Blog Shmog! by Erica

IMing is fun and all, but I’m a little freaked out about it!  If anyone can initiate a chat using the type of widget we used on the Web 2.0 blog, how do you discourage unsavory characters?  Maybe a type of “registration” would occur before use?   I’m just thinking about inappropriate comments that get sent as e-mail reference questions, etc.

However, it would be cool to use the chat feature for intra-library stuff (non-urgent shelf-checks, etc.).  Perhaps StaffNet would have a use for it?  And it would be cool to put something like this on the library’s website, for readers’ advisory/recommendations, or something. 

I looked to see how other libraries are using the chat feature:

• L-net is Oregon’s online library reference service http://www.oregonlibraries.net/ 
• I liked how this university website’s chat page shows the librarians who might be providing the online help http://www.earlham.edu/~libr/content/contact/chat.html

Neat!  But still freaky…