QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

Quality Tip: Problems with a Policy Page? Use Policy Page Email Contact

Cooperative librarians rely on a library’s policy page in order to provide the best service possible to our users.  A library’s policy page provides information to Cooperative librarians when they are assisting patrons of that library or group. Thus the policy page should succinctly describe or link to the resources available to a library’s patrons, as well as any relevant policies or procedures relating to patron access to these resources.

If the information sought is not available on the library’s policy page, or if a link on the policy page is broken, please take time (either during or just after the session) to send a quick message to the patron library regarding any policy page issues or suggestions.  To do this, use the Policy Page Email Contact field on the policy page.  Click on the email link, and a text box will open.  Type your suggestion or question in the text box, and be sure to include your name, library and email address in the message.  That way, the patron library can get back to you with any questions or comments regarding your suggestion.  (If you don’t include your name or email address, the patron library will not know who sent the message and will be unable to reply to you).

The Policy Page Email Contact field will not appear if the library did not fill in this field when filling out their policy page.  In this case, you can either (1) add a librarian note to the session (librarian notes are not viewable by the patron) or (2) send an email to Susan McGlamery (mcglames@oclc.org ). 

Take a moment today to make sure your policy page has the Policy Page Email Contact field filled in!  Reminder:  this field should only contain an email address, with no HTML code.  This field is only for librarians – do not give this email address to patrons.

For tips on how to fill out your library’s policy page, see the Policy Page Guidelines on the QP wiki: http://wiki.questionpoint.org/Policy-Page-Guidelines

Policy pages are THE key resource for the Cooperative.  As a patron library, be sure your page contains all relevant information.  As a chatting librarian, be sure to check the library policy page for information about the library’s resources and services!  This will help you provide the best service to that library’s patrons.

Quality Tip: Strategies for Shorter Sessions

During busy times when there are many patrons waiting, is it possible to do shorter sessions that still meet the best practices standards and provide good service?

We looked at the strategies employed by some of the QuestionPoint Back Up librarians, since they routinely staff busy times and often have to handle several patrons at once.  Here is the strategy of one Back Up librarian, who we will call “Librarian K”.  Librarian K’s sessions have this in common:

• Best Practices: K follows these and the policies to a T
• Detachment: K is professional, does not appear flustered by rude patrons, and is non-judgmental regarding questions asked and
• Succinct: Sessions are kept relatively brief: the longest session was 28 minutes

This is how K handles a typical chat session:

• Ask a Question (clarify the request or find out more detail)
• Search for 2-8 minutes
• If site is found, sends site and says, "Can I help you with anything else?"
• If no information is found, says: “ I'm sorry, but I am not able to find this information in the resources available to me.  If you like, I can forward your question to the library for additional research. You would receive an answer via email.”
• K then sends to follow up if (1) patron wants follow up, and has left an email address (K always confirms patron’s email address with the patron during the session) or (2) patron does not respond but has left an email address.

As a result of following this process for many years, K is able to handle multiple simultaneous sessions, and gets good responses from patrons during sessions and in surveys.  We hope K’s approach will be a useful guide as you approach your next chat session during a busy time (or any time!).

Quality Tip: What does 'Lost Call' REALLY mean? Not what you may think!

It does NOT mean that you were chatting with a patron and lost the call or that patron is "no longer connected."

It means that you did not receive any chat whatsoever from a patron who logged in anonymously.

This is the only time that Lost Call can be used:

• No Email AND No Chat --->  Lost Call

For a visual representation of the proper use of our Resolution Codes, please see the flowchart created by Julie Strange of Maryland AskUsNow!

http://askusnow.info/partners/h/ResolutionCodeFlow.pdf

Explanation:  If a patron provides an email address then the session MUST be coded as Follow Up By Patron's Library. even if there is no chat from patron during the session. This alerts the patron’s library to review the session and decide whether to send the patron an email followup.  The Lost Call code moves the session directly to the patron library's Closed folder, where the library typically would not look.  If patron does not provide an email but does interact with the librarian during the session, then disconnects or the call is dropped: code as Answered.  This allows patron library to review the interaction.

Sessions coded Lost Call appear (1) in the Closed list and (2) under “Review Transcripts” in the Ask module.  (Under Review Transcripts, you can specify the resolution code Lost Call).

