More OPAC fun: an RSS feed of new DVDs at the public library

Following from this script to create an RSS feed of items checked out of the library, I’ve created another little tool: dvd2rss.pl is a Perl script to extract a list of DVDs from the Provincial Library OPAC, sorted so that the newest DVDs are listed first.

Like the earlier script, this one is designed to work with the web-based Dynix OPAC (and is probably to some degree dependent on the way the PEI catalogue works, and how results are rendered). It should be easy, however, to modify it to work with other Dynix installations, and to display other sorts of searches (new books, new kids books, etc.).

Here is the RSS feed that the script generates. I’d like to enhance it a little to pull the description of the DVDs from the OPAC too. As it is, though, each RSS item links to the DVD in question in the catalogue, so you can easily check its status, and put it on hold if you like.

Here’s what the result looks like in NetNewsWire: