Instant Messaging

I prefer e-mail to instant messages, but I can see how IM can be helpful, even more so than the phone, because it gives you a little time to think and revise your sentences. If you have a staffed reference desk, IM can be a great tool, but at a small branch like ours, where our circulation desk doubles as reference and our staff tops out at four, there might not always be someone there to type out responses. The IS dept at VA might be better equipped to field IM reference.

As far as communication between branches, IM only works if the two people are at their computers at the same time, which can be tricky with our varying hours, meetings, and field work. E-mails seem to work better for now.

I would be interested in trying a meebo application on our webpage to see how many people would respond, and how many staff would be available to answer their questions. I have a feeling we'd get a lot of immature comments and chatting, and some people who type very slowly. However, if there are a lot of web-savvy patrons who want to make inquiries this way, it would be an exciting new way to communicate with them.