Instant Messaging for Reference
Since Susan and I started teaching this class last December, we’ve been suggesting that instant messaging might be worth a look for reference work. It’s an interactive social networking tool, easy to use, and free to anyone wanting to give it a try. Now the Jackson Library at Lander University in South Carolina is doing just that. Whether students have MSN, Yahoo, or one of several other accounts, they can now interact with a librarian via Meebo, a multi-brand IM provider.
It’s just another example of how libraries are stretching into the Social Web, meeting patrons where they are, and seeing how things work.
Now it’s your turn to explore the Social Web and see where you might find a niche. Click “Comment” below and leave us you first name, personal page website and username (or URL). Then be sure to tinker and add to it over the next few weeks and visit your classmates’ pages, too. We’d love to hear about your experiences on the Social Web, too. Happy interacting!
-Steve
It’s just another example of how libraries are stretching into the Social Web, meeting patrons where they are, and seeing how things work.
Now it’s your turn to explore the Social Web and see where you might find a niche. Click “Comment” below and leave us you first name, personal page website and username (or URL). Then be sure to tinker and add to it over the next few weeks and visit your classmates’ pages, too. We’d love to hear about your experiences on the Social Web, too. Happy interacting!
-Steve
Labels: class blogs, IM, instant messaging, Meebo
posted by Social Web Literacy @ 8:12 AM
11 Comments:
I used flickr.com with the user name karend1985. ~Karen
I used library thing under the username kwolf. Kathleen
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/readiris
Kit
sher - librarything - annarae
librarything - Beckie
username - bjoregon
Class was great!!!
Thank You
I used Catster user name is Kiara.
Adrian
I used librarything with the user name dlaybourn dil
I used Multiply with the user name bookmobilcat.
Due to some problems with my username on flickr.com, I had to change it to karend98391. The link to my photo page is:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8795884@N04/
Sorry!
~Karen
I tried asking the "Lander Librarian" how MeeboMe was working for them. We've experimented with it where I work. What I learned was such Web 2.0 services are useless if no one "answers the phone." It may be that their staff was busy with reference questions or handling returned books or whatever ... but over the course of 18 minutes and three posts they didn't respond (even though it said they were "online"). Web 2.0 is useless without the commitment to back up the nice gadgets with attention from the staff.
- Richard
Arlington (TX) Public Library
AND, let me ADD that although he didn't hear my MeeboMe "pings," Adam at Lander University TRACKED ME DOWN to call me and tell me how the service works for them. Adam's following up illustrates the kind of commitment and customer service that I'd been concerned might be missing. Web 2.0 needs good people to back it up.
- Richard
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