T7: Email and texting and IM, oh my!

Yeah, that Thing of My Own? Not so much my own. Once I actually read all the way through Thing 7, I found that webinars are a part of it. I am proud to say it was something I did because I wanted too, not because I was cordially required to do so. Maybe that counts for something.

True confession time. I know, another confession. I am a phone phobic. I avoid the phone at virtually all costs. Quirky, but true. Incoming phone calls don't phase me a bit. Outgoing phone calls require pre-planning, script writing, sometimes false starts and plenty of enabling from my spouse. There are a handful of people on my safe list: people I just dial and go. Everyone else...well, there's a process and a detailed set of rules.

I'm a lot of fun to live with.

Email has saved my life. Personally, email has eliminated the need for much of my day to day phone interaction. Professionally, email has greatly reduced the number of patrons who need to be called. Score 1 for technology. And, as an added bonus, there is more time for patron interaction because we aren't tied to the telephone.

Up until recently, I had never used IM. IM-ing my fellow librarians at work doesn't make sense because the 3 computer workstations are practically on top of each other. It's easier to say, "hey, come here," than to try anything else. I have used it at one of my other positions, mostly because my office is off in Never-Never Land. This is not a complaint. Actually, not Never-Never Land. If the main office wing is in the Emerald City, then my office is in Munchkin Land. It's good, and the Yellow Brick Road is a pleasant journey.

Quite frankly, I'm just thrilled to have an office.

Hi, I'm back from the tangent. Anyway, IM-ing is a great way for me to say, "are you there because I need to see you for a minute". Library use. Hmm. System wide, to IM a librarian would be a great service, but for the individual branches I think it would be more difficult. We simply don't have the manpower to give the instant gratification that IM-ing and texting require at our little branch. I think that both these communication tools would also be fantastic for the bigger branches and the two-story branches for internal communication. Finding people can be a big headache, especially when it is virtually impossible to get out from behind your desk. Why follow the yellow brick road when all you have to do is click your heels together?

One of the great things about my branch, and I'm sure lots of branches, is the personal service. I like talking to the patrons, finding out how their families are, getting recipes or book suggestions or eggs. These people are interesting and they are a part of my community.

Sometimes, I think it is nice to talk to a real person. When I do actually use the phone, I'm the girl frantically pushing the zero, hoping for the operator.