QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

QP events at ALA Annual, June 2010

Please join us for 2 exciting events at ALA this June!

24/7 Reference Cooperative Celebrates 10th Anniversary, with Nancy Huling and Marie L. Radford

QuestionPoint's 24/7 Reference Cooperative looks back on 10 years of cooperative virtual reference, both the successes and the challenges.  Starting in July 2000 with 3 libraries in Los Angeles and now approaching 1,500 libraries in the US and UK, Susan McGlamery (24/7 Reference Cooperative manager) and Nancy Huling (University of Washington, QuestionPoint User Council chair and 2009 Mudge Award recipient for distinguished contributions to reference) will review the state of the Cooperative.  Then Marie L. Radford (Rutgers University and 2010 Mudge Award recipient) will lead us in a discussion of what's next: with mobile technology, social networking and scarce resources, what will be the impact on cooperative virtual reference?  Join us and participate in this lively discussion! Everyone with an interest in reference is invited (you don't have to be a 24/7 Reference Cooperative member to attend).

Date: Saturday June 26

Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Location: Marriott at Metro Center, Grand Ballroom A-B

 

QuestionPoint Users Group Meeting

Get the latest news about QuestionPoint and network with your colleagues at the QuestionPoint user group. Here's your chance to share your ideas, tips and suggestions, and ask questions of the product team and fellow QP librarians.

Date: Sunday June 27

Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm

Location: Washington Convention Center, Room 143A

Register here to attend either or both of these events: https://www3.oclc.org/app/ala_registration/

QuestionPoint events at PLA conference, 2010

QuestionPoint is hosting two sessions at the PLA conference in Portland, both on Friday, March 26:

QuestionPoint Users Group Meeting

Friday, March 26

9:30-11:30 AM

OCLC suite, room #1455

Join your QuestionPoint colleagues to share your experiences with QuestionPoint and the 24/7 Reference Cooperative, and hear about plans for the ongoing enhancement of QuestionPoint.

Virtual Reference Collaboration Sharing Session: OCLC's QuestionPoint and Mosio’s Text a Librarian

Friday, March 26

12:30 – 2:30 PM

Doubletree Hotel Portland , Hawthorne/Sellwood/Ross Island Room

Find out how your library can communicate with users online and on-the-go, through the new collaboration of QuestionPoint and Text a Librarian. Join us to learn more about this exciting new offering, as well as other new enhancements from QuestionPoint.

Please register here if you are planning on attending either or both of these events: https://www3.oclc.org/app/pla_registration/

ALA Midwinter 2010, QP user group meeting notes

The QuestionPoint User Group meeting was held January 17, 2010 at the Boston Public Library, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

Beth Cackowski, QandANJ and Vince Mariner, AskHerePA were co-chairs.  Vince called the meeting to order shortly after 1:30 PM.  Approximately 35 people attended the meeting.

After introductions, Susan McGlamery, QuestionPoint senior product manager, presented the QuestionPoint update (see accompanying PowerPoint presentation)

A. QP software update: 

New features include KB web service and Qwidget evolution, including Qwidget on Facebook, WorldCat Local, and via selected mobile devices (iPhone O/S, Palm and Android devices).  Of the attendees, Cornell and McGill U have embedded the Qwidget in WorldCat Local.

B. Text a Librarian

QuestionPoint is currently developing an API so text messages sent from users to the library via Text a Librarian (“TAL”) will appear in the QuestionPoint interface.  Librarians could work completely within QP to review and respond to text messages.  Text messages will be included in the usual QP reports, along with email, chat and Qwidget statistics.  Representatives Gabe Macias and Jamieson Chandler attended the meeting and were available for questions. For more information on Text a Librarian, see http://www.textalibrarian.com/.  Of the attendees, Cornell, Free Library of Philadephia and Andover are current TAL subscribers.

Questions/discussion from user group:

- how immediate does the librarian response need to be (discussion re user expectations)

- Is there much back and forth between user and librarian? Cornell: not so much; others mentioned that they do go back & forth in their personal texting, so maybe users wouldn’t mind

- TAL:  some libraries market the service as a way for users to send comments/suggestions to the library

- Libraries should not put so many limits on questions that are eligible for texting. Strategies for handling complex queries was discussed.

- Collaborative texting: most agreed best to start with individual institution, but could see possibility of group answering texts for each other. Advantage: more immediate responses for larger coverage hours

- Worcester PL is in the My InfoQuest free pilot, and Ping (Worcester) likes the collaborative service.  Ping says many of the texts could be answered by anyone and are not all local.  Apparently no pricing has been provided for My InfoQuest, it is still free for participants (provided by Altarama)

C. 24/7 Reference Cooperative discussion

- Quality 2009: Top 10 issues for Quality were presented.  Each issue will have a Quality tip

The number one issue is failure of chatting librarian to check the policy page.  We had discussion of policy pages.  Susan will plan another Policy Page day soon.  Resolution codes were also discussed, including the names of the resolution codes as well as when to do follow up (follow up discussion was tabled due to lack of time)

D.            Other suggestions:

-  Virtual User Group meetings:  someone asked when we were doing this again, VUGs of past were praised.  We are scheduling virtual user group meetings for the first week of February 2010 – the announcement will be posted soon!

