QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

Quality Tip: “Reject” when you need to say “Look at this!”

Have you ever inadvertently coded a session with an incorrect Resolution Code when staffing the Cooperative?  The resolution code you select has consequences, as follows:

Answered:  session will appear in the patron library Active question list

Follow Up by Patron Library:  session will appear with a ? (red question mark), in both the patron library’s New and Active list

Lost Call:  session will appear in the Closed list (and not in the Active question list)

Most libraries tend to look at the New list first, because that list contains all sessions that need following up.  This includes any chat sessions coded Follow Up by Patron Library as well as new email questions and sessions where a patron has sent a reply to a previous librarian response.  Then, if there is time, the library will look at the Active list.  Very often, no one looks at the Closed list.

If you intend to code a chat session for follow up, but accidently code it as Answered or Lost Call, then the Patron library may not realize that their patron is expecting more information.  Unfortunately, you can’t change the Resolution Code of a session after the fact, but you can bring a session to the Patron Library’s attention by using the Reject feature.  Reject will change the status of the question to New, so that it will now appear in the Patron Library’s New list, with a red question mark.  

Only use Reject if follow up is needed and you did not use the Follow Up resolution code.  You do not need to use Reject if you *did* use the Follow Up resolution code, or if no follow up is needed (in other words, if you meant to code a session as answered and you accidently used Lost Call, there is no need to Reject the session).  You may, however, wish to add a Librarian Note, from the chat monitor.

User Group meeting at ALA Annual, 2013

If you are attending ALA in Chicago, please join us for the QuestionPoint user group meeting! The meeting will be held:

Saturday, June 29, 10:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Regency Ballroom C

We will provide a QuestionPoint update from the QP product team, with plenty of time for questions, discussion, and learning about tips and tricks from QuestionPoint colleagues. If you have specific topics you would like us to discuss, you may send them to me at mcglames@oclc.org

If you are planning to attend, please register here:

https://www.oclc.org/forms/ala-annual.en.html

Hope to see you in Chicago!

Webinars: Best Practices in Virtual Reference, Spring/Summer 2013

Please join us for these upcoming webinars in our popular series on Best Practices in Virtual Reference. All webinars are free, and they’ll be recorded and posted on the QuestionPoint website for future viewing. Each webinar begins at Noon Eastern Time (-4 UTC) and lasts approximately one hour.

- Register for the meeting

- You will get a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting

1. Engaging with Patrons Online: June 14

What makes a chat session good and what makes a chat session exceptional? How do you know you’re truly helping a patron? Sometimes it’s not always clear from working with a patron in a virtual setting to know when you have satisfied their request. There has been a large amount of research done on how to reach and engage with patrons in that online environment. Carla Pfahl, Coordinator of AskMN (Minnesota’s statewide virtual reference service), and Merrie Davidson, Social Sciences Librarian and fellow AskMN librarian at the University of St. Thomas, will look at how to conduct a reference interview and what makes an exceptional reference transaction.

Date: June 14 at Noon, Eastern Time (UTC –4)

To register for this meeting:

- Go to

https://oclc.webex.com/oclc/j.php?ED=200677787&RG=1&UID=0&RT=MTgjMTE%3D

- Register for the meeting

- You will get a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting

2. Chasing the Sun: a 24/7 chat service by medical librarians for health professionals: July 2

The Chasing the Sun service enables health professionals to contact a medical librarian whenever help is required in using information resources after normal library hours. Although most hospital-based health professionals have 24/7 online access to a collection of bibliographic databases and full text products via their library services, but sometimes expert help is needed to use the resources or to perform a search outside of normal business hours. Chasing the Sun was started by medical librarians in Australia and England to take advantage of global time differences and offer out-of-hours librarian support for health professionals, in a cost-effective way. Join Mary Peterson, SA (South Australia) Health Library Network Knowledge Manager to find out more ... and, if you are a medical librarian, how your library can join this global cooperative group!

Date: July 2 at Noon, Eastern Time (UTC –4)

To register for this meeting:

- Go to

https://oclc.webex.com/oclc/j.php?ED=200678197&UID=481807147&RT=MTgjMTE%3D

- Register for the meeting

- You will get a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting

Stay tuned for additional webinars in the series!

Quality Tip: Harvard Referencing? Look at the Policy Page!

Academic students often have questions related to citing their sources, and it’s important to ascertain which citation style the students need.  In the U.S. the most common citation styles are APA, MLA and Chicago Style.  In the UK, a popular style is Harvard referencing.  The chief distinction with Harvard referencing is there are no footnotes.  Instead, partial citations— for example (Smith 2010, p. 1)—are enclosed within parentheses and embedded in the text, either within or after a sentence.  The list of full citations, or “references”, appear in an end section, in alphabetical order.  

While you can find style guides for Harvard referencing on the web, be cautious!  There are two main styles of Harvard referencing:  author-date and author-title, with variations.  Several UK universities use a modified version of Harvard which varies by school.  Students must use the version of Harvard approved by their school.   So, when helping a student with formatting citations, be sure to determine the citation format required.  If the student says “Harvard”, please consult the library’s policy page!  The University of the West of England, for example, has a nice web page (linked from their policy page) specifically designed to help students format their citations based on UWE-specific citation principles.  Open University also has a link to their specific Harvard reference guidelines – which are different from UWE – in the Alerts section of their policy page.

Following the correct referencing guidelines is important:  UWE had a formal complaint this year because a student failed coursework having been given incorrect referencing information.  If in doubt, be sure to code the session for Follow Up, so the patron library can provide the correct information.   This is preferable to the chatting librarian sending an incorrect guide, and having the student rely on this to their detriment.

Don’t just give the students a guide – give them the correct guide, and to do that, consult the library’s policy page. 

Quality Tip: Transfer Tips

Last week’s Quality Tip discussed using the importance of sending an IM message FIRST, as part of the transfer process.  This week we’ll look in more detail at who you can transfer to, and when it’s appropriate to do so.

The general rule is when you pick up a patron, stick with him.  Thanks to our Policy Pages, most questions – even local ones – can be handled by any librarian in the Cooperative.  But there are times when transferring will result in better service to the patron, such as the following scenarios:

1. You (the chatting librarian) suddenly have an emergency and must end the session.  Rather than leave the patron in the lurch, find another librarian monitoring the Cooperative queues who is not already busy and send an IM requesting permission to transfer.  If you don’t have time for that, or the Coop librarian doesn’t respond to your IM, then transfer the session to the After Hours queue.  Note:  Be sure a librarian is monitoring the Cooperative before transferring a Coop question!  If the librarian is monitoring less than 50 queues, she probably isn’t monitoring the Cooperative (she may just be monitoring her local service).
2. End of shift:  generally you should try to finish the session or offer the patron the option of a follow-up from the local library.  However, if the session is not at a good stopping point and you must leave, transfer to a librarian monitoring the Cooperative.  Note:  if you are ending your shift, chances are many of the other Coop librarians are too.  Try to pick someone who is (1) monitoring the Coop queues and (2) hasn’t been logged in for long – a good indication that person has just started their shift, rather than just ending it.
3. Patron does need very local information (and you can find nothing on the policy page or via a web search) and you see the local librarian online, then send that local librarian an IM message and see if they are available for transfer. 
4. Academic librarian with a public patron/public librarian with an academic patron: Transfer is possible to any librarian monitoring the same queues that you are.  Some Coop groups do cross-sector monitoring, in other words academic librarians monitor for their state’s public queues, and vice versa. For example, an easy way for an academic librarian to see if any public librarians are available for transfer:
1. Go to the Librarians Tab
2. Click the Queue column header to sort by queue.  This will sort all public librarians at the top and all academic libraries following
3. Send an IM to the librarian you’ve selected, to get permission for the transfer.

For more detail on IM and Transfer policies, see the 24/7 Policies, section 5.3.  If you’d like more information on how the QP IM and Transfer works, see the QP Tutorials on our Training page.

Meet the Member of the Month: Russian State Library

We've just started a new feature, Member of the Month, designed to introduce you to the various libraries that form the QuestionPoint community. Our first featured library is the Russian State Library, a QP member since 2007. The Russian State Library receives and answers questions in a variety of languages; to date, over 30,000 questions have been submitted to the Library via their QuestionPoint service. To learn more about their service and how it is set up, visit the Community page, click on the link to Member of the Month, then click to view the attached PowerPoint presentation.

Here is the direct link to Member Stories:

http://www.oclc.org/support/services/questionpoint/community/Member_Stories.en.html

Or navigate there by going to http://www.questionpoint.org/ and click the link to "Community". The Member of the Month is highlighted in the green box.

If you'd like your library or service to be considered for Member of the Month, please send me an email with details about how you use QuestionPoint, either a PowerPoint or link to a webcast.

Thanks for your participation in the QuestionPoint community!

Quality Tip: Jumping in/out of chat sessions

Sometimes chatting librarians are so eager to end their shift that they transfer their current session to another librarian without bothering to send a preliminary IM message to their “target” librarian.  We call this a blind transfer and it can be disruptive, as the target librarian is taken by surprise.  On the other hand, there are librarians so anxious to help their own patrons that they jump into on-going sessions with their patron – without warning the original chatting librarian.  While at first glance these two situations seem diametrically opposed (in the first case the librarian is anxious to leave, in the other case anxious to join in), both reveal a lack of courtesy to the chatting librarian – and the patron.

QuestionPoint has a backchannel IM, available to each QP librarian. Click on the IM tab in your chat monitor and you can send (and receive) chat messages to or from any librarian who is monitoring the same chat queues.  Consider these best practices if you must leave your current session, or are ready to join a session currently in progress with another librarian:

If you are with a patron but need to leave, you can transfer that patron to another librarian -  but ask the librarian recipient first, via IM.   You can send the IM message as part of the transfer process:  there is a link to IM once you click the Transfer tab.   See Section 5.3 of the Policies for best practices regarding transferring sessions.

