Having a Phone : IM instant Reference Wednesday 9:30

Having a Phone : IM instant Reference Wednesday 9:30
4 Speakers: Aaron Schmidt, Emily Center Remer, Sara Marks, Cathy Mello Alves

Speaker #1 Aaron Schmidt. North Plains Public Library, North Plains OR
His blog is http://www.walkingpaper.org/
AIM: XXagentcooperXXe: librarian [AT] gmail [DOT] com


Technonlogy keeps doubling Since the advent of computers, we are at the 31st or 32nd doubling.
80 million americans are using IM
From the Pew /Internet
53million American adults or 42% of adult internet using Americans and 70% of teens are using IM.

EFFORT for patrons to use a library is SO MUCH GREATER than for patrons to use Google.
We’re not making it easy for folks to use Library resources

DEMO of Mac iChat. Checks his buddies.
What kinds of questions do you get using IM? About the same.
You might get more homework help questions.
Easier for some folks to frame questions, not be nervous when asking question.
Who is likely to use: kids, undergrad students

MEEBO
Gmail – Aaron uses his gmail account (google) and his facebook account. Most IM packages are not interoperable. But MEEBO is interoperable
WebBased, nothing to download http://meebo.com/ links to AIM, iTalk, Yahoo, MSN
Sign up account, it spits out a widget and there’s script that you can put on your desired webpage.

Google bought AOL.
SETTING UP IM
· Hints: have one central point for IM contact – not circ, ILL, ref , etc.
· Use Staff incentives
· Do it at the reference desk.
· You need to advertise the service.
· His idea Do U IM business cards get instant help http://www.hsclib.sunysb.edu/im
· Set your availability status. Use your AWAY messages. If you leave your computer, set status away or helping patron etc. so you are not ignoring.
· Be prepared for “chatty Cathy”. Same as in person. Engage them for a while, then politely bow out.
· Go for speed, not perfection. Don’t type letters and paragraphs. Interact with your client using short phrases, just as you would in person.
· Make ICON interesting. Picture of your building, people, etc.
· Leave on the IM overnight with an AWAY message. You can answer in the morning. Effectively extends reference hours without being open.

Speaker #2 Emily Center Remer Young adult librarian – Framingham Public Library
http://fplya.blogspot.com/
AIM Gtalk: fplteenlib
MSN Chat fplteenlib@hotmail.com
ICQ: 443550354
Emily used Trillium, another multi platform IM program which you DO need to download
SHE now uses MEEBO too!

Emily on MEEBO
Meebo is a Firefox addon, so she can leave her IM on all the time.
Meebo widgets have been loaded on the Framingham Public Library teen page. http://www.framinghamlibrary.org/teen/teenpage.htm
People DON’T have to have their own password to gmail or whatever. They can just go on.
She’s taken off the left sidebar on her.

She’s added TWITTER, which is texting service to which people can subscribe.
She’s also included a MEEBO widget to her Blog. http://fplya.blogspot.com/

Speaker #3 Sara Marks Instruction Services Librarian Fitchburg State College
Ask A Library @ Fitchburg State College

SO important in Academic libraries.
Young people have a circle of radical trust. This is their circle of friends, people they know, Google.
Amelia Gallucci – Cirio Library: Live Librarian Fridays
http://www.fsc.edu/library/ask/
What You Can Ask us:
Research topic ideas
Picking the best place to search for information
Picking words and phrases to search for
How to create your bibliography and work cited lists
How to get items we don't have in our collections
LibGuide – the revolution in pathfinders!
See their libguides: http://www.fsc.edu/library/research/guides/index.cfm
http://fsc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=1754 is an example of a

http://mick768.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/how-to-design-a-libguide/
They’ve used business card magnets and business cards. They leave cards everywhere.

They got MEEBO ME free from Zazzle.com http://www.zazzle.com/
They use Facebook as an entrez to the library

Speaker #4 Cathy Mello Alves from Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries, Lowell
http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/ask.htm
has Chat, phone, email, visit. They work in shifts.
http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/chat.html

They are using Trillium but are switching to MEEBO.
We're here to help Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m, and Tuesday - Wednesday 5:00-7:00 p.m. Please keep in mind that your response will be from a librarian, trained to help you find information. If you need legal advice, please go to Find a Lawyer to search for an attorney.

If you already use IM and have a screen name, IM us:
For AIM: masslawlib
For MSN Messenger: masslawlib@hotmail.com

For Yahoo Messenger: masslawlib
For Google Talk (experimental, not available all hours): masslawlib@gmail.com
If you don't use IM, you can still chat. Just click on the link below:

Chat with a law librarian!

They started email ref 1999. 2005 24/7 Lawline, their original reference chat failed.
They were using LibAssistant and added IM. Meg work

Email they average 254 /month chat 283/month - Numbers are rising

From the Question and Answer Session.

Librarians are using some SMS textphoning esp in Australia.
Holds notification/ overdues notification.

A lot of students are synching their cellphones with their IM services.
There are html to text messaging gateways.

Brenda