QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 & QuestionPoint

We’d like to announce that we now support Internet Explorer 7 for Librarians who use our QuestionPoint chat and cobrowsing features.

We are currently updating our documentation to note the subtle changes in the browser settings needed for QuestionPoint between Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7.

Please note that if you upgrade from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 7, your browser settings are brought over for you by the Internet Explorer 7 installer.

If you have any questions about QuestionPoint please feel free to contact Support @ [email protected].

If you would like more information on Internet Explorer 7, please visit the Internet Explorer page @ http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx

 

Thanks,

The QuestionPoint Team

Flash Update

Dear QP users:

We would like to thank those of you who quickly responded to Pierre Gregoire who posted the original message about Flash constantly looping and interrupting his chat sessions.

The responses helped us to diagnose this problem. Hopefully the information contained below will help those of you who have had, or might yet experience this problem.

Although the current instance of "looping/refreshing" may look related to previous episodes of a similar problem several months ago, in fact, it is probably due to something else entirely.

Adobe Flash is currently pushing an automatic update to Flash 9 to users in a "managed release". That is, not everyone is getting the update simultaneously.  This is similar to the procedure recently espoused by Microsoft for Internet Explorer 7.  It's great for them, but it causes clients like us to become perplexed as to why some people have problems and some don't! 

We have learned that those who accept and install the new Flash download, and who then perhaps thereafter log into QuestionPoint without rebooting their computers first seem to be experiencing the flashing/looping problem this time around. It appears that older versions of the Flash Player or files that player used could still be in your computer’s memory after the new player is installed. This is what leads to the looping.  Kay's short term solution below fixes the immediate problem and causes the looping to stop, but we are not recommending that as the full solution to the problem.

We do recommend that you reboot your machine after you have installed the automatically pushed update. This will cause the old Flash player and files to be discarded.  If you want to be pro-active and download the newest version of Flash before you receive the auto update, you can navigate to http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer .   If you click on the download link it will either download it, or confirm that you already have it.

We would also like to let you know that we have opened a new QP blog topic called “Tips you would like confirmed by OCLC”.  If you have any technical tips that you have discovered to help your workflow in QuestionPoint, we invite you to share those with us, by adding them to the blog at http://questionpoint.blogs.com/questionpoint_247_referen/2007/01/tips_you_would_.html#comments .  (If you have never visited the blog, or have forgotten the password, there is a link to it with the username and password available from your “My QuestionPoint” home page after you log into QuestionPoint.)

By taking a look at your methods, we hope to be able to help steer you and other users to effective technical solutions and procedures, and by the same token, help you avoid doing things that might not be the best solution in the long run.

Once again, thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts with us and one another. This kind of ongoing dialog and sharing is critical to the QuestionPoint service and our community's growth.

Regards

Your QuestionPoint Team at OCLC

Browser Settings and the importance of clearing your Temporary Internet Files folder

Ensuring that your browser’s Temporary Internet Files folder settings are correctly configured is critical to optimal chat monitoring.

The QuestionPoint browser setup guide (http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf) gives you settings that should take care of this for you regularly; however, since there is a possibility that your library’s IT department may have conflicting settings procedures, in order to have QuestionPoint work optimally, you should get in the habit of checking them personally before the start of each chat shift .

Once your “permanent” settings are properly confirmed, it is equally important to clear the Temporary Internet files Folder, in case there is old data there.

We cover how to clear the Temporary Internet Files folder on page 6 of the browser setting guide (http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf).

Some background about why this is important:

Using a cache like the Temporary Internet Files folder is something browsers do to help speed up your internet session. When you visit a page, large elements of that page like graphics are stored in the folder so that when you visit the page again, only those elements that changed will be downloaded to your browser.

The problem QuestionPoint has with this folder is that if the Temporary Internet Files folder is being checked by the browser and the browser finds something, it will use this outdated information rather than grab the updated information from the QuestionPoint server.

