The services I can think of that allow full-access aren’t quite as easy to use as Google News at this time, but here is what I have come up with:
PressReader has a “For You” page that can show you top stories based on reader engagement from any of their publications. You can also create a PressReader account free-of-charge to follow specific publications, sections, journalists and interests.
Another service I would recommend to receive notifications is Canadian Newsstream by ProQuest. This service is a regularly-updated database of news stories from most major newspapers in Canada.
Note that licensing agreements restrict some publications’ stories from being uploaded to Newsstream for one or two days, so I would recommend using this in addition to PressReader, which is more current.
You can use Newsstream to search for stories using highly-specific search queries, and request to be sent scheduled email or RSS alerts for any new query results once they are uploaded into the database.
PressReader “For You” Page
Once you have logged in to PressReader.com using your library card:
In the top left corner of PressReader, click “For You”. The page will change. (Note that it may take a few minutes to load if the service is very busy.)
On the left side, there will be a menu with the following:
“Language & Region”, where you can select a country and language you would like to see top stories with;
“For You”, with top stories about different topics based on the Language & Region you chose;
“Following”, where you can see stories from your selected publications, newspaper sections, interests and journalists; and
“Saved Searches”, where you can save keyword searches to see if there are any new updates.
Note that 3. “Following” and 4. “Saved Searches” require a free PressReader account in addition to your public library access authorization. You can register for one by clicking the green “Sign up” button on the top right corner of the page after you have signed in through your public library.
ProQuest Canadian Newsstream
Your best bet to access this service is through your local public library’s website. If they have it, you will most likely find a link to log into it in the “news” or “newspaper” section of the site’s “digital collections”, “digital library”, or “bibliothèque numérique” page.
Once logged in, you will be at Canadian Newsstream’s “Basic Search” page. You can begin keyword searching in the text field, or click “Advanced Search” underneath the main “Canadian Newsstream” header for more options.
Visit the ProQuest LibGuides for more information and instructions on creating library database search queries.
Once you have run your search, you will be at the results page. Here, you can edit your search query and change the filter settings on the left-side menu. Consider this a preview of the kind of stories you can choose to receive email notifications for.
When you are happy with the kind of results you see, click “Save search/alert” on the top right of the page just underneath the search bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
In the drop-down menu, click “Create alert” for email notifications, or “Create RSS feed” for a personalized feed you can add to your RSS reader. A pop-up will appear.
Follow the instructions in the pop-up, and you will be notified of new articles that match your search via email or RSS.
I would suggest keeping a different alert for each topic you want to follow. This will make it easier to cancel or adjust just one topic as you need to.
You can also create a free ProQuest My Research account so you can view and manage all your alerts all at once.
These steps are quite a bit more involved than simple Googling, but you get complete control over what you are searching for. The fact that you get to decide these small granular search parameters means that there are no secret algorithms deciding for you.
Thank you again for your attention. If you have any questions about using these services, I would encourage you to contact your local public library, where the staff will be able to assist you better.
Great question!
The services I can think of that allow full-access aren’t quite as easy to use as Google News at this time, but here is what I have come up with:
PressReader has a “For You” page that can show you top stories based on reader engagement from any of their publications. You can also create a PressReader account free-of-charge to follow specific publications, sections, journalists and interests.
Another service I would recommend to receive notifications is Canadian Newsstream by ProQuest. This service is a regularly-updated database of news stories from most major newspapers in Canada.
Note that licensing agreements restrict some publications’ stories from being uploaded to Newsstream for one or two days, so I would recommend using this in addition to PressReader, which is more current.
You can use Newsstream to search for stories using highly-specific search queries, and request to be sent scheduled email or RSS alerts for any new query results once they are uploaded into the database.
PressReader “For You” Page
Once you have logged in to PressReader.com using your library card:
In the top left corner of PressReader, click “For You”. The page will change. (Note that it may take a few minutes to load if the service is very busy.)
On the left side, there will be a menu with the following:
Note that 3. “Following” and 4. “Saved Searches” require a free PressReader account in addition to your public library access authorization. You can register for one by clicking the green “Sign up” button on the top right corner of the page after you have signed in through your public library.
ProQuest Canadian Newsstream
Your best bet to access this service is through your local public library’s website. If they have it, you will most likely find a link to log into it in the “news” or “newspaper” section of the site’s “digital collections”, “digital library”, or “bibliothèque numérique” page.
Once logged in, you will be at Canadian Newsstream’s “Basic Search” page. You can begin keyword searching in the text field, or click “Advanced Search” underneath the main “Canadian Newsstream” header for more options.
Visit the ProQuest LibGuides for more information and instructions on creating library database search queries.
Once you have run your search, you will be at the results page. Here, you can edit your search query and change the filter settings on the left-side menu. Consider this a preview of the kind of stories you can choose to receive email notifications for.
When you are happy with the kind of results you see, click “Save search/alert” on the top right of the page just underneath the search bar. A drop-down menu will appear.
In the drop-down menu, click “Create alert” for email notifications, or “Create RSS feed” for a personalized feed you can add to your RSS reader. A pop-up will appear.
Follow the instructions in the pop-up, and you will be notified of new articles that match your search via email or RSS.
I would suggest keeping a different alert for each topic you want to follow. This will make it easier to cancel or adjust just one topic as you need to.
You can also create a free ProQuest My Research account so you can view and manage all your alerts all at once.
These steps are quite a bit more involved than simple Googling, but you get complete control over what you are searching for. The fact that you get to decide these small granular search parameters means that there are no secret algorithms deciding for you.
Thank you again for your attention. If you have any questions about using these services, I would encourage you to contact your local public library, where the staff will be able to assist you better.