RSS Feeds

RSS (“Really Simple Syndication”) is a distribution mechanism used for blogs, podcasting, video blogging, etc. It makes possible a publish and subscribe model for the Internet — the Lafayette Calendar of Events publishes calendar event feeds to which calendar users can subscribe.

The availability of an RSS feed for Web content is typically indicated by the presence of an icon. The Calendar of Events uses this one:

To subscribe to an RSS feed for a category of calendar events:

1. Go to the Categories page in the calendar.
2. Click the RSS feed icon next to the Category you would like to subscribe to.
3. Copy the resulting web address from your browser’s address/location bar.
4. Add this web address to your RSS feed reader.

ICS Files

ICS files use the iCalendar specification to encode calendar events in a format that allows users to share, import, and export entire calendars and individual calendar events among iCalendar- compliant applications.

The Lafayette Calendar of Events generates ICS files that allow users to easily add calendars and events to their personal calendars. The files can be used in different ways:

Each event has its own ics file — click the ics/download icon for an event to add the event to your personal calendar. Depending on what application you use for your calendar, you can either download the file then import it into your calendar, or choose your calendar application to open the file (instead of saving/downloading it), in which case the event should automatically be imported.

The availability of an ICS file is typically indicated by the presence of an icon. The Calendar of Events uses this one:

Downloading a category to your calendar using an ICS file

By default, if you click on an ICS file in the calendar it will be downloaded to your computer. This allows you to add a copy of the category to the calendar application on your computer, but it’s a one-time addition; since it’s not a subscription, new events won’t be added to your calendar.

1. Go to the Categories page in the calendar.
2. Click the ICS icon of the Category you would like to download.
3. The ICS file for that category will be downloaded to your computer.
4. Double click on the file — your computer should open it in your calendar and add the events to it.

Adding individual events to your calendar using an ICS file

1. Go to the event’s page in the calendar.
2. Click the event’s ICS icon.
3. The ICS file for that category will be downloaded to your computer.
4. Double click on the file — your computer should open it in your calendar and add the event to it.

Subscribing to a category using an ICS file

You can also subscribe to a category using an ICS file. The instructions for subscribing to an ICS file as a feed vary based on which calendar software you use on your computer, but all require you to know the location of the ICS file you are subscribing to. These instructions explain how to copy the location of the ICS file.

1. Go to the Categories page in the calendar.
2. Right-click (or Command-click on Mac) on the ICS icon for the category.
3. Choose the “Copy this link” command (or your web browser’s equivalent).
4. In your email client, use this link location to subscribe to the category.