Northern Illinois University Libraries is (are?) using Jybe as their virtual reference service offering. If you visit their homepage, browse to Services and More and then Ask a Librarian, which is the first option on the list. If you already have Jbye installed you can just click the link to be connected to a librarian, or if this is your first time they direct you to this page with steps to installing the chat client. I think they should provide a little additional information to the end user about what this is all about, and what makes it different than AIM and the rest (co-browsing being the biggie). I don’t see mention of browser requirements either…
I just tried to join a session and was told that the session did not exist (which, having used Jybe before simply led me to believe that reference service was not available at just now, but they should work towards a more informative message). Then it dropped me to a page that told me I didn’t have Jybe installed, and to click to install it. Of course I do have it installed, but I had forgotten to have the toolbar in view. Again, a more informative message would be helpful, perhaps just a reminder to have the toolbar displayed.
This service is actually hosted on the Jybe servers, and I believe this is an actual business arrangement (in other words, they’ve purchased the hosting solution from the folks at Jybe).
Still a little rough, but I salute the pioneers – it can only get better if we pound on it, right? 🙂
Link: NIU Ask a Librarian Services.