Please comment to the Blog or email Susan McGlamery (mcglames@oclc.org) with any and all questions about the Lost Call code!

Quality Tip: No Habla Español? Transfer to the Spanish Queue

Cooperative librarians have access to many resources, including our growing Spanish language Cooperative.  If during your shift you happen to pick up a patron who prefers to communicate in Spanish, help may be available from a librarian monitoring the Cooperative Spanish queue.  The Spanish queue is available whenever a bilingual librarian is online and monitoring that queue.   The Spanish queue is staffed by librarians from individual libraries such as Queens PL in New York, statewide services such as Maryland AskUsNow!, and Back Up staff who are bilingual in English and Spanish. The Spanish schedule varies, but here is the current one:  http://www.247ref.org/spanishschedule/libschedule.cfm

You can only transfer to the Spanish Queue if a bilingual librarian is monitoring the Spanish Queue at that time.   To transfer to the Spanish queue, follow these steps:

- Click Transfer

- Click Queues, to see if the Spanish Queue appears

- Select Spanish, then transfer

If the Spanish queue does not appear when you click Queues, then there are no bilingual librarians monitoring the Spanish queue at that time.

If you have any questions about the Spanish language service, including how your library or group can participate in this service, please contact Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org. 

¡Muchas gracias!

Quality Tip: Use "Send Message to Librarian" if you selected the Wrong Resolution Code!

"Oops! I meant to send that to Followup!" you exclaim in dismay as you read the message on the screen: "Resolution code set: Answered." You had already verified the patron's email address because the patron had asked to receive a response from the local librarian.

What should you do now?

Fortunately, it is fairly easy to fix this not-so-uncommon situation!

First, go to the My QuestionPoint homepage and click the "Active" link (found in the "My Questions" section in the left-hand sidebar). There, you will see a list of sessions you have marked Answered; you can click on the correct question to open the full Question History.

When you click the "Send Message to Librarian" link (found in the middle of the "Question Detail" section of the patron's information, above the actual transcript text), you will see a message box preceded by the question ID and the local librarian's email address:

 

Before typing your message, you should take a look at the "To:" field to make sure that the message will be going to the email address of the library you wish to contact. (If you have any questions, just click the Cancel button and send to Quality instead).

Here is a sample message you can send:

I meant to send this question to followup but accidentally chose the Answered code. Would you send an Answer to the patron? Thank you!

<Your Name>, <your email address>

If you are a librarian who has received one of these messages, you can simply go into QuestionPoint and view the Question ID…just click the Answer button to send a response to the patron.

Note: If you are ever uncertain about a message you have received from a fellow librarian, please send an email to qpquality@gmail.com and the Quality Team will take a look at the situation.

Do you have any questions or comments about this Quality Tip? If so, please post a note to the Blog or contact Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality Tip: Wait five minutes before ending a call with a non-responsive patron

Silence is golden, but not when it means our chatting patron suddenly falls silent. We rely on communication from the patron during the chat session to provide feedback as we negotiate the query or send resources. What to do when a patron stops responding?

Of course it is impossible to know why a particular patron is not responding. The patron could be experiencing technical difficulties, browsing in another window, or be away from the computer. On one occasion, a patron vanished for a time in order to put money in his parking meter.

Section 4.4.2 of the 24/7 Reference Collaborative Policies and Procedures explains the process that chatting librarians should use when a patron appears to be non-responsive. To ensure that the patron has sufficient time to return to the session, follow these procedures before ending the call:

The librarian may end the call immediately upon receiving a system-generated message indicating the patron has left the session:   

1. The "Patron is no longer connected" message is displayed four minutes after:

• the patron is accidentally disconnected due to a technical problem
• the patron navigates away from the window
• the patron clicks the browser X button and closes the window

Note: one minute before the message is displayed, a red diamond appears next to the patron's name

2. The "Patron ended chat session" note is immediately displayed after the patron ends the call correctly by clicking the "End Call" button.

If there is no message indicating patron has left, yet patron has been non-responsive, ask the patron if he/she is still there (and say you’ll end the call unless you get a response)

For example, you could have a scripted message similar to this:  "Are you still there?  I haven't received a response from you, so I'm thinking you're no longer with me.  Unless you respond soon, I will be ending this call and another librarian can continue helping you via email."

