Content area
Full Text
VIRTUAL REFERENCE SUMMER MELTDOWN AND FALL SHAKEOUT
Libraries that are looking for new virtual reference services have some nice, affordable options to select from.
Competition in the virtual reference market got really hot this past summer. Recent developments in virtual reference offerings suggest the market is much more dynamic than most of us would have imagined a short time ago. With Google's acquisition of Meebo and its subsequent decision to shut down the chat widget service, many libraries scrambled to replace this tool as their virtual reference engine.
As the person in my library who oversees reference, instruction, and research consultation services, my first thought was that Google would encourage Meebo users to use its own Google Talk Chat Badge since it offered similar functionality, but Google appears to have quietly discontinued support for this feature as well. I was unable to get it to work and found a fair amount of chatter on the web about the issue, although there has been no official Google announcement.
In any case, libraries and individual librarians have been using Meebo since at least 2007 to provide free virtual reference services, so Meebo's demise sent them scurrying for a replacement. The good news was that other significant changes in the virtual reference marketplace were taking place, providing reference librarians with plenty of options.
Both Springshare and Mosio launched new synchronous live chat services this summer, putting them in direct competition with LibraryH31p, QuestionPoint, and RefChatter for synchronous virtual reference. Also, jumping into the mix of new options for virtual reference is a company called ChiliFresh. ChiliFresh is known for helping libraries integrate book reviews and book jackets into their catalogs, but it is now providing a free chat service libraries can use for virtual reference. In addition to these new options for virtual reference, one of the founders of LibraryH31p has partnered with another librarian to start after-hours support for LibraryH31p via a separate company called Chatstaff This article aims to highlight recent developments and compare and contrast the services to help libraries select the most appropriate service in this surprising dynamic virtual reference market.
What's New?
Mosio's Text a Librarian has expanded its virtual reference options to include five synchronous chat and email. Users access the...