QuestionPoint: 24/7 reference services

Installation d'entretien, 24 février, de 7hr TU (2 :00 A.M EST) à 8hr TU, (3 :00 A.M.EST)

Veuillez prendre note que le service QuestionPoint ne sera pas disponible le 24 février, de 7hr TU (2 :00 A.M EST) à 8hr TU, (3 :00 A.M.EST) le temps d’une installation d’une mise à niveau.

Cette mise à niveau comportera de nouvelles fonctionnalités et certains améliorations. Vous trouverezces informations ici  Vous devez absolument mettre fin à toutes vos sessions de Chat en cours au moins deux minutes avant le moment prévu de l’interruption afin d’éviter que la communication avec vos utilisateurs soit coupée et éviter de potentielles sessions « accrochées ». (Vous ne pourrez pas cliquer sur les sessions coupées mais visible «en cours » pour obtenir les informations afin de communiquer avec les utilisateurs.)

 Lorsque le service sera rétabli, veuillez vérifier dans la liste de vos Nouvelles questions si des sessions de Chat ont été interrompues ou si vous avez reçu de nouvelles questions par courriel. Si vous éprouvez des problèmes après l’interruption du service, veuillez contacter votre fournisseur de service pour de l’aide. Nous nous excusons des inconvénients causés par les interruptions de service et vous remercions de votre patience.

Notes d'installation 24 février, 2013

1        Améliorations

1.1       Avis par courriel aux bibliothécaires

Trois avis automatiques importants par courriel envoyés aux bibliothécaires ont été mis à jour afin d’inclure des informations additionnelles sur le compte.

Le nouvel avis lorsqu’un nouveau compte de bibliothécaire a été créé, l’avis « Question assignée » et l’avis « Question réassignée » contiennent maintenant le nom du bibliothécaire et son numéro de compte, ainsi que le nom de la bibliothèque à laquelle le compte est affilié afin que les bibliothécaires qui possèdent des comptes différents pour différents établissements ou unités de services puissent savoir facilement comment et où se connecter pour traiter la demande dont il est question dans le courriel.

1.2       Nouvelles explications pour le code du Qwidget de QuestionPoint

On nous a informés que lorsque le code du Qwidget est copié et collé dans diverses applications comme Word, Outlook, etc., afin de le transmettre à des webmestres pour qu’il soit intégré dans des sites Web ou directement dans des interfaces de gestion de contenu, certains caractères du code indispensables pour le fonctionnement du Qwidget, comme les guillemets droits, peuvent être corrompus ou convertis en guillemets courbes. La mise en garde suivante a été ajoutée au snippet afin de rappeler aux gens de vérifier le code, particulièrement les guillemets qui doivent être remplacés par des guillemets droits s’il y a lieu :

<!-- NOTE - After pasting the code to your page, check it to ensure it does not contain any text formatting such as smart or curly quotation marks.-->

(<!-- NOTE – Après avoir collé le code dans votre page, assurez-vous qu’il ne contient pas d’erreur de formatage comme des guillemets courbes.-->)

Veuillez noter qu’il n’est PAS nécessaire d’inclure cette mise en garde dans le code des Qwidgets existants sur vos sites Web.  Ce n’est qu’un rappel pour aider les webmestres à bien insérer le code lors de la création de nouveaux Qwidgets.

2        Corrections

2.1       Paramètres pour les « Messages personnalisés » dans le module Administration maintenant appliqués aux messages envoyés aux utilisateurs qui envoient des questions par courriel.

Si votre bibliothèque est configurée de façon à permettre aux utilisateurs d’envoyer des questions à QuestionPoint en utilisant une adresse électronique, les messages contenant une confirmation, une réponse ou un avis retournés à ces utilisateurs contiendront les messages personnalisés configurés dans le module Administration.

2.2       Traduction

Divers avis par courriel de QuestionPoint ainsi plusieurs termes apparaissant dans les écrans ont été révisés et uniformisés afin de faciliter la compréhension des écrans et des fonctionnalités de QuestionPoint.

QuestionPoint install Feb. 24, 2013 7:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) to approximately 8:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST)

We will be installing a QuestionPoint features upgrade this Sunday, February, 24, 2013.

