RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds and Me...The GOOD: I've been using RSS feeds for quite awhile. I started with Bloglines and found it was an easy way to go "to" the information, rather than have a bunch of emails coming in everyday from listservs. I could read when I had time -- not clutter up my email and also quickly scan a list of feeds.

The BAD: I have a tendency to sign up for more than I can read...so every couple of weeks, I do a purge and just mark "all read" and move on...kind of like a refrigerator dump on garbage day.


The UGLY? Hmmm...Only the inability of finding that "one" feed that will catch me up on all the important stuff without having to subscribe to a bunch of them, just in case...

?? Do you find yourself using these feeds for your personal interests, work, both??

Yes, yes, and yes...I have the library feeds, which led to the book feeds, which led to the news feeds, which led to the ... well, you get the picture... Andy was right in that it can become "the" place to lose an hour easily as you're just catching up -- and of course, finding out the latest gossip from People ...

?? Evaluate the UR Libraries RSS feeds. Do you find them useful? Do you think they are useful to library users?
What other ways can we utilize RSS in a library setting??

I think it's a useful way to present information -- it does need to be visible -- so I think ours might benefit from actually having some of the news right there, like is on the main website -- maybe in some of that unused white space to the right? :) -- ok, just kidding...

Other ways to utilize...hmmmm...definitely try to branch out with subject guides into blogging and offering feeds to current information posted and updates -- the feeds for new library books is a great offering. On the Art page, there were a couple of feeds to both current news and podcasts, so offering those as feeds is an interesting option.

My links on the right are feeds I'm pulling from NPR and other sources -- I'm a book review junkie, so I love to read about what others are reading and what new books are up and coming.