Enterprise IM proof-of-concept for virtual reference

Update

More and more organizations are using Enterprise IM software to control internal IM communications. As the market grows, so does the competition to create products to serve it. Libraries should consider the Enterprise Instant Messaging software products when seeking and evaluating virtual reference software.

This is a proof-of-concept that shows, in part, how a libraries can use commercially available, open-source Enterprise IM software to provide collaborative virtual reference service.

The proof-of-concept uses software from Jive Software, including the award-winning Wildfire, Fastpath and Spark.

It is a proof-of-concept only, and is not perfect, but your comments and questions are welcome.

Why

• Instant messaging is popular in libraries because it is "free", because our patrons are already using it and because it is so easy to learn. Training on instant messaging is not a big deal because it is not a big deal.

  We seek virtual reference software that is as simple to learn and use as instant messaging software.

• Libraries should have the opportunity to expand virtual reference services into instant messaging, mobile phones, and anywhere else.
• Hosting virtual reference services on local servers would allow libraries to better protect patron privacy.
• Open source software would allow libraries to customize virtual reference tools.
• Libraries cannot afford to be constantly learning how to provide more and more services. Enterprise IM potentially allows us to integrate web-based chat, IM and other virtual reference services into one simple tool.

Invitation

You are invited to test the web-patron and librarian interfaces for our Enterprise IM proof-of-concept.

The patron interface is available to be evaluated whenever I am, roughly Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm Pacific time. Call or e-mail ahead to set up an appointment if you like.

E-mail, IM or telephone me if you would like a login to the librarian interface. I can't promise one for everyone, but I do want to get varied opinions.

Until then, please see screenshots of the librarian interface and ask questions.

E-mail, IM or telephone me if you are interested in a teleconference to discuss this proof-of-concept or if you would like to meet up at ALA Midwinter in Seattle this coming January.

Caleb Tucker-Raymond
Oregon Statewide Digital Reference Project Coordinator
Multnomah County Library
(503) 988-5438
calebt@multcolib.org
AIM/Yahoo: calebMCL
Jabber: caleb@eval.jivesoftware.com

What is Enterprise IM

Enterprise Instant Messaging software controls instant messaging for a network. Companies and government agencies use Enterprise IM to keep conversations secure, client information private and to enforce workplace policies.

Enterprise IM allows people to communicate through IM in a similar way to how we communicate through e-mail. If we are on the same network, I contact our server and it contacts you. If we are not, I contact my Enterprise IM server, my server contacts your server, your server contacts you, and you get my message.

Enterprise IM software can perform the same functions outside of libraries that virtual reference software performs inside of libraries: keep statistics, archive transcripts and maintain patron privacy.

IM integration

Wildfire uses a plugin architecture, meaning that users can create new features to add on to their system, and also use existing plugins created by the company or other users. Plugins exist already to connect the Wildfire server with commercial IM networks used by AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger.

As far as I know, the connections to the commercial networks are one-to-one.

A library could use the software to monitor their AIM, Yahoo! and MSN screen names at the same time they monitor a collaborative web-based reference service.

Two librarians from separate libraries would not be able to monitor a single AIM screen name simultaneously.

But did I mention these tools were open-source?

QWAWBAF

(Questions We Anticipate Will Be Asked Frequently)

No one has asked any questions yet, but here are some you might be thinking of.

Are you tied to this software, whatever it is?

No we are not, but good folks at Jive Software have helped make this proof-of-concept possible.

• Wildfire is the enterprise IM server
• Fastpath is the mechanism that routes IMs/chats to the right people
• Spark is the custom IM client that librarians would use to talk to patrons

Do you really have to put the chat frame on the right hand side of the screen?

No, we could put it anywhere, on the left or the top or bottom, we could put it in a pop-up window, or since it is open-source, let's make a widget, a Firefox toolbar, an IE toolbar, an interface just for your Treo, your Blackberry, your mobile phone, let's hook it up to open-source VoIP servers and make sure there is a client that works with screen readers, too.

It says "cobrowse" on it! Is it going to have co-browsing?

Co-browsing as libraries know it usually means that a connection to a website or database is proxied through another server. This allows librarians and patrons to authenticate to databases together. Read more in a blog post I wrote on co-browsing in 2005. As far as I know, it worked well once, but does not work well anymore.

Co-browsing as the world outside of libraries knows it is the ability to share web pages.

The co-browsing included in this proof-of-concept is what libraries refer to as "page pushing". If you can bookmark it, you can share it with patrons in this proof-of-concept.

It is always possible that an co-browsing could be added to an open source virtual reference platform.

What about 24/7 service?

Anyone decided to use Enterprise IM software to provide collaborative virtual reference that wants 24/7 service would have to find a way to provide it, such as:

• Stay up all night
• Get together and hire a bunch of staff
• Convince existing 24/7 providers to offer an XMPP API to their services - ie, let them monitor our server too

How is this software commercial and open-source?

Some parts of the software are free for us to download, some are not. Wildfire's plugin architecture makes it so we can develop new features without interfering with the existing ones.

Is this the virtual reference silver bullet?

No. We are trying to show that there could be a better way, that there are alternatives, and to open a discussion about virtual reference software. The proof-of-concept here is by no means perfect and by no means will be helpful to all libraries.

Also, remember, silver bullets are used to slay werewolves. Virtual reference is not a werewolf because it does not turn into a monster every full moon. If it were a monster at all, it would be much like Frankenstein's monster, a chat system here, an e-mail system here, a brain there, IM there.

If you haven't read it, I'm going to give away the ending to Frankenstein now. The monster commits suicide out of grief.

Let's not let that happen this time around.

Update

A group of us met at ALA Midwinter Sunday January 21 in Seattle, Washington. A write-up of the session and it's outcome begins at www.oregonlibraries.net/staff/2007/01/25/collaborative_enterprise_instant_messaging_at_ala_midwinter.

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