2. Aims and objectives
Learn how to stay up-to-date with information
on websites, blogs, podcasts and legal
databases, using
RSS feeds
alerting services
5. What is an RSS feed?
An RSS feed is website content put into a standard
format.
Using a feed is a bit like tuning into a radio station, or
subscribing to a magazine.
It’s easy to visit the associated site if you want more
information.
6. What RSS feeds offer
the end user
a way to access the latest information without
visiting multiple web sites daily
the feed publisher
a convenient way to broadcast
information to “subscribers”
and encourage visits to website
7. Benefits for end users
Less clutter in inbox, no spam
No subscribe/unsubscribe hassles
You choose when
to view information
8. Disadvantages for end users?
Can find yourself “oversubscribed” with
too much to read!
9. Ways to read RSS feeds
Built-in readers in browsers, email
Web-based news readers
Accessible from anywhere
Free: Feedly, NetVibes
Paid (for full version): NewsBlur
10. How to get started
Sign up for a web-based account
Find feeds that you want to read
Add them to your account
Organise into folders
for best results
15. Alerting services:
Help you fine tune what you receive
Increasingly there is an RSS feed option
Or you can choose email
16. Things to look out for
Not always called alerts – also look out for links to
Updates, SDI, Save search etc.
Three main types:
Tables of Contents (ToCs) of recently published
journals/law reports
Keyword alerts - new materials which match
your keywords, authors
Subject area alerts - new in IP, human rights etc
17. Keeping up to date with Journals:
Tables of Contents Services
zetoc
Tables of contents for journals received by British Library
Offers email alert or RSS feed
http://zetoc.jisc.ac.uk/
Most publishers offer TOCS on their web site
19. zetoc RSS option
Select by first letter of journal name
Search on word or phrase in journal name
View list of new journals
Select journals by category
25. Keeping up to date with materials on the legal
databases
Lexis Library
Can set up an alert from a search
Set up a subject alert
Westlaw UK
Need to set up a personal profile
Can get subject alerts via email or get RSS feeds
Lawtel
Subject alert only
28. Keeping up to date with subject alerts
Lexis Library alerts
Cases, legislation from around the World
Choose ‘My alerts’ from drop down and then ‘create’ and browse
subject categories
Westlaw alerts
Create a profile
Go to the top to alerts or RSS feeds and add content and subjects you
are interested in
Lawtel Updates
UK cases, legislation, bills in selected subject areas
Choose “Lawtel Updates” and browse subject categories
31. News, views (and twitter)
Jurist (International & US Legal News)
www.jurist.org
Global Legal Monitor from Law Library of Congress in US
http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/
Legal Blog Watch (monitors legal blogs)
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/
Law.com newswire via RSS feed
http://www.alm.law.com/rss/newswire.xml
32. Blogs and Podcasts
Blogs – popular way of keeping an online diary on
the Web
Most blogs have an associated RSS feed, so you can
subscribe to them easily
Podcasts – a special type of RSS feed where each
item has an audio or video file enclosed
38. Directories of legal blogs, twitter accounts
Justia Blawgsearch - http://blawgsearch.justia.com/
Directory of blogs organised by subject, jurisdiction, law school etc
International Law Observer-
http://www.internationallawobserver.eu/blogroll/
Legal Birds – list of legal tweeters (US focus)
http://legalbirds.justia.com
39. Picture Credits
Slide 2
“Melophore” by flickr user dynamosquito, August 27, 2008 (CC BY-SA
2.0) (image altered)
Slide 5
“1959 RCA Victor Dual Speaker Filteramic Tube Radio” by flickr user
Roadsidepictures, November 16, 2009 (CC BY-NC 2.0) (image altered)
Slide 6
“broadcast ariel” by flickr user HerPhotographer, January 8, 2008, (CC
BY-NC-SA 2.0) (image altered)
Slide 7
“untitled” by flickr user Jeff_Werner, March 3, 2008 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
(image altered)
40. Picture Credits (cont.)
Slide 8
“’I fell asleep reading a dull book and dreamed I kept on reading, so I
awoke from sheer boredom.’ Heinrich Heine” by flickr user Geraint
Rowland Photography, July 12, 2012 (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Slide 10
“urban renewal, Condemned Durham Warehouse” by flickr user Avius
Quovus, April 1, 2009, (CC BY-NC 2.0) (image altered)
Slide 15
“Radio Tuner on a Marconi VCR670A(?)” by flickr user Tim Sheerman-
Chase, August 26, 2012, (CC BY 2.0) (image altered)
This presentation (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)