If the patron continues to be non-responsive and a system-generated message does not appear, the librarian may end the call five minutes after asking the direct question about the patron's status.

Since the software does not display a timestamp for the librarian's chat, how can the librarian know when five minutes has elapsed? Immediately after asking a direct question about the patron's status (e.g. "Are you still with me?" or "Are you still there?"), the librarian can go to the bottom-left corner of the Chat Monitor, click the Notes tab, and record the time as indicated by the clock at the top of the Chat Monitor, including the seconds (e.g. 20:04:23). 

If the patron left an email address, use the Follow Up By Patron Library resolution code so the local librarians can decide whether or not to continue helping the patron.

When the patron has entered an email address, a transcript will be automatically sent after the librarian ends the session. So, if there is an email address, try to send some information in answer to the question (a URL, a citation, a recommendation for a database).

In the goodbye message, don’t explicitly state that a local librarian will send an email follow up. Instead, inform the patron that the question will be sent to other librarians "for review." This will cover situations where the local librarian decides not to send an email follow up (e.g. question was sufficiently answered; patron was unaffiliated; patron subsequently logged in and was helped by another librarian).

Questions or comments about this topic? Comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org.

Quality Tip: Surviving Busy Times, Part 2

Last week I discussed tips for staffing the service during times when many students enter the queue at once. Many times, these students are accessing the service at school, either in the library or during a study period. Last week, we discussed the importance of finding out how long the student is able to be online with you, getting an email, and sending lists of resources. See http://questionpoint.blogs.com/questionpoint_247_referen/2009/03/quality-tip-surviving-and-thriving-during-busy-times.html for last week’s tip.

This week, we will focus more on specific resources and search strategies you can use with students during busy times:

1. Use the library policy page to gain access to the library's databases.

Most likely, the student is accessing the service through a location that has provided access to the library's subscription databases. The policy page will contain a link to the library’s databases, as well as a library card number or a username/password for the chatting librarian to use. After searching in a separate window to test out search terms for relevancy, you can suggest a particular database for the student to try, as well as specific search terms.

Here are some advantages to showing a patron the library databases:

· The student becomes aware of the authoritative resources offered by the local library.

· Database pages are unlikely to be blocked by school filters.

2. Use Credo Reference, found in the "Cooperative Resources" section of the My QuestionPoint homepage.

Any librarian in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative can use Credo to help their online patrons. The URLs can be pasted into the live chat session for the student to use. Credo provides a portal to a variety of reputable reference resources from 55 publishers, including text and images. See this previous posting to the QuestionPoint Blog for more information: http://questionpoint.blogs.com/questionpoint_247_referen/2008/03/quality-tip-cre.html

3. Use Google Books efficiently.

A search in books.google.com will often quickly yield easy-to-assimilate, authoritative information that directly answers the student's question. To use Google Books efficiently, try these advanced search strategies:

· Add subject headings to limit the search, particularly this one: subject:"juvenile nonfiction"

· Limit the search to "Limited Preview and Full View" or simply "Full View" to maximize the information that the student can use.

· Remember that the archives of many popular magazines have been made available in their entirety. You can limit your search to just "Magazines" in the "Content" section of the Advanced Book Search.

· To quickly direct the patron to a specific location in the page you're viewing, go to the Search box at the top of the right-hand sidebar of the page and type a phrase from the middle of a relevant sentence. The search result in the right-hand sidebar will then display the page number and a brief excerpt of the text that can be copied and pasted to the patron. For example:

Page 109

The object of Hacky Sack was to keep the bag in the air, using the knees and the feet, without letting the bag touch the ground or the player's upper body. ...

4. Remember to check textbooks' websites.

If a student's question seems like it might be related to information in the student's textbook, ask the patron for the name of the textbook. The textbook website often has a study guide and other tutorials that may give the student the needed information.

5. Be aware that the sites you send might be blocked by school filters.

It is becoming increasingly common to hear students say that they cannot see a website we send to them because it was blocked by a school filter. If you analyze the content and judge it to be appropriate, you can try using the Google Cache or the Internet Archive to send the page from those resources instead.

Questions or comments about this topic? Comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org.