If, on the other hand, you are tempted to jump into a session currently in progress with another librarian, be sure to first check with the chatting librarian who is currently handling the session, via IM.  Usually the chatting librarian will be happy to transfer the session to you, and this will free him or her up to pick up another patron.  We’ve added a new policy to cover “jumping in”: Section 5.4: http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247-Policies#54nbspJumpingintoSessions

For more information on the mechanics of IM and Transfer, please view our tutorial: http://www.oclc.org/support/training/portfolios/discovery/questionpoint/tutorials/using-im-and-xfr.en.html , and take a look at our blog posting from March 12 as well.

Quality tip: IM and Transfer for Cooperative librarians

One of the Top 10 Quality issues of 2012 relates to IM/Transfer:  the chatting librarian either (1) incorrectly transferred a chat, (2) transferred a chat without using IM first or (3) the librarian should have offered the transfer option but did not.

QuestionPoint’s IM feature is a backchannel chat that enables librarians to chat with any other librarian monitoring the same queues. It’s important to know how the QP IM works so that you can send and receive messages with other Coop librarians and QP Backup staff.  IM is used whenever a librarian wants to transfer a patron to you (or if you want to transfer a patron to another librarian).  It is also used by the Backup librarians as a way to communicate with Cooperative librarians who may not be picking up patrons. 

To send or reply to an IM message, you must use the IM tab in the QP librarian chat monitor.  The IM tab is next to the Patron Chat tab.  Here is the process to follow when a librarian sends you an IM session:

1.  An alert will pop up accompanied by a sound.

2.  Click the “Close” button in the alert box, to dismiss the alert.

3.  Click the IM tab. 

4.  Click on the name of the person who sent you the message in the “My Active IM Sessions” list. (this can be found in the lower left part of your screen)

5.  This will open a session between you and the librarian who sent the message.  You can now read the IM message in the transcript box.

6.  Type your response in the Message box, then press the Enter key or click Send

For a nice demonstration of how the IM works , take a look at this video prepared by Jaclyn McKewan, coordinator of Ask Us 24/7 (our NY state cooperative group). The group uses this in their training to illustrate how to contact other librarians who are concurrently monitoring chat and how to transfer a session. IM and Transfer

For further information:

Documentation: http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/support/questionpoint/C_003_qp_flashchat_im_transfer_guide.pdf

24/7 Policies on IM and Transfer: http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247-Policies#53TransferringSessions

Quality Tip: Saying Goodbye in all the right ways

Telling the patron “Goodbye” at the end of a chat session is important:  it provides an indication to the patron that the librarian has concluded the session and, equally important, it is a mark of politeness to the patron. Compare an interaction where the librarian ends with a friendly goodbye message (e.g., “Goodbye, and thanks for using our service!”) to a librarian who simply disconnects.  Ending the session without saying goodbye is like hanging up on someone, abruptly, on the telephone (or closing a door in their face).

Many (but not all) libraries in the Cooperative have provided a Goodbye script for chatting librarians to use with their patrons.  You can find these scripted messages in the lower left of the librarian chat monitor, under the “scripts” tab.  Libraries take different approaches with their Goodbye scripts.  Here are a few examples:

1. Generic friendly

This simple approach is taken by the AskWA service (state of Washington).  This script does not include the name of the service, so it can be used by both WA librarians helping Coop patrons as well as Coop librarians helping WA patrons.  Note this script references the possibility of a survey (it’s only a possibility since this script is designed to conclude sessions regardless of the library, which means the chatting librarian won’t know if a survey link has been set up or not).

03_Goodbye:

Bye! I hope the session was helpful and that you'll use us again soon! If you provided an email, you will receive a transcript of this session shortly. You may also see a link to a survey, which you may use to rate this service. Thanks!

2.  Service name included

Many libraries use the Goodbye script as a way to promote the service by including the service’s name in the closing message.  This has the advantage of reminding the patron of the service’s name, which makes it more likely patrons will remember that name when next they need assistance.  This is most common among statewide services that have a separate portal page or statewide name.  Ask Here PA (Pennsylvania statewide service) is a good example:

PA Goodbye:

Thank you for using Ask Here PA. It has been a pleasure assisting you and I hope you will use Ask Here PA again.

Note the script name is “PA Goodbye”, to be used only with patrons entering via a PA chat queue.  Since this script does mention the service name, PA has a non-service specific script for PA librarians to use with Coop patrons:

24/7 Goodbye (use w/ non-PA patrons):

Thank you for using our service. If you need further assistance, please contact us again. Goodbye for now...

3.  Service name plus more information (marketing; transcript access)

Maryland AskUsNow! has 2 goodbye scripts, one for chat via the usual chat form and one for the Qwidget.  The shorter Qwidget message is in response to the (generally) smaller Qwidget space. 

02.5_Qwidget_Thanks_Goodbye:

Thanks for using Maryland AskUsNow! If you have any further questions, please contact us again. You can end the session by clicking on the "x" at the top right of the widget box. If you provided an e-mail address, you should receive a full transcript from "webmaster@askusnow.info" in a few minutes. Bye for now - and please take a moment to fill out the survey!

The ending for non-Qwidget chats refers to the service’s Facebook page:

02_Thanks_Goodbye:

Thank you for using Maryland AskUsNow! If you have any further questions, please contact us again. You will have an opportunity to send the transcript with links to yourself but if you already provided an e-mail address, you should receive a full transcript from "webmaster@askusnow.info" in a few minutes. You can go ahead and click Exit to end your session. Bye for now - and please take a moment to fill out the survey!

"LIKE" us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/askusnow or find us on twitter @askusnow

Note the instructions to patrons for how to end the session differ, depending on whether it’s a Qwidget patron or a chat form patron.

Tips for Goodbye Scripts: Patron Library

A Goodbye script can accomplish several things:  marketing the service by repeating the name, soliciting feedback about the service by referencing the survey link, providing useful information such as how to access the transcript, and pointing to additional engagement options such as Facebook and other social media.

Script Placement:  if you choose to present a Goodbye script to the chatting librarians, be sure it is clearly labelled and that it is high enough in your script list so that chatting librarians can readily find it at the conclusion of the session.  If the chatting librarian has to scroll through many scripts, this reduces the chances of your Goodbye script being used.  The Goodbye script is the most commonly used script, so it should be at the top (either first or just after the greeting in your list of scripts).

Tips for Goodbye Scripts: Chatting Librarians

Ending the session with a friendly word is a mark of politeness and respect to the patron: it’s essential to providing good customer service. It is not required that you use a Goodbye script but it is highly recommended, since the patron library’s Goodbye script may contain information that the patron library wants their patrons to have.  The 24/7 Best Practices state: send the appropriate Goodbye script provided by the patron’s library. If no Goodbye script is available, thank the patron for using the service and encourage the patron to return.

But, if you use a Goodbye script, be sure you use the script of the patron library!  It is very confusing for a PA patron to see a message that says “Thanks for using Maryland AskUsNow!”

Installation d'entretien, 24 février, de 7hr TU (2 :00 A.M EST) à 8hr TU, (3 :00 A.M.EST)

Veuillez prendre note que le service QuestionPoint ne sera pas disponible le 24 février, de 7hr TU (2 :00 A.M EST) à 8hr TU, (3 :00 A.M.EST) le temps d’une installation d’une mise à niveau.

Cette mise à niveau comportera de nouvelles fonctionnalités et certains améliorations. Vous trouverezces informations ici  Vous devez absolument mettre fin à toutes vos sessions de Chat en cours au moins deux minutes avant le moment prévu de l’interruption afin d’éviter que la communication avec vos utilisateurs soit coupée et éviter de potentielles sessions « accrochées ». (Vous ne pourrez pas cliquer sur les sessions coupées mais visible «en cours » pour obtenir les informations afin de communiquer avec les utilisateurs.)

 Lorsque le service sera rétabli, veuillez vérifier dans la liste de vos Nouvelles questions si des sessions de Chat ont été interrompues ou si vous avez reçu de nouvelles questions par courriel. Si vous éprouvez des problèmes après l’interruption du service, veuillez contacter votre fournisseur de service pour de l’aide. Nous nous excusons des inconvénients causés par les interruptions de service et vous remercions de votre patience.

Notes d'installation 24 février, 2013

1        Améliorations

1.1       Avis par courriel aux bibliothécaires

Trois avis automatiques importants par courriel envoyés aux bibliothécaires ont été mis à jour afin d’inclure des informations additionnelles sur le compte.

Le nouvel avis lorsqu’un nouveau compte de bibliothécaire a été créé, l’avis « Question assignée » et l’avis « Question réassignée » contiennent maintenant le nom du bibliothécaire et son numéro de compte, ainsi que le nom de la bibliothèque à laquelle le compte est affilié afin que les bibliothécaires qui possèdent des comptes différents pour différents établissements ou unités de services puissent savoir facilement comment et où se connecter pour traiter la demande dont il est question dans le courriel.

1.2       Nouvelles explications pour le code du Qwidget de QuestionPoint

On nous a informés que lorsque le code du Qwidget est copié et collé dans diverses applications comme Word, Outlook, etc., afin de le transmettre à des webmestres pour qu’il soit intégré dans des sites Web ou directement dans des interfaces de gestion de contenu, certains caractères du code indispensables pour le fonctionnement du Qwidget, comme les guillemets droits, peuvent être corrompus ou convertis en guillemets courbes. La mise en garde suivante a été ajoutée au snippet afin de rappeler aux gens de vérifier le code, particulièrement les guillemets qui doivent être remplacés par des guillemets droits s’il y a lieu :

<!-- NOTE - After pasting the code to your page, check it to ensure it does not contain any text formatting such as smart or curly quotation marks.-->

(<!-- NOTE – Après avoir collé le code dans votre page, assurez-vous qu’il ne contient pas d’erreur de formatage comme des guillemets courbes.-->)

Veuillez noter qu’il n’est PAS nécessaire d’inclure cette mise en garde dans le code des Qwidgets existants sur vos sites Web.  Ce n’est qu’un rappel pour aider les webmestres à bien insérer le code lors de la création de nouveaux Qwidgets.

