Calgary Special Libraries Association Chapter invites you to...

Always Fresh: Fast Content for your Website and Users.

Date: May 25th, 2006
Time: 11:45am to 1:30 pm
Location: Talisman Energy
Suite 3400, 888 -3rd Street SW (Bankers Hall West)
Ask for Cathy Ross at reception
Cost: FREE for members $5 for Non-members

The Course

Keeping a library Web site up to date with fresh content is a challenge for busy library staff and the library webmaster. RSS (rich site summary/RDF site summary/really simple syndication) feeds can help you keep your site current. Learn how to publish, merge, and convert RSS feeds into instant Web content. Discover how libraries have made specialized pages featuring article titles of current journal issues, new library acquisitions, book and movie reviews, and much more. Take away a list of sites that allow anyone to simply cut, paste and publish RSS content to their site in seconds. For the technologically daring in the audience, find out where to download free scripts that allow you to "shake and bake" your own combos. Dive in now and offer new services that auto-magically refresh and keep your audience coming back for more.

Targeted Learners

This presentation is designed for professionals who are interested in expanding their knowledge of RSS syndication and publishing. This session will be of particular interest to Web site developers, webmasters, individuals who maintain course or topical Web pages, anyone interested in marketing library services or creating new customized information services. No prior knowledge of RSS is needed for this seminar. No prior knowledge of computer programming languages is assumed. Some knowledge of HTML authoring and Web site development is needed to fully understand the publishing options with RSS.

Critical Learning Questions

What is RSS?
How can you use RSS to create services for library users?
How are some libraries using RSS to provide up-to-date content?
What are some simple tools to convert RSS to HTML (point and click) that you can use to get started?

The Presenter

Darlene Fichter has a strong background in library and information technology. She tracks emerging tech tools and trends, and looks at how libraries might adapt and utilize new technologies to serve users better. She is particularly interested in the practical application of new tools that improve internal workflow and/or create new services.

As an IT consultant and librarian, she has been the project leader for several Internet, Intranet, digital library, and portal projects. She is keenly interested in the areas of usability, user adoption of new technologies, metadata, XML, and knowledge management. She is also the "Intranet Librarian" columnist for Online magazine.

Darlene is the data library coordinator at the University of Saskatchewan Library.

To register please contact Lorraine Bedet at 508-3643 or e-mail at lorraine.bedet@pengrowth.com so we will know how many people are coming.

Thanks to our program sponsor Micromedia ProQuest