Librarians reach out, electronically, with IM

[Jeff]

ONE OF THE newest services offered by the Alameda County Library is instant messaging (IM) a librarian. This service has been added to the other kinds of alternative reference service offered by the library, including Live Homework Help, chatting online with AskNow, and e-mailing questions to the library. These services are described on the library's Web site (Alameda County Library - Infinite Possibilities).

We have come a long way from being available only in person or over the telephone. Now library users can use the 24-hour-a-day AskNow to get answers to questions -- answers that can include a link to a Web site or excerpts from the databases used by their own library.

A consortium of libraries in California and other states provides this service -- each library taking a time slot every week. Being the AskNow librarian can be challenging, especially if the librarian is used to answering questions in person, but there can be the same sense of satisfaction as in any reference interview.

Read more at the ContraCostaTimes.com

[NationHahn]

When I attended UNC our librarians were plugged into AOL Instant Messenger - but it was odd and clunky because they required you to use the AIM program on the AOL IM website. It would have made a lot of sense to use an enterprise network like Brosix... (promotion I know) and just have a login on each computer inside of the library that would allow you to naturally login on a true messaging program.

[PolarBearNPR]

Oooo... I'm a librarian... well, multi-media center coordinator as we are now called in the schools. I can just see 5-year-old Joey IMing me... lol. Obviously there would be appropriate and not-so-appropriate usage of the "service." Interesting thought tho.