By double-checking your browser settings and prophylactically clearing your temp files before every shift, you will cut down or completely eliminate the problem of outdated chat session information appearing in your chat monitor window,

If you have any questions about this or any other browser configuration questions, please consult the browser settings guide referenced above. If you need additional assistance, please contact our Support department via their web form (https://www3.oclc.org/app/contac/).

Enhancements and Fixes for December 10, 2006

To view a viewlet of these changes, please visit

http://www.viewletcentral.com/vc/viewlet.html?id=50707343
 

Changes for all QuestionPoint users 

1. Surveys displayed in language of original web form 

Currently, non-English users must select the language they want when responding to a survey. With the install, surveys are presented in the same language as the original web form the patron filled out to chat or send their question. 

 

2. Add Question form has language menu

When users add a question directly into QuestionPoint, they can select the language of the question. This simulates what happens in the html script that sits behind your QuestionPoint form on your library's web page. If your patrons are typically French-speaking, for example, you have set up that Web form to send e-mail responses in French. Now, if you add a telephone or walk-up question into QP with the patron's e-mail address, you can set the language so that all responses are also in French.

3. Policy Pages search for state now in drop-down instead of free text 

Since state and province names can be entered into QuestionPoint profiles in free-text, there has been no standard way to search policy pages by state. With this install, all variations of a state or province are mapped to a single standard, which is listed in a drop-down menu for easy selection. See Illustration 1. 

Illustration 1. Search policy pages by state 

 

4. All tab lists all questions less than 90 days old 

All questions not yet rolled to the Service History or deleted can now be viewed in one list, All. This is the final option in the set of links that appears under the Questions tab or My Questions tab. See Illustration 10. 

5. Dates appear in question lists with seconds

All question lists now display time in hours, minutes, and seconds, e.g., 11:45:57. 

   

Changes for Users of Flash-based

1. New name for home-page link: Search Policy Pages 

The left column of the My QuestionPoint home page includes the new link name Search Policy Pages. This link takes the user to the search page for finding institution policy pages. 

2. Better response time 

Developers have made several adjustments to refresh rates to improve the librarian experience. Chat librarians will notice a significant improvement in response time. 

3. Queue selection simplified 

Selecting queues is easier and more straight-forward than ever. You return to begin monitoring immediately after confirming your selection. 

4. Queue monitoring and IM statuses visible on monitor interface 

Before you select a queue, red type notes that you are not monitoring any queues. After selecting queues, the red note changes to a black, indicating that you are monitoring live queues. At the top of your monitor, the number of queues you are monitoring is displayed. If you are in any IM sessions, the number of those sessions is also noted at the top. See Illustration 2. 

Illustration 2. After queue selection 

 

5. Sent messages display without delay 

After the librarian sends a message, it appears in the transcript area without delay, addressing the problem of a perceived time lag. 

6. New preview mouse-over window under "My Active" tab 

When needing to switch between patrons or back and forth between patrons and IM with another librarian, the librarian can mouse over the patron name to see the last message. This can reorient the librarian to where the exchange left off before reactivating the session. See Illustration 3. 

Illustration 3. Most recent message of a waiting patron 

 

7. Indicators show connection status 

Visual connection-status indicators show when a patron is connected (green square), when the system has received no response from the patron for an extended time (yellow diamond), and when the connection between patron and system is broken (red circle). See Illustration 4. 

Illustration 4. Connection status indicators 

 

8. Focus goes to end of transcript 

Each time the librarian switches to a different patron, the focus automatically goes to the end of the transcripts, rather than the beginning. This allows the librarian to immediately see the most recent messages in context. 

9. New message alerts librarian to a transfer 

A new alert pop-up notifies a librarian when a chat session has been transferred to her and is waiting in her Active Sessions. 

10. Duplicate login message 

If another librarian logs in using the same authorization as yours, you receive notification of this, with instruction to end your current sessions and close your browser window. See Illustration 5. 