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 3:00 PM

View the QP user group slides here:

QP User Group at ALA MW 2010

View more presentations from OCLC.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan McGlamery, [email protected]

QuestionPoint and Text a Librarian collaboration announced at ALA Midwinter

OCLC’s QuestionPoint and Mosio’s Text a Librarian announce virtual reference collaboration; Project to offer text messaging reference options to QuestionPoint users

OCLC and Mosio are working together to enable seamless integration of Mosio’s Text a Librarian text messaging reference software with OCLC’s QuestionPoint reference management service to provide a comprehensive virtual reference solution for libraries.

OCLC and Mosio are exploring solutions to the demands of a mobile world and the need for libraries to be able to communicate with their patrons online and on-the-go.

“Library reference services need to be accessible where and when users need them, in the form they want,” said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO.  “Users are increasingly relying on mobile technologies, and QuestionPoint is committed to providing libraries with the tools they need.  Text a Librarian is a leader in texting services for libraries in the U.S.  Working together, we believe we can deliver an efficient and cost-effective solution for libraries.”

QuestionPoint’s reference management suite that includes email, online chat and chat widgets combined with Mosio’s Web-based Text a Librarian service for text messaging would offer patrons more virtual reference options and provide libraries increased efficiencies in managing patron inquiries in a single place.

“Mobile reference services are an exciting opportunity for libraries,” said Noel Chandler, Mosio CEO and Co-Founder.  “This collaboration combines our expertise in mobile reference technology with OCLC’s experience as the leader in virtual reference management software to provide libraries a full digital reference services package.”

The integration of Text a Librarian with QuestionPoint services will begin with libraries based in the United States.

For more information, visit www.textalibrarian.com or www.oclc.org/questionpoint.

If you are at ALA Midwinter in Boston, we will also discuss this at our QuestionPoint user group meeting, Sunday January 16, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM at the Boston PL, McKim Lower Level B. [Enter through the Dartmouth St. entrance (the McKim Building), then take the stairs one level down and McKim Lowerl Level B will be on the right.]

About OCLC

Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 112 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat on the Web at www.worldcat.org. For more information, visit www.oclc.org.

About Mosio’s Text a Librarian

Text a Librarian is a mobile reference service technology developed specifically for libraries. Built on Mosio’s award-winning mobile questions and answers platform, Text a Librarian enables libraries to reach more patrons on the go through their mobile phones. For more information regarding Text a Librarian, please visit www.textalibrarian.com

ALA 2009 Best Practices Panel: Presentations

Our Best Practices in Cooperative Virtual Reference Panel at ALA (Chicago 2009) featured researchers Lynn Connaway (OCLC Office of Research) and Marie Radford (Rutgers University) as well as practitioner and statewide coordinator Natalie Tagge (AskAway Illinois).

Here is more detail about the presentations and our speakers:

"Way Sweet" or "Just Wrong": Users Reveal Critical Factors for Virtual Reference Service Excellence

What do virtual reference service (VRS) users think are the best and worst practices in live chat? The final phases of the Seeking Synchronicity grant project involved online surveys with 137 VRS users and in-depth phone interviews with 76 VRS users. Use of the Critical Incident Technique identified important factors in users' perceptions of success and failure. This presentation provides an overview of these findings with numerous candid examples from the users. We asked, they definitely answered. Be prepared to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly in users' perceptions of live chat.

Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist at OCLC Research whose research areas include the study of information-seeking behaviors, query log analysis, and data mining to provide evidence for making informed decisions for the development of library services and systems.

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University and a leading researcher and consultant in evaluating virtual reference and in investigating interpersonal communication in library contexts.

Presentation:

Ala 09 Best Practices Connaway Radford Final

View more documents from Questionpoint Oclc.

Sustainable Virtual Reference: AskAway IL's Best Practices for Future Quality of Service

The last year has been full of changes for the AskAway IL project: The IMLS grant that funded the AskAway IL project ended, budget cuts made travel for training and outreach unfeasible and AskAway IL will no longer have a full time coordinator in the near future. So woe is the AskAway IL project, right? Wrong! Find out how AskAway IL through the dedication of the over 200 libraries that participate in the project, the Illinois State Library's continued support and the hard work of a Statewide Virtual Reference Advisory Board have met goals for sustainability and continued quality to serve Illinois users.

