Instant messaging - thing 7 - is not something that is new to me at all. I've previously used Yahoo and Live instant messaging services, and once worked in a job where we were expected to have live IM open all day for quick intra-office communicating. In my personal life, I currently utilize IM'ing only occasionally. It is one way that I can reach my husband at the office (he and his colleagues also use it as a form of communicating at work), so I have the Live IM app downloaded on my iPhone so that if I need to speak with my husband during his work day, I can quickly open that app and be in touch with him. Personally, I don't feel that IM can replace texting, which is what I use more commonly than IM'ing.
I do have some exposure to reference service via IM. I once spent a day at the UNT Wilson Library ref desk as part of an assignment for school. They offer reference services via IM although it is only when they have someone "available" via IM so it seems like a spotty service to me. The ref desk staffer that I was observing signed into the reference IM about halfway into our day. One user did contact him via IM and he was able to successfully assist them. It seems like it would be a good idea but it needs a little more consistency, at least in the case of that library. There are long periods of time, from what I can tell, where no one is available via IM, but there is ref desk staff there to assist people, they're just not signed into their instant messaging account.
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