Using Bloglines Presented by Bonnie Shucha © University of WI Law Library

What is Bloglines? – Bloglines is a FREE online service that helps you subscribe to and manage lots of web information, such as news feeds, weblogs and audio. – Bloglines tracks the information you're interested in, retrieves new stuff as it happens, and organizes everything for you on your own personal web news page. – From: Bloglines FAQ

About Bloglines Bloglines is free Bloglines is Web-based – Nothing to download – Access from any computer with an Internet connection Can subscribe to RSS feeds and have listservs/subscriptions delivered to Bloglines

Feeds are displayed in the left- frame in a directory-like listing. Folders containing unread news are bolded. Click on the + next to the folder to view feeds within it RSS Feeds

Blog Headlines Click on a feed in the directory to open a list of headlines OR Click on a folder name to view new entries from all feeds in that folder Click on + next to headline to view contents of post

Subscribing to Bloglines Go to Only requires an address & password

Adding Feeds to Bloglines Several Ways to Subscribe to Feeds – Known Feed – You already have the URL – Browse Recommended Feeds – Let Bloglines suggest feeds based on your existing subscriptions

Adding a Known Feed Click “Add” Click “Add” at top of right frame Enter URL and click “Subscribe”

Choose Folder Select folder in which to add feed Use “Top Level” until you have created folders Click “Subscribe” button New feed subscription will appear in directory at left Click “Subscribe”

Browse Recommended Feeds After you have added a few subscriptions, Bloglines scans for other similar feeds Click “Recommendations” in “Extras” section at the bottom of the directory on the left

Subscribe: Click to subscribe with one click Subscribers: See how many other Bloglines users subscribe to this feed Preview: Preview what feed will look link in Bloglines Subscribe To This Feed: Check box to subscribe to multiple recommended feeds; then click “Subscribe” button at the bottom

Finding Feeds Look for button to get URL for the blog’s feed Copy URL, click “Add” in Bloglines and paste URL

Finding Feeds Keyword Search a search engine or use the search box in Bloglines at top left

Adding Subscriptions Why? – Stop the clutter - Gets high traffic listservs out of your – One stop shopping – Read all of your current awareness / professional development news in one place --- Bloglines!

Adding Subscriptions Create an unlimited number of special Bloglines addresses that are tied to your Bloglines account The addresses show up as subscriptions in your directory, and sent to those addresses appears as new items

Adding Subscriptions Click “Add” in directory Click “Create an Subscription” link

Your existing subscriptions are displayed at the top of the page. To create a new one, complete this form at the bottom of the page.

Adding Subscriptions Listservs – Subscribe using your new unique address – Click on the “send ” link to send a message from this address – Subscribe following listserv directions Send

Adding Subscriptions Alert Services – Google News Alerts – Feedster News Alerts Feedster also has option for delivering results via RSS

Subscribing to Alert Services Use unique Bloglines address as your subscription address – To see unique address, open the new subscription in your directory on the left

Clipping & ing Posts One advantage of news readers is that once posts are viewed, they won’t be displayed the next time you open the feed However, you can “clip” or posts that you wish to save

Clip

Open pull down to chose folder or create new one Click “Save to”

Viewing Clippings Click “Clippings” tab in directory on left

Enter address Type message if desired Click “Send ”

Organizing Feeds in Bloglines To create new folders or move feeds to existing folders: – Click “Edit” in directory – Then choose folder from pull down menu – Click “Submit”

Organizing Feeds in Bloglines To sort feeds within folders – Click “Reorder/Sort” in directory – Then choose sort order from pull down menu – Click “Submit”

Questions? Contact – Bonnie Shucha Reference & Electronic Services Library University of Wisconsin Law Library PowerPoint presentation available at