Meebo, a browser based instant messaging client, is the best chat option for patrons in libraries that block IM on public computers. Unfortunately, by being locked into a browser window, Meebo doesn't do a very good job of notifying users when new messages arrive if that particular browser window isn't active. This problem is only exaggerated in a tabbed browser environment, where individual tabs within a window can't be manipulated to flash or otherwise alert users.

Well, a developer in the United Kingdom has taken the first step towards providing a solution. "Tones" has created an extension for Flock (a web browser based on Firefox) that places the Meebo IM interface into a sidebar window that remains visible as the user surfs other sites and switches between various tabs.

Of course, this doesn't solve all the user notification problems. The Flock browser must still be in the foreground for the user to see new messages as the arrive. In addition, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch points out that a number of glitches in the way that IM windows are sized within the sidebar make the extension too difficult to use for the time being.

Still, assuming the kinks can be worked out, this certainly provides hope for IM users who use a tabbed browser and want (or need) to integrate their chat sessions into the browser environment. Could a Firefox extension be far behind?

Just another illustration of the futility of crippling public workstations in libraries.