- RSS in Plain English - Text - another good overview of RSS.
- Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds (silent screencast - approximately 3 minutes) - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative. (Good standard overview of what an rss feed is)
Week 3 Lesson 1
Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader
You’ve heard of RSS? You’ve seen those small funny tags on websites? You’ve heard co-workers and acquaintances swear by it, but still have no idea what RSS is? Well don’t worry, according to a recent survey you’re still in the majority, but this is changing rapidly. In the information world, RSS is not only revolutionizing the way news, media and content creators share information, but it also is swiftly changing the way everyday users are consuming information.
RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web.
Just think about the websites and news information sources you visit every day. It takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages for just the text you want to read, doesn’t it? Now imagine if you could visit all those information sources and web pages in just one place and all at the same time … without being bombarded with advertising… without having to search for new information on the page you’d already seen or read before… and without having to consume a lot of time visiting each site individually. Would that be valuable to you? Well, it’s available now through a newsreader and RSS.
Every blog automatically creates an RSS feed.
This week’s discovery exercises focus on learning about RSS news feeds, setting up a Google Reader account (a free online newsreader) for yourself to bring your feeds together, and subscribing to some fun or useful feeds.
Discovery Exercise:
4. Now you know how to subscribe to any news feeds you find around the Internet. Take some time to read some of the feeds coming into your Google Reader Account. If you need help you can refer to the Google Reader Screencast in the Discovery Resources section below or ask Vicky or Sue S. 5. Another way to find feeds is to use Google Reader's browse function (accessible from the add subscription button - you can use the How to Use Google Reader Screencast in the Discovery Resources section below for help). Subscribe to at least 5 library related feeds that interest you and 5 other feeds that look intriguing. You'll find newsfeeds for hobbies, health, entertainment, news... 1 Point Extra Credit (for each search tool you try): Try searching for feeds using other feed search tools described in the Discovery Resources section below. If you choose to do this, please e-mail Sue to get your extra credit points. 6. Create a blog post about your experience. Don't know what to blog about? Here some questions to think about ... 7. Return to your Google Reader Account in the next day or two to see items added since you last visited your account. Discovery Resources: Introduction to RSS Optional Introduction to Google Reader Optional Locating and Subscribing to News Feeds There are several ways you can locate newsfeeds:
Lucy Robbins Welles Library News and Events feed. Follow the instructions below to subscribe to the feed:
Go to our home page.
Click on the orange RSS image
.Click on the "Add to Google" image
on the Lucy Robbins Welles Library News Feedburner screen.On the next screen click on the blue "Add to Google Reader" button. You just added your first feed to your Google Reader account! Any time you see this image: on a website, you can click to add the feed to your Google Reader account. Subscribe to one (or more) of our book newsletters by following the instructions below:
Go our home page.
Click on triangle next to the Adult selection on the green menu on the left side of the page.
Click on "New Additions" (under Adult on the green menu)
Scroll down just a bit until you can see all the book newsletters we offer.
Choose one of the newsletters, then click on the orange square RSS symbol associated with that newsletter.
This will bring you to a white screen filled with some computer code, copy the url (by clicking in the address bar once to highlight the website address, then hold down the 'Ctrl' key while you press the 'c' key).
Go to your Google Reader account.
Click "Add subscription".
Paste the url into the green box (click in the white area inside the green box, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while you press the 'v' key).
Click add.
Subscribe to the Lucy's Librarians Learn Library 2.0 blog:
Look in the gutter (or sidebar) of the blog, on the right hand side under the 'Meta' header.
Click on 'RSS Entries'. The next screen will be filled with some computer code. Copy the website address (as you did when you subscribed to the book newsletters).
Go to your Google Reader account.
Click "Add subscription".
Paste the url into the green box (click in the white area inside the green box, hold down the control key while you press the 'v' key).
Click add. Subscribe to some of your coworker's blogs:
All of the blogs created during these lessons are listed on the right hand side of the Lucy's Librarians Learn Library 2.0 blog under the 'Links' header.
Click on one of the blogs you would like to subscribe to. That blog will open. Look in the gutter (or sidebar) of the blog, usually on the right hand side for the RSS initials.
If you find 'RSS Entries', click on it. The next screen will be filled with some computer code. Copy the website address (as you did when you subscribed to the book newsletters).
If you don't see the initials RSS on the screen anywhere, try copying the url of the blog (go to the address bar on top of the screen, click on it to highlight it, then hold down the 'Ctl' key while you press the 'c' key).Go to your Google Reader account.
Click "Add subscription".
Paste the url into the green box (click in the white area inside the green box, hold down the control key while you press the 'v' key).
Click add.
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
Additional Resource: Technorati Tutorial on finding and adding your blog
Confused?
Before you get frustrated, please ask for help. Vicky Chase & Sue Schneider use RSS and Google Reader every day. Tap into their knowledge! Or, seek out a co-worker who has already completed this lesson. Ask them to show what they know.
