RSS Feeds

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
I like having the links to all the blogs and news sources I keep up with in one place. I like not having to deal with advertisements.

How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
I already use the technology in my personal life. It helps me to keep up with the frivolous reading I enjoy during slow times at the reference desk.

How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?
As an experiment, I created a Bloglines account for genealogy news because I like the Bloglines public format. It allows you to view the 10 most recent posts in a separate frame, all the while allowing access to the entire list of links. This would be an ideal format for our library’s Recommended Websites because you don’t have to use the back button on your browser or open up new windows to preview multiple links. The public URL for this account is http://www.bloglines.com/public/jplgenealogy.

I was curious about the “Blog” feature Bloglines offers. Turns out it’s super easy to use and the blogroll I created for the Bloglines account is automatically included in the sidebar. I did a quick test post and realized cut & paste doesn’t work all that great. You can view the blog at http://www.bloglines.com/blog/jplgenealogy. I may or may not pursue the idea of maintaining a blog for the department but at least I go the chance to see how Bloglines “Blog” feature compares to Blogger.