Instant Messaging

The new 23 Things topic is Instant Messaging.
I have used AIM before and it has been okay.
I have used the new communicator at work as well.

Libraries could use some form of IM for quick reference questions. For longer responses or more involved conversations, a librarian could always take the question via IM and then respond later via email.

Does usage ever get so high that it would be difficult for one librarian to be the designated IM reference librarian for an hour or so? Probably not. But you wouldn't want to try to keep up with it when you are on desk since we get called away from the desk by patrons now and then.

Another advantage of IM over a phone call is that you could copy and paste into an Instant message. We could have some "Canned Responses" that we could drop into the IM reply. Everybody would get the same "official" response to recurring questions that way.