RSS in Action

ASX

http://www.asx.com.au/

The ASX RSS feed heading is one of five major headings on the ASX site alongside “Contact Us”.  This indicates not only the popularity of the placement of the link but the general acceptability that RSS data feeds provide. The ASX RSS feeds regularly changing financial information via the web, promoting its twice monthly newsletter, articles and video/interviews, providing free investment education in a convenient format. With constantly changing stock prices due to market demand and company performance data, a University library service utilising the ASX RSS media tool allows lecturers and students to view real time free financial data for analysis and discussion.

This would be a useful resource for reference librarian staff to promote to business and finance students, allowing them to stay informed by retrieving the latest content.

Benefits to users are:

·         With the automatic nature of this RSS feed, users don’t need to be reminded to enter the ASX site for news.

·         It is a faster way for scanning content saving time

·         100% opt-in – users control the content they wish to receive.

·         Available as a Twitter feed

Parliament of NSW

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/rss

This website allows users to access not just one universal RSS feed from parliament but up to ten specific areas.  From detailing information feeds on new bills as they are introduced, public events at Parliament House, new committee inquiries, up and coming hearings and meetings, to research papers produced by the Parliament of NSW library. This would provide within a University Library service important information for political science or law students.  All chosen updates are aggregated to one place such as an email address to be read when chosen.

Benefits:

·         Students would not have to enter any personal information to subscribe to these feeds.

·         Information from Parliamentary meetings can be laboriously long, however the RSS feeds contain a summary of information without overwhelming the reader.

·         If the reader wants additional information they can click on the item in the feed, accessing the website URL which contains the full article.

References:

 

     ASX. (2012). RSS Feeds. Retrieved from http://www.asx.com.au/

     Parliament of NSW. (nd). RSS Feeds. Retrieved from http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/rss