Effective Virtual Chat in Libraries

Just saw interesting piece in recentish issue of Feliciter  56(5):202-203 to be exact, regarding librarians 'lurking' in the backroom of chat rooms.  This to me makes so much sense, and I congratulate folks at McMaster Uni for moving forward on this.  Would love to know how this is working for them.  My thinking is that we need more training on new technologies, not more new technologies.  One of things I've learned in other jobs is the value of a quick turn around with an answer, and if one could have at the ready, and I don't mean by phone, an army of knowledgeable experts that as a single point of entry, virtual reference operator.

We are not really adding value to our service if all we are doing is passing on a telephone contact information, information that is readily available already on the web site.  If that number was not available, that would be different.

A link to this article can be found by following the leads here.