Blogging and RSS: Applications & Technology

Examples from an Academic Library

16 June 2005 – CLA Conference, Calgary

Randy ReichardtScience & Technology Library

University of Albertarandy.reichardt@ualberta.ca

http://stlq.info

Example 1: Student Blogging

• Mechanical, Chemical, Materials engineering design students, working in groups of four on capstone design projects

• Issue: team members live in different areas of the city, not always on campus; difficult to schedule meetings to discuss project

• Result: e-mails, text messaging, phone calls, instant messaging, etc; difficult to manage the design project

• Solution: try using a blog for project mgmt• Minor Glitch: no campus-wide support as yet for

blogs at U Alberta; needed to create tip sheet for students

A. Guidelines for setting up a Blog based on Blogger.com, but hosted on the U of A GPU server.

1. Open Notepad, and create and save a blank file called name.html, where “name” is a short name for your blog (like design.htm, or mece465.html, etc.)

2. Establish presence on UA server: a. Login to your GPU account using PuTTY (SSH program) b. “Quit” to system prompt (press “Q”) c. Follow instructions below, which are also listed on the linked page; (Skip Step 1

– you are not creating your own web page at this time) http: / /www.ualberta.ca/HELP/www/makewebpages.html:

i. login to your GPU account using Putty ii. quit to the system prompt, and type: / etc/ skel/ getdotfiles iii. logout and login again iv. type mkdir public_ html, and hit Enter; skip this step if you already

have a public_ html directory in your account v. type fs setacl ~your-CNS-ID system:anyuser l, and hit enter (use

your CNS ID) vi. type fs setacl public_ html system:anyuser read, and hit Enter

d. note in Step 2 that you will create a directory in your GPU account called public_ html

e. Transfer the name.html file to your public_ html directory using a file transfer program, WinSCP

3. Create a blog using Blogger.com a. Go to Blogger.com b. Create an account if not done already c. Log in to Blogger.com

4. Go to Advanced Blog Setup a. NOTE: This step is done by one member of the group only, the member whose

server space on his or her GPU account will host the blog b. Blog details:

i. Choose a title for your blog ii. Chose “Do not list” (privacy)

c. Server details i. Choose SFTP ii. FTP server: gpu.srv.ualberta.ca iii. FTP path: public_html/ iv. Blog filename: name.html v. Blog URL: http: / /www.ualberta.ca/~yourid/name.html

1. yourid=your CNS id 5. Choose a template 6. After a template is chosen, go to “Settings”, click on “Members”, to add individual

members to the blog. 7. Blog setup complete

B. Posting and configuring your blog

Example 2: Library Blogging

• Blogs provide an option for team members to communicate, and for content management, including document storage, link listing, etc.

• University of Alberta Libraries – now using blogs for different applications, including library news, vendor announcements, Knowledge Common staff updates, information/reference desk updates, team management

• Support: Library tech staff loaded blogging software onto library LAN

Example 3: RSS in Db Searching

• Service: Engineering Village 2, which offers access to the Compendex db, which provides extensive coverage of all engineering disciplines, (available online from 1884-present)– also offers access to Inspec, NTIS

• Issue: Researchers need to know latest developments in their fields; options include e-mail alerts, running regular searchs, etc

• New option: EV2 offers RSS feeds

Restrict Search to Compendex

Add “actuators” to search

Too many results -17,774 records!

1,322 records found

This URL represents the RSS feed for the search, “microelectromechanical devices and actuators”,

restricted to the Compendex db

• Reichardt, Randy and Geoff Harder. 2005. “Weblogs: Their Use and Application in Science and Technology Libraries.” Science & Technology Libraries, 25(3): 105-116.

Citation

Presentation available at:

www.ualberta.ca/~science3/clablog.ppt