Method 9

Chat and Instant Messaging

I chatted with Naomi (our Continuing Education Two-Step mentor) using Meebo and it worked well. I have also used chat lines for an insurance company and an appliance parts department trying to troubleshoot my oven when it cratered. Both experiences went well and I found the immediate gratification…well, gratifying. Phone trees never seem to address the question that I have, so the chat experience was much more personal and immediate. I felt in control of my communication need at the time. The telephone approach does not provide me with that sense of personal control in meeting my needs. The minute a machine or person answers the phone, I know that I go into a queue that is not on my time.

My academic library is using Meebo for Ask a Librarian service. I staff the chat line once a week, just for fun. The service is used, but not heavily, during my two-hour watch. Last week, a question was asked but the writer did not hang around for the answer even though I tried to respond as fast as possible. Maybe “instant” is not fast enough for certain generations of users.
The library staff has made it easy to use even though there are many campuses. It seems that libraries will need to use as many ways to connect with patrons as possible. It does mean that we have to stay current with the various technologies almost as soon as they appear on the horizon.

Facebook chat is fun to use and sometimes I find a relative or friend online and a spontaneous chat occurs – a little like bumping into someone in the hallway. We are probably just beginning to learn the many applications of this technology.