QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

Quality Tip: Do Not Ignore Patrons' Rude Behavior

How can chatting librarians determine when a patron's behavior has reached an unacceptable limit? When should chatting librarians follow the Rude Patron guidelines described in section 4.5.1 of the 24/7 Reference Collaborative Policies and Procedures document?

The chatting librarian should follow the Rude Patron guidelines as soon as the patron's remarks become derogatory.

Two transcripts of the same session are pasted below. The first transcript contains the actual text of the session where the librarian ignored the patron's abusive behavior and insisted on addressing the patron's information need. The second transcript illustrates how the Rude Patron guidelines should have been applied once the patron started disparaging the librarian.

At the beginning of the session, the librarian immediately asked if the anonymous patron wished to provide contact information. However, the librarian's first question should have been related to the patron's topic, so the patron would know that the librarian was listening. It's possible that the patron felt "unheard" and resorted to rude behavior in an attempt to get the librarian to acknowledge his comments. Because the librarian ignored the rude behavior, the patron continued to intensify his remarks but was never informed about the boundaries for acceptable use of this service.

Transcript #1: Actual Session

Patron: why doesn't marijuana prohibiton work?

Librarian: Hi!

Librarian: My name is <name>, and I'm a reference librarian from <name>. Since no one from your library is available at the moment, I will be assisting you now. I'm reading your question to see how I can help you...

Librarian: Do you have an email address in case we get disconnected, I can still give you the info?

Patron: no sryyyyyyyyyyy

Librarian: Ok, do you have time to wait while I show you how to search your library databases?

Patron: no i kinda need this now

Librarian: <pushes page from library database>

Librarian: Ok

Patron: what is this

Librarian: I am typing:

Librarian: marijuana

Patron: ok, great...

Patron: and...

Patron: out of all the times i'

Librarian: <article page pushed from database>

Librarian: This is full-text

Librarian: scroll to the bottom

Patron: you might possibly be the worst librarian i've ever had to talk to

Librarian: you'll see the section "Why I said Yes"

Patron: your mother should have had an abortion

Librarian: It discusses why the parent said No

Librarian: but the daughter said Yes

Librarian: to marijuana

Patron: I dont care why the parent says no

Librarian: But the Yes part

Patron: i want to know why prohibiton doesn't work

Librarian: Right, I'm thinking that the Yes section

Librarian: would give reasons why the prohibition doesn't work

Librarian: Let's see...

Patron: did you read it

Librarian: Like for instance,

Librarian: "I had a sense of adventure, and I certainly didn't want to be in the library all the time. I sought out others who felt the same way. And in my age of invincibility, none of the tragic stories seemed like they could happen to me. "

Librarian: Is this the type of info you are trying to find about why prohibition doesn't work?

Patron: that has litterally nothing to do with prohibiton

Patron: did you finish middle school

Librarian: Ok, are you talking more about the legal aspects of prohibition,

Librarian: or economic,

Librarian: or social,

Librarian: or psychological?

Patron: no retard, i'm talking about the literal aspect.

Patron: you couldn't be more stupid

Librarian: Let me see what else I can find,

Librarian: So why prohibition doesn't work for individual people who decide to do it anyway?

Patron: yeah, sure, whatever

Librarian: <article page pushed from database>

Librarian: <different article page pushed from database>

Librarian: This one has the full-text as HTML so you don't have to click on PDF

Patron: thanks idiot. go crawl back in your hole

Librarian: Does this one seem more relevant?

Librarian: It begins:

Librarian: "Prohibition doesn't work. It never has and never will. Even if it did work, what right does the government have to dictate what adult citizens may or may not put into their own bodies? Absolutely no right."

Patron: dude, i know how to read

Librarian: Ok, great, does this article seem useful to you?

Patron: no. you suck. your mother should have had an abortion

Librarian: Ok, what part of the article that you read was not helpful?

Librarian: Knowing what was not helpful can help me find something better for you.

Patron: you weren't exactly helpful..

Librarian: I would like to help you

Librarian: Will you help me help you?

Patron: well, you're not

Patron: no

Librarian: Okay,

Librarian: Can you think of any other way that I can help you now?

Patron: you probably wanna punch me in the face right now...

Librarian: Hm, actually I didn't think about that

Librarian: I would just like to help you find the info you need!

Librarian: Is there anything I can help you with at this time?

Patron: well you suck at it. go find a real job you lazy bum

Librarian: By the way,

Librarian: if you have an email address,

Librarian: you can email those articles to yourself

Librarian: from that database I showed you

Patron: i hate you

Patron: bill clinton is more helpful than you

Librarian: Would you like me to find different articles that might be more useful to you?

