About RSS feeds

RSS feeds can make your web reading and news gathering activities more efficient. RSS feeds enable you to collect content on the web from multiple websites without having to visit each site individually, and the feed reader will organise this content in a single place for your personal use.

An RSS feed contains items. Each item contains a title, some descriptive content, and a URL that links back to the original content or website for more information.

How do I begin to use RSS feeds?

First you will need an RSS feed reader (or aggregator). Like email programs, there is a choice of readers to suit your particular needs. Some are programs you download and install on your computer, others are web-based services such as Bloglines and Google Reader, which are both free applications.

The other option is to use one of the latest browsers: Internet Explorer 7 and upwards, Firefox 3 and Safari (Macs) which incorporate RSS readers in the browsers.

The reader will enable you to organise the RSS feeds in your personal collection, for example in folders (much like an email program).

How do I add the Library News and Events feed to my reader?

Go to the News page on the Library website:

For Internet Explorer 7 and higher browsers

• Click the RSS icon  in the top toolbar. The icon will be orange in colour if RSS feeds are available for that webpage.
• Subscribe to have the feed automatically sent to your computer.
• This feed is then added to the Favourites Center which you can view by clicking on the yellow star in the top right corner.

For Firefox browsers

• By default the RSS web feeds subscription button is not visible. To enable the subscription button go to View, Toolbars, Customize and drag the button onto your toolbar.
• Click the Subscribe to this page button  in the top toolbar.
• Choose a folder in your Bookmarks to add a Live Bookmark to the RSS feed.