIUE Library's databases, journals, or Library's databases, journals, or books for your coursework? books for your coursework?

NeverNever 13.3%13.3% Once a semesterOnce a semester 46.7%46.7% Once a monthOnce a month 33.3%33.3% Once a weekOnce a week 6.7%6.7% More frequentlyMore frequently 0.0%0.0%

2. How often do you go to the SIUE Library website to search for information?


3. How often do you search Google or other free Internet sites for your coursework?


4. How do you learn about 4. How do you learn about resources to use for your resources to use for your coursework? (Check all that apply)coursework? (Check all that apply)

Faculty instructorFaculty instructor 66.7%66.7% Class session w/librarianClass session w/librarian 6.7%6.7% Another studentAnother student 53.3%53.3% I search on my ownI search on my own 100%100% OtherOther 6.7%6.7%

5. Did the RSS feed in Blackboard 5. Did the RSS feed in Blackboard increase your awareness of Library increase your awareness of Library resources?resources?

YESYES 66.7%66.7% NONO 33.3%33.3%

6. Do you think you will use library 6. Do you think you will use library resources more in the future as a resources more in the future as a result of the RSS feed?result of the RSS feed?

YESYES 53.3%53.3% NONO 46.7%46.7%

7. How likely are you to set up your 7. How likely are you to set up your own RSS feed(s) to keep current own RSS feed(s) to keep current with resources in your subject area?with resources in your subject area?

Not likelyNot likely 6.7%6.7% Somewhat likelySomewhat likely 53.3%53.3% LikelyLikely 26.7%26.7% Very LikelyVery Likely 13.3%13.3%

8. Other comments, suggestions?8. Other comments, suggestions?

i'm a fan... i'm a fan...

I like the RSS feeds because it I like the RSS feeds because it eliminates the hassel of me having eliminates the hassel of me having to search various databases to search various databases

This is a very good idea for doing This is a very good idea for doing research! research!

Q & A/DiscussionQ & A/Discussion

Please contact Jennifer Vandever Please contact Jennifer Vandever with any questions regarding the with any questions regarding the RSS process or searches we used.RSS process or searches we used.– [email protected]@siue.edu

using rss to make library resources an obvious choice for students in blackboard kim armstrong, brad...

Documents

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lorcan dempsey slide

rss feeds

library resources

electronic resources

rss feed icon

reproduced materials

library data