Patron: no

Librarian: Okay

Patron: write this global warming paper for my friend

Librarian: If you would like help finding information in the future, please contact us again. Goodbye for now...

Librarian: Librarian ended chat session.

Transcript #2: Application of the Rude Patron Guidelines

Patron: why doesn't marijuana prohibiton work?

Librarian: Hi!

Librarian: My name is <name>, and I'm a reference librarian from <name>. Since no one from your library is available at the moment, I will be assisting you now. I'm reading your question to see how I can help you...

Librarian: Do you have an email address in case we get disconnected, I can still give you the info?

Patron: no sryyyyyyyyyyy

Librarian: Ok, do you have time to wait while I show you how to search your library databases?

Patron: no i kinda need this now

Librarian: <pushes page from library database>

Librarian: Ok

Patron: what is this

Librarian: I am typing:

Librarian: marijuana

Patron: ok, great...

Patron: and...

Patron: out of all the times i'

Librarian: <article page pushed from database>

Librarian: This is full-text

Librarian: scroll to the bottom

Patron: you might possibly be the worst librarian i've ever had to talk to

At this point, since the patron expressed dissatisfaction with the librarian's assistance, the librarian has two options: the librarian could ask if the patron would like to be transferred to a different librarian (the patron would have to wait longer to receive help) or the librarian could send a warning message, ending with a direct question:

Librarian: I am sorry you feel that way; however, we prefer to handle sessions professionally and with civility. If you are willing to use polite and respectful chat, we can go on, or you can return when you have more time and patience. Which would you prefer?

Then, if the patron persists in the rude behavior, the librarian should disconnect the call:

Patron: your mother should have had an abortion

Librarian: I am disconnecting. If you still need help finding information, please contact us again when you decide to be polite. Goodbye for now...

The Quality Team is here to help with tips and guidelines.  If you would like advice about a particular session, go ahead and send the session to Quality.  It is true that our advice and guidance will come after the session is complete, but we may be able to offer suggestions for the future.

Questions or comments about this post? Other suggestions on how to approach this session? Comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org.

Features/Fixes for 22 February 2009

Release Notes for 22 February 2009

Contents

1. New Features

     1.1 New FLASH code in Co-browse

     1.2 New Links on Home Page

     1.3 New Field Added to E-mail Forms Manager

2. Changes

     2.1 Library Card Number Field in Policy Page Increased

3. Fixes

     3.1 Notification When Ask Admin Assigns to Institution Admin

     3.2 NEW Status at Two Libraries Simultaneously

     3.3 Co-browse Indicates Join Co-browse

     3.4 Forms Assignment

     3.5 Default “look and Feel” for e-mail forms

1. New Features

1.1 New FLASH code in Co-browse

The installation of 23 November 2008 implemented the new Flash version in the QuestionPoint chat monitor. However, the co-browse functionality continued to use the older version. We are happy to announce that, as of this Sunday, 22 February, co-browse will also make use of the new Flash. As well as now having the same look and feel as the chat monitor, the new version will allow you to resize the co-browse window without affecting the font size.

 

1.2 New Links on Home Page

Two new links appear on the Home page, My QuestionPoint. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, has published two sets of guidelines: one for providing virtual reference services, and another for organizing cooperative reference services. Access to both documents is now just a click away from your QuestionPoint home page.

1.3 New Field Added to E-Mail Forms Manager

A footer field can now be added, via the Forms Manager, to e-mail forms. This capability, already available for chat forms, is a text area just above the submit button, in which instructions or various necessary communications to the user can be displayed. If administrators choose to add this field to the library’s e-mailed web form, it will not count as one of 10 allowable customizable fields.

2. Changes

2.1 Library Card Number Field in Policy Page Increased

The Library Card Number field has been increased to 500 characters, so administrators can enter information here that is necessary for a chatting librarian to access critical home library information. A cautionary note has also been added in red typeface, warning the chatting librarian to not share this information with the patron.

3. Fixes

3.1 Notification When Ask Admin Assigns to Institution Admin

For some time, the Institution Administrator was not being notified through e-mail when an Ask Administrator assigns a new question to him or her. This has been fixed; the system now e-mails the proper notification.

3.2 NEW Status at Two Libraries Simultaneously

We discovered that when a patron replies to an e-mailed transcript, the question status in QuestionPoint changed to NEW for both the library that handled the chat sessions and the patron’s library. This has now been fixed so that only the patron’s library sees the NEW status. The status for the chat library does not change.

