An introduction to RSS feeds by Maureen Couacaud ECU Library

1. Maureen Couacaud

2.  What is RSS?
 What is it used for?
 Exercises
- Subscribe to an RSS feed in IE or Firefox
- Subscribe to Google Scholar & subscribe
to multiple RSS feeds
Video (1.6min)

3.  Talking about information drawn from the internet/web
 Blogs & websites (feedscan include pictures & links to audio or
video)
 LIBRARY Catalogue
 LIBRARY Databases~! (with a little tweeking!)
 Really Simple Syndication
OR
Feeds or Web feeds
 Latest information added to the site is pushed out to you (Web 2.0
version of email alerts - push technology)

4.  the website has to offer RSS
(or use http://page2rss.com )
 you have to subscribe to it
 its free
 stored in in someone else's web space

5.  Use the website search box & ask
 Lookout for these icons & words

6.  Open IE
 go to http://abc.net.au
 search for “rss feeds”
 click on RSS Feeds

10.  Why use Google Reader?
 Receives feeds
 Consolidates feeds
 Organises feeds
 Shares feeds
 Grabs web pages
 Demo
 Video (13.3min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSPZ2Uu_X3Y

11.  Useful when you subscribe to many RSS feeds
 Easy to use
 View subscriptions (ALL or singly)
 Personalise feeds
 Star
 Share (can add a note)
 Email
 Notes (can also grab info from a webpage)

12.  “Manage subscriptions”
 rename your feed
 bin it
 add it to a folder
 Trends (how do you use Google Reader?)
 View your feeds in iGoogle

13. 
Exercises:
 Use Google Reader to browse for feeds
 Site offers RSS link to Google Reader
 Copy an RSS URL into Google Reader
 Copy Library database RSS URL into Google
Reader (after removing WAM authentication)

14.  login into your gmail account gmail.google.com
or go directly to http://google.com/reader
 click on Reader (top left)

15. Exercise 3: add an RSS feed
Use Google Reader to browse for feeds
 Go to Google Reader
 Click on (top left)
 Browse through their lists of feeds, select one
then click on ADD

16. Exercise 4: add an RSS feed from ???
RSS site offers link to Google Reader
 Try: http://www.lifehacker.com.au/
http://dornob.com
http://zenhabits.net/
 click on the RSS or Subscribe to this feed button
 Select Google Reader & press enter

17. Exercise 5: add an RSS feed
Copy an RSS URL into Google Reader
 try: http://abc.net.au (search for a feed)
http://thebredafallacy.blogspot.com/
 click on & paste the URL
into the text box & click on ADD

18. Exercise 6: For students & staff, researchers
Subscribe to an ECU library database RSS feed
First, manually remove ECU authentication from
0- AND .library.ecu.edu.au:80/ (delete up to the /)
 Copy RSS URL & paste into Google Reader
 http://0-search.informit.com.au
.library.ecu.edu.au/rss;res=IELBUS;issn=1031-8968
http://search.informit.com.au/rss;res=IELBUS;issn=1031-8968
 http://0-
search.ebscohost.com.library.ecu.edu.au/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&bqu
ery=(ACADEMIC+LIBRARIES)&type=1&site=ehost-live&scope=site

19. Topic RSS feeds
 Academic OneFile (Gale) shows results list+FT , doesn’t prompt for authentication
 ProQuest shows results list, prompts for authentication for FT
 EBSCO shows results list, prompts for authentication for FT
 WilsonWeb shows results list+FT , doesn’t prompt for authentication
 ISI (individual database – not WOK)
shows results list, does not link to FT (doesn’t prompt for authentication)
Journal contents pages feeds
 Informit shows results list, does not link to FT (doesn’t prompt for authentication)
 Emerald shows results list, does not link to FT (doesn’t prompt for authentication)

20.  Proquest
 Sport Discus (EBSCO)

21.  What is RSS?
 What is it used for?
 Exercises
- Subscribe to an RSS feed in IE or Firefox
- Subscribe to Google Scholar & subscribe
to multiple RSS feeds