WorldCat.org users who want to keep tabs on lists of items created by fellow users can now do so without having to return to the site: Public WorldCat lists are available as RSS feeds that can be monitored using any RSS-capable service or software.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an information format used by news-media sites, blogs and other Web services that are frequently updated. RSS feeds typically carry brief summaries of the information currently available at a specific Web location, so you can see what's new without having to view the site in a browser.
To subscribe to a list's feed, users can view the list and click the RSS Feed button at top right. The displayed "Subscribe to Feed" page provided by addthis.com links to a variety of free Web services that can monitor RSS feeds, including personalized home pages at Google and Yahoo!. A user simply selects one of the services, then either signs in to the service or creates a new user account.
Public WorldCat lists can be monitored as RSS feeds using the RSS Feed button from addthis.com.
The button links to the AddThis "Subscribe to Feed" page where you can choose from a number of free RSS-reading Web services.
Users of Web browsers with built-in RSS capabilities (such as Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Opera or Safari) can click the "View XML" link on the AddThis subscribe page to monitor the feed directly from their browser. And users of other RSS-capable software can right-click "View XML" and copy the link location into their program's facility for adding feeds.
The RSS Feed button is the second AddThis widget available in worldcat.org It joins the Bookmark button that allows public WorldCat lists—as well as individual item records—to be added to popular Web bookmarking services such as facebook, Digg and del.icio.us.
Note that private WorldCat lists cannot be monitored as RSS feeds. Although the RSS Feed button is displayed when a private list is viewed by its creator, no information can be obtained through the feed.
Using list feeds on your library's Web site
Has your library created one or more WorldCat lists to promote a specific set of resources, such as recently-added books or videos, staff recommendations, or local authors? A number of methods enable display of a list directly on your Web site, with your updates to the list reflected in real time via its RSS feed. Your technology experts can help you implement this feature.
