Thing 11 - IM

Oy. Instant messaging. I have mixed feelings on this topic.
On the one hand, if you just have a quick little something to say or ask, I think IM is a great way to communicate.
But if a lengthy conversation is required, I still find the phone to be a better option. It's faster and I think there is less chance of miscommunication.
There's a lot to be said for tone and inflection, and those may be misinterpreted on IM.
That said, I think that there are people out there who are more comfortable 'speaking' via text rather than telephone, so I can see where IM could be a good alternative for library customers.
I also see it as a better service for customers than email. I've helped customers via email, and often by the time the email finally trickles down to me and I reply, they've already resolved the issue.
Or, as in the case with the most recent email inquiry I received, my reply was very long because I was having to cover all possible bases, whereas if I had been on IM, I could have asked the customer directly which of the options they would be most interested in and then only respond with that one.
My library is not participating in the IM service at this time, so I have not had any experience with this on a professional basis, but I am interested to see how well it works.