L-net Local

L-net, Oregon’s statewide reference service, provides a centralized online reference service for everyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Oregon, as well as staff training and support for Oregon libraries to provide that service.

What is L-net Local?

L-net is now also providing the software tools for your library or consortium to provide the same service to your local community.

Who is using it?

• Central Oregon Community College Library (see the link to "Click for 24/7 assistance" on every page of their website.)
• The Corvallis-Benton County Library (Look for 'chat online now' in the upper left hand corner of their website.)
• Oregon Health & Science University Library (click 'Ask a Librarian' and then 'Chat with OHSU librarians').
• Southern Oregon University Library (follow the button for 'click to chat' near the center of their home page)
• The Oregon State Library uses L-net local on their State Employee Information Center (click 'Get help')

Also using L-net local are:

• Marylhurst University
• Portland State University
• Oregon Institute of Technology
• Lane Community College
• Eugene Public Library

Embedded chat widgets

Embedded chat widgets are becoming a common feature of library websites and related online services. You might see one on a library home page, course management software, Facebook profile, or library catalog. An embedded chat widget looks and acts like a user’s regular instant messaging software, so many people recognize what it is without much explanation. The presence of a widget signifies that a person is online and available to help.

To begin their chat with a librarian, the patron just types in their question and clicks ‘Submit’.

Example:

Tillamook County Library - http://www.tillamook.plinkit.org/ (look for ‘Reference chat’ in the center of the page - Tillamook is not using L-net Local)

Problems with embedded chat widgets for patrons

Libraries have seen two common problems with embedded chat widgets:

Patrons can accidentally browse away from their chat
The embedded chat takes up a lot of space on a web page

Libraries have solved these problems by using a pop-up window instead of an embedded chat widget, which stays open even when the patron is browsing another page, and which can be accessed by a link or small image.

For these and for technical reasons, we recommend that you use a pop-up window with your L-net local service.

Examples:

Oregon State University - http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/ (look for ‘Ask a librarian in the top right’)

Reed College Library - http://library.reed.edu/ (look for “We’re online!” Or “We’re Offline” near the top left).

Problems on the staffing side

Many embedded chat widgets only allow one librarian to be logged in and answering questions. There is sometimes confusion when a librarian coming on shift forces the current librarian to log out.

Embedded chat widgets from commercial IM providers do not provide statistics or transcripts of sessions, which are useful in evaluating and improving a service.

Though it is not unique in this aspect, L-net’s local service allows you to have as many people monitoring your service at once as you like with no interruptions, and keeps statistics and transcripts of sessions.

Who can use it?

Any library in Oregon may use L-net Local to provide online chat reference service to their local community or in partnership with other Oregon libraries.

We hope that library staff will attend one of our trainings and contribute to the L-net statewide service but neither is required.

For information about contributing to L-net, please visit www.oregonlibraries.net/joining.

Do I have to call it L-net?

No, you don’t have to call your local service “L-net”, and you don’t have to give it a name at all if you don’t want.

More information about IM

In 2006 L-net created an IM report that gives a general overview of IM in libraries and includes practical strategies for addressing concerns that library administrators and IT departments might have. The report is available at http://www.oregonlibraries.net/staff/instantmessaging