Going where they are: Developing an IM reference service & Catalog Widgets in Facebook

Debbie Herman & Susan Slaga

Central Connecticut State University

Starting a new IM/Chat Service at CCSU Offer a local more personalized service in

addition to the InfoAnytime Chat Service Needed to offer a more up to date reference

service for students who IM regularly Had to deal with resistance from some senior

staff members Students are using IM already Benefits of an IM/Chat service

Challenges for IM Reference

We wanted an IM service that was… Easy and familiar for students Flexible Relatively easy for staff to learn Low cost

The solution

AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) Meebo

Meebo

Creating a Meebo Me Widget

Code<!-- Beginning of meebo me widget code.

Want to talk with visitors on your page? Go to http://www.meebome.com/ and get your widget! --> <embed src="http://widget.meebo.com/mm.swf?tFHbfiohgU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="190" height="275"></embed>

The Result

AIM Status Indicators

AIM Presence Serviceshttp://developer.aim.com/presenceMain.jsp

Online Status Indicatorhttp://www.onlinestatus.org/

<td> <a href="aim:GoIM?screenname=debbieatlibrary"><img src="http://big.oscar.aol.com/debbieatlibrary?on_url=http://library.ccsu.edu/images/chat_status_on.gif&amp;off_url=http://library.ccsu.edu/images/chat_status_off.gif" border="0" class="underline"> Debbie Herman</a> </td><td class="norm">debbieatlibrary</td>

Meebo Link Code Example

<a href="#" onClick="popup('widget.meebo.com/mm.swf?aiWjUjHhvB', 'Meebo', 300, 300); return false"> Click here</a> to chat or leave an offline message.

Code<!-- Beginning of meebo me widget code.

Want to talk with visitors on your page? Go to http://www.meebome.com/ and get your widget! --> <embed src="http://widget.meebo.com/mm.swf?tFHbfiohgU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="190" height="275"></embed>

Training

Read article Zuho, MLIS, Fu, Mark Love, MS, Scott Norwood, MLIS, and Karla Massia, MA. "Applying RUSA Guidelines in the Analysis of Chat Reference Transcripts." College & Undergraduate Libraries 13.1 (2006): 75-88. to view examples of transcripts and applying RUSA guidelines

Practicing with each other Remembering to log on and off

Promotion

Table tents and pens Campus Listservs Announcements to classes Facebook flyer

Facebook Facts

Made API available to developers in May 2007

PHP5 is the official development platform 5,000+ applications developed to date 100 new applications daily More than half of Facebook users are

outside of college

Steps involved in creating a FB app

Need access to a web server with PHP running Install FB developer application Review docs available at http://developers.facebook.com/ Get familiar with FBML (Facebook markup

language) In the Developer Application, generate an API

key for your app

FB Developer Application

Useful Documentation for FB Library Developers Anatomy of a Facebook Application

http://developers.facebook.com/anatomy.php FB Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Application

(includes a sample app.)http://developers.facebook.com/step_by_step.php

Ryerson Library’s FB Application http://www.ryerson.ca/library/iii/facebook.html

Facebook Groups: FacebookAppsForLibraries, Library 2.0 Interest Group, Facebook Developers

Burritt Library Outpost on FB

appinclude.php & dashboard.php code snippets<-- FROM appinclude.php -->$appapikey = 'PUT_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE';$appsecret = 'PUT_YOUR_SECRET_KEY_HERE';

$appcallbackurl = 'http://www.YOURSERVER.com/APP_DIRECTORY/'; $appInternalURL = 'http://apps.facebook.com/CANVAS_PAGE_URL/';

<-- FROM dashboard.php -->

<fb:dashboard> <fb:action href="index.php">Main</fb:action> <?php /*insert your other pages here */ ?> <fb:help href="help.php" title="Need help">Help</fb:help></fb:dashboard>

index.php code snippet<?php// includesrequire_once 'appinclude.php';require 'dashboard.php';

?><div style="padding: 20px;"> <!-- Image for the header ---> <img src="<? echo $appcallbackurl; ?>banner-new3a.gif" /> <br /> <h2>Hello <fb:name firstnameonly="true" uid="<?=$user?>" useyou="false"/>, Welcome to the Burritt Library on Facebook.</h2> <br /> <hr /> <br/> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tr><td valign="top"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <th>External Links</th> </tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://library.ccsu.edu" target="_new"> <li> Library Home Page</li></a></td> </tr><tr><td><a href="http://library.ccsu.edu/help/aska" target="_new"><li>Ask-A-Librarian</li></a></td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="http://www.consuls.org" target="_new"> <li>Library Catalog (CONSULS)</li> </a></td> </tr>

Submitting Your FB Application

Submit your app via the FB developer application

Need a minimum of 5 people using your app in order to submit

Applications MUST utilize the FB platform Caveat regarding library catalog search

widgets and ToS

FB App Submission Page

Questions?

Debbie Herman, CCSU Digital Resources Librarian, hermand@ccsu.edu; 860-832-2084; AIM: debbieatlibrary

Susan Slaga, CCSU Assistant Reference Librarian, slagas@ccsu.edu;860-832-2095; AIM: sjs642