Using Meebo's embedded IM for academic reference services A case study

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the successful implementation of an embedded instant messaging (IM) reference service using Meebo. The article provides data to legitimize the development of such services and demonstrates a successful model. Design/methodology/approach - A pilot study to assess the usefulness and functionality of Meebo's embedded IM as a reference service tool was conducted. Detailed data on all reference transactions were collected and analyzed for comparative purposes. Also included in the study is a survey of librarians and staff involved in providing the service. Findings - Adding the embedded Meebo chat widget increased the use of synchronous virtual reference services by 49 percent. Embedded IM reference transactions take significantly less time to answer than QuestionPoint transactions. Higher level reference questions (research questions) take nearly the same amount of time to answer over IM as they do in person. Research limitations/implications - Further research to determine why IM reference transactions are significantly shorter than those conducted with QuestionPoint is needed. A limitation of the current study is that there was no patron feedback collected. Practical implications - The data collected suggest that embedded IM is a viable alternative and perhaps a better alternative to other vendor-based synchronous chat reference systems. With very low capital and personnel investment, a successful synchronous and local IM reference service can be launched. Institutions that have not begun to offer synchronous virtual reference services have a free and viable option to do so. Originality/value - Embedded IM is a relatively new technology. Although several libraries are using embedded IM, there are no published articles analyzing its use and comparing it to other virtual reference services.