la la la libraries

So I think I am in love with…RSS! For those non-techies out there such as myself, RSS means you can subscribe to and receive feeds from several different sources on the internet (like blogs) and these feeds will all gather together conveniently in one place called a reader.  The reader I use is Google Reader, where I can go everyday and check in on my fellow Library Technicians, and the newest blog posts they have written. 

I’ve followed blogs before, but I never really knew what RSS was,  and so I would sometimes spend up to several hours going through my bookmarked pages and visiting all of my favourite blogs, not knowing if there would be a new post, or if I was just wasting my time.  Now I just have to go to my reader, and all the new posts are there waiting for me without the hassle. 

Unlike most of my other classmates, I would definitely call myself a non-techie, and so to help understand the magic of RSS, I chose to read this article: RSS For Non-Techie Librarians.  I agree that RSS is quite easy to set up and use, even if you are a Library Technician who is not up to date with the newest in Internet trends.  In regards to the use of RSS within the library, I think it would be very helpful.  If your library has a blog, then you are one step closer to keeping your patrons up-to-date with the newest goings-on in your library.  It’s also helpful for the library staff who want to keep up with the newest in library trends, as they don’t have to waste time when looking through websites for Library Stuff.

The only complaint I have about using RSS concerns the reader.  I am a very visual person, and I enjoy seeing all the work that someone has put into the appearance of their blog.  For me it helps set the atmosphere and a tone to what you are reading, and I feel that sometimes the reader can come off as cold or distant.  Maybe this is just me.  Otherwise, I think it is very useful, and I’m happy that I’ve been clued into the wonderful world of RSS!