Illustration 5. Duplicate login 

 

11. Warning message when QuestionPoint session is closed 

A pop-up window will alert the librarian if the QuestionPoint session was inadvertently exited. Instructions in the window tell the librarian to close the monitor browser, restart the QuestionPoint session, and launch another chat browser. See Illustration 6. 

Illustration 6. QuestionPoint session has been exited 

 

12. Interface enhancements for better international support 

Buttons and informational text areas have been resized to better accommodate non-English languages. This will facilitate translations and improve readability. 

Changes that Affect Administrators 

1. New patron account setting test button 

If you have chosen to not send patron account information in e-mails (see Administration/Setting/CustomMessages), test buttons for the New Accounts and New Account from Chat options can be used to assure the feature is turned off. 

2. Limit reports to those with surveys 

A new limit option is available for the General reports in the Ask module. Placed just under By Session Type, the new option allows the administrator to see only transcripts with completed surveys. See Illustration 7. 

Illustration 7. Report survey limit 

 

3. Form Field reports limit to e-mail or just chat 

Administrators can report on patron-supplied data (Ask/Reports/FormFields) for Question Form transactions (e-mail), for Chat Sessions, or for both. The drop-down menu where you make this selection is just below the institution name and before the date field. See Illustration 8. 

Illustration 8. Form Fields Report session-type limit 

 

4. Resolution Codes now in Ask/Reports 

Administrators of libraries offering chat via the Flash-based service can get a report by resolution code. These statistics represent how the administrator’s librarians coded chat sessions at the conclusion of each. For libraries in the 24/7 Cooperative, this number is not concerned with the home library of the patron; only with how their librarians coded the session. See Illustration 9. 

Illustration 9. Resolution Code report 

 

Fixes 

1. All languages are searchable from the Knowledge Base Basic Search screen. 

After an earlier install this year, non-English language searches containing diacritics had to be carried out from the Advanced Search screen, with the language limiter set. All searches, regardless of language, can now be searched from the Basic Search screen; diacritics no longer affect how you search a term. 

2. Answer text is saved during knowledge base search. 

If you now search the knowledge base after entering text in the Answer box and then cancel out of the search, you lose all the text you entered. With the install, that text is saved and still in the box when you return to the Answer page. 

3. Form Fields report response time is greatly improved. 

The Form Fields report, available from the Ask/Reports, has been tweaked such that the response time is greatly improved. The report page should display immediately after you click on the Form Fields link. 

4. Patron-account URL no longer on Acknowledgement page. 

If you have set your account to not send logon information to a patron, the patron-account URL no longer displays on the acknowledgement screen after the patron submits their question. 

5. Live chat sessions no longer accessible outside chat monitor. 

Librarians will see live chat sessions in their Answered questions list that are not hot linked—that is, they cannot open them to the Full Question view while the chat session is in progress. Live sessions are in black typeface and are preceded by [Session in progress]. Abandoned sessions (sessions never picked up by a librarian and sessions never properly ended) will remain in the question list for two-three hours before being “released” for further activity. See Illustration 10. 

Illustration 10. Live chat session 

 

6. Administrators: The chat monitor All tab restricted to primary queue. 

The All tab in the chat monitor will allow you to look in on only librarians in your primary queue, rather than on any session in the queues your library is monitoring.

Troubleshooting tips for Chat Librarians

We hope you find these helpful and remember that Help is always the best place to check first when you have a question. And it’s just a click away using the Help link at the top of every page in the QuestionPoint system.

Check your Browser’s settings.
It’s important to always check your browser settings before your chat shift as the settings can revert after any IE change such as automatic IE updates and security fixes. Always check these settings first when you encounter a problem with QuestionPoint. For more on what the browser settings should be, please check http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf.

Use Flash Player 9
While QuestionPoint supports Flash 7 and Flash 8, we recommend that you use Flash 9.

