Learn to Use Blogs and RSS

Brian Smith McCallumArlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML)

eResources Librarian

www.ahml.infobmccallum@ahml.info

847.506.2658

Six-Point Outline

• Definition of blogs• Sample blogs• Find blogs• Definition of RSS• Newsreaders• Create a blog

Blog: A Definition

• Fusion of “web” + “log” (i.e., online diary)• Type of website• Publishing platform• Content = in reverse chronological order• All entries/”posts” include time and date

stamp• Self-archives all content• May allow for other users’ comments

Blogs in Plain English

Sample Blogs

• Perennial Searcher

http://briansmithmccallum.wordpress.com/

• AHML Staff Choices

http://community.ahml.info/staffchoices

Find Blogs

• Technorati

www.technorati.com

• Google Blog Search

http://blogsearch.google.com

Technorati

Google Blog Search

RSS: A Definition

• Rich Site Summary or

• Really Simple Syndication

• Standard for “syndicating” web content

• File extension = .rss

RSS in Plain English

Newsreaders

• Software that “subscribes” to feeds/blogs

• Web-based (recommended) or desktop-based

• FREE! registration (username and password = required)

Google Reader

Google Reader in Plain English

Bloglines

Create a Blog: 3 FREE Tools

• Blogger.comwww.blogger.com

• Wordpress.comwww.wordpress.com

• tumblrwww.tumblr.com

Blogger

Wordpress.com

tumblr

Next Steps

• Find blogs of interest with Technorati and Google Blog Search

• “Subscribe” (for FREE!) to blogs with Google Reader

• Create your own blog with Blogger.com

• Learn about microblogging and Twitter

• “Follow” AHML on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ahml

Twitter in Plain English

Resources

• Presentation Slideshttp://www.slideshare.net/briansmithmccallum

• Presentation Linkshttp://www.delicious.com/briansmccallum/blogclass

• AHML on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/ahml