Implementing Virtual Reference Desk on a closed LAN

February 10, 2006 2:05 PM

I want to start a virtual reference desk at my library.

We're a medium sized hospital, part of a much larger system. I like the features in Questionpoint's product. How can I get a system with features like this running on my network. Note that joining Questionpoint is not an option. We want it all in-house.
I'm looking for chat, shared browsing, and patron queing functions.
Is anybody else running a virtual ref desk? What are you using?

posted by cosmicbandito to work & money (3 answers total)

Aaron Schmidt and Sarah Houghton talk a lot about using some sort of standard IM client combined with a co-browsing software like Jybe. They just did a presentation on it, the slides are online. You may want to think about what sort of budget you have to figure out if you want to go totally low end using free or cheap tools, or if you want to buy a package. Similarly, how capable your IT staff is will determine a lot in terms of how out-of-the-box a solution has to be. Sarah has been looking at QuestionPoint's new interface and it's worth looking at the software even if you're not going to join their system just to see what they offer that people find appealing.

There are a few other options that people are using besides QP and 24/7 ref [which I have sort of "eh" feelings about, and it's not all in-house anyhow]. Docutek, humanclick and liveperson's offerings.

You may also want to look into the downsides to co-browsing if it's a dealbreaker for your ideal system, results of analysis of how people like it are mixed
posted by jessamyn at 2:30 PM on February 10, 2006

I could hardly believe I saw this question! Hi, er... Aaron Schmidt here. Check my profile for my email addy or screen name, I'd be happy to have a chat about my thoughts about using free tools vs. shelling out some major $ for a vendor driven solution. Oh, and when Jessamyn says our presentation was "on" IM and Jybe, she means that in two ways. That was the content of the talk, and we used the tools to successfully communicate with people in the Netherlands.

In a nutshell, you'll really get 95% of the functionality of a Big Product for free (!) using Trillian or Meebo and Jybe. The down side is that your users will have to have an IM client/Jybe installed on their computers. I'm trying to specifically reach the people that do, so it is a moot point in my case. If your project is really in-house, perhaps you could install IM on the appropriate machines w/ a generic login? This is about to bust out of the nutshell, so continue the conversation here or message me.
posted by ArcAm at 9:45 PM on February 10, 2006

Thanks both to Jessamny for the fantastic roundup of products and people involved, and to Aaron for speaking up and offering further input. I'll be contacting you outside the thread for more Aaron.
posted by cosmicbandito at 3:24 PM on February 11, 2006