 Please be advised that the QuestionPoint service will be unavailable for the following time period: from 7:00 UTC (2:00 a.m. EST) to approximately 8:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. EST).  Release notes are available here. 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

Release Notes for February 24, 2013 install

February 24, 2012 Release Notes 

1        Improvements

1.1       Notification emails to librarians

Three important automatic email notifications sent to librarians have been updated to include additional account information.

New librarian account email notification, “Question assigned” email notification, and “Question reassigned” email notification now all include the librarian name, and account number of the addressee, and Library name with which the account is affiliated, in order to help librarians with multiple accounts at different institutions or SUPs clearly understand where and how to log in to handle the issue being raised by the email.

1.2       New explanatory text added to QuestionPoint Qwidget code snippet

It has come to our attention that when Qwidget code is copied and pasted into various communication tools (Word, Outlook, etc.)  to forward to webmasters for inclusion on client websites, or directly into certain Content Management interfaces, certain characters necessary to the functionality of the code such as quotation marks, can become corrupted or converted into “Smart quotes”.  To remind those who are working with the content management or interface tools to check the quotation marks and return them to “plain text” quotation marks, the following explanation has been added to the code snippet:

<!-- NOTE - After pasting the code to your page, check it to ensure it does not contain any text formatting such as smart or curly quotation marks.-->

Please note that it is NOT necessary for existing Qwidget code on any of your websites to be changed, updated, or altered to include this explanation. It is purely informational; to help the web designers insert new code correctly for new Qwidgets.

2        Fixes

2.1       “Custom Message” settings in the Admin module are now applied to “email pilot” clients .

If your library is configured to allow the use of an email address for patrons to submit new questions into QuestionPoint, confirmations, responses and notification emails outgoing from QuestionPoint to those newly submitted questions will now apply the custom messages configured in the Admin module.

2.2       Translation

A number of QuestionPoint email notifications and various terms in QuestionPoint have received updated entities, to facilitate or clarify terminology or grammar used in other languages.

3        24/7 Reference Cooperative

3.1       Quality comments are now private.

When sessions are referred to Quality, the notes or comments included in the referral are now private and only visible to the Quality team, the librarian who submitted the referral, and the admins of the patron’s library.    All concerned parties can see that the referral has occurred by virtue of the yellow “referred” bar in the question detail in “Review transcripts”, but comments remain private.

4        Website Update

On March 2^nd, as part of an overall OCLC upgrade, QuestionPoint’s Support, Documentation and Training website will be migrating to a new domain and structure.

4.1       www.questionpoint.org

www.questionpoint.org will continue to function as an information landing page for current users. All of the subject informational pages, such as Documentation, Support, Training, etc. will have new URLS under oclc.org/support directories.  Bookmarked pages will be redirected to these new pages, and you will be able to access them via www.questionpoint.org  as well. 

No links to KB, patron forms, Qwidget code links, Librarian and patron logins, or any other pages that access the QuestionPoint application will be affected by this transition!  All URLs to the QuestionPoint application itself will remain as is.

We expect to have a seamless experience for our users after the migration, but if you experience any difficulty accessing previously bookmarked material, or if you are uncertain as to where to go for QuestionPoint information, please contact us via our feedback form: https://www.oclc.org/forms/questionpoint/feedback.en.html

Top 10 Quality Comments of 2012

It’s time again for the annual list of the most commonly reported comments sent to our Quality Team. In 2012, Quality received comments 528 transcripts: 319 (60%) related to sessions handled by librarians from Coop libraries and 209 (40%) related to sessions handled by QP Backup librarians. In addition to these 528 sessions, we received an additional 89 sessions sent to compliment the outstanding work of the chatting librarian.  To put this in perspective, the Cooperative (including QP Backup librarians) handled 367,128 chat sessions in 2012, so 528 represents 0.14% of the total.

The list below reflects the most commonly reported issues in these 528 sessions (some sessions had multiple issues), listed in order of frequency:

1. Policy Page

Librarian does not check the policy page. This inference arises when the information provided in session by the librarian either ignores or contradicts the information provided on the patron library’s policy page. This was also the most often reported issue in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

2. Resolution Code

Incorrect resolution code is assigned. Examples: incorrect use of the “Lost Call” code; librarian coding a session as “Answered” when telling the patron that another librarian will follow up; librarian coding a session for “Follow Up” when patron did not leave an email address.