3.3 Co-browse Indicates Join Co-browse

When a new co-browse session is opened, the speed an reliability of the librarian note “Joined cobrowse” has been improved.

3.4 Forms Assignment

Some libraries that have implemented new e-mail intake forms via the Forms Manager feature in the Administration module, noticed that automatic assignments were not working. That has now been rectified; automatic assignments now work correctly.

3.5 Default “look and Feel” for e-mail forms

In the Forms Manager, e-mail forms were not correctly reflecting the look-and-feel defaults when set up for various languages. Forms Manager users with forms in more than one language will see this working properly after Sunday’s install.

Did you know . . .

That the Global Knowledge Base has over 20,000 searchable records in it?

In fact, as of this writing (19 February), it has 20,061 searchable records, contributed by some 180 libraries. Thanks to all our editors, who have helped get us to this milestone, and special kudos to editor Sybil Finemel, who activated the 20,000^th record.

We know of no database of its kind—answers provided by librarians worldwide—to come near this in volume. Although most of the records are in the English language, the 20,061 do include records in 10 other languages.

Dr. David Lankes, of the Syracuse Information Institute, said “[This milestone] shows the great things that can happen when libraries work together. Of course, for me, I see it as a down payment on the promise of reference in a digital age. The Global Knowledge Base is really a foundation for a new reference.”

The QuestionPoint wiki lists several Questions of Note at http://wiki.questionpoint.org/GKB-Questions-of-Note. However, what is currently posted there just gives a taste of the variety of information you can find from work other librarians have already done. These are also examples of excellent reference service.

The institutions that have contributed answers we find in the GKB include special libraries, as well as public, academic, and research libraries. Contributions have come from, to name just a few, the Alzheimer’s Association Green-Field Library (Chicago), the Smithsonian American Art Museum, InfoEyes, and several national libraries, including 22 reading rooms of the Library of Congress, the National Library of Australia, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of the Netherlands, and state libraries in Russia and Germany. Although many institutions have answered questions routed to them via the Global Reference Network, special mention should be made of Carnegie Mellon University and Texas Tech, who have answered by far the most questions from the GRN; thus, they are well represented in the GKB.

The New York Public Library, Smithsonian American Art Institute, and Enquire service (UK) imported a great many records from their preexisting Q&A databases into the GKB. Of manual submittals to the GKB, the New York Public Library continues to top the list with 769 records in 2008 alone. They are followed closely by the Bpi Bibliothèque publique d’information (Paris), which submitted 410 records last year that were activated.

Of the almost 16,000 records assigned a subject category (it is not a required field), almost 2,300 were in History (general, worldwide, and American), the single largest subject area in the GKB. The next largest category is the Social Sciences, followed by Fine Arts, then Bibliography and Library Science, and then Technology. Below is another sampler of questions that are answered in the GKB. Most responses are gold mines of web sites and other resources in the subject area.

Is it safe to drink from plastic bottles? (KBID 175718)

Patron needs a drawing/schematic of the inside of an M978 Hemtt Tank. (KBID 95744)

Where can I find movies for a blind friend? (KBID 96733)

What are the duties, regulations, etc., of a Privacy Officer in a nursing home? (KBID 13768)

What are the main U.S. laws governing science, technology, and innovation? (KBID 22977)

 

If you would like to become an editor of the Global Knowledge Base, please contact Paula Rumbaugh at rumbaugh@oclc.org.

Quality Tip: Rude patron? Set boundaries; Disconnect if behavior continues

On occasion, patrons are mischievous and intentionally provocative. However, in some cases, a patron who seems rude or offensive to the librarian does not intend to offend. People express themselves in different ways, and what is offensive to some may be a common mode of communication to others. A patron who seems incoherent isn't necessarily being rude; children, ESL patrons, and patrons with communication challenges might chat with a different sentence structure. In other cases, a patron may be frustrated about having to wait for an answer, or his previous session did not go well. Similarly, a patron who logs in multiple times is not necessarily rude: he may not have gotten the answer he was seeking the first time.

In all of these cases, it is important to provide professional level reference assistance to those who seek it. If the patron is asking a reference question, then the librarian should assist the patron in a professional manner. Use the reference interview to help clarify the intent of the question. Try to engage the patron with positively phrased statements, such as: "I can help you find information online; what kind of information do you need?"

However, librarians do not have to communicate with patrons whose language or behavior is offensive, abusive, or insulting, including communication of a sexual or too personal nature. If this occurs, first warn the patron that this behavior is not acceptable. Remind the patron that this is a library reference service, and that if the behavior continues, you will have to disconnect. Ideally, the librarian's response should be phrased positively and should end with a direct question asking if the patron is willing to continue the session in an appropriate manner. Use your professional judgment to determine when patrons are simply being rude, or when their behavior is unacceptable.