2        Corrections

2.1       Paramètres pour les « Messages personnalisés » dans le module Administration maintenant appliqués aux messages envoyés aux utilisateurs qui envoient des questions par courriel.

Si votre bibliothèque est configurée de façon à permettre aux utilisateurs d’envoyer des questions à QuestionPoint en utilisant une adresse électronique, les messages contenant une confirmation, une réponse ou un avis retournés à ces utilisateurs contiendront les messages personnalisés configurés dans le module Administration.

2.2       Traduction

Divers avis par courriel de QuestionPoint ainsi plusieurs termes apparaissant dans les écrans ont été révisés et uniformisés afin de faciliter la compréhension des écrans et des fonctionnalités de QuestionPoint.

QuestionPoint install Feb. 24, 2013 7:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) to approximately 8:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST)

We will be installing a QuestionPoint features upgrade this Sunday, February, 24, 2013.

 Please be advised that the QuestionPoint service will be unavailable for the following time period: from 7:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) to approximately 8:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST).  Release notes are available here. It is imperative that you end any in-progress chat sessions at least one minute prior to the scheduled service interruption to avoid sudden communication interruptions to your patrons and potential "hung" sessions. (You will be unable to click on any in-progress sessions to get information to communicate with the patron.)

If you experience any outage after the projected service period, please contact your Customer Service Provider for further assistance

Release Notes for February 24, 2013 install

February 24, 2012 Release Notes 

1        Improvements

1.1       Notification emails to librarians

Three important automatic email notifications sent to librarians have been updated to include additional account information.

New librarian account email notification, “Question assigned” email notification, and “Question reassigned” email notification now all include the librarian name, and account number of the addressee, and Library name with which the account is affiliated, in order to help librarians with multiple accounts at different institutions or SUPs clearly understand where and how to log in to handle the issue being raised by the email.

1.2       New explanatory text added to QuestionPoint Qwidget code snippet

It has come to our attention that when Qwidget code is copied and pasted into various communication tools (Word, Outlook, etc.)  to forward to webmasters for inclusion on client websites, or directly into certain Content Management interfaces, certain characters necessary to the functionality of the code such as quotation marks, can become corrupted or converted into “Smart quotes”.  To remind those who are working with the content management or interface tools to check the quotation marks and return them to “plain text” quotation marks, the following explanation has been added to the code snippet:

<!-- NOTE - After pasting the code to your page, check it to ensure it does not contain any text formatting such as smart or curly quotation marks.-->

Please note that it is NOT necessary for existing Qwidget code on any of your websites to be changed, updated, or altered to include this explanation. It is purely informational; to help the web designers insert new code correctly for new Qwidgets.

2        Fixes

2.1       “Custom Message” settings in the Admin module are now applied to “email pilot” clients .

If your library is configured to allow the use of an email address for patrons to submit new questions into QuestionPoint, confirmations, responses and notification emails outgoing from QuestionPoint to those newly submitted questions will now apply the custom messages configured in the Admin module.

2.2       Translation

A number of QuestionPoint email notifications and various terms in QuestionPoint have received updated entities, to facilitate or clarify terminology or grammar used in other languages.

3        24/7 Reference Cooperative

3.1       Quality comments are now private.

When sessions are referred to Quality, the notes or comments included in the referral are now private and only visible to the Quality team, the librarian who submitted the referral, and the admins of the patron’s library.    All concerned parties can see that the referral has occurred by virtue of the yellow “referred” bar in the question detail in “Review transcripts”, but comments remain private.

4        Website Update

On March 2^nd, as part of an overall OCLC upgrade, QuestionPoint’s Support, Documentation and Training website will be migrating to a new domain and structure.

4.1       www.questionpoint.org

www.questionpoint.org will continue to function as an information landing page for current users. All of the subject informational pages, such as Documentation, Support, Training, etc. will have new URLS under oclc.org/support directories.  Bookmarked pages will be redirected to these new pages, and you will be able to access them via www.questionpoint.org  as well. 

No links to KB, patron forms, Qwidget code links, Librarian and patron logins, or any other pages that access the QuestionPoint application will be affected by this transition!  All URLs to the QuestionPoint application itself will remain as is.

We expect to have a seamless experience for our users after the migration, but if you experience any difficulty accessing previously bookmarked material, or if you are uncertain as to where to go for QuestionPoint information, please contact us via our feedback form: https://www.oclc.org/forms/questionpoint/feedback.en.html

Top 10 Quality Comments of 2012

It’s time again for the annual list of the most commonly reported comments sent to our Quality Team. In 2012, Quality received comments 528 transcripts: 319 (60%) related to sessions handled by librarians from Coop libraries and 209 (40%) related to sessions handled by QP Backup librarians. In addition to these 528 sessions, we received an additional 89 sessions sent to compliment the outstanding work of the chatting librarian.  To put this in perspective, the Cooperative (including QP Backup librarians) handled 367,128 chat sessions in 2012, so 528 represents 0.14% of the total.

The list below reflects the most commonly reported issues in these 528 sessions (some sessions had multiple issues), listed in order of frequency:

1. Policy Page

Librarian does not check the policy page. This inference arises when the information provided in session by the librarian either ignores or contradicts the information provided on the patron library’s policy page. This was also the most often reported issue in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

2. Resolution Code

Incorrect resolution code is assigned. Examples: incorrect use of the “Lost Call” code; librarian coding a session as “Answered” when telling the patron that another librarian will follow up; librarian coding a session for “Follow Up” when patron did not leave an email address.

3. Reference Conversation

Librarian does not properly clarify the question or otherwise engage in the “reference interview”, thus risking miscommunication with the patron.

4. Incorrect information was provided in the session.

In addition to factual errors, this issue refers to any type of "incorrect" piece of information provided during the chat. This issue is often used in conjunction with other issues, for instance if the librarian provides incorrect information regarding a library policy (many times, this happens when the chatting librarian provides an answer based on his own library policies rather than those of the patron’s library: we may code this issue as both “policy page” and “incorrect info”). It also applies if the librarian says "Your librarians have not given me the ability to access your databases, so I cannot help you" but the library did provide a barcode number on the policy page. Or, if a librarian told the patron to use the Academic Search Premier database but the library doesn't subscribe to any EBSCO databases.

5. Contact/Followup Option (tie with No Searching)

With questions of a local nature, the Cooperative librarian may be unable to provide a complete answer to the patron. This is almost always the case when patrons have circulation issues, problems with their library card, etc. Unfortunately, some librarians tell the patron to “contact your library” rather than giving the patron the option to call the library (in which case the chatting librarian should provide the correct phone number, as per the policy page) or offering to code the session for Follow Up.

5. No Searching (tie with Contact/Followup Option) 

The librarian sent a question to Followup or ended the call without attempting a specific search for the information.  Examples include: patron queries whether the library owns a known item and the librarian tells patron to contact the library rather than searching the library catalog and/or databases.

-- Compliments!! --

6. Patron Info (tie with Source Choice)

Librarian should have checked the patron information section to find out the patron's location. For example, the librarian may have asked the patron, "What library do you use?" when the patron already indicated his preferred branch. It is better to ask, "Is ___ your library?"

This code is also used when the librarian does not review the Patron Info tab in the chat monitor and thus fails to note the patron’s library. Example: librarian assumes a New York customer is a patron of New York Public Library although the Patron Info tab reveals that patron is affiliated with another library in New York State.

6. Source Choice (tie with Patron Info)

This issue arises when librarian could have sent better sources (i.e. more authoritative, more current, more appropriate to the patron's level). For example: Librarian does a Google search or sends a wikipedia article for queries that could better be handled by reference to the library’s online databases or catalog.

7.  Tone/Phrasing

The chatting tone of the librarian affected the quality of the session, or, the librarian used negative phrasing .

8. Abrupt Ending

Ended session abruptly without a natural closure to the conversation or when the patron still seemed to need help.

9. Goodbye (tie with Transfer/IM)

The wrong goodbye message was sent (chatting librarian sent their own library's goodbye message rather than patron library goodbye message).

9. Transfer/IM (tie with Goodbye)

When librarian either (1) incorrectly transferred a chat; (2) transferred a chat without using IM first; or (3) the librarian should have offered the transfer option but did not. 

10.  Hello

Librarian did not use a hello message that conforms to guidelines listed in the Best Practices.

A plea to the Cooperative: Help us with Quality!

Thanks to all for using the 24/7 Reference quality process! By sending sessions to Quality, you not only help us provide guidance when needed to the Coop librarians, but you also help us track issues both for individual libraries and the Cooperative as a whole. And, if you think a Cooperative librarian has done a nice job with one of your patrons’ questions, please send the compliment to Quality. We will pass the compliment along to the chatting librarian, and this helps us keep track of our star libraries. So, don’t hesitate to send a compliment – we love passing those along!

How to send a session to Quality:

In the Ask a Librarian (Ask) module, click the Review Transcripts tab. When viewing the full text of the session, click the “Send to Quality Control” button. Type in any concerns or compliments in the text box, and click submit. The Quality Team will receive your comment with the full transcript, and will respond.

