IM Reference: Its Whats for Dinner

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IM ReferenceIts Whats for Dinner

• Sarah Houghton-Jan
• Information and Web Services Manager, San Mateo
  County Library
• Librarian in Black www.librarianinblack.net

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• How many people have used IM before?
• How many people have used IM for staff
  communication?
• For reference?

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What is instant messaging?

• Instantaneous, simultaneous text chat
• Add-ons like video, audio, file sharing

Transcript
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IM client software the holy trinity
Theyre all freeto you and users

• Other Software
• ICQ
• IRC
• Jabber
• Google Talk
• MySpace

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IM aggregator software

• Trillian http//www.ceruleanstudios.com/
• Gaim http//gaim.sourceforge.net/
• Both let you monitor multiple IM accounts (AOL,
  MSN, Yahoo!) through one interface.
• Oh yeahtheyre both free!

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Web-based IM with Meebo

• Completely web-basedno installations
• Sign in with multiple accounts at once
• Even if IM is blocked, this still works
• MeeboMe Widget allows IMing right on a webpage
• no software or accounts required!

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Lets Try It

• When shes on her own computer, Sarah uses
  Trillian to chat w/ friends/colleagues.
• When shes on a public computer, she uses Meebo.
• Sarah also likes to refer to herself in the third
  person. ?

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Principles of Virtual Reference

• We want to serve all users equally
• in-house and remote
• We want to attract and serve new users
• There is a user expectation of real-time online
  service from everyone, retail and community
• We want to be where our users are online (in
  whatever form that may take)

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Why use IM for reference?

• Traditional web-based chat has technical and
  service problems
• Slowness
• Stiff computer requirements, disconnects
• User privacy issues
• Non-local librarians
• Cost
• For many users, not having IM is like not having
  a phone.

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Your users are here already

• 75 of online teens IM
• 42 of online adults IM
• 50 of IMing teens (32 of all teens) IM every
  single day
• Undergrad students, techies, kids and teens,
  stay-at-home parents, people using IM at work
• Pew Internet and American Life Project. Teens
  and Technology. 07/27/2005.

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IM Benefits

• Easy to use for both the librarian and the user
• Youre right there on the users buddy list
• Features
• Document sharing
• Sending URLs, images, voice (w/ add-ons like
  Skype)
• Speeddont get me started on the speed
• Less demands on patron librarian computers
• Disconnects just dont happen
• Did I mention that everything is free?

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Concerns to address

• If user not already IMing, needs to download a
  small program
• Library needs to actively secure user information
  (not keeping transcripts, buddy lists)
• Commercial chat terms of service may include
  privacy concernswarn users
• No co-browsingyet
• No 24/7 availabilityyet

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Working with IT Staff

• Be enthusiastic
• Is IM banned or blocked? Why?
• The boogeyman of network security? Or its a
  time-waster?
• E-mail and web browsing cause many more security
  problems than IM.

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IM etiquette

• Be brief
• Use frequent shorter messages
• Capitalization and punctuation are optional
• Bad spelling happens
• Use smiley faces (emoticons) responsibly
• Dont type in ALL CAPS PLEASE!!!!!!!

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Abbreviations

• OMG, I was AFK and my SO gave me an EG! LOL!
  Oops, BRB!
• Oh my god, I was away from the keyboard and my
  significant other gave me an evil grin! Laugh
  out loud! Oops, be right back!
• Familiarize yourself with some basics
  http//www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm

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Whos using IM for reference?

• Library Success Wiki list http//www.libsuccess.o
  rg/index.php?titleOnline_Reference
• 92 libraries in September, up from 79 in May, 43
  last November
• Public, academic, school, special
• Contact uswere happy to help!

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Example of Library IM webpage
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Things to Address Before Implementation

• Demonstrate IM to all staff and explain why
  youre doing this
• Basic training materials on how to use the
  softwares features
• Have staff practice with each other
• Scripts for inappropriate users, suicidal users,
  questions out-of-scope, etc.
• Pick a user icon (logo?)

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Things to Address Before Implementation

• Advertising flyers, business cards, table tents,
  schools, outreach events
• Blocking abusive users
• Standard away message
• Determine a scopewhat questions will you answer?
• Do you want stats? Keeping transcripts?
• Do you want to schedule your IM, or just be on
  whenever you can?

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Againwhy should we IM

• Get our knowledge, helpfulness, and information
  expertise out there where the users are
• Reach a hard to reach (for libraries) segment of
  the population teens, twentysomethings, and
  tech-savvy independent folks
• Make us findable in the online environment

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Questions? Contact Sarah any time E-mail
houghton-jan_at_smcl.org IM LibrarianInBlack (AOL,
Yahoo!, MSN)