[Web4lib] Starting an IM Reference service

[Turner,Kathleen]

Jonathan, 

I didn't get a chance to respond to your original question, but since
you're going in this direction thought I'd share our experience.

We've been using GAIM (precursor of Pidgin) for slightly over a year,
with IM accounts on AIM, MSN, Yahoo and Gmail (probably 90% if our
traffic is AIM).  We did our set-up following the instructions put out
by the wonderful folks at UNC, who I see have now updated their
instructions for PIDGIN --
http://www.lib.unc.edu/reference/eref/pidgin/.  The set-up lets us
install GAIM on individual pc's, but log all transactions to a common
directory on our shared network.  Our affiliated library is now using
PIDGIN -- we just haven't got around to upgrading yet here.

We're currently offering IM service 8:30-5 on weekdays and plan to
expand it to evening and weekend hours soon.  With an undergrad and grad
population of about 20,000, we're averaging about 3-4 questions a day.
We were worried at first about being overwhelmed, and that certainly
hasn't happened; in fact, we suspect that we need to publicize the
service more.  We staff our ref desk in hourly shifts, with one person
in the morning and two in the afternoon.  During morning shifts, a
second person is on "back-up" -- expected to be available if needed.
That person also monitors the IM service.  In the afternoon, the second
person at the reference desk covers it.  Although we've occasionally had
to ask an IM patron to wait a minute while we finish a live transaction,
or a live patron to wait, we've found that it really isn't any different
from juggling live patrons and the phone.

Some of our staff members were anxious about using a new communications
medium, but many of us were already using IM for personal and work
communication.  We found that encouraging people to communicate between
office with IM helped with that.  We were also pleasantly surprised to
find that our students seem to be very aware that they're communicating
with a "grown-up" rather than a peer and adjust their manner of
communication accordingly -- in other words, we don't get the nearly
incomprehensible IM lingo that we feared! 

I can say that the patrons who use it seem to appreciate the service
very much -- it's clear from the logs that we have many repeat users.

Best of luck,

Kathleen


Kathleen H. Turner
Web/Education Librarian
W.W. Hagerty Library
33rd and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875

Tel: 215.895.6783
Fax: 215.895.2070
khturner at drexel.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Bloy
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 12:32 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Starting an IM Reference service

Thanks for the feedback everyone.  It sounds like we're on the right
track.

A few people mentioned using the standalone program Pidgin to sign on to
Meebo and the various IM services.  Link:
<http://libraryvoice.com/archives/2007/08/18/meebome-and-pidgin-is-like-
reeses-peanut-butter-cups/>

After experimenting with Pidgin I think that's what we'll recommend.
Next on our agenda is to meet with our supervisor and make our proposal.
Wish us luck.

--
Jonathan Bloy
Web Services Librarian
Edgewood College
Madison, Wisconsin
http://library.edgewood.edu

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