To check which version of Flash you have, visit http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/welcome/. You may be prompted to install Shockwave when you visit this page but it isn’t necessary. To find your version, move your mouse to the About tab in the Adobe Flash Player box.

To install Flash 9, first check with your IT department to see how they would like to proceed. If you are given the OK to install Flash 9 yourself, you first need to first uninstall any older versions of Flash on your computer by following these steps:

1. Click Start
2. Select Settings
3. Select Control Panel
4. Double click the Add/Remove Programs control panel icon
5. Select either Macromedia Flash Player or Adobe Flash player (the name has changed to Adobe Flash player since the release of version 9)
6. Reboot your computer

Once your computer boots up, installing Flash is as easy as
1. Open IE
2. Visit adobe.com

The Flash player will be reinstalled automatically.

QuestionPoint Tips and Tricks for Nov 17, 2006

Welcome to the first in a series of QuestionPoint tips. These tips have been compiled by the QuestionPoint team after reading every feedback, comment and support message that has been sent to us since the QuestionPoint software was released in March 2006.

Many of these tips apply directly to QuestionPoint while others fall under the heading of good computer practices. We hope you find these helpful and remember that Help is always the best place to check first when you have a question. And it’s just a click away using the Help link at the top of every page in the QuestionPoint system.

Our first set of 6 tips come from our After Hours staff and deal with some of the best practices they follow as they serve the large number of simultaneous patrons that they work with. 

1. Always reboot Your Computer Before Your Shift

By doing this, you’re freeing your computer’s memory which will help improve your computer’s overall performance as well as QuestionPoint’s.

For a Windows XP computer, here are the steps to follow before each shift:

1. Click Start

2. Click Turn off Computer

3. Click Restart

2. Limit the number of open or minimized Internet Explorer browser windows

The chat monitor runs in an Internet Explorer browser window, If you have more than two IE windows opened, your computer slows down to figure out which IE window gets which traffic from the Internet. This makes QuestionPoint appear slow. 

One suggestion to help limit the number of Internet Explorer windows is to use IE only for QuestionPoint and use another browser such as Firefox or Netscape for researching your patron’s questions on the web.

3. Limit the number of other programs running on your computer

When monitoring chat, it is critical to run only those programs that are essential for helping your patrons. 

4. Only have one patron in a co-browse session at a time

Running more than one co-browse session on your computer at a time consumes a lot of your computer’s memory and makes it very likely that IE will crash.

5. Always end your patron chat sessions when they are done. 

Chat sessions that have been ended but not closed create unnecessary strain on QuestionPoint.

6. Always use the Log Out link in the chat monitor when ending your shift.

As always, your comments are valuable to us so please feel free to post your feedback to these tips below.

Look for the next set of tips on Nov 22.

The QuestionPoint Team

Internet Explorer 7 and QuestionPoint

Dear QuestionPoint Users:

Microsoft has just released the consumer version of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7). We have been testing QuestionPoint with the previous beta and release candidates of IE 7 and have made some changes to QuestionPoint in anticipation of the release.

We continue to test with the just released consumer version and we will be posting updates to our testing efforts to the blog weekly.

We are not yet certifying IE 7 as fully compatible with QuestionPoint at this time.

If you have the option, please do not install IE 7 until we have completed our testing.

If your IT department requires you to use IE 7, or if it has automatically downloaded due to your computer setup, please report any issues that you encounter with QuestionPoint using our Chat Tool Migration Feedback form (https://www3.oclc.org/app/questionpoint/migration/).

Please be sure to note that this is an IE7 issue in the form.

This feedback will assist us in hastening completion of our testing process.

