Day 9

RSS Feeds and Tags.  Both of these features will help increase content exploration. Let’s break these two terms down:

RSS Feeds (Really Simple Syndication) on our site were created to give you a log of what’s been updated in an easy to use format.  Most of the content on MyMetrolibrary has an attached RSS feed.  You can subscribe to any page that has the orange RSS icon.  These include:

RSS feeds are like an announcement that goes out automatically when something new is added to the site.  Now, you won’t have to check certain pages daily to find out if information has been added, you can simply subscribe to any of our RSS feeds and it will alert you anytime new content shows up - It's that simple!

Here’s how to subscribe to RSS feeds using Internet Explorer:

1. Click on the orange RSS icon on any of the pages you wish to subscribe
2. You’ll then be redirected to the actual feed.  It looks very basic with a white background and a yellow box near the top. 
3. Locate and click on the "subscribe to this feed" link
4. Then, you’ll receive a pop-up menu:  Subscribe to this Feed
1. At this time, you can rename the fee
2. Specify where you’d like that feed to stored.
3. We suggest clicking the “New Folder” button.
1. For the folder name, put MyMetrolibrary
2. Click the “Create” button
4. Optional:  You can then check the Add to Favorites Bar check box.  This will place the RSS feed on your address bar for easy access.
5. Click the “Subscribe” button
5. You’re finished!    

 If you placed your RSS feed in the address bar, anytime it’s in bold there has been new contented added to one of the pages for which you have subscribed. 

If you did not place your RSS feed in the address bar, that’s okay...  All you need to do is click “Favorites” then click “Feeds” and then click “MyMetrolibrary.”  Again, anytime the feed is in bold, new content has been added.

Finding out what’s new on the Intranet has never been soooooo easy!

Now, let’s move on to Tags.

Tags are just keywords used to give extra meaning to content on our site.  They also link commonly themed documents, meetings, forms, polices or procedures together.   For instance, if you visit policy:  SH 660 Handling and Reporting Emergencies and go to the bottom in tags and click on “Emergencies”  you will see other content related to this keyword.  You can find forms, documents, ShelfLife issues, other policies and procedures and committee meeting minutes.  Using tags is also an interesting way to find out the history of topics within our library system.   We can follow that history using the tag “Playaway” from the most recent Internal Press Release.  You can see that Playaways have been discussed in multiple areas and the discussion began at the September 2010 Materials Services Division Meeting. Isn’t that neat?

Tags are just another way we’ve worked to bring you in better connection to the information you NEED!

You can find tags on the following pieces of information:

• Committee Meeting Minutes (all committees)
• Documents
• Forms
• News Releases
• Policies & Procedures
• Publications (all publications including Commission Packet and ShelfLife)

Tags usually appear as blue hyperlinked text (this is how you can access additional info) and are catagorial labeled as Tags or Keywords. You can also visit the Tag page under News and Media > Tags to see the full list of tags and start explore more content on MyMetrolibrary!