3. Reference Conversation

Librarian does not properly clarify the question or otherwise engage in the “reference interview”, thus risking miscommunication with the patron.

4. Incorrect information was provided in the session.

In addition to factual errors, this issue refers to any type of "incorrect" piece of information provided during the chat. This issue is often used in conjunction with other issues, for instance if the librarian provides incorrect information regarding a library policy (many times, this happens when the chatting librarian provides an answer based on his own library policies rather than those of the patron’s library: we may code this issue as both “policy page” and “incorrect info”). It also applies if the librarian says "Your librarians have not given me the ability to access your databases, so I cannot help you" but the library did provide a barcode number on the policy page. Or, if a librarian told the patron to use the Academic Search Premier database but the library doesn't subscribe to any EBSCO databases.

5. Contact/Followup Option (tie with No Searching)

With questions of a local nature, the Cooperative librarian may be unable to provide a complete answer to the patron. This is almost always the case when patrons have circulation issues, problems with their library card, etc. Unfortunately, some librarians tell the patron to “contact your library” rather than giving the patron the option to call the library (in which case the chatting librarian should provide the correct phone number, as per the policy page) or offering to code the session for Follow Up.

5. No Searching (tie with Contact/Followup Option) 

The librarian sent a question to Followup or ended the call without attempting a specific search for the information.  Examples include: patron queries whether the library owns a known item and the librarian tells patron to contact the library rather than searching the library catalog and/or databases.

-- Compliments!! --

6. Patron Info (tie with Source Choice)

Librarian should have checked the patron information section to find out the patron's location. For example, the librarian may have asked the patron, "What library do you use?" when the patron already indicated his preferred branch. It is better to ask, "Is ___ your library?"

This code is also used when the librarian does not review the Patron Info tab in the chat monitor and thus fails to note the patron’s library. Example: librarian assumes a New York customer is a patron of New York Public Library although the Patron Info tab reveals that patron is affiliated with another library in New York State.

6. Source Choice (tie with Patron Info)

This issue arises when librarian could have sent better sources (i.e. more authoritative, more current, more appropriate to the patron's level). For example: Librarian does a Google search or sends a wikipedia article for queries that could better be handled by reference to the library’s online databases or catalog.

7.  Tone/Phrasing

The chatting tone of the librarian affected the quality of the session, or, the librarian used negative phrasing .

8. Abrupt Ending

Ended session abruptly without a natural closure to the conversation or when the patron still seemed to need help.

9. Goodbye (tie with Transfer/IM)

The wrong goodbye message was sent (chatting librarian sent their own library's goodbye message rather than patron library goodbye message).

9. Transfer/IM (tie with Goodbye)

When librarian either (1) incorrectly transferred a chat; (2) transferred a chat without using IM first; or (3) the librarian should have offered the transfer option but did not. 

10.  Hello

Librarian did not use a hello message that conforms to guidelines listed in the Best Practices.

A plea to the Cooperative: Help us with Quality!

Thanks to all for using the 24/7 Reference quality process! By sending sessions to Quality, you not only help us provide guidance when needed to the Coop librarians, but you also help us track issues both for individual libraries and the Cooperative as a whole. And, if you think a Cooperative librarian has done a nice job with one of your patrons’ questions, please send the compliment to Quality. We will pass the compliment along to the chatting librarian, and this helps us keep track of our star libraries. So, don’t hesitate to send a compliment – we love passing those along!

How to send a session to Quality:

In the Ask a Librarian (Ask) module, click the Review Transcripts tab. When viewing the full text of the session, click the “Send to Quality Control” button. Type in any concerns or compliments in the text box, and click submit. The Quality Team will receive your comment with the full transcript, and will respond.

If you have questions about quality, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]

Quality Tip: “Just send me something” vs. BI

Impatient patrons, particularly busy students facing a looming deadline, may not be receptive to bibliographic instruction.  While best practices suggest that librarians should find teachable moments and instruct patrons on how to access library resources for themselves, this is not always possible with patrons in a hurry. In the session below, the librarian is faced with an impatient student working on a school assignment.  Sometimes, students just want the librarian to email some articles, as in the case with this session:

Patron:  the effect of height on speed of tumbling in gymnastics

Patron:  Please hurry, my class starts soon

Librarian: Hi, [patron name]!

