I'm not sure that I really get IM. It seems that the demands of being right there all the time and responding immediately make IM more like the "old fashioned" telephone than the newer, more convenient, email environment. With email, you don't have to interrupt or be interrupted, but you can send off a message when it is fresh in your mind and the person you are sending to can reply at their convenience.
That being said, I can see how a Meebo gadget could very well be a useful service point for the library to offer its patrons during hours that we are staffed. Patrons who need an immediate answer may well appreciate this method - a little less personal than phone or in-person contact, but still right there.
I've embedded a meebo gadget into the Administration home page on our library Intranet. I'll be interested to see how long it is til someone finds it. Now all I have to do is remember to log in to Meebo every morning (and log out again when I leave...) The next tool I need is some sort of universal tool that logs me in to my network, my email, the supervisor's in/out board, Meebo, etc. all in one swoop. And then grabs me as I walk out of the door and makes sure that I log out of all of them. Ideas anyone?
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I like to think of IM like having office hours in the academic environment. You don't have to have it open and be accessible all the time, only when you can "cope" with the possible interruption. And just like with office hours, sometimes people drop in (or IM) and sometimes they don't.
Another note on IM to consider is that most teens consider email a dead horse. They would much prefer to IM or text someone than email. So if we want to remain relevant to that group, we need to bring IM into our libraries as a service option.
I think it's great that you added meebo to the admin page! :)
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