[WEB4LIB] RE: Free Virtual Reference Software

[Craighton Hippenhammer]

We use AIM, which we find better than several of the VR products out
there.  There's still the problem of not much activity from the
students, but it's been picking up some now that we pushed the service
in our freshman comp classes this Spring.


Craighton Hippenhammer
Library Information Technology
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL 60914
chhammer at olivet.edu

>>> "Sloan, Bernie" <bernies at uillinois.edu> 2/6/2005 2:47:26 PM >>>
You might want to take a look at the RAKIM software, although I
haven't
heard much about it recently. 

There are also a number of libraries that use freely available IM
software to do virtual reference. I'm sure some of them will chime in
in
response to your question.

Here's a description from the RAKIM FAQ:

RAKIM is a PHP/SQL-based chat service, designed specifically with
libraries in mind.

Here is an overview of some of its features:

* completely browser-based; 
* multiple simultaneous librarians; 
* each librarian can answer multiple, simultaneous patrons; 
* patron referral to another librarian; 
* invite another librarian (and stay in chat); 
* librarian-to-librarian chat; 
* personal bookmarks and prepared messages; 
* shared bookmarks and messages; 
* "push" URLs to patron; 
* transcripts; 
* others.....
 
The FAQ is available through:

http://tinyurl.com/3w8td 

Bernie Sloan

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org 
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Hongbin Liu
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 4:04 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Free Virtual Reference Software

Greetings, 

Can anybody recommend some free virtual reference (or chat reference)
software for an academic library? 

Thanks, 
Hongbin Liu
University of New Orleans Library