RSS in action

RSS is commonly known as Really Simple Syndication and is a file format (usual an XML file) that is used to deliver regularly updated information over the web.


RSS feeds and aggregators allow articles of interest or relevence to be delivered directly to your desktop when they are published.Without RSS, you would have to check each individual site daily for new updates.

Who uses RSS

Some common uses for RSS feeds are: 

• Notification of additions of new items to a database,
• New information added to websites,
• New job vacancies,
• New blog posts

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) use RSS feeds to keep their members up-to-date on what is happening in the association.
http://alia.org.au/rss/

RSS feeds are used by ALIA to inform members of the following:

• updates to information on their website,
• job vacancies,
• ALIA media releases,
• ALIA Board information, and
• ALIA enquiry watch which informs members of changes to library associated  acts and policies

Database companies such as Gale-Cengage Learning, Ebsco and Emerald  all allow individual searches to be captured via RSS.  Individual searches can be set up by RSS so when new content is added to the database that matches the search criteria; the new content is added to your RSS feed.
Individual periodicals can also have RSS feeds attached, so when new content is added to that periodical; it is added to your RSS feed.
Information about setting up RSS feeds via the Gale-Cengage Learning databases can be located via the following link
http://support.gale.com/gale/article.html?article=1809

Individual journals also often also have RSS feed capacity.  This enables the journal's headlines to be posted on your RSS feedreader as soon as they are published.
The Library Journal is an example of an onlie journal that has RSS capacity
http://www.libraryjournal.com/csp/cms/sites/LJ/Info/rss.csp

How the library can use RSS feeds

The library can use RSS feeds to inform library users of new resources added to their collection, up and coming events and changes to the library's opening hours.

Casey Cardinia Library Corporation, a large public library corporation  in Melbourne's Eastern suburbs uses a blog for their library webpage.The blog utilises RSS feeds so their community can be kept up to date with changes to the library website.  The RSS feed icon is displayed at the bottom of the homepage.

Somerset College, a secondary college in Queensland uses a blog for their library homepage which has an RSS feed ability.  This means the college community can be alerted to new information added to the webpage.

RSS feeds can also be used in the library as a professional development tool to encourage staff to keep up-to-date with library related information by having RSS feed readers on their computers and pushing information through RSS feeds to them.  As Beth Kanter points out in her blog Beth's Blog, over the past decade, the Internet and social media have been one of the primary sources for professional learning.

Personally I use RSS feeds to keep up-to-date with discussions about technology in the library industry.  I have  set up a Google Reader which I am able to use on any computer.  I have numerous blogs that I follow set up so when a new blog post is added; I am updated.  It is a great way to keep abreast of developments in your profession.  I also have an RSS feed to a search string I have created through a database.  When information is added to that database that fits the subject of the search string; my RSS feed is also updated with the new information.