Learn to Use Blogs and RSSBrian Smith McCallum

Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML)eResources Librarian

www.ahml.infobmccallum@ahml.info

847.506.2658

Outline

• Definition of blogs

• Sample blogs

• (How to) find blogs

Outline (Continued)

• Definition of RSS

• Newsreaders

• (How to) create a blog

Blog: A Definition

• Fusion of “web” + “log” (i.e., 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

Sample Blogs

• Perennial Searcherhttp://blogs.nsls.info/searcher

• AHML Staff Choiceshttp://community.ahml.info/staffchoices

(How to) Find Blogs

• Technoratiwww.technorati.com

• Google Blog Searchhttp://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

Bloglines

Create a Blog: (Mostly) FREE Tools

• Blogger.comwww.blogger.com

• Voxwww.vox.com

• LiveSpaceshttp://

home.services.spaces.live.com

• Wordpresswww.wordpress.org

• Typepad ($)www.typepad.com

• Tumblrwww.tumblr.com

Blogger

Where To Go From Here?• Find blogs of interest with Technorati and Google Blog

Search

• “Subscribe” (for FREE!) to blogs with Bloglines or 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://delicious.com/briansmccallum

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