Exchanging instant messaging (IM) information is often the first step in developing a relationship in the U of T community. No other feature of the internet has affected how we communicate as spectacularly as IM has. Is there a better way of keeping in touch intimately yet unobtrusively?

While IM is often the perfect medium for procrastination, none of us will deny its utility. Librarians are no exception. Indeed, bold posters in Gerstein have notified us that “The librarian is IM!” To find out what it was all about, I naturally ‘IM’-ed the librarian.

You can now IM a Gerstein reference librarian using MSN, YAHOO!, AIM, or Google Talk. Proposed and implemented by senior librarian Rita Vine and instruction and liaison librarian Elena Prigod, IM is a pilot project meant to complement the existing Live Chat Help service, though the Gerstein IM is exclusively dedicated to scientific resources. Evaluations will take place at the end of the summer and after the fall semester to decide if the service should be adopted permanently.
Ever wonder what makes IM ‘instant’? The software we use for IM, such as MSN Messenger or ICQ is called a client. A client connects to servers using a protocol, which is roughly the ‘language’ spoken between computers to help them exchange information. When we log into an IM client, it sends the server our connection information such as our computer’s IP address. It also sends the server information from our contact lists. Now, because we know exactly how and where people are connected, we can message them directly and instantly through IM clients without any mediation by servers.

The Gerstein librarians signed up for IM just like the rest of us. However, they use open-source software called GAIM, an IM aggregator. It allows the use of different IM accounts through one platform. Using GAIM, instead of signing into MSN or AIM individually, you can sign into all of your IM accounts at once.

ADD THE LIBRARY TO YOUR BUDDY LIST!
Ask questions and get answers instantly from a reference librarian at Gerstein. They operate Monday to Thursday from 10am to 9pm and Fridays from 10am to 6pm.
MSN Messenger: [email protected]
Yahoo! Messenger: askgerstein
Google Talk/Chat: [email protected]
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM): askgerstein

Special thanks to Elena Prigod for her contributions to this article.