RSS Feeds (Thing 3)

RSS Feeds (Thing 3) by EAChase

November 30, 2009, 1:03 pm
Filed under: Aggregators, RSS feeds | Tags: Aggregators, blog readers, library 2.0, RSS feeds, web 2.0

RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, is the magic that allows a reader (such as the one you created in Thing 2) to work. It is a metadata scheme, similar to a MARC record, and it allows websites to publish new information.

Once again we’ll start with a Common Craft video:

You know that using RSS you can read updates from a variety of blogs.

You can also read updates from wikis, library databases (i.e., resources from EBSCO, Gale, etc.), and other web 2.0 sites like Flickr and LibraryThing. You even create a feed when you click the share link (in Google Reader) on posts that you like. The bottom line: you don’t have to know how RSS feeds are formatted, or how they are transmitted—you just have to know how to find them and add them to your reader.

Here are some feeds that I like to keep up with—-add them to your Google Reader if you think they might be interesting:

Dallas News Frisco Blog

Library Bytes (Helene Bowers)

 

Unshelved (Library Humor)

 

Un-Shushed! (The FPL Blog)

 

RSS MADE ROUTINE

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RSS can be used with a variety of programs to have content delivered to you. Below are two common applications that can be used with RSS: Internet Explorer and Outlook.

Internet Explorer enables you to create RSS Feeds that appear on your browser, alerting you to when new content has been posted to your favorite site. Simply navigate to the favorite section of a website (maybe the non-fiction book review page at NPR.org).

• Now press the dropdown arrow next to the RSS icon just under the search bar in Internet Explorer.
• Select the RSS feed you are interested in monitoring. This takes you to a new screen… the RSS feed display!
• At the top of the page there is a Subscribe to this Feed link (in the yellow box). Click on that link.
• A window pops up to add this to your Internet Explorer favorites. I suggest checking the “Add this to my favorites tool bar”. This places the name of the RSS feed under the address bar with a drop down arrow. When the name is bold, you know new content is added! Use the dropdown arrow next to the link to select which article interests you!

Outlook is another place you can have your favorite RSS feeds sent. Perhaps getting the news feed from Publisher’s Weekly online or the latest update on grants from the Public Library Association sent directly to your email inbox would be more convienient. Many people work directly out of their inbox and having carefully selected information delivered to the inbox can be a powerful way of staying on top of events.

• Navigate to your favorite site on the web.
• Use the RSS feed button below the search bar on Internet Explorer to select the news feed that interests you. This will open a new screen in Internet Explorer.
• Copy the URL in the address bar.
• Open Outlook.
• Under the Tools menu, select Account Settings
• Select the RSS Feeds tab
• Select the New button
• Paste the URL of the RSS feed you copied earlier
• Then select which folder you want the feed to be deposited. I recommend changing from the default of the Feeds folder and select your Inbox.
• Wait for the news, events, and happenings to find you!

 This Week’s Assignment:  Having played with some (or all) of the RSS Feed options discussed above, consider the implications of the change that RSS creates in terms of customer service.  Instead of making customers come to them, RSS allows organizations (whether businesses or non-profits) to send updates and information directly to interested parties – allowing those customers to receive the information by whichever means works best for that individual.  Relate this to the world of librarianship.

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