If your IT department has any IE7 release questions, please refer them to the following post from IE team blog http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2006/10/19/be-ready-for-automatic-update-distribution-of-ie7-by-november-1.aspx

 

Thanks,

 

David Leslie

QuestionPoint team

Reported Problem with the Flash Chat Monitor

Issue: Problem with the Flash Chat Monitor

Also Known As:

Flash Chat Monitor keeps blinking so I can't type

Flash Chat Monitor keeps jumping

I lose my cursor and what I'm typing

The Flash Chat Monitor refreshes every 4 seconds.

What does it look like?

The behavior tends to appear when you pick up your first chat patron.

The screen shots below are the frames of the Flash Chat Monitor that will repeatedly jump or blink, making it difficult or impossible for you to select scripts, type messages, or use other chat features.

It should be noted that the center frame won’t reset and your session time continues to update as it should at the top of the monitor.

What causes this?

In April 2006, Microsoft released a security update that changed how Internet Explorer handled technologies such as Flash. Specifically, the change was to ActiveX (See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912812 for further technical details on this change).

ActiveX is the name for the technologies used by the Windows operating system to manage and control the way programs interact with each other. Soon after the change, Microsoft pulled it due to issues surrounding its unintended impact on sites that use Internet Explorer's ActiveX controls to call programs such as Flash.

Because Microsoft issued the original security update in April to comply legally with a patent held by EOLAS (Embedded Objects Linked Across Systems), Inc., the update had to be re-released on June 14, 2006. (See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912945/en-us#kb1 for more details on the specific changes to Internet Explorer as well as the known issues with this change.)

Whether or not your computer is using the June 14 version depends on how it has been configured by your IT administrator to receive Microsoft updates.

If the security update was installed on your computer, you may experience unexpected behavior in Flash-based applications, similar to what we describe above.

How do I deal with this behavior if it occurs?

If you experience this behavior, click X in the Flash Chat Monitor's browser window to close the Flash Chat Monitor. Next, click on 'Launch Flash Chat', which reopens the Flash Chat Monitor and will allow you to re-establish your chat session with your patron.

What are some steps to prevent this from happening?

Perform the following steps:

1. Request that your IT department update your Java software to version 1.5 if you are using the Sun Virtual Machine as there is a known issue with the change and Java version 1.4.

2. Update your Macromedia Flash player to the most current version listed on Adobe's web site by visiting http://www.adobe.com/ and clicking on the "Get Macromedia Flash Player" icon.

3. After the chat monitor loads, click one time on any part of the monitor (such as the white space under the words "Waiting for a selected chat session…".) This turns on the ActiveX control. After that, you may select a patron.

If you still encounter the problem:

Please contact Customer Service directly at 1.800.848.5800 or by e-mail at [email protected] . Please provide as much detail as possible when reporting your issue so that our development team may better pinpoint the exact cause.

What is QuestionPoint doing to correct this if it is still happening?

QuestionPoint put a fix into May’s install to specifically accommodate Microsoft’s mandated security update in April. This appeared to resolve the problem. Since then, Microsoft has backed out and re-issued the update, leaving us uncertain about why the blinking and jumping monitor may still be happening to some users. The development team is currently examining recent reports to determine if the problem has recurred because of further modifications Microsoft may have made to its June 14 update. We hope to share more information with you very soon.

David Leslie

QuestionPoint

Product Support & Implementation Analyst

[email protected]

New Features, Changes and Fixes coming June 4: Administrator edition

 On Sunday morning, June 4, at 2:00 AM ET (0600 GMT) we will install a number of new features, enhancements, and fixes to QuestionPoint. Because a number of our changes directly involve the database itself, please expect a downtime of up to three (3) hours. A PDF of this text with screenshots can be downloaded by clicking on this link: Download june4_2006_admins.pdf

For All Users

Scripts inserted at cursor

An important change for long-time users of QuestionPoint’s e-mailed web-form features, scripts can now be inserted at the cursor. Scripts have always been inserted at the end of typed text in the Answer or Clarification field, when responding to an e-mailed question. After Sunday’s install, the script you can insert the script wherever your cursor is active.

