Real Audio | How to Listen

RSS, short for Really Simple Syndication, is an increasingly popular way to view Web sites -- without having to go to the actual sites.

Using software called an RSS "reader" or "aggregator," users subscribe to "feeds" of content. For example, by subscribing to the Future Tense RSS feed, you automatically receive the content of the Future Tense Web site whenever it's updated, inside your RSS reader.

Many major news sites have added RSS.

Now, libraries are discovering that RSS might be a good way of providing new services and reaching out to patrons.

Next month, the Seattle Public Library will offer feeds that will help patrons stay on top of their accounts, and track favorite authors or subjects from the library catalog.

And library technology vendor Sirsi has announced new RSS features.