Using Meebo's embedded IM for academic reference services A case study

摘要

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the successful implementation of an embeddedinstant messaging (IM) reference service using Meebo. The article provides data to legitimize thedevelopment of such services and demonstrates a successful model. Design/methodology/approach – A pilot study to assess the usefulness and functionality ofMeebo's embedded IM as a reference service tool was conducted. Detailed data on all referencetransactions were collected and analyzed for comparative purposes. Also included in the study is asurvey of librarians and staff involved in providing the service. Findings – Adding the embedded Meebo chat widget increased the use of synchronous virtualreference services by 49 percent. Embedded IM reference transactions take significantly less time toanswer than QuestionPoint transactions. Higher level reference questions (research questions) takenearly the same amount of time to answer over IM as they do in person. Research limitations/implications – Further research to determine why IM referencetransactions are significantly shorter than those conducted with QuestionPoint is needed. Alimitation of the current study is that there was no patron feedback collected. Practical implications – The data collected suggest that embedded IM is a viable alternative andperhaps a better alternative to other vendor-based synchronous chat reference systems. With very lowcapital and personnel investment, a successful synchronous and local IM reference service can belaunched. Institutions that have not begun to offer synchronous virtual reference services have a freeand viable option to do so. Originality/value – Embedded IM is a relatively new technology. Although several libraries areusing embedded IM, there are no published articles analyzing its use and comparing it to other virtualreference services.