Dan Sich CIL 2008

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

Slide 2: Overview • Meebo, MeeboMe • Skype & Unyte • Issues • Statistics • Other options

Slide 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)

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

Slide 5: www.meebo.com

Slide 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

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

Slide 11: Patron won’t stand still

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

Slide 13: Anonymity, offline messages • Contact info? • Time stamp? • Still there?

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

Slide 15: % questions by account type

Slide 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

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

Slide 20: Hab.la + library resources

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

Slide 23: Endless Possibilities…

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

Slide 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

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

Slide 27: Publicity

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

Slide 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?

Slide 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://solokay.blogspot.com/ (Solomon’s VoIP World) • www.meebo.com • www.meebome.com • www.pidgin.im • www.ceruleanstudios.com (Trillian) • www.hab.la (Hab.la widgets) • http://libraryh3lp.blogspot.com (LibraryH3lp widgets) • www.plugoo.com (Plugoo widgets) • www.skype.com • http://heartbeat.skype.com/ • www.unyte.net • https://extras.skype.com/1101/view (Spontania) • http://www.convenos.com/ • https://www.yugma.com/ • http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/asklib (UWaterloo’s Ask a Librarian page) • http://www.lib.uwo.ca/taylor/imresearchhelp.shtml (UWO’s Research Help via IM) • www.shushers.ca/libraridan (my blog, LibrariDan)

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