If the offensive behavior persists, then send the patron a message stating, in essence, "This is a library reference service. When you have a reference question, we will be glad to help you. Goodbye." Then disconnect.

Many libraries offer scripted messages that make it easy for chatting librarians to handle these types of situations in a professional manner. Consider this session from Maryland:

Patron: info about loyalists from maryland

Librarian: Hello and welcome

Patron: hi

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: Can you tell me a little more about what you need?

Patron: i need to now how loaylist lived in maryland

Patron: you are a poop

Librarian: I do want to help you with this, but you'll need to demonstrate some patience while we search. We aren't able to tolerate rude behavior on this service. Should we continue or just end the call now?

Patron: sorry

Patron: sorry

Patron: ihate you poop poop

Librarian: Sorry, but since you insist on using this kind of abusive language, I'm going to need to end the call. When you have an information question and can use appropriate language, we will be glad to help you then. Goodbye for now.

For more examples, please visit section 4.5.1 of the 24/7 Reference Collaborative Policies and Procedures document: http://questionpoint.pbwiki.com/247-Policies#45TypesofPatrons

Questions or comments about this post? Other suggestions on how to approach this session? Comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org

ALA Midwinter 2009: Best Practices Panel webcast

If you were unable to attend ALA Midwinter, here is the webcast of our panelists David Lankes (Syracuse U.) and Paul Ulrich (Berlin Central and Regional Library).  Paul Ulrich discussed how he has spearheaded a multilingual, multinational reference service through partnerships with librarians throughout the world – his library now offers reference services in 27 languages.  David Lankes discussed RefExtract – a project to build a “credibility engine” using the knowledge of reference librarians (i.e. through virtual reference transcripts, as one example).   http://www.oclc.org/news/events/presentations/default.htm

(Scroll down to 2009, Best Practices in Virtual Reference)

ALA Midwinter 2009 QP User Group meeting notes

The QuestionPoint user group meeting at ALA Midwinter, 2009, was held on Sunday, January 25 2009 at the Denver Convention Center. Approximately 25+ people attended. After the QuestionPoint update (.ppt slides attached), attendees were asked to list their “Top 5 Requests for QuestionPoint”:

Top 5 Requests for QP:

• Qwidget (24/7 roll up option & mobile access)

• Cobrowse - please work

• Text messaging integration

• Better coop management tools for BME Admins (for statewide admins with multiple BMEs)

• Customer/librarian is typing messages

Positive Comments

• Seriously I feel so happy w/ new version that I can’t think of too many ways to improve it

• Response time is great!

Functionality Requests already present in the interface

Several attendees requested functionality that is already present. Next to the request is a link to the help guide for that feature:

• new patron alerts: http://www.questionpoint.org/crs/html/help/en/ask/ask_flash_settings.html

• email notification for questions with follow-up: http://www.questionpoint.org/crs/html/help/en/admin/ad_emailNotification_task.html

• current customer new message browser alert: http://www.questionpoint.org/crs/html/help/en/ask/ask_flash_settings.html#CHDEGEED

• IM notification: http://www.questionpoint.org/support/documentation/gettingstarted/qp_flashchat_im_transfer_guide.pdf

• Transfer to queues (partially present): A librarian can transfer to the After Hours queue and the Spanish queue (but no other queues):http://www.questionpoint.org/support/documentation/gettingstarted/qp_flashchat_im_transfer_guide.pdf

• When session is closed it still shows up in active questions list: This can be prevented by use of the Exclude option: http://www.questionpoint.org/crs/html/help/en/admin/ad_chattranscripts_ovrvw.html

Wanted Functionality: Additional Items

Attached is a list of requests not listed above, from this breakout session:

• develop mobile version and/or texting capability

• See the patron history- though I know this may not be possible.

• Size the chat window vertically

• See chat monitoring tool from the chat page (rather than having to go home)

• Bridge to IM services (AIM/GTALK)

• Transcripts API

• Pop-up notification if you forgot to choose a resolution code before closing out.

• Better transcript delivery in Qwidget

• Easier way to get email in qwidget

• Better/more OPAC integration and support

• A way to block certain patrons

• Qwidget as mobile app

• Searchable transcripts

• Ability to send questions via twitter and have it get sucked into VR management system

• time stamp of librarian’s last message [Note: Every librarian message has a timestamp in the question history]

• pictures or avatars of librarians and patrons (if they wish) + importance of branding and making connections

• common scripts for everyone sharing scripts across groups (see other BME/SUPs scripts while not in chat with one of their customers).