Public search of local knowledge bases

Finally, searching of your local knowledge base by your patrons is possible! Administrators must indicate if the local KB should be searchable outside the QuestionPoint application. They can also compose the ownership statement that should appear on every record retrieved. Only records marked “Public” in your KB will be searchable.

Instructions at http://www.questionpoint.org/support/documentation/templates/search_globalkb.html 9:00 PM EDTlead administrators through set-up in the QuestionPoint Administration module, as well as provide the necessary lines to be added to the HTML script for your web page. These lines will allow your library either to link to the QuestionPoint Basic Search page or to actually mount the basic-search input box on your own web page. You can also link directly to the Advanced Search page if you want. 9:00 PM EDT, or 6/3, 0100 GMT).    (Note: Updated documentation at the above site is planned for deployment Thursday evening, 6/2, at 9

 

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

Other alphabets enabled in the Knowledge Bases

Other alphabets should now be indexed properly in the QuestionPoint knowledge bases. This includes Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Korean, and Russian alphabets, which were not searchable until now.

Enhanced reports

The reports accessible in the Ask module have been enhanced to better detail the types of questions and sessions. In Ask/Reports/General Institution and Ask Administrators can limit a search by the following transactions types:

•  All transactions (both web form and chat)
•  All transactions received via e-mailed web form
•  Transactions received from your own web form
•  Transactions you handled for other libraries
•  All chat sessions in which your library was involved
•  Your patrons: sessions your library handled
•  Your patrons: sessions someone in your group handled
•  Your patrons: sessions handled by a 24/7 or other coverage library
•  Others’ patrons: all sessions in which your library was involved
•  Others’ patrons: sessions you handled for your group’s libraries
•  Others’ patrons: sessions you handled for 24/7 or other coverage libraries

A new table format in Ask/Reports/Sessions will allow you to see similar breakdowns for all your transactions, including grand totals.

It is important to remember that the new breakout will affect data from the time of the install forward.

The Reports Reference Guide will also be updated to reflect these changes.

BME administrators should once again see the names of the librarians in their group’s libraries, via the Ask/Reports.

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

For Flash Chat Users

Chat monitor preferences saved

Flash Chat librarians can now save the preferences they set within the chat monitor. The settings are attached to your login authorization, so if you change computers, you won’t have to reset them.

New Alerts

There are new sounds for IM notification and for patron response notification. Additionally, there are visual cues in the chat monitor when the patron has sent a chat message.

Adjustments

The Chat Monitoring Tool now more clearly shows each librarian and which queues are being monitored. Additional tweaks have been made to further reduce the likelihood of duplicated chat session requests.

New resolution code for dropped session

A new resolution code, Lost Call, has been added for Flash Chat users. Previously, the only two resolution codes were “answered” and “follow up” (by either chatting librarian or patron library). You can use the Lost Call code whenever a patron ends the call or drops, and you do not have sufficient information to send to follow up. When used, the ended chat session will go immediately to the Closed folder of the appropriate libraries.

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

Visual feedback that descriptive code selection was successful

Flash Chat librarians will have visual feedback when they select multiple Descriptive Codes. A counter to the right of the code field will immediately indicate how many codes you have thus far selected.

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

Updated viewlets will be available at http://www.questionpoint.org/education/index.html

Some Important Reminders

We would like to take this opportunity to remind Flash Chat users of the following:

1. Please visit http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf if you have questions about your browser set up. There are several option settings that are recommended, as well as “best” versions of browsers, VM software, and Flash for optimum performance.
2. Flash Chat users must click the Submit button when opening the chat monitor.
3. Make sure your browser’s pop-up blocker is off, or you may not even see the window in      which to submit your queue selections.
4. We know some of you still occasionally experience the flashing frame problem: users of IE,      with the XP operating system, see the chat monitor screen refreshing frequently, but without accepting any new input. This has been identified as a problem with Microsoft’s “Active X.” We      understand that a patch is being distributed by MS, but the update may be  dependent on your own network and IT staff. If you experience the flashing frame problem, exit the chat monitor by closing the browser (use the X at the top right of the browser window), then launch chat once again. You should still be in the same session, and will be able to continue chatting.