If you have questions about quality, don’t hesitate to email me at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality Tip: “Just send me something” vs. BI

Impatient patrons, particularly busy students facing a looming deadline, may not be receptive to bibliographic instruction.  While best practices suggest that librarians should find teachable moments and instruct patrons on how to access library resources for themselves, this is not always possible with patrons in a hurry. In the session below, the librarian is faced with an impatient student working on a school assignment.  Sometimes, students just want the librarian to email some articles, as in the case with this session:

Patron:  the effect of height on speed of tumbling in gymnastics

Patron:  Please hurry, my class starts soon

Librarian: Hi, [patron name]!

Librarian: My name is [librarian’s name]. I am a librarian who is helping to answer questions for your library. I am reading what you wrote to see how I can help you...

Librarian:  Would this be the height of the gymnast?

Patron:  yes the height of the gymnast

Librarian: I'm seeing what I can find.

Patron:  it's for the science fair project

Librarian: Okay.  Are you thinking that you would need to test this out?

Patron:  i need to find specific articles that support the hypothesis that shorter gymnasts tend to do better

Librarian: Ah, okay

Patron: and yes i need to test them out

Librarian: http://coachesinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182:gymnastics-isbs-biomechanical&catid=62:gymnastics-isbs&Itemid=108

Librarian: Let me take a look at some databases...

Librarian: [librarian sends link to library databases]

Librarian:  These can be accessed with a library card number...

Librarian: Okay,  see if you can click on the Science Reference Center at the bottom...

Librarian:  "Science magazines, and more! (EBSCO's Science Reference Center)"

Librarian: I did a search for: gymnastics AND height

[librarian sends link to an article matching search results]

Librarian: Can you see this article?

Patron: yes

Librarian: "Short bodies and limbs are also easier to spin fast and flip through curves, which is why most gymnasts, figure skaters and ballet dancers are smaller than average."

Librarian: Does that help?

Librarian: It also mentions weight

Librarian: "Daintier athletes fare best at sports such as ultra-distance running and gymnastics, where their superior power to weight ratio gives them an advantage."

Librarian: Can I help you with anything else?

Patron: thanks :)

Patron:  I am trying to email the article to myself but it won’t work. Can you send me this article to my email?  I have to go, class is starting

Librarian: And is your email: <rpatron’s email> ?

Patron:  yes! Thank you!

[patron disconnects]

Librarian: Okay, you will get this transcript sent to your email

[ Librarian adds note to session that she has emailed the article to patron]

Librarian: Thanks for using our service! If you need help with anything else, just contact us again. Goodbye for now...

In this case, the librarian started the reference conversation by clarifying the request to determine what the student needs.  Next, the librarian did a focused web search to pull up anything that would help the student with the science fair project – information the student could use to “test it out”.  Then the librarian went to the databases of the patron’s library to show the patron (1) which database to use and (2) a suggested search strategy. 

This busy student asked the librarian to email the article, and the librarian did so.  When is this ok?  As with many reference situations, the answer is dependent on circumstances.  In this case, the librarian had made sure the student was aware of his library’s databases and how to locate articles on point.  The librarian emailed an article that the student had access to – in other words, the librarian did not send an article from her own (chatting librarian) database, which the student would not have access to.  So, in this situation, it is fine for the librarian to email an article directly to the student.

Questions about quality? Email mcglames@oclc.org

Quality Tip: Use the patron library resources, not your own, when helping patrons

A student needs an article, so the chatting librarian finds it and sends it. Sounds great, right? Not if the librarian fails to use the resources from the student’s library.

In the session below, the chatting librarian sent a journal article to the student in a courteous and efficient manner, to the delight of the student. But, this is not the best approach when handling Cooperative sessions, as the session below illustrates:

Patron [from library ABC]: I was searching for the following article and couldn’t seem to find it [patron provides citation to article].Please help me. Thank you.
Librarian: Welcome to Ask a Librarian! This is John at [Library X]. We staff the service when your librarians are offline. I'm reading your question ... please hold on.
Librarian: Hi <patron’s name>
Librarian: I'll be glad to help with that. One moment please while I check ...
Librarian: I have the article and can send you the PDF after we disconnect here.
Librarian: Anything else we can do for you today?
Patron: Oh, thank you
Patron: that’s all for now. Thank you very much again.
Librarian: Glad to help. Just to be sure, is your email address [librarian verifies patron email address]
Patron: correct. thanks.
Librarian: OK, have a good evening!
Patron: you too!
Librarian: Thanks for using the Ask a Librarian chat reference service! Please contact us again if you have additional questions.

[Librarian ends chat session and codes Follow Up by Me, then sends PDF article from Library X database]

There is much to praise about this session. The librarian was very helpful, courteous and efficient. He verified the patron’s email address and asked a “final satisfaction” question. The student got what she needed right away and is a satisfied customer.

But, there are several issues with this session:

• Lack of reference conversation: the librarian should ascertain whether the student had tried to find the article online through the library’s databases. A surprising number of students aren’t sure how to find articles online.
• In this case, Library ABC (the student’s library) doesn’t actually subscribe to the journal nor is it available online through the library. By sending the item to the student, the librarian’s actions may give students at ABC an unrealistic expectation that the chat service can provide document delivery for items otherwise unavailable at ABC library, as well as circumventing the ILL process at ABC.
• Sending items from library X databases to non-X students (such as the student at ABC) may violate library X’s database license.
• The goal in assisting academic students is not to give them a quick answer, but rather to assist them in using the resources available at their library so that they can do the research themselves: see 24/7 Policies, Section 3.3:  http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247-Policies#33AcademicvsPubliclibrarypatrons .

Recommended approach: The chatting librarian should assist the student in finding the article from the resources available from the student’s library. For journal articles, be sure and check if the journal is available through the local library (as part of a database, and/or by searching the catalog). If the local library does not have access to the requested item, the librarian can send the student information about the library's ILL service (found on the policy page) and instruct them on how to proceed with a request.  See the 24/7 Policies, Section 3.5.1:

http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247Policies#351Ifthepatronrequestsaspecificperiodicalarticle

Questions about Quality?  Please comment below or email me at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality tip: Dealing with the lonely chatter

Holiday times can be difficult for patrons who are lonely, cut-off or with other socialization issues.  In the physical world, a trip to the library can be a social lifeline, but issues arise when the lonely latch on to the library chat service – especially when there are other patrons, needing help with research or other library-specific requests.

Here are some tips to deal with the lonely, the bored, and/or the persistent:

· Pick up the patron.  Don’t leave patron waiting in the queue, as this will result in skewed wait times for the service, and may cause the waiting patron to enter multiple times.

· If you know (or have reason to believe) that the patron has asked this same (or similar) questions before, ask a clarifying question to determine if the patron seems to be following a pattern of unwarranted excessive use.   Example:  "What was lacking in the resources previously given to you?"

· If patron is simply asking the same previously asked question and has no additional clarifying information, then send this message:  “I’m sorry, I can’t find anything else with the resources available to me, but I will forward this to your local library for further review.   Could you verify your email address?” 

· Code Follow Up if patron provides an email address. If no email address, code as Answered.

· If this patron returns with the same question,  send this message if you coded patron’s previous message for follow up: “I’ve already forwarded this for further review and there is nothing more to add at this time.  Thank you for using this service.”  If patron is anonymous/hasn’t left an email, change the message slightly as follows:  “I’ve already offered the option for further review and there is nothing more to add at this time,  Thanks for using this service.”

· Add a librarian note to the session:  repeat patron

For more detail, see the 24/7 Policy on Persistent Patrons

If you suspect your patron just wants to chat rather than get an answer to a question, try this approach:

Patron: [asks a question that’s already been answered]

Librarian:  Hi [patron name, if provided], I see you’ve already asked that question several times.

Librarian: do you log in repeatedly because you have not had your questions sufficiently answered?

Patron: Nope

Librarian: Do you like chatting with different librarians?

Patron: Yep

Librarian:  Does it help you?

Patron: Yep

Librarian: How so?

Patron: Because I’m bored and need somebody to talk to all day online

Librarian:  This is a library reference service, and we have people waiting who need assistance with their research.  I suggest you try a chat room, where you can discuss whatever interests you.  Do you need help locating one?

If patron says yes, send a link to Yahoo!’s directory of chat rooms  or something similar.

If patron indicates he may be in crisis or needs a support group instead, refer the patron to an appropriate hotline, staffed by mental health professionals or trained crisis volunteers. The librarian should not provide counselling.  See the policy on crisis calls for more detail.

Quality Tip: Use Policy Pages for open hours and much more!

Did you know…

• Baruch College library is open 24/7 beginning Dec 13, for the duration of the exam period (Dec 21)
• Multnomah County Library has electricity usage monitors, called Kill-A-Watt devices, available for check out to patrons.
• Queens Library (in New York) has computer classes, and Hennepin County (Minnesota) has Homework Rescue Online Tutoring
• Santa Monica PL has meeting rooms – they are very popular, so must be reserved

You can find out all of this, and much more, by consulting the library’s policy page.  Many frequently asked questions can be found in a field specific to that topic (for example, the “hours” field will have library open hours. For special programs at the library, there is a field for “Library programs, events, services”.  Other fields include “Meeting Rooms” and “Tutoring/Homework Assistance”

And if no field fits, there is an “other policies” section, where you can find information about the Kill-A-Watt program. 

Not sure what field applies?  The policy page is just one long web page, so when in doubt use your browser’s Find function, to find keywords in the page.

And be sure your own library policy page links to resources at your library!

