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January 03, 2005
LiB's Library Offering IM Reference
The Marin County Free Library is now offering reference services via Instant Messaging--thanks to some inspiring presentations at Internet Librarian, our staff's interest in virtual reference, and my own (sometimes labeled "obsessive") push for added online services.
Currently, we're marketing the service as being available Monday through Friday, 3pm-5pm.The librarians are often on IM at other times too, and that is noted on the page, but from 3-5 they’re guaranteed to find someone.
For AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo! Messenger, our screen name is MarinLibrary. For MSN Messenger, our screen name is MarinLibrary@hotmail.com. This is in addition to our other two virtual reference services--AskNow and e-mail.
We're hoping the service will take off, and that our area students take advantage of it. We're publicizing the ba-jeebers out of it, so hopefully it will take hold.
January 3, 2005 | Permalink
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Comments
Well, we pushed it in all school visits through flyers and business cards with our screen names that were distributed to the students. The business cards were also distributed in our libraries and throughout the community (particularly where teens hung out--pizza joints, skate parks, etc.). In-library publicity as well--through flyers with tear-off sheets with the library's screen name, more business cards. IM Reference was also mentioned at outreach activities--community fairs, Rotary meetings, etc.
Posted by: Sarah Houghton (LiB) | May10, 2006
Nothing like a comment on a 16-month old post....
But I'm researching how to market IM services, so I want to know more about this: "We're publicizing the ba-jeebers out of it, so hopefully it will take hold."
I know this was a long time and a whole job ago, but if you can remember what you did for publicity, I'd appreciate it.
Posted by: Joy Weese Moll | May10, 2006
You? Obsessive? Never!!!
Good goin' LiB.
Posted by: David Dodd | January 3, 2005
