Instant communication

Instant Messaging - nice if you can do it!

Despite numerous attempts using Hotmail's Messenger service, I was unable to start a chat session with one of my approved contacts.  We were both online at the same time and available (according to messenger) and had not limited access to each other and yet we were apparently not available.  We ended up sending each other emails for a short while to communicate but soon both decided we had lost interest.
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I'm not sure how popular this form of communication is but considering how easy it is to just send an email or text or even just pick up a phone (as skype not an option) it is probably not something that I would personally use.

One of the main reasons being that my schedule for work, commuting and personal "free time" was rarely in sync with most of my friends and family for instant communication.

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I did like the Topeka and Shawnee County Public library's
Ask Us Service page.


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For a library, having a dedicated Reference Service accessible via instant messaging would be a great way of assisting members.  

Presumably, the librarian on call to assist is focusing only on this service and not also working on the public Information Desk at the same time. We all know how hard it can be to assist someone with an indepth reference query when the phone is also ringing and 8 other people are hovering in the background tapping their fingers..