Quality Tip: establishing a connection with the patron to provide great service

While most questions may relate to the library (policies, hours, resources available), sometimes patrons seek the guidance of a librarian for matters outside the usual purview of library services.  This is a great compliment:   it demonstrates the trust that people put in the information found through libraries, as mediated by librarians.   Indeed, a recent survey commissioned by Arts Council England found that “Library staff are second only to doctors in terms of the trust placed in them by seekers of information, which again demonstrates the need for these staff to be effectively trained in order to deliver the safe, quality service people expect.” See http://www.goscl.com/survey-reveals-librarians-second-only-to-doctors-in-publics-trust/ for a copy of the report.

In this session, a UK patron used Enquire, the UK national virtual reference service, to ask about taking a mobility scooter on the train.  The patron asked the question in the evening, when the UK was not staffing – it was picked up by a Coop librarian across the pond, in the U.S.  This session demonstrates virtual reference services may field a wide variety of questions, due to the trusted place of librarians in the community, and that with good searching skills and a welcoming approach, librarians can provide an important service beyond that which strictly pertains to the library:

Patron:  I have been told recently that I can use my electric scooter on trains, as its medium size, not big, I always thought I had to book, that is a bit off putting, as i dont get out regularly, but would be good if I could just go to station buy ticket and go to [small town in U.K.] deaf club just like that...but Im so lack of confidence I dont know what to do, do I just go and try buy ticket and maybe end up embarrased that i cant do it..

Librarian: Hi! I am a librarian in [U.S. location] and I'll be assisting you today. Your librarians have asked our librarians to staff this 24-hour service when they are unavailable. I'm reading your question right now to see how I can help you.

Patron:Well now I see [U.S. location] and I’m in UK, Im unsure if you can help me..

Librarian: I can certainly get you started in the right direction, never fear!

Patron: Thank you

Librarian: My grandparents were deaf, and I have a mobility issue that causes me to sometimes use a scooter, so I know where you are coming from.

Librarian: Let's unravel the issues and see if there is some guidance for you.

Librarian: Do you have a few minutes for this now?

Patron: yes

Librarian: Great -- so one issue is booking ahead of time to accommodate your scooter, right?

Patron: issue is to just go and get ticket and board train

Patron: as I cant book in advance, as Im unable to get out many times

Librarian: Yes, I totally agree - it's frustrating to have to do that much planning to simply ride a bus or train!

Librarian: Let's see what the disability policy is for your transport system.

Librarian: Which one did you want to use?

Patron: Just to GO when Im able and buy ticket and board train with scooter..

Librarian: Yes - but my understanding is that each area of the UK is served by a different train company (no more British Rail, right?)

Patron: been such a long time since I used a train, I think you are right no more british rail

Librarian: OK let's search for transport in your area -- where do you live?

Patron: [name of town]

Librarian: What county is [name of town]?

Patron: [name of county]

Librarian: Great --let me do a little search now and see what train services that area. Just a moment.

Patron: ok no problem.  The guy who wrote down that i could just go and buy ticket works with electric scooters for disabled..But I haven't gone and asked at station as i dont want to be embarrassed.

Librarian: It looks like [town] is served by National Rail. Here is their web site page for passengers with disabilities: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/

Librarian: Would you need assistance getting on and off the train, do you think?

Patron: Only thing I would want is ramp into carriage of train, Ive seen bikes etc go on

Librarian: They are very used to working with all kinds of passengers and are set up to help, so I wouldn't hesitate to ask -- you have every right to ask for help!

Librarian: So what they ask that you do is just let them know, so they can have someone ready to help when you get there -- are you comfortable doing that?

Patron: I know they have ramp into carriage all I would need to do is drive aboard, and I also know they have lifts at stations now so I can cross from 1 side to other with ease

Librarian:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/wheelchairs_scooters.html

Librarian: Here's what they say about riding the train with a scooter:

Librarian: Let's also find out if [name of town] station has a lift or ramp.Just a sec.

Librarian: While I'm looking -- do you have one of these?!

Librarian: http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/

Patron: My son has told me they do and I have just read and my scooter comes within all catagories,dimensions etc

Librarian: OK, I will double-check on that...

Patron: no I don’t have railcard as i dont use it that much

Librarian: Here are some tips from that disabled railcard site:

http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/travelling-by-rail

Patron: so I dont have to book ticket, I can just go and buy ticket and go ?

Librarian: Here's the station web site -- I'm looking to make sure there are ramps and a lift: [librarian sends link to info about town’s station]

Librarian: When you scroll down, there is a whole section on Accessibility.

Patron: I know from my son that stations I need have lifts and that is great, I just wante4d to make sure I can just go and buy ticket and board without booking

Librarian: No, unfortunately, you can't!

Librarian: They need notice as they have to make sure they have room for your scooter, even if it's regulation size.

Librarian: If you prefer, you can just go and buy a ticket -- as long as you can navigate the station, and don't mind waiting for help. It looks like they have a staffed Help Point during the day. It's up to you.

Librarian: Help points are available on all platforms Monday-Friday 24 hours Saturday 24 hours Sunday 24 hours Staff help Monday-Friday 05:00-22:30 Saturday 05:00-22:30 Sunday 06:30-22:30

Patron: Ok maybe I should just go and try and see what happens

Librarian: If you feel more comfortable doing that, then that's what you should do!

Patron: yes that is pleasing

Librarian: The most important thing is that you do it your way, but that you do it!

Librarian: Getting out is so beneficial, it's worth a bit of struggle.

Patron: I get maybe 1 or 2 days a week where I can use scooter and balance is ok

Librarian: Yes, I experience that myself -- it's frustrating but I push myself anyway!

Patron: sadly sometimes I havent been out for about 3 months

Librarian: Yes, people without these issues don't understand how difficult the simplest things are. I hope you will try, and just go with the flow as long as you have the time and patience. It will be worth it.

Patron: Yes I will go and try it out, hopefully that it isnt busy day

Patron: Ok many many thanks for your help

Librarian: You're very welcome.

Librarian: Please log back on if you need more help, or other searches done.

Patron: most helpful indeed have a nice day if its daytime there

Librarian: It is! A bit cloudy but you understand that :)) Have a wonderful time on your adventure! Bye for now.

Patron: bye for now

While this isn’t typically the type of question asked at the library, a virtual service may receive a wider range of requests.  Public libraries especially seek to engage with their community and establish relevance – and to be a trusted partner in a crowded world of information is a nice place to be!

Comments about this or any quality issue? Post your comments or email me at mcglames@oclc.org

Maintenance Install November 1, 2012 6:OO GMT (2:00 A.M. EDST)

The QuestionPoint service will be unavailable for the following time period for scheduled maintenance and service: 6:00 GMT (2:00 A.M. EDST) to approximately 6:15 GMT  (2:15 EDST) Thursday November 1, 2012.  It is imperative that you end any in-progress chat sessions at least two minutes prior to the scheduled service interruption to avoid sudden communication interruptions to your patrons and potential "hung" sessions. (You will be unable to click on any in-progress sessions to get information to communicate with the patron.)

When service is restored, please check your “New” questions lists for any interrupted chat sessions or unanswered email questions.

If you experience any outage after the projected service period, please contact your Customer Service Provider for further assistance.

We regret any inconvenience.

Quality Tip: Class assignment? Consult the Policy Page!

An often overlooked field in the policy pages is “Assignments”: this is where librarians can provide tips or links to popular or recurring assignments. 

For example, Highline Community College in Seattle has provided these tips under Assignments:

Current English assignment questions. You can copy and paste these to respond, as needed:

·  Famous librarians: you can use a search engine for this, like Google, Yahoo or Bing. I suggest searching on the phrase “most famous librarian”.

·  For Individual Quiet Study: The whole fourth floor is designated as a quiet study area.

·  For Study Rooms: Study rooms [Note which floor has these rooms.]

·  Opposing Sources: we have two databases that feature controversial issues, please see our Search Databases page. Look at the list of most-used databases in the middle of the page. You can use Opposing Viewpoints and CQ Researcher, in that order.

·  If you are having trouble finding something or using computers where should you go to ask for help? Reference

·  If an instructor has something on hold for students to view or use, where should students go within the library to get it? Here's a hint: Course Reserves.

Bryant & Stratton’s online campus has this information in their Assignments field:

Recurring assignments ("I need information on my career...") have institutional scripts you may use to answer them.
Here is info on the Career Assignment:
In addition to information in the Occupational Outlook handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) and the Career Guide to Industries (http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/home.htm), useful career information can be found in the Bryant & Stratton Virtual Library. After logging onto the Virtual Library, and select the menu item 'Career Planning'--the item 'Helpful Tools' contains links to useful web resources. The menu item ‘Program resources’ also contains useful material. The menu item ‘Research Databases' contains a link to the EbscoHost database 'Vocational & Career Information.' Another good source is the document "Career Resources Guide" available at http://vl.bryantstratton.edu/Portals/0/al_Careerwebsites_2010[1].pdf or on the Albany Campus VL page. State career information can be found at careeronestop at http://acinet.org Select "Occupation Information" then select "Occupation Profile" Locate your career & select your state. Also, try O*NET Online at http://online.onetcenter.org/

When students seem to be asking the same questions over and over, it may be based on an assignment – so head right over to the Assignments section of the policy page, and see what the Patron library suggests.  And, if your students have recurring assignments, do provide tips for the chatting librarians, to help them better respond and provide more effective assistance. 

Questions about Quality? Email me at mcglames@oclc.org or post a comment to this blog.

QuestionPoint Service Install, October 14, 2012, 2:00 A.M. ET (06:00 GM)

We will be installing a QuestionPoint features upgrade this Sunday, October 14, 2012.

Release Notes can be viewed here on the Blog.  Please be advised that the QuestionPoint service will be unavailable for the following time period: from 6:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) to approximately 7:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST). It is imperative that you end any in-progress chat sessions at least one minute prior to the scheduled service interruption to avoid sudden communication interruptions to your patrons and potential "hung" sessions. (You will be unable to click on any in-progress sessions to get information to communicate with the patron.)

