RSS feeds and readers (feed aggregators)

RSS animated icon  from ahTim.com 

Sometimes the penny takes a little while to drop, but when it does, it’s like a tsunami effect. I’m now the biggest fan of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds and wonder how I have managed to keep abreast of information in my areas of interest without this tool. To think RSS is so pervasive too, sitting there on most websites beckoning, but falling on my ‘deaf ears’. Dummkopf!

Together with Google Reader, RSS may be the key to world domination, i.e. my domination of the world. Please... for good, not evil!! See what I mean, social media is such a distraction, has you planning all manner of things.  However, as toolkits go, RSS should be considered an essential inclusion for any up and coming 'benevolent dictator', especially in today’s information environment. Helps you keep a finger on the pulse of what the Joe Blogs of the world are thinking – it’s called intel.

On a serious note, my two examples of “RSS in action” are:

• Monash University Library RSS feeds to a number of Library services provided through the Library blog - https://blogs.monash.edu/library/rss-feeds/
• Entries to see all new postings in the Library Blog
• Comments for only comments on all postings
• News and events postings only
• Branch libraries postings only
• Resources postings only
• Library catalogue New titles RSS feeds to see items added to the collections in the last week in the users’ area of interest.

• The National Archive of Australia provides a RSS feed to general news items - http://www.naa.gov.au/whatsnew.xml

The following site http://moxielibrarian.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/10-ways-libraries-can-use-rss/ has some really good ideas for RSS use in libraries for enhancing users’ experiences and interactions with the library, a few examples are to create RSS feeds:

• Connecting to library card accounts for hold notifications and/or overdue materials.
• Announcing library closings, including emergency closings.
• Highlighting current employment opportunities in the Library.
• To connect local news websites, and share the content on the library’s website. This could be included on a page containing other local resources and local links.

Others could include reminder notices for upcoming Library events, creating reading lists in subject areas with regularly updated content, and dissemination of general promotional and/or news items.

BTW – I’m quite keen on Google Alerts too – very easy to use.