Technology How To

What is RSS?

-RSS or Really Simple Syndication is a file format (XML) used for disseminating information through a subscription as soon as it becomes available on the Internet.

-RSS delivers information through an XML file as a “RSS Feed,” “webfeed,” “RSS stream,” or “RSS channel.”

What is a RSS Reader?

-A RSS Reader (also called feed “readers” or “aggregators”) is the method by
which a user subscribes to a RSS Feed. This is where the information from the
RSS Feed is delivered and where the user can retrieve the information.

Examples of Readers

There are many kinds of RSS Readers. There are web-hosted Readers such as Bloglines and Drupal, there are Windows/MAC specific Readers (you download a client and manage your feeds on your computer) such as FeedReader and
RSSReader, and there are RSS Readers in email clients (Thunderbird, for
example) and browsers (in the form of “Live Bookmarks”).

How do I know a site has RSS capabilities?

-Usually a site will say whether it has RSS capabilities. Also, if you see icons on a webpage that look like the icons below, you will know that the site you are on has RSS capabilities.

What is Bloglines.com?

-Bloglines.com is a web-hosted RSS Reader. You create a FREE account at http://www.bloglines.com/ and you begin to add and manage your RSS Feeds.

How do I set up an account with Bloglines.com?
-Go to http://www.bloglines.com/ and click on the Register link in the top, right corner. Bloglines.com is a reputable website, so your information is safe.

How do I use Bloglines.com?

-While you are creating an account, you might be asked to choose some RSS Feeds to subscribe to. After you have created an account with Bloglines.com, you will have to confirm your account, so you will need to check the e-mail address you registered with Bloglines and click on the link in the e-mail that Bloglines sends you.

-When you log in to Bloglines.com, you window may look similar to the image below. You can click on your options on the left hand side of the window to begin navigating to your different feeds.

How do I set up a RSS Feed using Bloglines.com (including the most recent titles) from the Z. Smith Reynolds Library?

1. First, go to http://catalog.zsr.wfu.edu.
2. Insert your search topic and click Find.
3. 
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the result page to locate the RSS Feed icon and click it.
5. 
6. Jump to step 11
7. For the most recent titles, select the Advanced Search (Classic View) tab on the new catalog page
8. 
9. Click on the New Items tab.



10. If you are looking for the latest VIDEO titles from the Library, on the Select Location menu, choose Media Collection. Under Display, choose from what time frame you would like to see. Within Sort, choose how you would prefer the videos be sorted. Then click on the RSS icon.



11. If you have upgraded to Firefox 2.0, the window that opens should look like the image below. In the drop down menu at the top of the page, choose Bloglines and then click Subscribe Now.



12. Bloglines.com will open. Check the box beside the ZSR Available feeds link at the top and click subscribe at the bottom of the page. You can go through the different options, create a new folder for your feed, etc., but it is not necessary. After your click subscribe, you will be taken to your Bloglines page and you should see your new ZSR Library Feed on the left hand side of the window.

NOTE: To subscribe to other feeds, you may have to click on a URL and follow the same directions for adding the ZSR feed to Bloglines, OR copy a URL provided by the host site, and then in Bloglines click Add within the Feeds tab on the left hand side of your Bloglines window and paste the URL in to Bloglines.