IM in the Library: Using Trillian and Meebo to serve patrons instantly. Presented by Rebecca Blakeley (aka Rebecca Troy-Horton was my maiden name) and Jessica Hutchings at the 2007 LOUIS Users Conference.
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1. I Need Help NOW! Instant Messaging Reference Service @
McNeese Rebecca Troy-Horton Jessica Hutchings McNeese State
University
2. Before we begin
How many have used/use IM?
How many have used/use IM for inter-departmental or staff
communication?
For reference services?
3. Huh? Whats IM?
Instant Messaging
i.e. Instant, simultaneous text chat
Add-ons like video, audio, file sharing
Similar to texting on your cell phone but the program is on
your computer.
4. Why should libraries IM?
Virtual Reference can be costly and cumbersome (imho,
lol).
Concerns with QuestionPoint
IM is faster and simpler for users.
FREE!
5. Why IM?
IM-ing is a common form of communication for todays college
students: Pew Study
To serve all users: in-house & remote
To attract and serve new users
We want to be where our users are: online!
6. Why IM?
Because everyone and your Grandma uses it.
Source: Pew Study
All kinds of libraries are implementing IM Reference
services:
Library Success Wiki list
7. How do I get started?
Choose an IM Client (i.e. AIM, Yahoo, etc.)
Be aware that users on different services cannot communicate
with each other!
Some libraries only use AIM but most provide service to AIM,
Yahoo, and MSN users all at once (the Big Three).
How do they do that?!?!
8. How do I get started (cont.)
With Multi-protocol clients, its easy to provide service to
these big three and others! (i.e. Trillian or Pidgin )
Create a library screen name:
9. What is Trillian?
Trillian is a FREE program that connects to multiple IM clients
(AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and ICQ) through one interface.
For a fee, (Trillian Pro) you can also have more IM clients
included:
Jabber, MySpace, Google Talk, etc.
10. How does it work?
User Opens their regular IM client.
Visits our home page to retrieve our screen name:
McNeeseLibrarian
Adds our IM screen name to their buddy list
They send us an
IM and we chat!
11. Coming SoonTrillian Astra!
Upcoming Web 2.0-friendly version:
Trillian Astra
12. Staff Training
Install Trillian on every staff computer
Create your own screen names
Communicate b/w staff members
Become familiar with interface
Advertise your own IM screen name (ex. 1 & 2 )
Install Trillian on Ref. Desk computer but dont launch the
service yet!!!
13. Things to address before the launch:
Read RUSAs Virtual Reference Guidelines .
Demonstrate IM to all staff and explain why youre doing
this.
Provide training materials.
Have staff practice with each other.
Canned scripts for common questions?
Demonstrate how to block abusive users.
Create a standard away message.
Pick a user icon (logo?)
Do you want to keep stats?
Keep transcripts for review?
14. Marketing/Publicizing
Flyers, bookmarks, table tents, outreach events, etc.
Web presence
Campus email announcement
Mention in instruction sessions
15. Concerns
Viruses? (E-mail and web browsing cause more security problems
than IM!)
Obnoxious users?
Library needs to actively secure user information (delete
screen names in transcripts, delete buddy lists)
Privacy concernsissue a disclaimer?
16. Staffing
McNeese IM is staffed all the hours that the Library is
open.
Most hours staffed by 6 Reference staff members, including one
paraprofessional.
17. How much will it be used?
Consider your library users and non-users, your community,
etc.
Consider student demographics commuter/distance ed. vs. on
campus
Market, market, market!
18. Do McNeese Patrons Use It?
66 IM transactions from its launch in February through the end
of June
More highly used early in the term
It is not used so frequently that it interferes with live
reference services
19. What do they want?
User ID and PIN numbers
Hours of operation
All kinds of things!
Lets see some examples of archived transcripts
20. Patron 1
[17:34] Patron1: How Do I get to JSTOR?
[17:39] McNeeseLibrarian: one moment please.
[17:41] McNeeseLibrarian: ok, are you still there?
[17:41] *** You have been successfully added to Patron1s
contact list.