Quality Tip: Surviving and thriving during busy times

The Cooperative often experiences surges of user activity when several students ask questions at once. Occasionally these students are participating in a computer or library class, but they often are simply accessing the service during a break period such as lunchtime or "study hall" or "homeroom." These break periods typically do not last long, so students do not have much time to wait while the librarian searches for information. Don’t be daunted by these busy times! Use these strategies to make the most of your short time with these students:

1. Ask how much time the student has to wait while you search.

Often, a student will reply with specific information, such as "I have seven minutes before I have to go to my next class." If you are assisting several users simultaneously, this information will help you determine who should be helped first.

2. Whenever possible, ask the student for an email address.

Students typically respond favorably to a script such as " Do you have an email address so in case I find info right after you disconnect, I can still give it to you?"

3. Begin each session by initiating the reference conversation.

Ask at least one question about the student's topic to clarify the information need.  This also establishes two-way communication with the student.

4. Send a list of librarian-reviewed resources.

When you are helping several students at once, it can be useful to send a list of links to authoritative web sites about a particular subject so the student can choose a site that appears relevant (giving you time to help another student). KidsClick!, the Librarians' Internet Index, and the Internet Public Library are excellent resources for this purpose. Once you send a list, make sure to ask the student directly about the usefulness of the sites listed. Offer to look for additional information if needed.

5. Follow the Rude Patron guidelines as soon as the patron's remarks become derogatory.

Although it is important to provide professional level reference assistance to those who seek it, 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 them that this is a library reference service, and that if their behavior continues then you will have to disconnect. This should be phrased positively rather than negatively, such as: "I would appreciate it if you didn't use that kind of language if we are going to continue - rather than "we don't tolerate that kind of language". If the patron persists in the rude behavior, end the session with a script such as "I am disconnecting. If you still need help finding information, please contact us again when you decide to be polite. Goodbye for now..." Use your professional judgment to determine when patrons are simply being rude, or when their behavior is unacceptable.

For the complete guidelines on how to deal with rude patrons, see section 4.5.1 of the 24/7 Reference Collaborative Policies and Procedures.

Next week we will explore more strategies for handling busy times. Meanwhile, if you have questions or comments about this topic, please comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org

Tuesday's Tip: Establish Rapport through Humor

The transcript below is a great example of a way to establish rapport through humor. When children access the service just wanting to "chat," it is an opportunity to show them that librarians can find information about whatever topic they randomly mention. Our experience has shown that if they are disconnected, they will keep logging into the service--but if a librarian tries to establish rapport and meet them at their level (while maintaining professionalism!), their sessions will last a normal length (about 15 minutes for an average session) and they are less likely to log in repeatedly. Hopefully, they'll remember their positive experiences when they really do need information in the future.

Patron (19:42): I need help with divition
Librarian (19:44): Hi, <patron’s name>,
Librarian (19:44): 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 (19:45): Do you mean division as in math homework?
Patron (19:45): are all librariens hot?
Librarian (19:46): if they don't have air conditioning
Patron (19:46): your funny
Librarian (19:46): thanks
Librarian (19:46): What's up with your division?
Patron (19:47): I LIKE CHOCOLATE MILK WITH CHEESE CUBES IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Librarian (19:48): interesting! What kind of cheese?
Patron (19:49): SWISS man you are HILARIOUS
Librarian (19:49): http://www.kidsclick.org/cgi-bin/searchkids.pl?searchtype=subject&keywords=math+general&title=Math+General
Librarian (19:50): Here are some links to lots of websites about math
Librarian (19:50): Do you need to know something specific about division?
Librarian (19:50): I "half" to know
Patron (19:50): why arent u funny any more
Librarian (19:50): hey that was funny
Librarian (19:50): I "half" to know--get it?
Patron (19:51): dude you're awesome
Patron (19:52): why aren't u takin
Librarian (19:53): Well, technically I am supposed to help you answer any questions you have
Librarian (19:53): Do you have any questions for me?
Patron (19:54): do you like Charlie the gorilla
Librarian (19:54): Otherwise I'm going to have to "split" (haha) so I can help other people
Patron (19:55): 3.1415926 is pie
Librarian (19:55): yes, pi
Patron (19:56): but do you like Charlie the gorilla?
Librarian (19:56): http://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/history_of_pi/index.html
Librarian (19:56): here's a history of pi
Librarian (19:57): I had not heard of Charlie the gorilla before--but it has to do with the Toronto Zoo?
Librarian (19:58): http://www.torontozoo.com/AboutTheZoo/History.asp
Librarian (19:58): He made a lot of money
Patron (19:58): I guts to splat time for cheese
Librarian (19:59): "Charles" the gorilla raises $37,000 through his artwork.
Librarian (20:00): Okay, thanks for using our service--if you have any questions, librarians are here to help.
Patron (20:00): bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee <librarian’s name> b.t.w. you are AWESOME
Librarian (20:00): Thanks! (grin)
Librarian (20:00): have a good night
Librarian (20:00): Librarian ended chat session.

