State Library of Queensland > SLQ home > Help > Web feeds

Help with web feeds

What is a web feed?

A web feed, also known as an RSS feed or Atom feed, allows you to see the headlines and summary information about various news items from our website, including the following:

You can click on the headline to read the full item without leaving your browser-based feed reader service or desktop newsreader. And because these service automatically check for updates, you won't need to check the website again and again to find out whether there have been any important changes to it.

Many other websites that update their information regularly (like blogs and news sites) also offer web feed versions of their content. Buttons such as , XML , or a piece of text that says “XML” or “RSS” are usually links to a web feed.

How do I subscribe to a web feed?

Browsers

Some browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer 7+ and Firefox 2+) have built-in feed readers.

For Internet Explorer version 7+, click on the RSS icon and click on ‘Subscribe to this feed’ in the yellow box. The feed is automatically added to the Feeds section of the Explorer Bar (Favourites Centre) and kept up to date.

For Firefox 2 or 3, click on the RSS icon, choose from the drop down list where you wish to save your RSS feed. Firefox can automatically save to ‘Live Bookmarks’. The feed is added to the Bookmarks Toolbar Folder and kept up to date.

Desktop readers

To subscribe to one the Library’s web feeds using a separate desktop reader, click on the feed button next to the feed you want (or Ctrl click for Mac users), copy the URL of the page that is displayed from your web browser’s Address or URL box and paste it into the appropriate place in your feed reader.

What are feed readers and how do I get one?

A feed readers or RSS reader is an application or servicethat collects and presents the content provided by a web feed, usually providing automatic updates.

There are a number of different types of feed readers to choose from: built-in browser readers, desktop news reader, online news service, etc.

A search engine search for "feed reader" for "RSS reader" will return many free, downloadable software options that you can install on your PC.

However, if you move around to different computers during the day, you may prefer an online news service. These work much like an online email account, allowing you to log in from any PC connected to the Internet. Examples of such services include MyYahoo [new window] and Google Reader [new window].

Why should I subscribe to web feeds?

Subscribing to a web feed offers a streamlined method of receiving content of specific interest to you. Some feed readers allow you to aggregate multiple feeds, making the process of gathering website content more efficient. Instead of visiting websites individually for new content, feed readers monitor the sites for you and provide updates in the one location.

Web feeds