 If you experience any outage after the projected service period, please contact your Customer Service Provider for further assistance.

 

Notes d'Installation prévue pour 14 octobre, 2012

Nouvelles fonctionnalités et améliorations

1        Qwidget

1.1       Avis aux bibliothécaires du Chat concernant l’adresse électronique des utilisateurs.

Deux nouveaux avis ont été ajoutés à l’interface de dialogue en ligne (Chat) du bibliothécaire pour l’avertir que l’utilisateur en ligne a fourni une adresse électronique.   

Le premier avis « L’utilisateur a ajouté une adresse électronique » apparaîtra dans le moniteur de Chat dans le cadre d’une session en cours avec un utilisateur du Qwidget qui a ajouté son adresse électronique après le début de la session. Ce message informera le bibliothécaire qu’il n’a pas à demander à l’utilisateur son adresse électronique pour assurer le suivi de sa question s’il y a lieu.

Exemple :

Le deuxième avis  « L’utilisateur a choisi de rester anonyme (aucune adresse électronique pour suivi)» servira à confirmer que, même si l’utilisateur a fourni une adresse électronique afin de recevoir une transcription de sa session, il a également choisi de ne PAS révéler cette adresse à QuestionPoint.

        

Par conséquent, la bibliothèque n’aura pas l’adresse électronique dans le dossier à des fins de suivi.  Ce message informe le bibliothécaire qu’il ne pourra pas assurer le suivi de la question si la case « anonyme » reste cochée. La case « anonyme » peut toutefois être cochée ou décochée au cours de session. Le bibliothécaire peut donc suggérer à l’utilisateur de modifier cette option s’il y a lieu durant la session. L’adresse électronique de l’utilisateur restera invisible au bibliothécaire dans le moniteur de Chat, mais sera disponible dans l’historique de la session.

1.2      Confirmation personnalisable de courriel envoyé à partir du Qwidget « fermé ».

Après l’envoi de leur question, les utilisateurs qui envoient un message par courriel à partir du Qwidget « fermé » (service non disponible) verront le message de confirmation par défaut suivant pendant environ 10 secondes : Merci. Votre question a été soumise.   Ce message peut être personnalisé dans le module  Administration de QuestionPoint.

 

1.3    Plusieurs Qwidgets permis sur une même page Web.

La version 3 du populaire « Qwidget » pour le Chat est maintenant disponible. En mettant à niveau la version 2 du Qwidget ou en téléchargeant la version 3, vous pourrez maintenant héberger jusqu’à 5 Qwidgets sur une page Web. Voici quelques exemples où cette possibilité est avantageuse :    

•  les bibliothèques qui ont plusieurs Profils de services (SUP) peuvent avoir plusieurs Qwidgets différents sur la même page Web;
• les Qwidgets « bannières » peuvent être affichés sur toutes les pages de votre site, si désiré, sans affecter l’affichage de vos autres « Widgets »;
• des Qwidgets en diverses langues peuvent être affichés dans une même page Web.

 Plusieurs Qwidgets  sur une même page Web

2        Plus de participants au projet pilot.

Nous avons terminé avec succès la première phase du récent projet pilote « QuestionPoint via email service » (QuestionPoint par courriel), et sommes heureux d’annoncer que plus de bibliothèques seront invitées à offrir cette fonctionnalité. Si vous êtes intéressé à ce que votre bibliothèque permette aux utilisateurs de soumettre des questions en utilisant une simple adresse électronique, en plus de votre formulaire de question Web, veuillez contacter Carol Bonnefil (bonnefic@oclc.org) pour plus de détails.

 

3        Recherches/Rapports/Révisions

3.1       Modification du libellé sous Réviser les transcriptions/ Zones du formulaire.

Dans le module Référence, sous Réviser les transactions / Données des formulaires Web d’utilisateur,  dans la liste déroulante « Par type de transaction », l’option « Formulaire de question » a été changée pour « Formulaire/Courriel » afin de mieux décrire tous les types de questions inclus dans le rapport. En choisissant « Formulaire/Courriel », la liste contiendra toutes les questions soumises via le « formulaire de courriel » de QuestionPoint  de même que celles soumises via l’adresse électronique QuestionPoint pour votre bibliothèque (nouveau service en phase pilote.  Voir la section 1.2)

3.2        Modification du libellé sous Questions/recherche avancée.

Dans le module Référence, sous l’onglet Questions, cliquez sur le lien Recherche avancée. Dans l’écran Recherche avancée, dans la liste déroulante « Type de transaction », l’option « Formulaire de question uniquement » a été changée pour « Courriel/Formulaire/Sur place (Ajouter question) » afin de refléter cette limite de recherche.

4        Explications sur le formatage dans l’écran Modification des politiques.

 

Dans l’écran Modification des politiques (disponible pour les administrateurs de QuestionPoint et administrateurs de référence dans le module Profil), des explications ont été ajoutées pour créer des hyperliens vers des URL à l’intérieur des zones : 

 « Ajouter des parenthèses en chevron (< et >) à toute URL pour la convertir en hyperlien sauf indication contraire pour certaines zones. »

Ces explications sont un rappel que les étiquettes HTML compliquées ne sont pas nécessaires pour convertir des URL en hyperliens. Sauf indications contraires, l’ajout d’un chevron au début et à la fin d’une URL, c’est-à-dire < >, convertira l’URL en hyperlien dans la Page de politiques de la bibliothèque.

5        Exportation des transcriptions.

Une nouvelle fonctionnalité personnalisable est disponible pour les bibliothèques qui veulent exporter de façon continue leurs transcriptions vers leurs propres systèmes hébergés. En utilisant S-FTP, les transcriptions peuvent être exportées vers un environnement externe. Tous les incidents causant la modification du contenu ou du statut d’une transcription engendreront l’exportation de la transcription, permettant la duplication presque synchrone des informations des transactions sur votre système hébergé et permettant l’exploration des données, les rapports statistiques personnalisés et d’autres opérations liées à vos transactions dans QuestionPoint. Pour plus d’informations sur ce service personnalisé, veuillez contacter Carol Bonnefil (bonnefic@oclc.org) 

Corrections

1        Corrections apportées au Qwidget.

1.1       L’affichage des URL dans l’historique du Chat dans le Qwidget n’était pas consistant.

Auparavant, les URL très longues n’étaient pas toujours bouclées (affichées sur la ligne suivante) ce qui causait un mauvais affichage des Qwidgets sur la page Web.

         Les URL apparaissent maintenant à l’intérieur du cadre, peu importe leur longueur.    

                                                                                           

1.2       L’adresse électronique de l’utilisateur est effacée après l’envoi de la question à partir du Qwidget « fermé ».

Après qu’un utilisateur a inscrit son adresse électronique et sa question, et utilise le bouton « Soumettre », son adresse est maintenant immédiatement effacée de l’écran (il n’est plus nécessaire de rafraîchir l’écran) afin de mieux protéger les renseignements sur l’utilisateur dans un environnement public.

2         Le rapport iSoft « Service de Chat- Rapport quotidien » pour le 8 juillet 2012 a été récupéré.

Des bibliothèques ont rapporté que les statistiques quotidiennes sur les sessions de Chat du 8 juillet 2012 n’étaient pas affichées correctement dans le module Rapports.  Ce problème a été corrigé et toutes les statistiques pour le 8 juillet 2012 ont été mises à jour. Les totaux mensuels pour juillet 2012 ne peuvent pas être rétroactivement corrigés pour inclure les statistiques du 8 juillet. Pour obtenir le bon total pour un rapport mensuel, trimestriel ou annuel pour 2012, le total pour le rapport quotidien du 8 juillet 2012 devra être ajouté manuellement au rapport mensuel, trimestriel ou annuel. Une note a été ajoutée dans l’écran Rapports en guise de rappel.

3        Les données des formulaires Web d’utilisateur correspondent maintenant aux rapports hors ligne.

Les colonnes de données dans les rapports Excel sur les Données des formulaires Web d’utilisateur correspondent maintenant aux données des rapports hors-ligne dans le module Référence, sous l’onglet Réviser les transcriptions.

4        Listes de questions dans le compte des abonnés.

Les sessions dans le compte des abonnés sont maintenant triées en ordre chronologique par défaut.

Release Notes for October 14, 2012 install

New Features/Improvements

1.     Qwidget

    1.1       Notifications to chatting librarian regarding patron email addresses.

Two new incident notifications have been added to the Librarian chat interface to help alert chatting librarians to the fact that Patrons have entered an email address.   

The first notification:  “Patron has added an email address” will appear in the librarian’s chat monitor as part of an in-progress chat session with a Qwidget patron who has added their email address after the session has begun. This will alert the chatting librarian that he or she doesn’t have to request an email address from a patron in order to allow the possibility of the patron’s library follow-up with that patron.

Ex 1:

The second notification: “Patron has chosen to remain anonymous (no email address available for follow-up)” will serve as confirmation that although the patron may have entered an email address in order to receive a transcript at the conclusion of a Qwidget session, they have also chosen NOT to reveal that email address to QuestionPoint.

Ex 2:

 This means that the library will not have an email address as part of the record, to use for any follow-up purposes.  The incident is displayed to the chatting librarian so that he or she will be aware that follow-up will not be possible if that anonymous check box stays checked. The “anonymous” check box can be changed while the session is in progress however, so the incident may also serve as a point of conversation between the librarian and patron, to help the patron decide whether he or she wants to change the option and include the email address without anonymity in order to allow follow-up if necessary.

The email address is still not visible to the chatting librarian in the patron information area of the chat monitor, but the new notifications in the chat history will serve as an alert that the email address is at least in play for the session follow-up capability.

