Instant Librarian

1
Instant Librarian

• Jill Hackenberg
• Coordinator, Instant Librarian
• March 27 2007

2
Details

• Started in 2000
• Open 57 hours / week
• Open beyond normal reference desk hours
• Closed during summer
• Migrated from AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) to
  Meebo 3/19/07

3
(No Transcript)
4
Staffing

• 25 UB Librarians (all volunteers)
• 4 library school graduate students
• 2 Graduate Assistants
• Librarians work 1 or 2 hrs per week
• Can work from anywhere (home/work)
• but NOT from reference desks

5
Patron Questions

• Average 10-15 minutes
• long but can be 30-45 mins.
• Average 0-3 questions per hour
• Handling two patrons at once is easy
• Chat abbreviations i.e. brb

6
Chat reference issues

• Adapt to absence of nonverbal cues, body
  language, and gestures
• Lack of voice intonation or accents
• Patrons are completely anonymous
• Help non-UB patrons also
• Listserv for staffers

7
Why choose Meebo over AIM?

• Meebo doesnt require special software
• Free
• Easy to learn
• Patron doesnt need an ID to use it
• Staffers can take questions from both Meebo and
  AIM
• The cybrary machines block AIM access

8
(No Transcript)
9
User surveys results

• 87 UB affiliated
• 55 aged 18 - 22
• 34 Graduate Students

10
Your major is ____

• 33 Social sciences
• 26 Other
• 17 Sciences
• 10 Humanities
• 5 Undecided

11
Where do you use Instant Librarian?

• 56 Library
• 34 Dorm room
• 13 Home
• 6 Another campus location
• 4 Office
• 4 Other

12
Their help preferences in order

• 1. Ask a librarian in person
• 2. Use Instant Librarian chat
• 3. E-mail the librarian
• 4. Call the librarian

13
Why use Instant Librarian?

• 1. I get quicker help this way
• 2. I live far away from campus
• 3. I dont have to walk to the library

14
The best thing about Instant Librarian is
_____

• 1. Helpful advice is given
• 2. Its fast
• 3. Its not location-dependent
• 4. Its convenient easy

15
Questions?

• "The Nuts, Bolts, and Teaching Opportunities of
  Real-Time Reference", Jill Hackenberg and Laura
  Taddeo, College and Undergraduate Libraries,
  13(3) August 200663-85