IM Reference

While reading the articles about IM use I was impressed by the number of teens who said they used it for homework help, 55%! This alone makes me think that IM reference is a perfect addition to library resources. From here I asked a coworker about their experience working with IM reference and learned the following…
1) It isn’t used very often by patrons
2) Most of the questions they get are legit
3) People log off before they are able to give the survey
I think that the early log off is part of the nature of this form of communication. Maybe we can put a link to the survey on the page and forget trying to get them to fill it out during the IM session. Also, going back to what I posted yesterday, I think that marketing this tool in the schools would really add to the use ratio.
I decided to ask a real question while exploring VB IM reference. Since I am new to the area and the holidays are quickly approaching I have been asking everyone where they suggest buying Christmas trees. I prefer to cut down my own but VA does not seem to have as many options as PA. My conversation went as follows…
meeboguest778666: Hi, where can I cut down my own Christmas tree in the Virginia Beach area?
Ask VBPL: Hi, Nicole here
Ask VBPL: let me take a look
Ask VBPL: can you wait a minute?
meeboguest778666: Thanks
meeboguest778666: sure
Ask VBPL: ok- hang on
Ask VBPL: this link has some for VB towards the bottom
Ask VBPL: http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/VAxmassoutheast.php
Ask VBPL: Hunt Club Farm
Ask VBPL: Henley Farm
meeboguest778666: thanks
Ask VBPL: the local paper should have a listing too
Ask VBPL: do you want me to look further?
meeboguest778666: nope. thats great
I found that she found me an answer very quickly, and I thought it was good that they follow the answer with an offer to research further. The one thing I didn’t like about the Meebo window on our webpage is that you can’t see when you have a response when the screen in minimized. With a regular chat window the bar will flash when you have a response, allowing for multitasking. I feel that multitasking is one of the best parts of IM communication. I had the screen minimized to type this blog and did not quickly see that I had received an answer.
Other than that I was VERY impressed with my experience. At the end of my conversation I told Nicole who I was and she even emailed me more information to answer my question. I would defiantly use the IM reference at VB again based on this experience. I feel that libraries need to embrace this technology. Based on the statistics, through proper marketing, we should find that this form of reference will gain popularity in VB and in libraries around the county.

Instant Messaging in the Library

I think that Instant Messaging is a great addition to library communication paths. IMing became popular when I was a teenager and when I went to college it became essential. If you were not on IM you would miss out on just about every social event. I remember we would send mass Ims to everyone letting them know what time to meet in the cafeteria for dinner. It was also used for class work and allowed group projects to flow much smoother than usual. On top of this I saw IM keep many a long distance relationship alive. Because IMing has been a means of communication that I take for granted I am excited to see it being used in the library environment.
I feel IMing can work in libraries for a number of reasons. First, the article “How Americans Use Instant Messaging” pointed out the rising number of adults using IM. This means that not only does our youth population rely on it, but their parents, and possibly grandparents are also using it. And, based on the articles it is gaining popularity. This means that the people using IM include just about everyone. So, if just about everyone is using a form of technology this means that enough of our customers are using it to make it worth while for us to offer it as a communication tool.
Secondly, I feel that IM could be a strong tool for helping young people become familiar with the reference tools at their library. This population wants instant gratification. IM is one way to do this while also reaching people who either won’t or can’t make it physically to the library. This also leads to some problems. We can not always instantly answer a question. We may need a minute to look things up or find the necessary resources. Will patrons have the patience for this? I will have to ask the librarians working IM here at VB to find out what they have seen so far.
Lastly, the article “Teens and Technology” pointed out that teens see email as “how they communicate with adults.” It even mentioned that not all teens maintain email accounts but many use IM. I am wondering if it would be worth while to do outreach in the local high schools. This is a population that could really use the help of IM Reference while doing homework. I know I would have loved to have a librarian on standby during high school and college classes.

