Thing #7: Communication Tools

1. Email
Have used Outlook, web Outlook, Comcast mail, ATT mail, Yahoo mail, Gmail, Hotmail (way too much spam when I used it some years ago now); have also helped patrons with a variety of email programs, some pretty simplistic with few features. I remember when we trained staff on PINE email. We thought that was pretty exciting.

Our web Outlook at work is fine, but we can't access our folders from there. So, no folders at the ref desk or at home. Since mail in the Inbox disappears after a month, this can be a problem when you have to save and store your email in a folder but can't get to it.
I've never been one that needs lots of bells & whistles with email. As long as it blocks spam and mail arrives quickly, that's all I really care about.

2. IM
Read the article on IMing from HowStuffWorks. Today staff (not mandatory, just volunteer only at this point) were trained in IM using Meebo. I'm not completely sure of how everything works and will go, but I practiced this afternoon with another librarian, and we had fun using it. I don't know how much demand we'll have from the public, but I can see that it might be useful for staff and is good to have an option to offer the public.

2a. Really nice YouTube video from U of Buffalo. I would imagine that IM would be more popular at a college library or in middle/high school libraries than perhaps a public library.
I wonder if any libraries have problems with "talk" out loud since we already have issues with cell phones in the library. It wouldn't help to have people use microphones to talk IM throughout the library.

2b. Read the article.

2c. I'm the only one in my building participating in 23 Things, but I did IM with a person in another building today about our experiences with IM.

3. SMS Text messaging
I don't text message. I only use my cell phone for emergency use and making some long-distance calls. I don't know anyone that text messages so wouldn't have people to practice with. I've also turned off my texting service because I don't want to pay for any more features. I'm swamped with communication charges for TV, Internet, land line and cell phone and I don't want to pay for things I don't really need.

3a. Another nice YouTube video aimed at college students.

3b. I've heard about web sites/companies that allow SMS to computer and reverse. That would be nice rather than cell phones for the ref desk.

3c. I don't know anyone who text messages.

Web Conferencing
I've participated in a live MINITEX webinar: Web Page Creators. It was good, but at the beginning it was a little awkward figuring out if I was speaking on the phone or if someone was hearing me breathing! I found out where my phone's Mute button was, anyway. There were quite a few problems with trying to connect everyone at the beginning. I don't know if the technology is quite there yet.
I recently tried to participate in a Sirsi/Dynix webinar. We aren't allowed to download software so had to try the web version and I got no audio at all. I think I'll just watch the Podcast sometime instead. No fun watching mute PowerPoints for an hour.

4a. I like the idea of web conferencing. I think it would be useful for (1) staff/management meetings--some meetings aren't efficient when only information is being distributed to participants and could be done as easily in a web conference; and (2) training the public or staff when people can't attend training in person.

4b. Participated in Minitex webinar.

Challenge:
1. Rather than the Google Groups challenge, I already use Yahoo Groups to send out a monthly email newsletter on new books to about 600 subscribers.

2. Meebo - had a short training session today and practiced with a librarian this afternoon. Fun. Not sure of why a few things weren't consistent and didn't work quite right, but it's still very usable. It was slow, though. I typed faster than words could display on the page and I ended up with missing letters & typos. I watched the Nebraska Library Commission video on IM. Interesting in that she said that sometimes she keeps the IM windows open for an hour or two until the patron comes back. That won't work for our system since we'll be taking short shifts and will need to log out for the next person to begin; only one person can be logged in at a time. The presenter kept calling IM "chat". I thought they were two different things, so I looked up some definitions. IM can be considered a special form of chat, usually a more private form of chat between two people, although more can participate together as a group. Generally, chat involves groups in a chat room.

3. Twitter - I don't think this is at the top of my list for things to pursue, but on the other hand, it might have some relevance to libraries if it's promoting our materials and services. For example, as mentioned in the Twitterverse video, at the Casa Grande Library they use Twitter to promote materials in short bits. I tried watching Twitter Fluff video, but didn't find that much of interest there.