KnowItNow24x7 is built on a foundation of shared responsibility and collaboration among the participating libraries and librarians and will remain a vital part of the service. SparkRef has always provided mechanisms for collaborating with colleagues; however, these will become even more useful with the upcoming subject queue consolidation.

One is basic instant messaging (IM). SparkRef can be used to IM any other individual librarian logged onto the service by simply double-clicking their name in either the Contacts tab or the Fastpath tab of SparkRef. If logged in, the message appears as a new chat window automatically. If a librarian is not currently logged into SparkRef, he or she can still be IM'd. The message will simply appear when he or she signs into SparkRef at their next shift.

A second collaborative mechanism in SparkRef is broadcasting, which sends out an IM to multiple KIN24x7 librarians simultaneously. A brief (4-minute) screencast on broadcasting has been posted to the Provider site here and on the Training Materials page. There is no audio, so it is able to be viewed from a public reference desk. More information on SparkRef IM'ing and Broadcasting is available in the KnowItNow24x7 Software Training & Reference Manual, Sections 8.3.2 and 24.2.

KIN24x7 librarians can IM or broadcast either while engaged in a session with a patron or outside of a patron session. SparkRef IM'ing and Broadcasting can be useful for a number of reasons, including:

• Asking for assistance with where to look for a piece of information for a patron (either virtual or in-person)
• IM'ing a librarian at a specific library for information about a program or service offered there
• Asking how to do something on SparkRef which may have been forgotten (e.g., how to access transcripts, etc.)

SparkRef IM'ing can be used for anything you'd use the telephone or email for, but it provides a seamless communication interface within KIN24x7 itself without the necessity of looking up a phone number or an email address.

Shared responsibility and collaboration among KIN24x7 librarians will have new significance as well with the KIN24x7 Pathfinder Project. KIN24x7 librarians must be logged into the Provider site to view, edit, or create Pathfinders, making this one of the benefits of being a participating KIN24x7 librarian; but the Pathfinders will only be as useful as the KIN24x7 community makes them. The KIN24x7 Coordinator has created a template example and an Algebra Pathfinder; but many more KIN24x7 librarians must contribute their expertise in history, genealogy, business, literature, science, art, music, etc., for the Pathfinder Project to be successful.

Additionally, KIN24x7 librarians interested in gaining experience with Drupal (the content management system used by KIN24x7) and HTML, should consider becoming a founding volunteer member of the Pathfinder Editorial Commitee for KIN24x7 (PECK). PECK volunteers will not only be trained in the workflow of creating and approving content but will also have a strong voice in shaping the Pathfinder Project itself. A special edition of the Pathfinder Manual with additional content will be distributed to PECK members.

For more details on becoming a PECK member or for answers to other questions about the service, feel free to email support@knowitnow.org.