Thing 7 - Communication Tools

1. E-mail. I don't know what I'd do without e-mail. (Well, I know my phone bill would be a lot higher.) For personal use, I have a Yahoo account. In order to start my blogs, I created a Gmail account. Then, there is my work account. I also monitor and respond to reference questions sent to the generic library e-mail address. I spend a lot of time reading e-mail and, therefore, greatly appreciated the productivity tips. However, I have to admit - shutting off the auto-check feature would be very difficult for me! I do try to respond immediately to things requiring a simple answer. I also have many folders to help keep things organized (probably too many folders, now that I think about it).

2. Instant Messaging. We have been offering chat reference for a couple of years and, though we receive relatively few questions, I do think it is a good service to provide. It has also, in some cases, provided an opportunity to invite a student to stop by the reference desk for a more in-depth conversation. We use Meebo to manage chat reference. Prior to unveiling our chat reference service, the librarians did practice with one another, which helped us test out any bugs and overcome any initial nervousness. As the Library Journal article suggested, IM is not without its challenges. We've had a few issues with "inappropriate" chat sessions (the users, not the librarians!), but not many. I would be curious to know how many students today are active IMers, since I see more and more students text messaging.

3. Text Messaging. This is an interesting area. I'm torn about the use of text messaging as part of library services. I'm not sure I have the manual dexterity to text through an entire reference interview! The article talks about circulation notices (due dates, holds, etc.) sent to patrons' cell phones and I can see users appreciating such a service. I would love to read more about how libraries are using text messaging and how it has worked for them.

4. Web Conferencing. I have participated in several webinars and have found them to be a convenient and effective means of continuing education. Though it is sometimes difficult to follow the chat comments while watching the PowerPoint presentation, I know that the material is archived and I can refer back to it. In addition to OPAL, WebJunction, and MINITEX webinars, library staff may be interested in the Blended Librarian webinar offerings.

I thought the OPAL program "Grant Writing 101" sounded interesting, so I decided to check it out. Besides the audio content, I really appreciated the supporting documents like this.