Introduction

LibraryH3lp includes an embeddable chat widget similar to Meebo Me and related tools, but with some considerations toward use by libraries and other service organizations.

Details

The key feature of our chat widget is that it is designed for use with our queues and routing system (so that multiple librarians can staff a chat service). If you're not making use of those features, you might be better served with another product.

Other differences:

1. Written in HTML/JavaScript only, so does not require Flash.
2. Links sent to a "patron" during a chat are clickable.
3. Librarian and patron each receive typing notification.
4. Compatible with text-to-speech software for accessibility. (details)

To date, has been successfully tested with Firefox 1.5 and higher across platforms, Opera 9, IE 6, 7 and 8 on Windows; Opera 9 and Safari 3 on MacOS X; the Nintendo Wii; and the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Individual Identity Versus Queue Identity

We need to start with a little terminology and orientation to the libraryh3lp system. Libraryh3lp runs a Jabber server, and all librarians staffing the service will wind up with individual libraryh3lp Jabber accounts. We will call these individual user accounts "operators" or "librarian operators."

One or more operators can be assigned to queues. A queue is a public entry point into the system; for web chat, think of this as a URL. You might make a queue for your general Ask A Librarian service, or you can create queues for any special purpose, such as areas of subject expertise (Literature, RefWorks).

Each operator also has their own, individual, URL that is not subject to the Routing system.

To get started as an individual:

1. If you have not already done so, register for an account through the web at http://libraryh3lp.com/.
2. If you're starting a LibraryH3lp service, this account is your "admin" account, and you should use this master Admin account to create other individual accounts for your librarian operators. These accounts represent an individual identity, and you or your operators can receive incoming chats with your Jabber clients.
3. Your chat (public web entry) page is then http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/your-jabber-id
• For example, my Jabber ID is eric@libraryh3lp.com
• My chat page is http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/eric@libraryh3lp.com
4. Embed your chat (public web entry) page following the instructions below.

Creating Queues and Adding Operators

Use your Admin account to create a Queue, so that you can have more than one Operator able to easily receive incoming chats. This is the routing and queues piece of the system. You will wind up with different URLs for the queues, and they will be given to you in the web administration interface. An example:

1. The account mainlibraryadmin is an individual identity, and I will also use it as my "administration" account. Its individual URL is:
• http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/mainlibraryadmin@libraryh3lp.com
2. Mainlibraryadmin creates a queue named mainlibraryreference:
• http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/mainlibraryreference@chat.libraryh3lp.com
3. Mainlibraryadmin creates additional user (operator) accounts and assign them to the mainlibraryreference queue.
4. Operators can sign in and out in staffing shifts using suitable Jabber clients to monitor a library's public chat service on mainlibraryreference.
5. Operators can also, if desired, receive individual chats (not subject to the queue) using the individual URL convention or using regular Jabber IM clients.

To embed the chat widget in another web page:

<iframe src="http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/queuename@chat.libraryh3lp.com" width="400" height="320"></iframe>

Or, you could create a popup, using JavaScript:

open('http://libraryh3lp.com/chat/queuename@chat.libraryh3lp.com', 'chat', 'width=400,height=320,resizable=yes');

Those are the basics, but there is much, much more you can do.

Customizing Your Widgets and Designing Your Service

Use the Design Public Services wizard inside the admin interface to spruce up the appearance of your widgets. You can tweak all the parts of your widget and see your changes in real-time. Then, copy and paste the code into your web page. The wizard will also help you create HTML for embedded and pop-up widgets.

Note for Testing

Each patron can have only one active libraryh3lp widget chat per browser instance, even if using different queues. For this reason, if you wish to simulate more than one patron, use separate browsers (such as Firefox and IE) on one computer, or use multiple computers and multiple browsers to simulate many patrons.

Librarian operators can have multiple patrons.

Bugs

Any problems are being documented in the Issues section: http://code.google.com/p/libraryh3lp/issues/list.

Related Screencasts (Flash required)

Example widget creation and librarian Pidgin client setup Basic chat widget implementation in simple HTML page. Widget is offline until librarian operator signs in to monitor it in Pidgin client. (1:55; 1.8 MB)

Presence changes. Illustrates widget and AIM buddy online/offline presence changes while librarian operator signs in and out of Psi client. (0:45; 745 kB)