Comments on: IM me. Oh wait, we do not do that here.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:24:00 +0000

The thing is that you have to show both the utility & applicability to the powerbase in order to convince the majority powers that be the worthiness and practicaility of these tools. It is imcomprehensible to these people that one can look up something on the Interweb from your cell phone! The goal is not to teach the masses anymore. The masses know how to use technology to their advantage. The new goal is to teach the power structures the best way to harnass the free technology & tools to expand the presence of a library. We shouldn’t be an isolated pond, we should be part of the wider world web. Isolation just breeds contempt

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:28:00 +0000

Captain Haikoo you made me laugh out loud.

By: captain haikoo

captain haikoo — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 03:52:00 +0000

I’m doing chat reference for my institution AT THE EXACT SAME MOMENT THAT I AM TYPING THESE WORDS!

Excitement abounds! I’m even TELECOMMUTING! It is insane!

By: laura

laura — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:39:00 +0000

Gosh, I’d IM you, but we don’t do that here, either–though I’ve been known to open up a discreet Meebo window.

By: Bill Dueber

Bill Dueber — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:47:00 +0000

A fad? This seems really unlikely to me.

Libraries need to strike now, ’cause the iron is already hot. The latest Pew study of students and information technology show that better than 80% of students use instant messaging for an average of 3-5 hours a week. Email has higher penetration but less time used (average 1-2 hours/week).

By: ranger

ranger — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 21:15:00 +0000

I’ve secretly used a couple of different IM, um, protocols, tools, whatever! here–trillian and also google talk. But since so few folks are on it, it’s not a useful tool in ye olde office. However, think how great it’d be at the desk. How! Great!

By: Meredith

Meredith — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:48:00 +0000

I went to a job interview last year at a library that had just started using JYBE, but this didn’t mean the library as a whole was progressive. The folks on my search committee told me that their students “aren’t the type to use virtual reference” (what type is that? if they’re young, college-aged students, they’re probably using IM). They also blamed their students’ problems with their horribly unusable website and catalog on the students’ lack of intelligence. Talk about having you head in the sand!!! If I ever get like that, I hope someone will shoot me.

Karen’s right that Meebo is a terrific tool. My supervisor agreed to do a chat reference pilot project next semester, and we can download IM clients onto our computers, but we are blocked by IT from registering for an AIM username on campus. So if I want to get my colleagues on AIM, I have to register them from home. Sheesh!

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:44:00 +0000

Hey as your partner in crime I suggest that you use AIM Express (http://www.aim.com/get_aim/express/aim_expr.adp?aolp=) which doesn’t require you to install squat. Or Meebo (http://www.meebo.com/) also a web-based chat client. Problem solved in a passive aggressive way.