RSS feeds and aggregators provide a way to keep track of frequently updated, web-based content without constantly going to web sites to see if things have changed. While feeds don't bring you information you couldn't get through other means, they do allow you to interact with information in new ways.

What is RSS?

While there is disagreement about what it stands for (Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, RDF Site Summary), at its core RSS is an XML format that, when coupled with an appropriate client aggregator, is optimized for dealing with frequently-updated content. The Wikipedia entry is excellent.

RSS Clients/Aggregators

An RSS client or aggregator allows you to subscribe to feeds. Then it checks them periodically, alerting you when there's new content and displaying the content itself.

Desktop Windows Clients

Most Microsoft Windows-based clients require the .Net environment to be installed on your computer. The default UMich Library install includes all the .Net files you need, so inside the library this shouldn't be a concern.

It's also true that most Windows clients are essentially the same, with minor variations in settings and preferences and whatnot. We recommend:

RSS Bandit.

It has an internal browser based on IE, but you can also set it to open links in your default browser (e.g., Firefox).

Desktop Macintosh Clients

There really aren't many Macintosh clients out there, partially because of the almost total dominance of NetNewsWire Lite and its non-free sibling, NetNewsWire. Look all the way at the bottom of the linked page for the (relatively hidden) link to the free NetNewsWire Lite.

Safari 2.0 also has a built-in RSS reader that you may want to check out.

On-line, browser-based clients

One disadvantage of a standalone client is that your list of feeds and information about what you've read is available only on one machine. There are a variety of free (advertising-supported) sites that allow you to maintain your feed list and read feeds on-line. The most popular is Bloglines.

Bloglines and its ilk don't allow you to keep track of the read/unread status of individual posts, but they do offer an excellent way to keep track of RSS feeds without being tied to a desktop.

Feeds offered by the University of Michigan Library

RSS feeds are noted on library pages by the icon.

• The New Books page allows you to create an RSS feed from any search.
• The Government Documents Center has a feed of recently-added items as well.
• The library news section on the Library's gateway page provides a feed of the latest University Library news.
• The library guides and tutorials page has an RSS feed for all newly contributed guides.
• MLibrary Labs has a feed for new experimental tools.

Other Tools

Want to put the contents of a feed on your website? Look at Feed2JS for a simple way to include javascript that'll do the trick.