Internet users have long wanted easy and inexpensive ways to talk to other users without costly hardware or expensive software. In the beginning, Internet delivered voice programs sounded like a bad walkie-talkie conversation in a tin can. Since that time the technology and quality have improved greatly. For the past few years high-quality commercial versions of VoIP software have been available, but most of these typically required large capital investments, required high-speed connections or were too complex for the average user. Times have changed ...
Voice components for Microsoft's MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo Messenger arrived in the last year, and new programs like Skype have also entered the picture, providing users with lots of free or low-cost choices for easy to use VoIP software. Typically users with fast connections are pleased with the performance of these applications, frequently equating talk quality to that of a cellular phone. While voice quality improved, some key weaknesses remained. For example you could only make calls to other Internet users who are using the same software program, and you couldn't receive incoming calls from land or cellular-based users.
Times have changed. Now most of the leading packages allow users to make calls to land and cellular-based phones using their services for a very modest fee, some support voice mail functions and allow users to conduct multi-user conference calls, and soon Skype will launch a service to allow land and cellular-based phones to call Skype users. All of these enhancements will continue to move VoIP phone services much closer to widespread acceptance and use among the general public.
What does all of this mean for libraries? Like cellular phones, the VoIP technology provided by programs like Skype is not tied to a particular location, so users can take the ability to communicate with them to the library, needing only a computer, their software and password to access their phone services. While this is great for home users, are you as a library or school ready for these users in your facility? What are the policy implications of users talking on the phone in your facility? What is the impact on bandwidth, will these programs slow down Internet access for others in my building? What type of technical provisions would you need to make to allow these services (or to stop their use)? These are all questions that libraries will need to begin answering in the not too distant future.
