1. Virtual Reference: Endless Possibilities (Meebo, Skype & more) Dan Sich University of Western Ontario

2. Overview Meebo, MeeboMe Skype & Unyte Issues Statistics Other options

3. UWaterloo Timeline Past: LSSI Docutek (until April 2007) MSN (since March 2006) Present: Meebo, MeeboMe (since January 2007) Skype & Unyte (pilot since October 2007)

4. Meebo Free web service for IM Multiple accounts, one interface Web-based: zero installs, zero updates MeeboMe chat boxes

5. www.meebo.com

7. MeeboMe chat box Easy to customize (size, title) Includes status indicator (wording is hard-coded) Embed code (references.swf) is automatically generated Limited customizability

10. Transcripts MeeboMe: no Meebo: optional, but awkward recovery Time for analysis? Privacy concerns?

11. Patron won’t stand still

12. Avoiding missing messages Firefox Meebo add-on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5700 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5700 Sidebar & pop-up previews, flashing tab & task bar

13. Anonymity, offline messages Contact info? Time stamp? Still there?

14. Stats: Docutek vs. IM Number of questions No service Aug 2005 Started MSN Started Meebo Started evening hours pilot, Feb 26 MSN passes Docutek Ended evening hours pilot & stopped Docutek, mid-April

15. % questions by account type

16. Hab.la A MeeboMe alternative, uses embed code Can be monitored with Meebo, Pidgin, etc. Transcripts not lost between pages Uses cookies, shows patron’s URL Floating / absolute positioning Start collapsed / expanded Vanish when offline (optional) Max 5 simultaneous widgets/IPs

19. http://static.hab.la/js/html/url_handler.html?siteid=5334-379603-10- 3528&wcsid=gjvUXqmevgDbufavbPVNFOieEiaSVQxg&url=http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca

20. Hab.la + library resources

21. LibraryH3lp http://libraryh3lp.blogspot.com/ open-source Javascript Customizable Chat boxes

23. Endless Possibilities…

24. Skype VOIP Faster than chat Has chat Very intuitive Free Requires install One more login Super-nodes

25. Unyte One-way screen-sharing No co-browse Any webpage, browser or program; no proxy issues Requires (host-side) install Dependent upon Skype No patron plug-in Free version available, but… Functionality can vanish Unyted, but interrupted Web slow = Unyte slow

26. Have you tried our Skype a Librarian service yet? Add us: uwlibchat Call us (Voice-Over IP) Chat with us Part of the Library’s Ask a Librarian service www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/asklib When you need research help... Skype a Librarian! VOIP or chat MONDAY to FRIDAY 12 noon – 4pm

27. Publicity

29. Skype stats: total, VOIP & Unyte Number of questions

30. Low Skype & Unyte numbers Skype not installed on public workstations Do students prefer chat? Where are the students? Extend the trial Staff need practice Skype use during renovations?

31. References & links Stephanie J. Graves, Christina M. Desai. (2006). Instruction via chat reference: Does co- browse help? Reference Services Review, 34(3), 340. http://www.libsuccess.org/ (see “Libraries Using MeeboMe for Embeeded Chat”) http://www.libsuccess.org/ http://solokay.blogspot.com/ (Solomon’s VoIP World) http://solokay.blogspot.com/ www.meebo.com www.meebome.com www.pidgin.im www.ceruleanstudios.com (Trillian) www.ceruleanstudios.com www.hab.la (Hab.la widgets) www.hab.la http://libraryh3lp.blogspot.com (LibraryH3lp widgets) http://libraryh3lp.blogspot.com www.plugoo.com (Plugoo widgets) www.plugoo.com www.skype.com http://heartbeat.skype.com/ www.unyte.net https://extras.skype.com/1101/view (Spontania) https://extras.skype.com/1101/view http://www.convenos.com/ https://www.yugma.com/ http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/asklib (UWaterloo’s Ask a Librarian page) http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/asklib http://www.lib.uwo.ca/taylor/imresearchhelp.shtml (UWO’s Research Help via IM) http://www.lib.uwo.ca/taylor/imresearchhelp.shtml www.shushers.ca/libraridan (my blog, LibrariDan) www.shushers.ca/libraridan

32. Contact dansich@gmail.com (including chat) dansich@gmail.com Skype: dansich (London/Waterloo) www.shushers.ca/libraridan (see LibraryH3lp in action) www.shushers.ca/libraridan