There are code4lib chat rooms for folks who are interested in the convergence of technology and cultural heritage. These are less formal and more interactive alternative to the code4lib mailing list for the discussion of code, projects, ideas, music, first computers, etc.

IRC

Stop by and say hello.

If you don’t already have an IRC client, there are several options available at no cost.

If you can’t install a client, or if IRC traffic is blocked on your network,

  • IRCCloud is a SaaS IRC client that runs in most modern browsers.
  • If you have Pidgin installed, it provides IRC access.
  • Join the #irc channel on Code4lib Slack (see below), which serves as a gateway between #code4lib and the Slack team.

If you’re unfamiliar with IRC, this brief introduction should help get you up to speed. You might also want to check out this FAQ, which answers some common questions about the #code4lib channel specifically.

You can register your nickname with Libera’s NickServ service to keep using the same nickname. After you are registered, identify to NickServ. More details and the commands to use are listed at Libera’s FAQ. This will allow you more privileges, such as sending private messages to other registered users.

To perform some of the commands listed in the FAQ you need to register and identify with Zoia. This is similar to but separate from the registration with Libera’s NickServ. Remember to identify each time you log in. Register by /msg zoia register nickname password. Once registered, Identify by /msg zoia identify nickname password. To change your password: /msg zoia set password oldpassword newpassword.

Finally, #code4lib is a social and technical discussion channel. Keep in mind that the discussion isn’t limited to library technologies, and can cover a lot of ground.

The channel is not publicly logged.

Slack

Code4Lib also has a Slack team that is used for discussion, questions, announcements, interest groups, and working groups. Anyone can create a new channel within the Code4Lib Slack team once they have registered for an account.

Slack team: https://code4lib.slack.com

Joining a Slack team requires an invitation, but anyone can generate an automatic invite using the following form: https://code4lib.org/slack. (If this form does not work, you may want to use this backup form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/120Dw1JjLxPJB9VTGl0mUY7Ot6yg6YNY1RZUISJFzdwk/viewform?c=0&w=1)

A tutorial can be found at https://code4lib.slack.com/getting-started. Slack has clients for Mac, PC, Linux, and mobile devices, and may be used via any web browser.

Other platforms

In addition to IRC and Slack, there is also a Code4lib Discord server and a Zulip team.