Questions or comments about this post? Comment below or email Susan McGlamery at mcglames@oclc.org

Quality Tip: How to Find a Full-Text Journal Article

1. Ask the patron for as much info as possible (article title, journal title, authors, date) to determine if the patron needs an article from a library database or an article placed on Reserve by an instructor (if the latter, consult the library policy page for the procedure for accessing Course Reserves).
   
2. If the patron needs an article from a database, check the library policy page "Databases" section to see if the local librarians offered guidance.
   
3. Look on the library website for a tool that will allows librarians and patrons to search for a publication title and find out which subscription databases carry that publication in full-text (this tool also gives coverage dates).
   
4. If the library does not seem to have this tool, try searching the library catalog for the journal title to see if there are electronic or print holdings.
   
5. If the library does not offer access to the journal, check to see if the library offers interlibrary loan service (some academic libraries offer it to all students, some just to grad students, and some just to faculty).
   
6. Consider obtaining or verifying the patron's email address and/or deadline so you can code the question as Follow Up by Local Library.

Here are some ways that our member libraries are using this tool on their library webpages:

• The King County Library System's databases page has a link on the bottom that says:
  Full-Text Magazines & Journals In KCLS Databases
  Check here for a list of full-text magazines and journals that are available through our database subscriptions.

 

• The Seattle Public Library has a script available entitled "Finding a Specific Article":
  If you're looking for a specific newspaper or magazine article, you can find which database(s) provide access to which newspaper/magazine/journal titles on this page: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_electronic

 

• The Boston Public Library's database page has a link called "Search full-text E-Journals by journal title": http://yj2rx5vx3s.search.serialssolutions.com/

 

• Clicking on the "Electronic Journals" link on the home page for the University of Washington libraries brings up a page with a tool called "Find e-journals by title": http://www.lib.washington.edu/types/ejournals/

 

• The University of Maryland--College Park library's tool is on the "E-Journals" tab in ResearchPort (chatting librarians may log into ResearchPort using the username and password provided in the library policy page).

 

• The Baruch College library policy page says:

To find a specific periodical in full-text (1) Click "Journals, Magazines" on the home page, then click the "Full Text Journals" link. (2) Type in the name of the periodical and hit search. If that periodical is available in full-text in any of our databases, you will see a list of which databases have it and what years are available.

• The E-Journals tab on the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee library's home page has a link entitled "Citation Linker (Find It!)” and the library policy page gives a link to SFX help:
  Find It! Help - Guide to our OpenURL system (SFX)

 

Here are some sample results retrieved after using these tools:

• T+D (Alexandria, Va.)
  from 01/01/1987 to present in ProQuest Discovery
  from 05/01/2001 to 05/01/2004 in Business & Company Resource Center, Expanded Academic ASAP, General OneFile and General Reference Center Gold

 

• Annual review of sociology  (0360-0572)
  from 1975 to 2000 in JSTOR Arts and Sciences I Collection
  from 08/01/1990 to 1 year ago in Academic Search Premier
  from 08/01/1990 to 1 year ago in Business Source Premier
  from 01/01/1993 to 01/01/2004 in Business & Company Resource Center
  from 01/01/1995 to 08/01/2005 in ABI/INFORM Global
  from 01/01/1996 to present in Annual Reviews

 

• Journal of nonverbal behavior [0191-5886]
  We have in print 2nd Floor North in Periodicals
  Available from 1992 volume: 16 until 2003 volume: 27
  Full Text Online Communication & Mass Media
  Available from 1992
  Most recent 1 year(s) not available
  Full Text Online Springer/Kluwer Academic Journals
  Available from 1976 volume: 1 issue:1
  Social Sciences: Sociology
  Social Sciences: Behavioral Science (Psychology) and Counselling