QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

QuestionPoint events at ALA

Dear QuestionPoint librarians:

If you will be at ALA Annual in Anaheim this year, please make plans to attend these 2 events:

1.  Best Practices in cooperative virtual reference: Management Tips for a Successful Service

Saturday, June 28, 1:30-3:30 PM
Anaheim Convention Center 207D
   
Our panelists manage large multi-type cooperative virtual reference services, providing 24/7 reference help to populations numbering in the millions.  Learn the tips and techniques that these experienced statewide coordinators use to promote their service to both end users and stakeholders, and how to effectively manage cooperative services staffed by a variety of libraries.  The speakers will discuss sustainability issues as well, including recruitment and retention of participating libraries.  There will be time for discussion so bring your questions and comments.
   
Our speakers:

Mark Beatty is Training and Automation Librarian for Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) and is the current elected President of LITA, the Library and Information Technology Association division of ALA. At WiLS he serves primarily as trainer and consortial wrangler for InterLibrary Loan, eBooks, and Virtual Reference services. He is the Administrator for AskAway the Wisconsin state wide virtual reference multi-type consortium.

Beth Cackowski is Project Coordinator for QandANJ.org, New Jersey's 24/7
Statewide Virtual Reference Service, Beth's current professional focus is on digital services and the Millennial user.      
                                        
Julie Strange is Operations Supervisor, Maryland AskUsNow!, the statewide VR service in Maryland. AskUsNow! has been a participant in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative since January 2003 and is provided by 19 public library systems, 11 academic libraries and 3 special libraries including two law libraries and the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.


2. QuestionPoint User Group meeting

Sunday, June 29, 1:30-3:30 PM
Embassy Suites South, Landmark Ballroom Salon C


Hear the latest QuestionPoint news and join colleagues to share your experiences with QuestionPoint and the 24/7 Reference Cooperative.  We will have light snacks so bring your questions and your appetite!

To register for these events, go to: www.oclc.org/info/ala/

Hope to see you there!

Regards,
Susan

Quality Tip: End of shift? Transfer the patron to the librarian who is taking your place!

It's 9:01, and you’re already late for your shift at your library’s reference desk. What do you do if you are in the middle of helping an online patron?

• If at all possible, stay online with the patron long enough to finish the session.

• Offer follow up to the patron.  Suggested message: "This is taking longer than I expected, may I send this on for additional research and someone will get back to you via email?"

• Ask any of your colleagues who are arriving for the next shift if they can accept a transfer.  Be sure and send an IM to the new librarian first, before transferring.  If no Cooperative librarians are online, transfer to the After Hours Queue (see section 5.3, "Transferring Sessions").  Be sure and tell the patron you are transferring the session to another librarian.

The options listed above should allow you to exit the session gracefully.   If none of the above work, and you will have to leave soon due to your shift ending, send a message such as:

"Also, just to let you know I will have to end the session in a few minutes but don't worry -- we have some options!  I can try to transfer you to another online librarian now ... I can have someone get back to you via email ... Or if you think you have enough for now but might need assistance later you can log back in when you need more help.  Which would you like to do?"

Always inform the patron prior to transferring to another librarian or ending the session.

In this session, the librarian ended the chat abruptly:

Patron: I am doing a class project. I need to locate references about how much money does the clothing industry make a year, both in retail as well as wholesale from January 2006-January 2007. I alsoo need to find out how much it is expected to grow within the next three years.

Patron: I'm sorry I am specifically looking at T-shirts

Librarian: Hello! Welcome to our chat service. My name is Jane, and I am a librarian from the XYZ library in <state>. No one from your library is available at the moment, so I will be assisting you now.

Librarian: http://www.<librarywebsite>/databases.html#business

Librarian: <patron name>, here is a list of databases you will need to use to get the industry information you need. Did you get the page?

Patron: I got the page.

Librarian: There is also a print publication called Industry Surveys that your library will have at the reference desk.

Patron: Industry surveys. That's new to me

Librarian: It is the end of my shift. I'll sign off our conversation, you check the databases and if you need more assistance.....please log back into chat. Okay

Patron: I'm sorry I caught you at the end of your shift. Thank you for help anyway.

Patron: Patron ended chat session.

Librarian: quite alright. log back in if you need to, okay. someone else can help you.

In this session, the patron appears to be satisfied with being transferred to another librarian:

Patron: where can i find the answer to" what steps do the city & federal government takes to protect the environment? & there different services eaach provided by our city, state and natio that people can received?

Librarian 1: Hello! Welcome to our chat service. My name is Jane, and I am a librarian from the XYZ library in <state>. No one from your library is available at the moment, so I will be assisting you now.

