Maplewood Memorial Library embraces the responsibility of being a supreme know-it-all. In fact, you could always approach a librarian with any sort of question, not just “where’s the bathroom?” But the library is now reaching out to kids in the medium of their generation: Instant Messaging (I.M.). If you have an instant messaging service and a fetish for uncovering information, you can now chat live with an eager-to-please librarian, Monday through Thursday from 3-8 pm. The official I.M. addresses are “MapleHelp” (AIM), “MapleHelp1” (Yahoo), and “MapleHelp@hotmail.com” (MSN).
Be sure not to confuse “MapleHelp” with “MapleSchlep,” who answers relocation questions, or “MapleKelp,” your local guide to dried seaweed.
Betsy Wald, a Youth Services Librarian at Maplewood Memorial Library, told me that the library gets Instant Message requests from 4th graders through high school students. Librarians answer these questions using trusted databases, educational websites, dictionaries, book collections, and fellow librarians. Lesser-trusted sources include works by James Frey, amateur blogs, and the CIA. Though questions are mostly related to homework, they still cover wide range of subjects. “We're all over the map so far,” Betsy said. “I've been asked everything from the definitions of words to my advice on topics for a creative writing assignment.”
All four Youth Services Librarians, as well as other “trained staff”, handle I.M. duties for the library. Training, I assume, includes six weeks of watching nothing but “The O.C.” These savvy librarians even recognize standard Instant Message lingo like LOL (laugh out loud), TTYL (talk to you later), BRB (be right back) and SATHPACO (Sorry, all the Harry Potters are checked out.) Kids don’t even have to worry about PIR (parents in room), because this is one Instant Message interaction parents approve of. The only one, in fact.
Betsy told me the average wait time for an answer varies depending on a question’s complexity. “What do white blood cells do”, for example, probably has a quicker turnaround time than, say, “Where do babies come from?” “Is there a Santa Claus,” or “Why is Paris Hilton famous?” Betsy said, “If we feel the wait time will be more than a minute or two, we may ask if we can get back to them in a variety of ways: I.M., email, phone, or face to face. If we want to I.M. them back in a few minutes, we can just put them on our buddy list and I.M. them when we're ready.”
The Maplewood Memorial Library is actually no stranger to new technology. In addition to the I.M. service, they feature high-seed Internet access, miniature library cards, and online book reservations. If you keep books out too long, they can deactivate your account remotely, but they’re more likely to go “old school” and thwack you on the forehead with one of those oversized date stampers. As a rule of thumb, you generally don’t want to annoy someone who can announce to your community you’ve been reading “How to Make Love Like a Porn Star” or anything by Dr. Phil.
Librarians are hoping the I.M. service will attract young people to the library much like what happened in the late 70’s when The Fonz declared, “Reading is cool!” Nobody caught the “Happy Days” episode several seasons later when a ratings-challenged Fonzie announced, “The Dewey Decimal System is also cool!” but I understand Mrs. C was quite proud. I wouldn’t expect such a pronouncement from Colin Farrell anytime soon.
I strongly support Betsy and the tactic of co-opting teen lifestyle habits to bring them closer to learning, but it may not stop with Instant Messaging. Look soon for Shakespeare via cell phone, “MyLibrarySpace” community websites, and great works of literature printed on underwear waistbands where everyone in public can read and enjoy them.
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