About RSS
RSS (Rich Site Summary, Really Simple Syndication) offers an easy way to keep up with new content on your favorite website. Instead of requiring that you click through the various pages of www.wilmettelibrary.info to see what’s new at WPL, we'll push that information directly to your computer.
RSS is an application of XML (eXtensible Markup Language), which is why you’ll
often see the availability of a feed represented by 
or 
. An RSS feed typically consists of a headline, a link, and a brief annotation or descriptive field.
How to Subscribe
If you click on any of the RSS links, you'll see that you can’t view RSS content through your browser. To take advantage of RSS, you’ll need to download a piece of software called a “Newsreader” or “Aggregator.” This software is used to collect, organize, and display all your RSS feeds. Once you’ve found an aggregator that you’re comfortable with, you can use it to scan the headlines of dozens of websites.
A great variety of free and commercial aggregators are available. Some popular browsers such as Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer 7 have built-in aggregators. Here are some popular online and downloadable options:
A comprehensive list of RSS aggregators is available at RSS Compendium.
Once you’ve selected an aggregator you’re ready to go! To subscribe to a WPL feed, right-click on the "XML" link , select “copy shortcut,” and paste the URL (as directed by the aggregator’s instructions) into your newsreader.
Finding RSS feeds
Locate these buttons within the pages of your favorite websites
or find the phrase “RSS Feeds.” These links are often found in the left or right-hand navigation bars or in the webpage footer.
Other sites that offer directories of feeds include:
More info
Any of the following sites are good resources to consult for an overview of RSS:
WebReference.com (which caters to those with an interest in the “techie” side of things) offers links to articles, tutorials, tools, software, and validators.
