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What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) delivers information from webpages to users. Instead of checking your 20 favorite websites to see if there is anything new, RSS delivers the information to you. All you need is a program called a feed reader or aggregator, or sign up with an online service, or use a browser that supports RSS.
Examples
Many websites offer RSS. Here is a sampling of feeds that the Library has subscribed to.
National and Local News
Books and Reviews
Getting Started
Feed readers, online services, and subscribing to feeds vary. The following instructions are only a guide to getting started.
| 1. Install a RSS feed reader, sign up with an online service, or use a browser that supports RSS. |
Popular online services include: My Yahoo!, Google Fusion, My MSN, Bloglines or Newsgator.
Browsers: Opera, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Internet Explorer 7
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| 2. Subscribe to a feed: |
You may have noticed a little orange button on webpages that looks something like:
or like this:
click on the little orange button or the link next to it.
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example:
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| Do one of the following: |
| a) Some sites offer buttons to the most popular online services making it very easy to add feeds into your online service. You just click on your service and you are automatically subscribed. |
example:
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OR
b)
When you click on the button you might see some programming code. What you are seeing is XML and it's not very easy to read or useful by itself, but once you plug the URL, or web address, into your feed reader you can keep up with the latest news, etc. |
example of XML:
- <rss version="2.0">
- <channel>
<title>LCC Library - What's New</title>
<link>http://www.lanecc.edu/library</link>
<description>What's New in the Library</description>
<copyright>1996-present Lane Community College</copyright>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Nov 2006 14:15:03 PST</pubDate>
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| Highlight and copy the web address (URL) |
example:
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| and paste the web address into your feed reader or your online service. |
example:
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| 3. Aggregators may check for updates on startup, hourly or when you request. |
example:
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Try It
1. Install one of the RSS feed readers above
2. Subscribe to the Library News RSS Feed
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RSS - Really Simple Syndication 