Abstract
Instant messaging (IM) is a hot topic among libraries today. The past few years have seen a burst of articles in the professional literature describing the technology and the ways in which libraries can incorporate it into their range of services. Conferences at the state and national level often contain at least a few sessions dedicated to overviews and cases studies of IM. Much like e-mail reference a few years prior, the rise of IM can be attributed to its exponential growth in popularity among patrons in both their professional and personal online activities. A recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 53 million adults trade IMs and 24% of them swap IMs more frequently than e-mail.1 This article examines some of the basic issues regarding IM and presents a case study of East Carolina University Joyner Library's experience implementing and maintaining the service during the 2005/2006 academic year.
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