Feed Me!

RSS feeds are widely used by the media, large organizations and libraries on their web gateways to distribute news, updates and online publications in various formats from journals to blogs, podcasts, and videos. The ABC website states that RSS feeds help you to keep up-to-date without having to check the site itself. RSS commonly refers to Really Simple Syndication which can be fed into software known as a feed/ RSS reader. The readers can take the form of downloadable software or web applications, such as FeedBurner. Some popular feed readers that are enabled by browsers are Firefox (via Live Bookmarks), Safari (feed support in Apple OSX), Feed Demon 2.0 or Newsgator via Inbox for Microsoft Outlook (Windows).

Websites which incorporate RSS feeds display the universal feed icon, which viewers can click to subscribe to receive regular updates. The updates can be delivered automatically via the web portal, a newsreader or email. RSS feeds can enable greater distribution of the content of a library website beyond its visitors. Libraries can employ RSS feeds as a part of their many services. RSS feeds enable users to continuously keep track of a large number of related resources, such as databases, web-links and other library catalogs, without having to check many sites manually. Therefore, feeds make it possible for library users to save time when reviewing a large amount of content. The Cunningham Library at the Australian Council for Education Research provides an example of the application of RSS feeds for this purpose. It employs FeedBurner on its web portal to provide users with regular updates to ACEReSearch, the online research repository.

In a  weblink to 'Feedburner ' on Google,  it is noted that  hundreds of thousands of bloggers, podcasters and videobloggers publish feeds to keep themselves better connected to their readers, listeners, admirers and critics. School libraries can foster communication and collaboration via RSS feeds linked to blogs, events and news updates for their users. For example, Mentone Grammar School librarian, Miffy Farquharson offers the followers of her "MG Library Blog" the options of subscribing to an RSS feed of posts and comments. This strategy not only fosters connectedness within her school community but it provides opportunities for active participation, feedback and access for the wider community via the school website.

References:
http://www.abc.net.au./services/rss
http://feeds.feedburner.com//acer-media-releases