Saved by the Bell is not Style

I explored Topix, Syndic8 and Technorati. I also tried to view Feedster but it was down. Of the three I found Topix to be the hardest to use. There was too much information on the main page and much of it did not pertain to any interests of mine, personally or professionally. I decided to do a search for “style” to see if that would work better. The hits for this search were not relevant to me, for example “Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style” was one result. This search also brought up a few tags that were inappropriate.
This made me feel that this site would not be a good one to use at work. In Syndic8 I liked the clear headings and the “newest” sections. On a side note, I also enjoy the name of this site. The use of displaying random feeds was a nice try but I feel that it is executed better at Technorati .
My favorite of the three was Technorati. I felt that the scrolling homepage was a nice feature, and it drew me to blogs on topics I would not have searched for on my own, but still find interesting. On yesterday’s posting I discussed how I have not found RSS feeds that reflect the types of information I typically access online for fun. Technorati proved me wrong, and even contained an RSS Feed to blogs about Facebook in the right hand tool bar. I also found it easy to access a blog related to style here. Because this one was so easy to search and access I would definitely use it first when looking for new RSS feeds for both work and play.

RSS Feeds Save Time in the Library

I made an account in Bloglines and added RSS feeds for local news, news from my home town back in PA, library blogs, book reviews, and local weather. After playing around with the concepts of RSS feeds I feel that they can be useful within the library setting in two ways. First, they are beneficial to the staff because we can use them to keep up with the most current library news and issues without spending a lot of time (which none of us have) searching for this information. Secondly, libraries can create RSS feeds for patrons to subscribe to. These would cover library news, listings for upcoming programs, etc. In this way the patron would not need to check our website regularly (since many of them also don’t have time). What it comes down to is the use of RSS feeds in the library setting can save a lot of time for everyone.
When it comes to my personal internet use I find that RSS feeds don’t help me as much. A lot of what I do on line for fun includes browsing online shopping sites to see what is new or on sale and social networking on Facebook. So far I haven’t found any RSS feeds that relate to the websites I use the most in my personal life. It would be nice to have an RSS feed from stores about sales etc. If anyone has found that I am wrong and these do exist please let me know!

My Rant on "To a Temporary Place in Time"

I was annoyed by this article when it discussed web 3.0 and 4.0. To me it sounds ridiculous, like 1980’s references to flying cars and librarians wearing silver space suits. The point of Web 2.0, to me at least, is that library customers need the library to offer tools and resources in the formats they are familiar with. This shouldn’t be that hard, it is all about updating procedures to fit what is currently taking place in the world.
Where my complaint comes in is when we start to discuss Web 4.0. There is no way that we can even begin to guess what we will be doing technologically in the future or what our customer’s needs will be. We can guess. But that is all there is. And, if you had asked me 10 years ago I would not have been able to even begin to guess that I would be text messaging my friends on a daily basis, or checking Facebook 20 times a day, or ordering pizza online instead of calling in. I feel the literature needs to keep a focus on the here and now and leave the future to the future. We will know what the next big thing is when it gets here. Lets not jump to far ahead and risk the threat of entrenching ourselves in a trend or technology that may not take hold or be the next big thing.

One thought on web 2.0

In the article "To Better Bibliographic Resources" they discuss the Open Worldcat Project and how it can “avoid the duplication of records in search result displays that would occur if every consortium were acting individually.” They also discuss the strengths of data customization and advancements in patron access. I think that one of the main strengths of the web 2.0 movements is the advancement of teamwork within the library community. Why should we each duplicate each others work when we can work together to serve a wider patron group in a more efficient manner?

Thing #2

Of the 7 1/2 learning habits I think that the hardest for me is "viewing problems as challenges". I tend to view problems as problems and become frustrated. I don't mind challenges, but I don't like challenges that feel too much like problems. The easiest learning habit for me is "create your own learning tool box". When I am learning a new skill I collect all of the tools and people I need to help me achieve my learning goal. I often find it easiest to learn from people who already have experience in what I am trying to learn.