You probably know that you can get help from a reference librarian at the reference desk. And you may be aware that you can call (432-1606) or email (lawref@pantheon.yale.edu) us for help, too. But what you probably don't know is that you can now ask questions via instant message (IM) or text message (from your cell phone).
The reference desk now has accounts on AIM (ylslibrary), Yahoo! Messenger (ylslibrary) and Google Talk (ylslibrary@gmail.com), so when you need research help, just send us an IM. Or if you have your cell phone handy, you can send a text message to 265-010. When sending a text message, be sure to type "ylslibrary" first, then your question (as illustrated in this cell phone screenshot).
Don't have an IM account or a cell phone? No problem. Just visit our Research or Reference Department web pages and use the chat box to IM a reference librarian directly from your web browser.
For best results, be sure to include your "yale.edu" email address in your message so that if we can't answer your question immediately we can still contact you later. This is particularly helpful if you send a message during non-service hours.
These new services are available to all YLS students, faculty and staff. Generally speaking, IM and text messaging reference service should be available during most regular reference service hours (see the Reference Department page for the complete schedule), but as we ramp up these services coverage may not be comprehensive.
If you have questions about these new services, please contact Tom Boone, Reference Librarian for Electronic Services.
