implementing the im-possible:

Implementing the IM-possible:

Yale University Librarians

Welcome Meebo

Columbia Reference Symposium March 14, 2008

Kelly Barrick & Hannah Bennett

Happy Patrons!

• “Great Job!”

• “The only way to improve this program is for me to get a faster computer…”

• “This is a great service. Thanks!”

The happiest patron!

“Wow! I am so thrilled to know that this program exists. Ask!Live saved me what would have been hours of research and helped me find what I

was looking for in mere minutes. My only regret is that, as a

graduating senior, I did not know of this service earlier. It is truly a

godsend. Thank you.”

Success measures?

• Minimum 10% increase in the total # of undergrads using Ask!Live

• The # of undergrads using Ask!Live between 6 and 11pm Sunday - Thursday will be greater than the number using the service during its current hours, 1-6pm Monday – Thursday and 1-5pm Friday.

• The # of reference questions answered between 6 – 11pm Sunday – Thursday will equal if not exceed the # of questions answered during the same time period at two physical reference in the YUL – the Government Documents Info. Center and Sterling Memorial Library.

Why switch to IM?

According to November 2007 AP-AOL Instant Messaging Trends Survey:

• More than one in four (27%) users say they use instant messaging at work, and half of at-work IM users say that instant messaging makes them more productive at work - a 25% increase over last year.

• Nearly three in four teens (70%) and one in four adults (24%) send more instant messages than emails.

• More than half (55%) of teens have used IM to get homework help; up from 41% just two years ago (Pew Internet Survey)

We meebo!!

Reference Tracker

Latest story• Survey just went live last week. As of

Wednesday there were 9 responses.

• We discovered that:

– 63% were graduate or professional students

– 89% didn’t have problems using the service

– 78% accessed Ask!Live from off-campus

– 67% were satisfied with the answer they received to their reference question

– 89% of users were first timers

– 100% will use the service again

An indefinite name for a gadget or mechanical contrivance, esp. a small manufactured item.

A Widget is…A Widget is…

- A gadget, circa 1931

A Widget is…

In some cans or bottles of beer (or stout): a plastic bladder or floating capsule of pressurized nitrogen and beer which discharges when the can or bottle is opened and causes the beer to form a creamy head in imitation of draught beer, esp. when the beer is poured into a glass.

- A Plastic Bladder, circa 1991

   Computing. A visual symbol on a computer screen; a graphical device in a graphical user interface; the software and

data involved when the operations represented by such a device are invoked,

esp. regarded as jointly constituting a tool.

- A movable mini-application, circa 2003

A Widget Is…

Meebo Me Widget (AJAX based)

Collaboration…