Method - chat it up

I am a HUGE fan of chat. I use it personally on Gmail as well as on facebook and also I like using it when shopping online as well. Chat is a quick way to get questions answered if you have a question about a product (I use a particular clothing retailer that allows you to get exact measurements of items via chatting with an associate) and I also use it socially to talk to friends while on facebook or while checking my email. In terms of libraries I think it is an invaluable tool. For those who may be too shy to come to the reference desk, or are afraid to "look silly" but still need help it is a great way to get help without being under and kind of pressure. The fact that you can use it from anywhere is also a great feature. We have even had students use it to tell us that a patron near them is being disruptive and could we please come ask them to be quiet. One downside I can see to chat is the ability to type quickly. Students now are used to instant answers and responses. When I am answering questions via chat, I feel that there is a pressure to get the answer out there as quickly as possible and if someone is not used to that, they may not know that the spelling does not have to be perfect and taking too much time to correct spelling etc may leave the patron hanging.  Also, you can't take too much time to let them know that you are there. A quick "hello" while you try to find the answer to their question is a great way to say I'm here and ready to help. Otherwise you may encounter the problem of the patron may think no one is there if you take too much time to formulate a response that answers all of their question at once. Overall, chat is a fabulous tool and as long as you have the staff to do it, I am all for it.

Method 8 - Social Networking

I am a frequent user of facebook and have been for a few years. I think there are some great uses for social networking that libraries and other institutions/businesses etc. I do have concerns about privacy and as a result have different groups set up so that certain people only see certain posts. I try to keep work and my private life separate, but even with these privacy features activated, it is still difficult. I am curious about the introduction of google + and how this may change the social networking scene. Since I am still very new to google response to facebook, I can't really say too much about it. Ive only been on it for about a week as of today and have not had the opportunity to explore all of its features yet.

Method 7- Tag you're it!

Tagging, to be honest I was on vaguely familiar with it and it looked a little on the complicated side at first glance. After having watched the videos, read the articles and looked at the other libraries that have made use of it, I can see the value in them. We actually have a new catalog that allows users to tag items and we have been making use of that to create lists for our patrons. One such example was a list of fun summer reading suggestions and another list of fun summer movies that we have available to check out at the library. I think it will take some practice for me to start integrating this into what I do at the library, but I think if I keep seeing what others are doing and keep practicing it could become a very great tool for us to use. It is also handy to be able to access bookmarks from everywhere.