1.2    Customizable confirmation of email sent from “closed” Qwidget

Patrons who send an email message from the Closed Qwidget screen will now see a confirmation message for approximately 10 seconds after their question has been submitted:

The default message is: “Thank you. Your question has been submitted”.  This message can be customized from within theQuestionPoint Admin module.

1.3    Multiple Qwidgets allowed on the same webpage.

Version 3 of our popular “Qwidget” chat widget is now available. By upgrading your Version 2 Qwidget or downloading the newly-revised Version 3 Qwidget code, you can now host up to 5 Qwidgets on one webpage.  Some examples of why this was a highly desired feature:    

• libraries with multiple SUPs can have several different Subject Qwidgets co-exist on the same webpage;
• “Banner” Qwidgets can  display across all of the pages on your site if desired and not impact your embedded  LibGuides Qwidgets;
• Multiple language Qwidgets can simultaneously display on one page, if you have bi-lingual WebPages.

    

 

2      Email pilot expanded

We have successfully concluded the first phase of the recent “QuestionPoint via email service” pilot, and are happy to announce that more libraries will be invited to participate in offering this feature. If your library is interested allowing patrons to submit reference questions to your library using a simple email address in addition to your web-based “email form”, please contact Carol Bonnefil (bonnefic@oclc.org) for more details.

3      Searches/Reports/Reviews

3.1      Label change on Review Transcripts: Form Field Reports

On the Form Field Reports selection page, the item of “Question Form link”  in the drop-down box of types of reports available has been changed to “Webform/Email” to better describe all of the types of questions included in that report.  Choosing “Webform/Email” will produce a list of all of the questions submitted using the QuestionPoint “email form” as well as questions submitted to your library’s QuestionPoint email address (a new service currently in Pilot phase.  See section 1.2 )

 

3.2      Label change on Search Transcripts, Transaction Type Limiter:

On the Advanced Search screen of Search Transcripts in the Ask Module, the Transaction Type limiter “Email Transaction Only” has been changed to reflect the actual search function limiter of “Email/Webform/Walk-up (Add Question) only”.

4    Policy Page formatting explanation added

 On the Policy Page edit field (available to Admins and Ask Admins in the Profile Module), and explanation of how to create hot-links to URLs within the fields has been added: 

“Add angle brackets to any URL to convert to a hyperlink, except where noted in specific field instructions.”

This will remind librarians that html complicated html tags are not necessary to convert URLs to hotlinks. Except for where noted in a particular field, the addition of left and right angle brackets at the beginning and end of a URL, respectively, < >,  will convert it to a hotlink on the actual Policy Page display.

5      Transcript exports

A new custom feature is available for libraries that wish to continuously export their transcripts into their own hosted environments. Using S-FTP, transcripts can be exported to a remote self-hosted environment. All incidents that cause a change in transcript content or status will trigger an export of the transcript, permitting nearly-synchronous duplicate transaction information on your locally hosted machine and allowing for data mining, reports capabilities customized to your own liking, and further activity upon all of your QuestionPoint transactions. For more information on this custom service, please contact Carol Bonnefil (bonnefic@oclc.org) 

Fixes

1        Qwidget fixes.

1.1       Display of URLS in chat history in Qwidget was inconsistent.

Prior to this install, lengthy URLs could fail to “wrap” in the frame, thereby causing Qwidgets to display improperly on the webpage.

         URLs are now contained in the frame, regardless of length.

                                                      

1.2       Patron’s email address is removed from view after email question is   submitted from Closed Qwidget.

After a patron enters their email address and question, and uses the “Submit” button, the patron’s email address is now immediately removed from the screen, rather than upon page refresh, in order to better protect the patron’s privacy in a public venue.

2         ISoft Daily Chat Stats report for July 8, 2012 have been recovered.

It was reported that the daily stats for chat sessions which occurred on 7/8/12 were not correctly displaying in the Reports module.  This has been corrected and all statistics for 7/8/12 have been updated.  Monthly totals for July 2012 cannot be retroactively corrected to include the statistics for July 8^th activity.  To achieve a correct total for a Monthly, Quarterly or Annual report  for 2012, the total from the Daily report for 7/8/2012 will have be manually added to the respective Mnth/Qtr/Yr end report.  A note has been added to the Reports page to remind users of this.

3        Online Patron Form Field Reports now match Offline Reports.

Data columns in Online Patron Form Field Excel reports now match same data in the offline reports in Ask Module>Review Transcripts.

4        Patron Account Question Lists

Patron’s sessions in their QuestionPoint Patron account are now default sorted in chronological order.

Quality Tip: check the “Info” tab for Patron Information

You can find out a lot about your patron, even before you click on the “Policies” link, by just looking at the “Info” tab – located in the lower left of the librarian chat monitor.

Some of the information available will depend on the form used by the patron to enter the service.  For example, Qwidget patrons may have less information captured because they do not need to fill out a form before chatting.  For those who enter via the library’s chat form, the “info” tab presents all the information provided by the patron, which may help you determine the library, and even the branch, with which the patron is affiliated.  IMPORTANT: be sure and scroll down, as all information from the library form fields, as well as Oregon patron email information, is located at the bottom of the patron info tab!

Information from library chat forms is especially useful when patrons access the service via a portal site not affiliated with a specific library, which is often the case for groups where multiple libraries link to the same chat form.  For example, Enquire – the UK national service, comprised of many different libraries – has one main site, which links to the generic Enquire policy page. But, Enquire patrons are requested to submit the first 3 digits of their postcode, which will appear in the “info” tab (if patrons don’t opt to be anonymous).

Our newest group, Oregon, doesn’t use standard QuestionPoint forms, so be sure and check the “info” tab for important information about Oregon patrons, including whether or not the patron left an email (you won’t see the email itself, but you will see an indication as to whether patron left an email on the Oregon form).  CAVEAT: with Oregon forms, all patrons will appear to QP as anonymous (so in the first part of the Info tab you will see “Library Patron (No e-mail provided)”. But, be sure and scroll down to the “note” field, which is the true determinant of whether patron has left an email. You won’t see the email address itself, but you will be able to see whether an email was submitted. If in doubt, it’s ok to ask the patron to verify their email address before coding Follow Up!

Questions about the 24/7 Reference Cooperative policies? Email Susan at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality tip: Rude patrons? Follow the Rude Patron policy

Just in time for the start of the school year, we’ve revised the Rude Patrons policy to provide more guidance when dealing with the pranksters, the rude, the obscene and the abusive. The new policy is available in the 24/7 Policies section 4.5.1,  Rude Patrons policy.

The revised rude patron policy takes a look at 4 types of “rude” behavior: 

• Pranksters/goofing
• Impatience
• Rude behavior/obscene language
• Abuse/personal attacks

For each of the 4 behaviors, we provide guidelines and examples. In addition, we’ve added a Policy of Mutual Respect, which you can reference in those cases where the patron’s library does not have its own policy.

Do the policies work?  Here’s an example where the patron made a lewd suggestion to the chatting librarian at the beginning of the session.   According to the policy for “rude behavior/obscene language: Obscenity is never okay. Librarian should: set boundaries

Guidelines:

• First warn the patron that the behavior is unacceptable and that the session will be ended if that behavior continues.
• If patron’s bad behavior continues, then disconnect.

Here is what happened when the librarian followed this policy:

Patron: i need help with my library card
Librarian: Hello, <patron’s name> !
Librarian: My name is Pat. I am a librarian who is helping to answer questions for your library. I am reading what you wrote to see how I can help you...what seems to be the matter?
Patron: i need someone to [patron makes lewd suggestion]
Librarian: At this time I must warn you that if you would like to continue in this chat session, that type of language is considered unacceptable. Would you like to continue without using that type of language?
Patron: sure
Patron: hi
Librarian: Hi, how may I help you with your library card?
Patron: i need to activate it but when can i come
Librarian: Let me see what I can find...
Patron: ok
Librarian: Do you mean when can you visit the library during business hours?
Patron: yea like when can i activate it? can i do it online
[Librarian sends information from policy page regarding activating library cards, as well as branch location and hours]
Librarian: Can I help you with anything else?
Patron: no thank you so much
Patron: bye
Librarian: Thanks for using our service! If you need help with anything else, just contact us again. Goodbye for now.

When your patrons send messages containing obscene language, first warn that this behavior is unacceptable.  The warning may stop the offending behavior and allow you to provide good service, as in the session above.  However if this patron had continued to use obscenities, then end the session.  Librarians have enough to deal with as it is, and we don’t want to condone bad behavior from our patrons!

Questions about the new rude patron policy? Just send me an email at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality Tip: Helping visually challenged patrons

A few weeks ago, a patron began sessions by asking the chatting librarian to type all responses in capital letters.  Rather than entering a question in the question form, he wrote a variation of: “PUT CAPS ON”, “ I NEED CAPS FROM YOU” or “I NEED CAPS LOCK FROM YOU”.  Apparently, when the chatting librarian types using all capital letters, it is easier for this patron to see the text.  Here is a sample session from this patron:

Patron: I NEED CAPS LOCK FROM YOU

Librarian sends greeting

Librarian: how may I help you

Patron: ITS AT THE TOP

Librarian: you appear to be using caps lock

Librarian: that is why I am asking

Patron: YEP I NEED YOU TO USEUM TO

Librarian: I am sorry but I am working with three of you

Librarian: so cannot switch to caps lock

Librarian: is there anything else that you need

Patron: WHY CAINT YOU USE CAPS?

Librarian: because then I would be using them for all three people

Librarian: and caps is considered shouting

Patron: NO ITS NOT IM VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Librarian continues the session with capital letters

Although it may be uncomfortable to type in all caps with a patron (as the librarian above stated, it is commonly perceived as shouting), it may work better for some patrons.  But, don’t use caps unless specifically requested to by the patron, as for most it really does imply shouting!