Librarian 1: Is this for a school project? If so, what grade level, so I don't give you something too simple or too complex?

Librarian 1: Are you here?

Patron: it is for adult diploma program.

Librarian 1: Is it asking about a specific city?

Patron: Yes, the city I live in which is philly.

Librarian 1: So, it's asking what Philly does to protect the environment?

Patron: ok, this is the question. Qutline three steps the city government and three steps yhr federal government can take to protect the natural environment . (Note: City steps should be locall in scope and federal steps should be national in scope).

Librarian 1: OK, for the local I suggest you go to the City of PHIL webpage and look for some programs that have to to with the environment.

Librarian 1: http://www.phila.gov/

Librarian 1: For example, http://www.greenplanphiladelphia.com/

Librarian 1: I'm going to need to transfer you to aanother librarian who's come to take my place.

Patron: Thanks

Librarian 2: Hi, let me read over your session so far...

Librarian 2: Hi, so you're looking for what the federal govt does to protect the environment?

Librarian 2: http://www.earthday.gov/fedactions.htm

Librarian 2: please let me know if this page is helpful

Librarian 2: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/programs.htm

Librarian 2: Also, here are some programs that the EPA (federal govt) has

Librarian 2: are you still connected?

Patron: ok i will ckeck in one moment

Librarian 2: the page should be displaying on your screen now

Librarian 2: would you like to have a look at these and then log back in if you decide you need further help?

Patron: Yes, that will be fine. Thank you for all your help.

Librarian 2: you're very welcome

Librarian 2: If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us again. Thank you for using our online service. Goodbye!

Steps to take after the QuestionPoint install to address a performance issue

Hello QuestionPoint subscribers:
As mentioned on the QuestionPoint listserv and on this blog, there will be a QuestionPoint install to address a performance issue.

QuestionPoint chat users must update the QuestionPoint Flash-based chat monitor after the service is restored. After the install, please complete the following to ensure that you are using the updated version.

1. Clear your Temporary Browser Files (also known as browser cache) by following these steps:

a. Open Internet Explorer

b. Click on Tools

c. Select Internet Options from the dropdown menu

d. Click on the Delete Files button  under the Temporary Internet Files menu

e. Place a check in the Delete All Offline Content box

f. Click the OK button

g. When the Deleted files box closes, click OK to close the Internet Options box

2.    Refresh the Chat Monitor before picking up your first patron by following these steps:

a. From the My QuestionPoint page, click on Chat from the dropdown menu or from the Quick Links list to open the Chat Monitor

b. Wait for the chat monitor to load in a 2^nd browser window

c. Click OK to the alert telling you to Select which Queues to monitor

d. Press the F5 key on your keyboard (this will reload the chat monitor)

e. Click the Retry button on alert box that appears.

f. Click OK on the alert telling you to Select which Queues to monitor

g. Select the queues to monitor

h. Begin monitoring

If, during a chat session with a patron, you encounter an issue with your chat messages not appearing in the chat monitor’s transcript window after clicking Send, please contact OCLC Customer Service immediately.

ANNOUNCEMENT: QuestionPoint service interruption

Dear QuestionPoint subscribers:
We are currently experiencing technical issues with QuestionPoint that may cause performance slowdown.

Please be advised that at 10:00 GMT, tomorrow, May 6, we will interrupt QuestionPoint service to perform critical maintenance to resolve these issues. We expect to have service restored within 15 minutes (or by 1015 GMT). Please try to end any chat sessions in progress immediately prior to that time, so as to avoid sudden session interruptions.

Once service is restored, please check your “New” questions lists for any interrupted chat sessions or unanswered email questions.  You may consult the blog at http://questionpoint.blogs.com for details.

We regret any inconvenience.

The QuestionPoint Team.

 

Chers utilisateurs de QuestionPoint,

Nous remarquons actuellement des difficultés techniques dans QuestionPoint qui peuvent affecter la performance du service. Nous nous excusons de cette situation et tentons de résoudre le problème.   Veuillez prendre note que le service QuestionPoint ne sera pas disponible de 10hrs 00 TU à 10hrs 15 TU,  le  mardi 6, mai , le temps d’une installation d’urgence.

Nous prévoyons que le service sera rétabli à l’intérieur de 15 minutes [ou pour 10hrs 15 TU].   Veuillez essayer de mettre fin à vos sessions de CHAT en cours avant l’interruption afin d’éviter que la communication avec vos utilisateurs ne soit coupée. Lorsque le service sera rétabli, vérifiez dans vos listes de “Nouvelles” questions pour les sessions de CHAT interrompues ou les nouvelles questions par courriel.

Pour plus de détails, prière de consulter le blogue de QuestionPoint.

Bien à vous,
L’équipe de QuestionPoint