Have you ever found yourself disappointed when the new book you've been waiting for has been published and you didn't realize it until a week later?

Fear no more. Like the “Top Stories” section that is a part of many Web pages, libraries have begun using programs that notify patrons of new books available at their library.

To get the notices, users must subscribe to their library's RSS feed.

What is RSS?

To put it simply, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds are free content feeds from Web sites, that contain article headlines, summaries and links back to full-text articles online. In a library's case, it's often a list of newly cataloged materials.

For example, to get a list of all the books added to the Finger Lakes Library (FLLS) system catalog, just go the FLLS catalog. There, on the right side of the screen you will see a green section containing links to book lists and “New Titles RSS.” From there you can see a list of the latest titles that have been added by all the libraries in the system.

However, to regularly receive a RSS feed of your local library's new materials exclusively, you need to log into your home library's catalog. Click on “RSS” to get a list of the feeds that are available along with instructions on how to subscribe. Computers must have a RSS reader installed to view the content. To find a list of free readers, just click on the phrase “What is RSS?” After you select a reader, you can download it onto you home computer.

Booksellers also frequently have RSS feeds. Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and NPR books are just a few of the sites that offer them. There are hundreds of topics available and the list continues to grow.

To feed into topics you are interested in, just add “RSS” in your subject search query, such as, “Finger Lakes RSS.” You will see a list of sites that offer feeds. Look for the small orange square logo to help you spot just where to sign up. You can find feeds for the wine trails and the Finger Lakes Times newspaper as well as other areas of interest.

There are many books available to help you understand the new technology and find useful ways to incorporate it into your Internet experience. An excellent source for patrons to borrow from FLLS is titled The About.com guide to online research: navigate the Web #- from RSS and the invisible Web to multimedia and the blogosphere.

As the popularity of RSS feeds continues to grow, libraries are using them for a variety of ways to keep in touch with their patrons. Newsletters, events, snow or emergency closings, press releases and job openings are just a few of the types of information that some libraries now deliver. In addition to libraries, local businesses and clubs can use feeds to promote their products and stay in touch with customers.

Today's library can help you manage what data you receive and when you get it. So that, hopefully, the next time your favorite author has a new book published, you'll be first in line to read it.

Libbie Messina is a librarian at Stewart Lang Memorial Library in Cato