Table 5.

1 IM/SMS System Requirements Must have Should have Nice tohave

Queues & the ability to move between them Reporting functions (statistics; must be exportable to csv or tab) Visible queues, status & assignment for all staff looking at the data Must work on network reliably More than one librarian can access at a time Works on common browsers & operating systems (for users) Ability to store data disassociating patron names/ids from content of questions Archives and data must be stored on local server(s) or secure vendor server Can send clickable links Supports patron authentication Scalability Customizable user interface If its a commercial product, has good customer service reputation & support Individual identifier for each transaction Transaction logs must be searchable (keywords) Email transcript to user option Tagging (categorization) by staff Librarian to librarian interactions possible Can handle IMs from commercial providers (e.g., GoogleTalk, AOL, etc.) Can send messages to cell phones & other devices Can send images & files Capable of easily transferring a query from one librarian to another Functional from reference desks Does not require librarian to be on the local network (available from anywhere) Good documentation Works with text messaging systems (or includes it) Has canned answers available automatically Spell-check Works on mobile devices Support from vendor

Could have multiple instances, e.g., different queues Knowledgebase for staff and or public (FAQ builder) Co-browsing Customizable staff interface Surveys possible __________________________ __________________________