IM Think Tank

1
IM Think Tank

• Beth Farmer
• TBLC
• farmerb_at_tblc.org
• 813-622-8252 x228

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Yahoo IM

• Please write your Yahoo Messenger ID on the
  whiteboard. Then,
• Log into your Yahoo Messenger account
• Add the others in this session to your Messenger
  List
• Instructions are on the handout on your desk if
  you need them.

3
IM now

• IM with the group in the room (or other people)
• Try sending a message to more than one person
• Try to IM with everyone
• Try simultaneous IMing
• Have fun
• But, no talking, or peeking

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Some ideas for IMing now

• where were u born? tell me something interesting
  about that place
• do u have a pet? what kind? name?
• DONT WORRY ABOUT SPELLING, CAPS, ETC. BE FREE!

• what library do u work at? what do u do there?
  how long have u worked there?
• what is the furthest u have travelled from home?
  why did u go there? would u go again?

5
Your experience

• Did you feel in contact with the others?
• Did you care about grammar, punctuation,
  spelling?
• Did you use acronyms? (http//www.youtube.com/watc
  h?v4nIUcRJX9-o)
• Was it comfortable?
• Was it overwhelming?
• Do you feel like you communicated effectively?
• Did your surroundings affect you?
• Might the surroundings of the others have
  affected them?

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Pew Datasome basics

• From the Pew Internet and American Life Projects
  How Americans use instant messaging study
  September 2004
• 53 million adults use IM, thats 43 of Internet
  users
• 36 of IMers use it every day, 63 use it several
  times a week
• 21 of IMers use it at work
• 40 of those think it has improved teamwork
• 50 of those think it helps them save time on
  tasks

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Pew datasome specifics

• IMers are
• Young
• 46 of Gen Y (18-27) use IM more than email, only
  18 of Gen X (28-39)
• Multi-tasking
• 32 of IMers do something else on their computer
  virtually every time they are IMing
• Sharing
• 31 of IMers send links to others about articles
  and websites
• 30 share photos or documents

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Libraries Are Doing It

• Library Success A Best Practices Wiki
• Online Reference section http//www.libsuccess.org
  /index.php?titleOnline_Reference
• LIS Wiki
• Chat Reference Libraries
• http//liswiki.org/wiki/List_of_libraries_providin
  g_virtual_reference_services
• They are wikis add to them!
• University of Florida

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Tools

• Messengers
• Yahoo Messenger
• AOL
• MSN
• Google Talk
• Put them together
• Trillian
• Pidgin
• Meebo

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Is it right for your library?

• Do you use IM _at_ your library?
• Staff use? For reference?
• Do you want to?
• How do you begin?
• How do you sell it?

12
What not to wear

• http//www.walkingpaper.org/360

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Implementing IM _at_ your library

• Schmidts Talking Points
• http//walkingpaper.org/358
• IM is just for kids
• IM is going to destroy our computers
• We dont have enough
• Were already doing virtual reference
• We dont have enough time

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Implementing IM _at_ your library

• Stephens advice on best practices
• Planning for the Technology
• Make IM part of your technology plan
• Promote your screen name and service
• Admin should be messaging as well
• Train and encourage staff to interface via IM
  from their desks
• Add your IM name to your business cards
• Using the Technology
• Use a multi-network IM program
• Use away messages
• Speed over perfection in typing
• Use abbreviations
• Use online sources only if the best answer can be
  given from them
• Dont Panic!

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Promoting IM servicewebsites

• Georgia State University http//www.library.gsu.ed
  u/services/pages.asp?ldID68guideID281ID3112
• Marin County Free Library (CA) http//www.co.marin
  .ca.us/depts/lb/main/im.cfm
• Homer Township Public Library (IL)
  http//www.homerlibrary.org/ask.asp
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  http//www.library.unlv.edu/ask/chat.html
• UNC Chapel Hill, Law Library http//library.law.un
  c.edu/im/index.html

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Promoting IM serviceprint
U North Carolina, Law Library
Keene State College, NH
Stony Brook University, NY
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Parting Thought

• Instant messaging may be controversial, but
  remember, we also debated telephone reference
• From Aaron Schmidt Michael Stephens, Library
  Journal, 4/1/2005 http//libraryjournal.com/articl
  e/CA512192.html?displaysearchResultsstt001text
  imme