What are Alerts and RSS Feeds?

Library indexes and journals, magazines and newspapers often offer a way to save your searches and the option of signing up for free email alert services, and RSS feeds. These tools allow you to conveniently keep up with newly published information.  You could set up a request that automatically supplies you with:

• New works by a certain author.
• New research on a topic.
• Current Journal tables of contents.
• New articles that cite an article of interest to you

To take advantage of these new research methods, you will need to register with the information source.

What is an Email Alert?

Library indexes often offer a means to email search results to you on a regularly scheduled basis.   Some individual publishers also offer alert services.  However there are some advantages to setting up an alert in one of the Library's indexes.  First, the Library's tools will search journals from multiple publishers and the indexes will use the "Find It" button to connect to the full-text of the article in any of our databases, inform you if the Library has a print copy, or connect you to our Interlibrary loan service. 

What is RSS ?

RSS stands for "Real Simple Syndication," that provides a way to monitor web sites and databases for new information, without having to actually check the site.

Contact the library's reference desk if you have any questions at 346-2836, by e-mail or in person.