Connecting to Users with Chat & Texting
I was really looking forward to this session for a number of reasons. I wanted to see Joe Murphy speak (we met in Anaheim at one another’s poster sessions) and I’m resolutely convinced that txt reference could really fly at PCC. By this point in the conference I was really understanding the distinction between chat (vendor-chat) and IM reference services and was wanting to catch the comparison of vendor-chat services to free IM services. Sadly I missed part of that session because I’d been chatting with Jamie LaRue. Ah well.
I had to dash out before the end of this session to catch my airport shuttle and head back home. This means I slammed the laptop shut when I got a txt message telling me the shuttle arrived early and was already boarding. Apparently I forgot to save my draft before doing so and lost most of my notes. Fortunately Joe wrote a guest blog for Tame the Web which talks about the Yale Science Library text a librarian program. Essentially Yale SciLib (and some others, as you see in the comments) launched a texting program and decided that the best option was actually to purchase a mobile device rather than a subscription service that forwards SMS to email/IM.
Apples & Oranges: A Comparison of Proprietary Chat Reference Software Versus Free Instant Messaging Services
Lorrie Evans, Nina McHale, Karen Sobel, all of the Auraria Library, University of Colorado, Denver
Staffing questions
- should we provide IM service the entire time the desk is staffed?
- is it appropriate to have parapros staff the IM service?
- What is the “triage” procedure when the desk/phone/IM are all busy?
AskColorado at Auraria Library
- Ask Colorado began in 2003 as a regional and consortial program offering chat reference service to Colorado residents.
- With large and diverse student pop. they felt the need to provide a flexible form of reference service.
- AskColorado would priprovide that with excellent support frmo the Colorado State Library
- uses tutor.com