The QuestionPoint patron interface does provide some assistance for the visually impaired.  If you suspect a patron may need assistance, direct them to the “Preferences” link, which appears just under their chat entry box. Patrons can use Preferences to do the following:

• Turn off or on the chime that sounds when new messages are received
• Enlarge the font size.
• Change the font face.
• Change the font and background colors

However, some patrons may prefer caps lock to the options available through Preferences.  Either way, you can help make chat more accessible to visually challenged patrons.

Quality Tip: ask patron for library card info? not necessarily!

The 24/7 Reference Cooperative respects the privacy of our patrons, and we don’t want to ask for personal information (which is captured in the transcript) unless this information is required to fulfil the patron’s information need.  One area where patron privacy may conflict with helping the patron is asking the patron to reveal his library card (or barcode) number.  The Cooperative Policy states: "Librarians may ask patrons for patron's library card/barcode number and PIN/password during a chat session if this will assist in providing good service to the patron."  See section 4.6 of the Policies, Patron Privacy: Patron Privacy

However, please be sure this is necessary before taking this step! In the example below, the librarian may not have needed this information.

Patron: Do I have a book in that I placed on hold? The Book Thief by Marcus Zuak
Librarian sends greeting
Librarian:    I would need your library card and PIN number to try to look for you.
Patron provides library card number
Librarian:     I am not able to log in with those numbers.  Can you please verify them?
Librarian:  Your library has that book, but I am unable to place a hold on it with the card number you provided.
Librarian:     Thank you for using our reference chat service. Feel free to check back with us if you have additional questions later. It has been a pleasure to help you. Goodbye.

In this case, the librarian didn't really determine if the library card number was useful; there was no reference conversation.  This could have played out in various ways, depending on what the issue really is.  For example:

Scenario #1: Patron doesn't know how to check their online account

Patron: Do I have a book in that I placed on hold? The Book Thief by Marcus Zuak

Librarian: Have you checked your account yet?  Do you know how to do that online?

Patron: How do you do that?

Then the librarian could describe how to do it/what to click on - no need to actually ask for patron’s library card information to do this.

Scenario #2: Patron can't get into the online account

Patron: Do I have a book in that I placed on hold? The Book Thief by Marcus Zuak

Librarian: Have you checked your account yet?  Do you know how to do that online?

Patron: yes, but I can't get in

The librarian can try troubleshooting tips, such as assisting the patron with PIN information (based on the PIN guidelines available through the  library policy page).  There is no need to get the patron's actual library card number.

Scenario #3: Patron is in the online account but is confused

Patron: Do I have a book in that I placed on hold? The Book Thief by Marcus Zuak

Librarian: Have you checked your account yet?  Do you know how to do that online?

Patron: Yes, I am in there but I don't know where to look, can you check for me?

Librarian: I would be happy to look at your account, but you should be aware that there is a very small chance that your card privacy could be compromised if you give your login information to me via chat. For added protection, please change your PIN number after we end the call. Would you like to continue, or would you rather contact the library directly?

Remember to use the reference conversation to ascertain what the patron needs, and what is blocking the patron from achieving his goal.  The reference conversation will guide you in providing more targeted help, while respecting the patron’s online privacy to the extent possible.

Quality Tip: ask “what don’t you like about what I sent?”

Librarians try to find (and send) those sources most likely to meet their patrons’ information needs.  But sometimes a patron isn’t satisfied with the information sent, despite the librarian’s best efforts.  Remember chat is a dialog – a conversation – so use this opportunity to clarify the request.  If you send a site that – to you - seems to satisfy the request, but the patron isn’t happy with it, then just ask the patron to explain why the information isn’t useful.  This question may help the patron to better articulate their information need, so you, the librarian, can send them something more useful.

Example:

Patron: how the television has evolved over time

Librarian: [after greeting the patron] Are you thinking about physical attributes of the set, or the content of what is aired?

Patron: both

Librarian suggests databases

Patron: i checked the data bases but i never found any resources. i need websites to answer this question for my annotation

Librarian: Your instructor is requiring websites off of the general internet instead of information from the online databases?

Patron: yes

Librarian sends a site and asks: Is something like this useful to you?

Patron: no. the web site is not useful for me

Librarian: Okay. Can you tell me more about the type of thing you're trying to find, so I can find better resources for you?

Patron: a sourceful website that i could use for an annotation bibliography

Librarian: You are asking for a resource that shows how television has evolved over time, correct?

Patron: yes

Librarian sends a second site

Librarian: Okay, this page gives links to a variety of resources related to the different eras of television--does this look useful? If not, please let me know...

Patron: no

Librarian: Let me show you a chronology to see if that is more along the lines of what you were thinking... [Librarian sends a third site]

Librarian: Is this information helpful?

Patron: um no, i need a web site with info

Librarian: When you say "a website with info," do you mean a website that includes various years?

Patron: well yea but more information on the years

Librarian: Let's try this...[sends a fourth site]

Patron: this website is not helpful

Librarian: Can you explain why it is not helpful? That will help me to find one that is. Thank you, [patron name]

Patron: because it does not start with the 1920

Librarian: Thanks! But it does cover 1920. It  goes from 1880 to the present time. Do you need something that specifically focuses on television in the year 1920?

Librarian sends fifth site: http://transition.fcc.gov/omd/history/tv/1880-1929.html

Patron: ok this covers it thanks

Librarian: You are very welcome! Is there anything else I can help you with today?

[The session continues, as librarian helps patron with a related question]

The reference conversation is a great way to make sure you are sending information the patron can use.  If the sites you send don’t seem to be working for your patron, just ask why – it can save time and increase user satisfaction with the service.

Policy Pages search can help with the “migrating patron”

As metropolitan areas become megalopolises or conurbations, more patrons may increasingly be affiliated with more than one library system.  And of course students enrolled at post-secondary institutions may use the nearest public library service when they need help.  If the patron asks a question at library A’s virtual reference page, then QuestionPoint will display the policy page for library A (when you click the link to “Policies”).  This is considered the “home” library, for purposes of statistics, follow up, and policy page display.  But what if the patron “belongs” to more than one library?  Fortunately, you can use the search policy pages feature to locate policies outside the “home” library’s policy page. 

To search other policies, click on the Search Policies link, inside the policy page template:

 

 

Here is a recent example of a patron arriving at one library site, but with multiple affiliations (highlighted in red):

Patron arrives in a city library queue (PL #1), after 10 PM local time

Patron: Hi! Is there anyway I can access the Resources USA from home using my library ID number and pin? Thanks!

Librarian: [after sending greeting] Are you asking about the Reference USA database?

Patron: Yes

Librarian: It looks like this one is not available from home through PL#1, but do you have library cards at any other libraries?

Patron: I have one for PL #2 and PL #1....

Librarian: OK [Librarian sends link to databases at PL #2, then link to Reference USA]

Librarian: Can you see the site I sent?

Patron: Yes, that is super helpful. I think it will work... okay, I am just resetting my pin now...

[Patron has difficulty accessing the database; Librarian recommends IE rather than FireFox, and patron is able to search]

Patron: i am in the us business search database and trying to choose all my filters. this is great! 

Patron: i am now trying to search by industry.

Patron: do you know how i can search by industry?

Librarian: Do you have an SIC or NAICS code?

Patron: no, but i am trying to now. i am looking for telecom companies

Librarian: www.naics.com/search.htm

Librarian: Here is a site (I don't think I changed your current page)

Librarian: www.naics.com/free-code-search/siclist.html?sictwo=48

Patron: you are so helpful! Thank you!

Patron: i am just trying to figure out how to limit the size of the company to 20 -100 million dollars.

Librarian: There should be a limiter for that for sure

Patron: yeah, i think it is sales volume... trying it out now.

Librarian: In the meantime, I'm looking at searching help documentation...

Patron: Thanks.  i am also trying to find revenue information.... any chance you may be able to help me out with that as well?

Librarian: As opposed to sales volume?

Patron: i guess so, my professor asked for revenue, debt, strategies and client platform/market target

Librarian: Good.  http://mason.wm.edu/about/library/documents/referenceusa.pdf

Librarian: This looks like a really nice help guide

Librarian: Where are you taking classes? If you are taking a class, your school probably has access to Reference USA and might have a help guide, too--I can check...

Patron: City College

Patron: Excellent help guide!

Librarian: Yes, very. And you specifically need to use Reference USA? Because City College has some excellent Industry guides, actually

Patron: I do not need Reference USA specifically, that is the only one that I thought could help, but the professor did not specify

Librarian: Are you familiar with this guide:

Librarian: http://guides.citycollege.edu/industry

Patron: Nope, let me check it out...

[session continues as librarian assists patron with user id and pw to city college database]

Librarian: But also, for Reference USA through PL#2, is that help guide from the other library I gave you sufficient?

Patron: yes, i am working on the narrowing it down now... i think it should work.

Librarian: Okay, great. Did you need help with anything else?

Patron: i think i am all set, would it be possible to send a copy of this transcript to my email?

Patron: these are great resources.

Librarian: Yes, it should be sent automatically once we end the call; if you don't see it, check your spam folder.

Patron: cool.  Thanks again!

Librarian: Glad to help. Thanks for using our service! If you need help with anything else, just contact us again. Goodbye for now...

Patron:  you were SUPER helpful!

Librarian: You're welcome! :-)

With good reference conversation techniques, this librarian was able to get the patron started on their research, even when the “home” library resource was unavailable. If you suspect your patron may have multiple affiliations, especially patrons from large urban areas, or those that come into a public queue with academic questions (or vice versa), it doesn’t hurt to ask –  and with easily linked policy pages, you can quickly discover resources for patrons with many “homes”!