Natalie Tagge is Illinois Virtual Reference Coordinator at the Illinois State Library. She is in charge of the AskAway Illinois virtual reference cooperative. In other lives, she worked on a dairy farm, taught high school and waited tables, all of which she finds relevant to her current profession.

Presentation:

Tagge

View more documents from Questionpoint Oclc.

Feel free to post comments or questions to this Blog, and look for a new Best Practices panel at the ALA Midwinter conference in 2010!

ALA - QuestionPoint Presentations - Reminder- Sunday 7/12-QuestionPoint User Group meeting:

Sunday July 12, 1:30 to 3:00 PM Chicago Hilton, Lake Michigan Room.

Hear updates from the QuestionPoint product team: Susan McGlamery, Jeff Penka, and Lauri McIntosh, and offer them feedback.  Share tips and tricks with colleagues from other QuestionPoint libraries.

ALA - QuestionPoint Presentations - Reminder- Saturday 7/11- Best Practices in Cooperative Virtual Reference

Time: Saturday, July 11, 1:30 to 3:00 PM Chicago Hilton, Lake Erie Room

Best Practices in Cooperative Virtual Reference: Survival tips for tough times, and what our users think of VR services.

Budget woes? Natalie Tagge of Illinois' AskAway shares tips on sustaining a virtual reference service even as grant funding ends, and  Lynn Connaway (OCLC Office of Research) and Marie Radford (Rutgers University) relate what they learned from users regarding their view of our services. For more information about the presentations and the presenters, please check out our earlier posting.

ALA 2009: User Group Agenda

Hello, fellow QPers,

We will hold a QuestionPoint User's Group meeting during ALA Annual.  Below are the particulars, including a tentative agenda:

Date:        12 July 2009 (Sunday)

Time:        1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Location:   Chicago Hilton, Lake Michigan Room

The agenda includes an update from the QuestionPoint Product Team, a brief presentation by Virginia Cole on the "text-a-librarian" pilot at Cornell University, and an opportunity for small group discussions focusing on "Top Five Things" (e.g., "Top Five Things You Need to See on Policy Pages").  There should also be ample time for questions.

Please join us, and do let me know if there are any topics you want to ensure we cover at the meeting.

Nancy Huling, University of Washington Libraries

QP User Council

QuestionPoint events at ALA 2009

If you are attending ALA in Chicago, please make plans to attend these 2 QuestionPoint events!

1. QuestionPoint User Group meeting: Sunday July 12, 1:30 to 3:00 PM Chicago Hilton, Lake Michigan Room

2. Best Practices in Cooperative Virtual Reference: Survival tips for tough times, and what our users think of VR services

Budget woes? Natalie Tagge of Illinois' AskAway shares tips on sustaining a virtual reference service even as grant funding ends. And Lynn Connaway (OCLC Office of Research) and Marie Radford (Rutgers University) relate what they learned from users regarding their view of our services.

Time: Saturday, July 11, 1:30 to 3:00 PM Chicago Hilton, Lake Erie Room

Here is more detail about the presentations and our speakers:

"Way Sweet" or "Just Wrong": Users Reveal Critical Factors for Virtual Reference Service Excellence

What do virtual reference service (VRS) users think are the best and worst practices in live chat? The final phases of the Seeking Synchronicity grant project involved online surveys with 137 VRS users and in-depth phone interviews with 76 VRS users. Use of the Critical Incident Technique identified important factors in users' perceptions of success and failure. This presentation provides an overview of these findings with numerous candid examples from the users. We asked, they definitely answered. Be prepared to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly in users' perceptions of live chat.

Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Scientist at OCLC Research whose research areas include the study of information-seeking behaviors, query log analysis, and data mining to provide evidence for making informed decisions for the development of library services and systems.

Marie L. Radford, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University and a leading researcher and consultant in evaluating virtual reference and in investigating interpersonal communication in library contexts.

Sustainable Virtual Reference: AskAway IL's Best Practices for Future Quality of Service

The last year has been full of changes for the AskAway IL project: The IMLS grant that funded the AskAway IL project ended, budget cuts made travel for training and outreach unfeasible and AskAway IL will no longer have a full time coordinator in the near future. So woe is the AskAway IL project, right? Wrong! Find out how AskAway IL through the dedication of the over 200 libraries that participate in the project, the Illinois State Library's continued support and the hard work of a Statewide Virtual Reference Advisory Board have met goals for sustainability and continued quality to serve Illinois users.

Natalie Tagge is Illinois Virtual Reference Coordinator at the Illinois State Library. She is in charge of the AskAway Illinois virtual reference cooperative. In other lives, she worked on a dairy farm, taught high school and waited tables, all of which she finds relevant to her current profession.

Register to attend these 2 QuestionPoint events: www.oclc.org/info/ala/

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you there!

 

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)