IM for the Library:How Instant Messaging Can Connect

the Librarian with Kids and Teens

Sarah HoughtonInformation and Web Services Manager, San Mateo County Library

Librarian in Black: http://www.librarianinblack.net

What is social software?

Social software enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities.

--from Wikipedia entry, revised 04.25.06

Examples of social software

Instant messaging Internet forums Blogs / RSS / podcasting Wikis Social network services Social guides Social bookmarking Social citations Social libraries Virtual worlds and

multiplayer online games

Why should libraries care about SS?

There is a great potential for new and enhanced services

There are free marketing opportunities just waiting for us

Our patrons are there—where are we?

What is instant messaging?

Instantaneous, simultaneous text chatAdd-ons like video, audio, file sharing

Type here

Transcript

IM client software: the holy trinity

AOL

Yahoo!

MSNThey’re all

free—to you and users

Other Software

•ICQ

•IRC

•Jabber

•Google Talk

•MySpace

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 yeah…they’re both free!

Web-based IM with Meebo

Completely web-based—no installations Sign in with multiple accounts at once Even if IM is blocked, this still works

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)

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.

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.

IM Benefits

Easy to use for both the librarian and the user You’re right there on the user’s buddy list Features

Document sharing Sending URLs, images, voice (w/ add-ons like Skype)

Speed…don’t get me started on the speed Less demands on patron & librarian computers Disconnects just don’t happen Did I mention that everything is free?

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 concerns…warn users

No co-browsing…yet

No 24/7 availability…yet

Working with IT Staff

Be enthusiastic

Is IM banned or blocked? Why?

The boogeyman of network security? Or “it’s a time-waster”?

E-mail and web browsing cause many more security problems than IM.

IM etiquette

Be brief

Use frequent shorter messages

Capitalization and punctuation are optional

Bad spelling happens

Use smiley faces (emoticons) responsibly

Don’t type in ALL CAPS PLEASE!!!!!!!

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

Who’s using IM for reference?

Library Success Wiki list: http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Online_Reference

79 libraries—up from 43 only six months ago

Public, academic, school, special

Contact us—we’re happy to help!

Example of Library IM webpage

Other social software for libraries

Internet forumsBlogs / RSS / podcastingWikisSocial network servicesSocial bookmarkingSocial libraries

Internet forums

Website bulletin boards for discussionFeedback and recommendation enginesExamples:

Google Groups: http://groups.google.com/ Reviews and ratings on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com Gnooks.com: http://www.gnooks.com Storycode: http://www.storycode.com

Sample Internet Forum: Storycode

Blogs

Websites frequently updated with new content Examples:

Lansing Library Teen News Blog: http://lansinglibraryteen.blogspot.com/

St. Joseph County Public Library Game Blog: http://www.libraryforlife.org/gameblog/

Framingham Public Library Teen Blogomatic: http://fplya.blogspot.com/

Marin County Free Library - What’s New: http://www.marincountyfreelibrary.blogspot.com/

Waterboro Public Library H20boro: http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm

Sample blog: H20boro

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

RSS is more than just blogs New books and other items News at the library New content in subscription databases

Examples: EBSCO feeds for new articles (favorite searches) Hennepin County Library feeds for all types of things Edmonton Public Library feed for new teen books Seattle Public Library feeds for favorite authors and subjects FirstGov feeds for government information

Sample RSS feeds: Hennepin CL

Podcasting & Vidcasting

Creating audio and video content and pushing it to users through an RSS feed

Has nothing to do with iPods Examples:

Thomas Ford Memorial Library audio teen book reviews: http://www.fordlibrary.org/yareviews/

Manchester Public Library video book reviews: http://feeds.feedburner.com/primesboxlive

Cheshire Public Library - audio of local teen magazine: http://www.cheshirelib.org/teens/cplpodcast.htm

University of Sheffield Library audio library tours: http://www.lbasg.group.shef.ac.uk/downloads/mainlibrary.html

Sample podcast: Thomas Ford ML

Wikis

Collaborative resource creationMultiple authors, ongoing creation and

revisionExamples:

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wiktionary: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Main_Page St .Joseph County Library’s Subject Guides:

http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Main_Page

University of Minnesota Libraries Staff Website: http://wiki.lib.umn.edu/

Sample wiki: St .Joseph CL’s Subject Guides

Social network services

Places to meet people and communicateExamples:

Friendster, Dogster, MySpace, FacebookLibraries with MySpace accounts

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Teens) Denver Public Library Hennepin County Library Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library dozens of others

Library MySpace Page: Denver PL

Social bookmarking

Putting your favorite websites in a web directory to share with others

Examples: del.icio.us: http://del.icio.us/ furl: http://www.furl.net/ La Grange Public Library’s del.icio.us ref links Thomas Ford Memorial Library’s del.icio.us ref

links San Mateo City Library’s del.icio.us ref links

Library del.icio.us: La Grange Park

Social libraries

Keep track of collectionsOften include recommendation enginesUses tagging, user-created metadata:

FolksonomiesExamples

Flickr.com for photographs discogs.com for music LibraryThing.com for books Stuffopolis.com for everything else

Social library: Reading PL on Flickr

Again…why should we care?

Get our knowledge, helpfulness, and information expertise out there where the users are

Get people to think of us as the “go to” resource for their information needs

Make us findable in an online environment

Questions?

Contact Sarah any time

E-mail: sarahfaery@hotmail.com

IM: LibrarianInBlack (AOL, Yahoo!, MSN)