IM service expands coverage; retains local librarians for the service.

To supplement our 24/7 Live Ask-A-Librarian Chat Service, we have opened up a new IM service providing virtual help from USC librarians from Monday-Thurs, 10am-5pm and on Fridays from 10am-2pm. We realize that most students can get reference help 24/7, all the time, from academic librarians across the U.S via the Ask A Librarian service. However, USC librarians staff the service only on Tuesdays 1-5p and Thursdays 2-5p. By opening up the USC IM service we are offering our student's local assistance with collections, archives, and e-resources for more than 32 hours a week more. The students log on via Yahoo IM, Google Talk accounts, MSN or AOL accounts. Our screen name is uscref. We also provide subject based chat in areas such as: American Studies & Ethnicity- Anthropology- Business- Communication- Gerontology- English/Literature- Linguistics- Philosophy- Psychology- Religion- Science & Engineering- Sociology- ) U.S. & Canadian History-
http://www.usc.edu/libraries/services/ask_a_librarian/chat/

Goals / Assessment:

NA