• in qwidget, when offline, email questions are coming in as multiple emails (maybe if there are return strokes?)

• Forms manager- work better to provide better messages in qwidget. Message customization

• Pushed filled in forms pages. For example, a catalog search example.

• Attached docs as pdfs need to be searchable

• Ease of use in countries with other languages

• Better searching in the knowledge base [Note: the QP blog has tips on searching in the KB.]

• Help txt in pdf

• Email: icon to show there is a note from the librarian

Table Discussions:

After the Top 5 discussion, attendees had small group discussions. The following topics were discussed:

- roll up of Qwidget to Coop
- instructions on how to transfer to a queue
- scripts clearinghouse
- tips on monitoring local Qwidget plus national Coop
- promo ideas: radio spots (WiLS); table at Farmers Market (UC San Diego)
- what distinguishes QP from free IM solutions
- how to sell the Coop to local libraries (how to get them to participate)

Here is the PowerPoint presentation with the QP update:

QuestionPoint ALA MidWinter 2009 User Group

View more presentations from Questionpoint Oclc. (tags: questionpointalamidwinte...)

Knowledge Base Tips

Did you know . . .

that you can use FirstSearch to help you tag KB records so they are more searchable? The knowledge base feature offers you ways to classify records--using broad classification schemes ultimately helps the searcher to narrow an otherwise unwieldy search to manageable proportions. It can be a way to limit a search to the most appropriate material.

You can also assign keywords from FirstSearch in the Keyword field--we’ll talk about why and how you can effectively use this field in another tips session, but for this session, let’s treat the subject in terms of using FirstSearch to help make a record more searchable.

In WorldCat, a database in the FirstSearch base package, much of the cataloging of titles is available for the user to see. The cataloging elements are presented in a format the non-cataloger can understand, of course. One can usually see classification numbers for both the Library of Congress system and for the Dewey system. Since the KB currently offers tagging only in the LCC system, many QuestionPoint libraries opt to not use this feature at all—many of our users don’t use LCC in their libraries so they may not feel proficient in using it; or they may not want to spend the extra time it takes to root around in an unfamiliar system, looking for the right class to assign.

But rather than let an opportunity to improve searching odds slip by, here is a way to make classification easy for the non-cataloger. If the answering librarian has mentioned a book or a periodical title in the answer, you can look up that title in WorldCat in FS, check the class number assigned when it was cataloged, and assign the first two letters of the number to the KB record, using the drop-down menu supplied for that purpose. Even if a specific title wasn’t suggested in the answer, you can try searching WorldCat for keywords that describe the Q&A’s subject, open up a likely looking title in the results list, and see how that was classified when cataloged.

Likewise, take a look at the subject headings that were assigned to cataloged items. This is an easy way to assign keywords in the KB Keyword field to simulate controlled vocabulary indexing. Or they can be used as a kind of thesaurus, so the Keyword field can hold terms other than those that actually appear in the question and answer text fields. The Keyword field is also indexed, so anything that appears in it is searchable by end users of the knowledge base. This is another way to not only help increase the searching odds, but to also limit a search to the most precise results.

Following are a series of screen images illustrating how one QuestionPoint librarian tagged a newly submitted Q&A, activated it as a new KB record, and searched it the following day. First she logged into FirstSearch and searched WorldCat for one of the titles the answering librarian cited. When she opens that title from the FS results list, she sees the LC Subject Headings that were assigned, and she sees the title was assigned the LC Class number E98.A84. When she uses the link for “Add/Edit Subject,” she finds E75-99 in the drop-down menu. That’s all the deeper in the classification hierarchy she can go, so she selects that, adds and saves it, and returns to the record she’s editing.

 

 

 

 

 

She also notes the controlled vocabulary (LC Subject Headings, or LCSH) that was assigned to describe the title, and selects the most likely one to put in the Keyword field.

 

Look how she was able to very precisely pinpoint that record the next day by searching.

All members of the 24/7 Cooperative have access to WorldCat via FirstSearch.  If your library is not a member of the Cooperative and does not subscribe to FirstSearch, you can still use WorldCat.org to see the subject headings that have been assigned to titles. In WorldCat.org you can also search by subject.

 

If you have any questions about how to search QuestionPoint knowledge bases, or if you would like to become an editor of the Global Knowledge Base, please contact Paula Rumbaugh at rumbaugh@oclc.org.