What is RSS?

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is an XML-based format that makes it possible to stay abreast of constantly changing information available from a wide variety of Web sites without actually having to visit any of them.

The and icons signal a link to web content has been formatted for use by an RSS reader. Using an RSS reader or aggregator, you can subscribe to RSS feeds from news-related sources, blogs, databases and other Web sites. Each time a site is updated, changes are sent instantly to your RSS reader.

RSS and the Library

From the Library's Web site, the What's New announcements are available as an RSS feed.

Many databases allow you to save search alerts as RSS feeds. Also, you can find the latest content from scholarly journals by signing up for table-of-contents RSS alerts via JournalTOCs.   

RSS feeds on the Library's Web site follow RSS 2.0 Specification.

RSS readers

There are a variety of RSS readers and new ones are appearing all the time.

Browser-based RSS readers
Add RSS feeds to your browser. These will only be available on the computer where that browser is installed.

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera
• Safari

Web-based RSS readers
These readers can be accessed from any computer.

• Feedly
• My Yahoo
• Netvibes
• The Old Reader

Windows desktop readers

• Awasu (personal edition is free)
• Feed Demon
• Microsoft Outlook
• Newz Crawler

Mac desktop software

• Apple Mail
• Newsfire

Finally, Zotero, a Web-based bibliographic manager, can also be used as an RSS reader.