QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

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”!

QuestionPoint maintenance scheduled July 22, 2012 2:00 AM ET (6:00 GMT)

QuestionPoint service will be unavailable Sunday July 22, 2012 from 6:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EDT) to 7:30 UTC (3:30 a.m. EDT), for OCLC- scheduled maintenance and service.  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.
 
We regret any inconvenience.
 
Regards
The QuestionPoint Team

Quality Tip: use “Guest” link to access WorldCat Local

Many libraries have added a  “discovery service” to their website, providing a more intuitive search experience for users.  The most common discovery services are WorldCat Local, Summon, Ebsco Discovery Service (EDS) and Primo Central. Please note that the discovery services may not contain everything available at the library.  They are broad, but not necessarily as deep as is needed.  This also means search results may be very large, so you may need to assist users to hone their search requests.

But, first you have to access it.  Several libraries in the Cooperative are using WorldCat Local (WCL).  Depending on how it is set up, WCL may require authentication if you access it outside the library – which is the case with all Cooperative librarians.   There is a guest login available – click that, and you will be able to see search results. 

Example:  University of Washington WorldCat Local search box:

The UW user just types search terms into the search box and the results appear. But if you, like most Cooperative librarians, are not at the UW, then you may see this message, requesting a user id, once you enter search terms but before results are displayed:

 

Simply click the “Enter as Guest” link (circled in red, in the image above), and you will be able to see the search results.

Please feel free to comment regarding your tips for using discovery services to help patrons find resources!

Quality Tip: Can’t provide an answer? Customer service is key!

One type of question where we can’t provide definitive information is anything to do with the patron’s library account.  In these cases, refer the patron back to their local library, but be sure and explain why you can’t help.  Here’s an example:

Patron: I don't have my card number. How can I log in without it?

Librarian: Hi <patron>, I'm Terry, a librarian helping to answer questions for your library. I am reading your question now to see how I can help you.

OK, you see, we are an international after-hours service which can answer most questions, but for security reasons only local library staff are able to access your account.  So you could phone the library directly during open hours to ask further: http://www.libraryABC.org/branches

Your local library staff may be able to verify your identity over the phone and give you your card number, but you can call to ask about that.

I can also send your question to the library so they can follow-up to you by email, if you like?

Is <email> the email in your library record, so your library staff can identify you?

Patron: Thanks, I will call them!

Librarian:  You're welcome. Let us know if we can be of further assistance.

In this example, the librarian picked up the question, explained why  she couldn’t answer the question herself, then gave the patron options:  (1)  call the library (note that the chatting librarian provided the library’s contact information) or (2) offer to send patron’s question directly to patron’s local librarians.  Patron chose to call, so librarian coded this Answered. 

Meanwhile, this patron waited over 2 minutes to get picked up, during the middle of the afternoon (East Coast time) when many Cooperative librarians were staffing (a QP Back Up librarian picked this up, once the Coop librarians had declined to do so).  Don’t shun local questions – a quick and courteous explanation with a referral will get the patrons what they need, and provides good customer service too.

Questions about Quality?  Suggestions for a Quality Tip? Send an email to mcglames@oclc.org

Losing Meebo? Get Qwidget!

Is your “local” chat service imperiled due to the loss of Meebo Messenger or MeeboMe widgets? Now may be the right time for your library to take another look at QuestionPoint’s Qwidget.

If your library already subscribes to QuestionPoint, then you are only a copy and paste step away from embedding the Qwidget on any or all pages of your library website.

Why Qwidget?

The Qwidget provides an inviting and intuitive interface for your chat service. Libraries have reported significant increases in traffic once the Qwidget is deployed.

Move your local services to Qwidget and you will receive these benefits:

· Statistics and reports covering all your chat activities

· One login to monitor all your chat queues

· Cooperative monitoring possibilities

· Scripted Messages and URLs.

· Integrated with email and referral options for seamless follow-up

Where can you place your Qwidget?

Practically anywhere! In addition to your library webpages, place your Qwidget in the catalog, in LibGuides, on Facebook, as a QR Code, or “collapse” it on your website’s banner. See the QP wiki at http://bit.ly/QwidgetTips for instructions and more suggestions.

Qwidget on the Go:

Your Qwidget is optimized for iOS (Apple) mobile browsers and is thus accessible through iPhone, iPad and iTouch. (Qwidget does function on a variety of Android devices as well, but we can’t guarantee an optimized experience, due to the variety and breadth of Android device operating systems.)

