Current awareness tools are notification or alert services that can help you stay up-to-date with publications and news in your area of research and study.

Types of current awareness tools include blogs, RSS, podcasting, search alerts, database alerts, table of contents alerts, journal and book alerts. Most current awareness tools allow you to customize and save your searches and receive updates on a regular basis.

Current awareness tools notify you via email or RSS feeds once an online information resource has new or updated content. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format used to publish frequently updated content. RSS allows people to monitor information resources such as web sites and databases for new content, without having to visit them and without having to give up any private information such as your name or email. RSS feeds are linked to image icons such as: or or . To follow an RSS feed, you need a feed reader. Some feed reader options include: desktop readers ( RSS reader ) and web-based feed readers ( Bloglines and Google Reader ).

Current awareness tools at York University Libraries

New Electronic Resources

Find what new electronic resources York University Libraries has added by subscribing to its RSS feed. Go to http://yulcollections.wordpress.com/ and click on the RSS icon and add it to your RSS reader.

New Books and DVDs at York University Libraries

Find what new titles York University Libraries has added by subscribing to its RSS feed. Go to http://theta.library.yorku.ca/newtitles/index.php and click on the rss icon for the subjects you are interested in to subscribe to it.

Electronic Databases

The following Social Sciences and Humanities databases offer current awareness services: