Have you ever noticed that orange icon [ 
] with squiggly lines when you were reading a website, blog, or journal article? Guess what? That icon is an RSS feed that allows you to subscribe to content. Why would you want to subscribe to a blog? For folks like me who read and monitor around eighty-three blogs, it sure beats the heck out of going to each individual website, every day, just to determine if new material has been posted.
So What Is RSS?
RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. It is an XML based file format that delivers content to you, instead of you going to the content. The neat thing about RSS is that you can also embed the feed into a website or blog. Notice the KATV: Local News section on the Learning 2.0 @ FJTL blog. That is really an RSS feed.
Still confused? Check out this video from the team at Common Craft. They do an excellent job of making complicated topics easy to understand. It takes a while for this file to download. You might want to turn the volume down or off until the entire video is downloaded. Then crank the sound back up and watch the video.
RSS Aggregators
You will need special software to subscribe to an RSS feed. RSS aggregators, also called news readers, scour the Internet to look for updates to feeds to which you subscribe. Whenever it finds new content, the aggregator automatically delivers the updates to you, in one convenient location. You can read the updates whenever your schedule allows. Each update includes a title, short synopsis of the content, and links to the website for viewing the complete article. Here is an example from Web Site Design References:
There are several types of aggregators. Web-based readers allow you to access your account and view RSS feeds from any computer (Google Reader, Bloglines). So even if you are vacationing in the Bahamas or cruising around Alaska, you can still access your account. Desktop aggregators (FeedDemon, NetNewsWire) require installation of software on your computer. You can only access the RSS feeds on that individual computer. Firefox, Internet Explorer 7, Thunderbird, and Microsoft Outlook 2007 allow you to integrate an RSS plug-in directly into their product. This can be quite handy, if you prefer to read your feeds while checking E-mail or browsing the Internet.
How Do I Find Feeds?
Discover feeds by using a search engine or directory (Google Blog Search, Technorati, Search4RSS, BlogPulse) designed specifically for locating RSS feeds. Many aggregators also include a search feature. It is just like searching Yahoo. Enter some keywords and click search.
Readings
Cohen, S. (2008, January). The Power of RSS. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 15 (1), 14-17. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
Fichter, D. (2004, July). Using RSS to Create New Services. Online, 18 (4), 52-55. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
Stephens, M. (2006, July). RSS. Library Technology Reports, 42 (4), 36-44. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
Tennant, R. (2003, May 15). Feed Your Head: Keeping US by Using RSS. Library Journal, 128 (9), 30. Retrieved September 4, 2008, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA296443.html?q=feed+your+head+roy+tennant.
Examples
Case Western Reserve University: Kelvin Smith Library
The University of Oklahoma Libraries
University of Florida: George A. Smathers Libraries
Activity #1
Keep current! Let technology do the work for you. Sign up for a free account using either Google Reader or Bloglines.
Activity #2
Now that you have an account, you will need to subscribe to some feeds. Subscribe to four feeds. Begin by subscribing to Learning 2.0 @ FJTL. Go to http://fjtl20.wordpress.com. Right click on the RSS posts feed link. Select Copy Link Location.
If you select Google Reader: Sign in to your account. Click Add Subscription. Paste the link in the subscription box. Click Add. The feed now appears in the left column (under add subscription).
If you select Bloglines: Sign in to your account. Click Add. Paste the link in the Blog or Feed URL box. Click Subscribe. Many any necessary changes to the display options (i.e, create or add a folder). Click Subscribe. The feed now appears in the left column (see “feeds”).
What interests you? Do you like to keep up with the latest celebrity gossip, diet and exercise tips, photography, news, library stuff? Use a search engine or directory to locate and subscribe to three feeds of your choice. You might consider subscribing to one of our participant blogs. Remember, anytime you see the orange icon or button on a site, you can subscribe to the feed.
Example: 
Activity #3
How can libraries utilize RSS feeds to improve library services? How would implementing RSS feeds on your personal site improve communication with your readers? Create a post to share your ideas on your blog. Or, tell us about your experience with this weeks activities and one of the feeds to which you subscribed. We just might want to subscribe to it as well.
Tips
- Do not subscribe to too many feeds. This can become a very time-consuming task.
- Unsubscribe to any feed that does not meet your expectations.
- Check your reader often. The number of items can quickly turn into hundreds of articles.
- Organize your feeds into folders.
