Digital libraries Ala carte: Where Our Users Are: Instant Messaging for Libraries

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In just a couple of weeks, Jenny Levine and I head to The Netherlands for the Tilburg Innovation Centre for Electronic Resources institute!Here’s some info for participants in my session:

Where Our Users Are: Instant Messaging for Libraries – Michael Stephens
(Module 2: Hands-on: Library 2.0 Technologies to Reach out to the Customer)

This workshop explores and explains instant messaging in the library setting, including software, training and policy. Ample hands on exercises will give participants a true feel of what launching an IM Reference service at their libraries involves. We’ll discuss implementation strategies, best practices and the possible pitfalls of IM in libraries. IM carries a great return on investment in libraries, join us and find out more!

Before the Workshop:

Please read the following:

IM Me by Aaron Schmidt & Michael Stephens, Library Journal April 2005

Pew Internet: IM

We’ll be distributing “IM = FASTER Virtual Reference on the Cheap!” from Tech Tips for Every Librarian in the April issue of Computers in Libraries as well.

Please visit and read the following pages:

SJCPL IM Refrerence Page

An IM Reference Report

Suggested Readings:

Abram, S. (2004) Twenty reasons for teacher-librarians to love IM. In: Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 11(4) 16-18.

Desai, C. (2003). Instant messaging reference: How does it compare? In: The Electronic Library, 21(1) 21-30.

Houghton, S. and Schmidt, A. (2005). Web-based chat vs. instant messaging. In: Online, 29(4), 26-30.

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