Questions welcome after session
Instant Messaging
How often do you use Instant Messaging (IM) ?
35%
1.
17%
2.
4%
3.
9%
4.
30%
5.
4%
6.
Every day
A few times a week
A few times a month
A few times a year
Never
I don’t know what Instant Messaging is
What is IM?
Instant Messaging is typing back & forth in “real time”
similar to a phone conversation – usually one to one
Instant messaging is done though:
• widgets
• software clients
• web-based clients
Our current networks
In store for patrons:
Our current networks
won’t change for those
who’ve buddied us
Our “AskUs” page
will still show this list of
networks
Patrons will have no
knowledge we’ve added
Libraryh3lp
Our current networks
In store for staff:
We simply add Libraryh3lp
to Pidgin, MOVE these
networks into
Libraryh3lp, and
DELETE these networks
from Pidgin. (less clutter)
Only the Libraryh3lp
username will be visible in
Pidgin; no more
maintaining all these
networks in every instance
of Pidgin.
Our current networks
Our current networks
Worldwide coverage 24/7
What is Libraryh3lp?
people at the University
of NC invented a Super-IM,
just for libraries
special widgets with added
functionality
3 types of widgets we can
provide for patron use (KH)
http://www.d.umn.edu/lib/test/im
Benefits of Libraryh3lp
New functionality:
•
•
•
•
•
•
multiple-person monitoring in groups called queues
transfer of chats
notification that someone picked up a chat
repeated audio alerts when a chat is unanswered
transcripts
statistics
Benefits of Libraryh3lp
Two options for monitoring:
Pidgin (software)
WebChat (web-based)
Pidgin ties a username to
a computer somewhat (but
you can quickly switch
logins inside Pidgin by
toggling checkmarks
under “Accounts”)
Web chat lets you
monitor from any
computer
with internet access
Our change will be transparent to the patron
------Except for these improvements------
Widgets can pop-out or stay on top
Links will be clickable inside the widget, unlike now!
Long catalog & database URLs will no longer break
Transcripts can be emailed from the widget
Patrons can receive files
(coming up in demo)
80% of traffic
patrons
come
through:
LibraryH3lp
Widgets
goes through
server in
North Carolina
AIM
MSN
Yahoo
LibraryH3lp
Jabber Server that processes everything
Ref
queue
We can
transfer
any type of
IM to any
staff monitoring
Pidgin or WebChat
Google
Talk
ITSS person
on 1st floor
Circ
queue
Systems Team
queue
LibraryH3lp – about queues
Widgets are “online” when at least one staff person
belonging to its queue is online
Queues can have one or more staff
Staff can belong to zero, one, or more queues.
Zero queues? Yes, individuals not in a queue can
still receive transfers
When a chat comes to a queue, all online members
of that queue will see it. The first to respond will
“win” the chat
The rest are notified of who took the chat
LibraryH3lp – about queues
A queue can exist without an accompanying
widget.
These queues are for transfer purposes.
Some libraries choose to have 1 queue only,
usually reference, that fields all questions and
does transfers. Others are putting up ILL widgets,
Circ widgets, Tech-help widgets on various web
pages.
LibraryH3lp
You can make your own
individual widget for your
personal web page by logging
into Libraryh3lp’s admin page
as yourself.
Use their widget
designer to generate
the code to paste
into your page.
LibraryH3lp
Demo
LibraryH3lp
Next Steps
Implement Reference after some practice (if they prefer)
Units could discuss whether and how they’d like to use IM
Discuss cooperation between departments – queue coverage,
hours, and who monitors
Has internal uses too – no need to belong to any queue
-not as intrusive as the phone – answer when you can
-collaborate, ask an opinion, test things, great for that “quick question”
-send a file or URL to someone
LibraryH3lp
I’m adding info about Libraryh3lp here:
http://www.d.umn.edu/~dhansen/lib/im.htm
Questions Welcome!