IM Ur Librarian. R U a Customer?

I do IM Reference at my library, and the question that often runs through my head during IM transactions is unfortunately something along the lines of: Is this really a customer or library staff posing as a customer? It’s all too easy to log on anonymously to ask questions in Ask VBPL.

The funny thing is that a lot of my co-workers feel the same way about their transactions. It’s usually something in the way the questions are worded; having no visual or audio cues simply adds to the suspicion. Perhaps there’s a sense that the IM customer knows too well the way the library works or have the mannerisms of an overly obnoxious customer. It’s disturbing to feel so mistrustful of your IM customers and suspect them of being fakes when they could really be customers looking for answers.

A lot of the questions from the IM transactions are questions that often come up on the phone and oddly enough remind me of the sample questions from IM training. Some customers ask about information on their library accounts, and these transactions go smoothly enough, but it’s the reference questions that leave me feeling that the transaction could have been handled more satisfactorily if I could keep up with the customer, if I didn’t have to keep communicating and researching at the same time, if I only had to give the customer a quick answer, etc. I found that some of the more involved reference questions would be more quickly and better answered if the customers talked to a library staff in person or over the phone.

No one has asked me if I’m a real person or a robot yet (except another staff member who IMed me).

I’ve gone on the Ask VBPL website to anonymously ask IM Reference a question before, and I have to say that it’s easier to be the customer than the Reference person. As the customer I find that my questions or comments come faster than staff can answer or reply, since they have to research my question while I wait for an answer. I have a hard time thinking of IM Reference as a rewarding experience for the customer, because the questions sometimes can’t be answered thoroughly enough in IM.

While I agree that the library should offer IM Reference, I feel that we need to improve the quality of this new service. Since the nature of IM is for quick, instantaneous communication, I think involved reference questions are poorly served in this capacity.

Librarians Can IM? No Way!

First, let me get this out…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

This can’t be the entire lesson on IM! Why aren’t we experimenting with IM? Why not create a personal IM account? Why not let us discover the fun features available in IM? It’s boring to just read the articles instead of playing around with IM features.

Ahem. Now that I’ve aired out my grievances, here’s my serious post.

Incorporating Instant Messaging into a Library service is quite a stepping stone for the Library. IM has gone from being a frowned upon pastime to being regarded with respect as an innovative form of communication. With the editing capabilities of a word processor (you can edit your message before sending it) and the instantaneous communication of a telephone (immediate feedback), IM is a popular communication tool.

Realizing that a lot of the younger generation of folks who don’t frequent the library but socialize via IM, the Library’s attempt to reach them on their own grounds is incredible. Away with the wait-for-them-to-come-to-us approach, the library seeks to reach the customers who don’t ever step in a library.

Having staff learn the joys of IM also supports the Library’s mission to encourage lifelong learning. We had to receive on-the-job training to be on the IM Reference team, and for some of us, learning to IM was a new thing. No one is too old to learn to socialize through Instant Messaging! There's always new things to learn!

IM might actually be good for the library.