If you are part of a cooperative group:

If your library is sharing a chat queue with other libraries, then your Qwidget will be open for business whenever you or any of your shared Primary Queue partners are online. Example: the ABC library group shares a chat queue, and Library X belongs to the ABC group. When any ABC librarian is monitoring the queue, then chat is available at all Qwidgets of every ABC library. If X is monitoring chat, then the X Qwidget is open. X will see patrons from all ABC libraries. If X is not online, the X Qwidgets are still open so long as another ABC librarian is online.

If X wants to see only X patrons (and not all ABC patrons), then X will need an individual chat queue, available for a modest fee. This allows X librarians to log in and monitor the X Qwidget according to their local needs. X can also monitor the ABC queue, as per any agreed cooperative schedule. The fee for the separate queue depends on your group arrangement.

24/7 Qwidget?

Libraries that participate in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative may, if eligible, join the Qwidget Roll-Up program. See the Coop FAQ at http://bit.ly/247FAQ for more details.

For more information, please contact support@oclc.org

Updated Directions for Adding the Qwidget to Facebook

Dear QuestionPoint community,

As you might have noticed, Facebook has changed how Apps and Tabs are displayed on Pages. As a result of these changes, we have updated the basic and advanced directions for adding the Qwidget to Facebook.

The most significant changes are with the new App Icon and how you install your App to Facebook once it is complete.

The directions can be found at:

Basic: http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/fb/QPBasicQwidgetFacebookv3.docx

Advanced: http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/fb/QPAdvancedQwidgetFacebookv3.docx 

Please know that while we do our best to update the directions for adding the Qwidget to Facebook, it is critical for all Facebook developers to track the Facebook Developer Roadmap located at http://developers.facebook.com/roadmap/ and the Developer blog @ http://developers.facebook.com/blog/archive

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me directly.

David Leslie

Product Implementation and Support Analyst

 

 

ALA 2012: QuestionPoint user group meeting

If you are headed to Anaheim for ALA Annual, please join us for the QuestionPoint user group meeting. This is a great opportunity to hear the latest news, as well as meet your virtual reference colleagues, share tips, and provide feedback to the QP Team.

The user group meeting will be held:

Sunday June 24

9:00am to 10:00am

Hyatt Regency Orange County, Royal Ballroom B

Please register here:

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

And, feel free to visit OCLC in the exhibit hall - Booth 2100. I'll be there Saturday afternoon, but please email me (mcglames@oclc.org) if you'd like to set up a separate appointment to meet.

Updated Qwidget Directions for Facebook

Dear QuestionPoint community,

As you might have noticed, Facebook has changed how Apps and Tabs are displayed on Pages. As a result of these changes, we have updated the basic and advanced directions for adding the Qwidget to Facebook.

The most significant changes are with the new App Icon and how you install your App to Facebook once it is complete.

The directions can be found at:

Basic: http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/fb/QPBasicQwidgetFacebookv3.docx

Advanced: http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/fb/QPAdvancedQwidgetFacebookv3.docx 

Please know that while we do our best to update the directions for adding the Qwidget to Facebook, it is critical for all Facebook developers to track the Facebook Developer Roadmap located at http://developers.facebook.com/roadmap/ and the Developer blog @ http://developers.facebook.com/blog/archive

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me directly.

David Leslie

Product Implementation and Support Analyst

 

 

Brief QuestionPoint service interruption planned for Wed May 16 a 6:00 UTC (2AM ET)

Please be advised that the QuestionPoint service will be unavailable during a brief (2 minute) service interruption of QuestionPoint on Wednesday May 16

for the following time period: from 6:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) for approximately 2 minutes . 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.)  After the 2 minutes are over, you may again log in and resume your QuestionPoint activities as usual.

• New Feature:

 Chat Spam “Captcha” mechanism.  Administrators will be able to interpose a “Captcha” challenge for their chat forms.  This is available at the institution level, in the Admistration Module>Forms>Spam Filter.  To enable the Captcha, choose the “Chat” check box, and then click “Save”.  After patrons fill in the chat form on your websites, they will be challenged to enter a series of letters, displayed in a distorted image on the screen. If they do so successfully, the chat session will then pass through to the librarians online. There is audio assistance for those who may have difficulty seeing or interpreting the characters.

• Bug Fix:

 It was recently reported that extremely long URLs sent to patrons in chat, might not display properly in  the patron’s chat history (although they were visible in the emailed chat transcript and inside of QuestionPoint accounts). This bug has been fixed and long URLs should now display properly in the chat history. Please note, that this fix is unrelated to the previously reported “known issue” of webpage display in the chat viewport.  Long links generated from Google searches that contain the Google domain name in the URL will continue to return the “page can’t be displayed” note in the viewport, however, the URL, now visible, is clickable in order to open the page in a separate window.

• Updated Qwidget for Facebook  Instructions:

Updated instructions for placing a Qwidget on your Facebook account have been published to the QuestionPoint Wiki.

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