Chat software provides the ability to talk using your keyboard in real-time with other people on the Internet.
Chat rooms offer an alternative to email, telephone, regular mail, and in-person communication.
Students with different learning styles may feel more at ease with different modes of communication. The RRC strives to meet the needs of all distance learners. Many distance learners have only one phone line and they cannot be online and on the telephone at the same time. Chat reference allows the student to communicate with a librarian in real-time without disconnecting from the Internet. For distance learners who are comfortable with Internet technology, chat is already a familiar mode of communication.