When communicating with HSL employees there are many technology options. This list serves to provide guidance for employees to help make the best choices for internal communication.

Instant Communication Options (i.e. chat)

Although employees are not required to be available via any of these chat mediums, staying logged into any/all of these options will give your colleagues better immediate access to you during working hours. Chat is not considered a durable or a formal way to communicate with other HSL employees.

• LibChat (HSL employees are encouraged but not required to be logged in)
  • Pros = ability to chat all Liaisons and all Service Desk at once.
  • Cons = poor alerting to the recipient, no way to leave a message when the recipient is offline, not for mobile phones.
• Teams Chat (not required)
  • Pros = sends email messages if the recipient is off-line, works on mobile phone Teams app, available on browser too.
  • Cons = sophisticated integrations can make teams chat a little confusing to use for the unfamiliar.
• Zoom Chat (not required)
  • Pros = leaves an alert in recipient's Zoom app
  • Cons = can easily miss the instant alerts that a chat has been received.

Formal HSL Employee Communication Mediums

Although there is a multitude of collaboration tools supported at UVA, the HSL focuses on using the following for formal and durable communication:

• Email (the primary formal communication medium for employees)
• IT Ticket System (for formal IT request communication)
• Vacation Reporting Form (for formal reporting of vacation time)
• Service Desk Talk Blog (for reviewing and commenting on daily activities in the library)

Formal Communication of Files

When sharing files with HSL colleagues, the HSL has decided on the following recommendations:

• S Drive,  (for formal file preservation/sharing between HSL employees)
• Box and Sharepoint (for personal or file communication that does not have to be permanent).

Not To Be Relied on For Internal Communication

• Office phones (due to the pandemic use of phones are not currently used as a communication standard)
• Personal phones (unless arranged and communicated to you by your colleague, do not use calls to personal phones)