All administrators need to be reminded to use http:// when entering URLs in the Administration module for your preferred Viewport page (chat users), your policy pages, your web form location(s) (all users), and location of branding logo (BME administrators).

New Features, Changes, and Fixes Coming Sunday!

On Sunday morning, June 4, at

2:00 AM EDT

(0600 GMT) we will install a number of new features, enhancements, and fixes to QuestionPoint. Because a number of our changes directly involve the database itself, please expect a downtime of up to three (3) hours. A PDF of this text with screenshots can be downloaded by clicking on this link: Download june4_2006_install.pdf  

For All Users

Scripts inserted at cursor

An important change for long-time users of QuestionPoint’s e-mailed web-form features, scripts can now be inserted at the cursor. Scripts have always been inserted at the end of typed text in the Answer or Clarification field, when responding to an e-mailed question. After Sunday’s install, you can insert the script wherever your cursor is active.

Public search of local knowledge bases

Finally, searching of your local knowledge base by your patrons is possible! After administration set-up, patrons will be able to link to a Basic Search page that searches your knowledge base, or they can even enter keywords in an input box on your library’s web form. An ownership statement, also set up by your administrator, will display at the bottom of every record from your KB. Only records marked “Public” in your KB will be searchable by patrons.

Other alphabets enabled in the Knowledge Bases

Other alphabets should now be indexed properly in the QuestionPoint knowledge bases. This includes Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Korean, and Russian alphabets, which were not searchable until now.

For Flash Chat Users

Chat monitor preferences saved

Flash Chat librarians can now save the preferences they set within the chat monitor. The settings are attached to your login authorization, so if you change computers, you won’t have to reset them.

New Alerts

There are new sounds for IM notification and for patron response notification. Additionally, there are visual cues in the chat monitor when the patron has sent a chat message.

Adjustments

The Chat Monitoring Tool now more clearly shows each librarian and which queues are being monitored. Additional tweaks have been made to further reduce the likelihood of duplicated chat session requests.

 

New resolution code for dropped session

A new resolution code, Lost Call, has been added for Flash Chat users. Previously, the only two resolution codes were “answered” and “follow up” (by either chatting librarian or patron library). You can use the Lost Call code whenever a patron ends the call or drops, and you do not have sufficient information to send to follow up. When used, the ended chat session will go immediately to the Closed folder of the appropriate libraries.

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

Visual feedback that descriptive code selection was successful

Flash Chat librarians will have visual feedback when they select multiple Descriptive Codes. A counter to the right of the code field will immediately indicate how many codes you have thus far selected.

(Click the screenshot to see the full detail)

Please go to http://www.questionpoint.org/education/index.html to see updated viewlets.

Some Important Reminders

We would like to take this opportunity to remind Flash Chat users of the following:

• ü Please visit http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf if you have questions about your browser set up. There are several option settings that are recommended, as well as “best” versions of browsers, VM software, and Flash for optimum performance.
•  Flash Chat users must click the Submit button when opening the chat monitor.
•  Make sure your browser’s pop-up blocker is off, or you may not even see the window in which to submit your queue selections.
• We know some of you still occasionally experience the flashing frame problem: users of IE, with the XP operating system, see the chat monitor screen refreshing frequently, but without accepting any new input. This has been identified as a problem with Microsoft’s “Active X.” We understand that a patch is being distributed by MS, but the update may be dependent on your own network and IT staff. If you experience the flashing frame problem, exit the chat monitor by closing the browser (use the X at the top right of the browser window), then launch chat once again. You should still be in the same session, and will be able to continue chatting.