Librarian: My name is [librarian’s name]. I am a librarian who is helping to answer questions for your library. I am reading what you wrote to see how I can help you...

Librarian:  Would this be the height of the gymnast?

Patron:  yes the height of the gymnast

Librarian: I'm seeing what I can find.

Patron:  it's for the science fair project

Librarian: Okay.  Are you thinking that you would need to test this out?

Patron:  i need to find specific articles that support the hypothesis that shorter gymnasts tend to do better

Librarian: Ah, okay

Patron: and yes i need to test them out

Librarian: http://coachesinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182:gymnastics-isbs-biomechanical&catid=62:gymnastics-isbs&Itemid=108

Librarian: Let me take a look at some databases...

Librarian: [librarian sends link to library databases]

Librarian:  These can be accessed with a library card number...

Librarian: Okay,  see if you can click on the Science Reference Center at the bottom...

Librarian:  "Science magazines, and more! (EBSCO's Science Reference Center)"

Librarian: I did a search for: gymnastics AND height

[librarian sends link to an article matching search results]

Librarian: Can you see this article?

Patron: yes

Librarian: "Short bodies and limbs are also easier to spin fast and flip through curves, which is why most gymnasts, figure skaters and ballet dancers are smaller than average."

Librarian: Does that help?

Librarian: It also mentions weight

Librarian: "Daintier athletes fare best at sports such as ultra-distance running and gymnastics, where their superior power to weight ratio gives them an advantage."

Librarian: Can I help you with anything else?

Patron: thanks :)

Patron:  I am trying to email the article to myself but it won’t work. Can you send me this article to my email?  I have to go, class is starting

Librarian: And is your email: <rpatron’s email> ?

Patron:  yes! Thank you!

[patron disconnects]

Librarian: Okay, you will get this transcript sent to your email

[ Librarian adds note to session that she has emailed the article to patron]

Librarian: Thanks for using our service! If you need help with anything else, just contact us again. Goodbye for now...

In this case, the librarian started the reference conversation by clarifying the request to determine what the student needs.  Next, the librarian did a focused web search to pull up anything that would help the student with the science fair project – information the student could use to “test it out”.  Then the librarian went to the databases of the patron’s library to show the patron (1) which database to use and (2) a suggested search strategy. 

This busy student asked the librarian to email the article, and the librarian did so.  When is this ok?  As with many reference situations, the answer is dependent on circumstances.  In this case, the librarian had made sure the student was aware of his library’s databases and how to locate articles on point.  The librarian emailed an article that the student had access to – in other words, the librarian did not send an article from her own (chatting librarian) database, which the student would not have access to.  So, in this situation, it is fine for the librarian to email an article directly to the student.

Questions about quality? Email [email protected]

Quality Tip: Use the patron library resources, not your own, when helping patrons

A student needs an article, so the chatting librarian finds it and sends it. Sounds great, right? Not if the librarian fails to use the resources from the student’s library.

In the session below, the chatting librarian sent a journal article to the student in a courteous and efficient manner, to the delight of the student. But, this is not the best approach when handling Cooperative sessions, as the session below illustrates:

Patron [from library ABC]: I was searching for the following article and couldn’t seem to find it [patron provides citation to article].Please help me. Thank you.
Librarian: Welcome to Ask a Librarian! This is John at [Library X]. We staff the service when your librarians are offline. I'm reading your question ... please hold on.
Librarian: Hi <patron’s name>
Librarian: I'll be glad to help with that. One moment please while I check ...
Librarian: I have the article and can send you the PDF after we disconnect here.
Librarian: Anything else we can do for you today?
Patron: Oh, thank you
Patron: that’s all for now. Thank you very much again.
Librarian: Glad to help. Just to be sure, is your email address [librarian verifies patron email address]
Patron: correct. thanks.
Librarian: OK, have a good evening!
Patron: you too!
Librarian: Thanks for using the Ask a Librarian chat reference service! Please contact us again if you have additional questions.

[Librarian ends chat session and codes Follow Up by Me, then sends PDF article from Library X database]

There is much to praise about this session. The librarian was very helpful, courteous and efficient. He verified the patron’s email address and asked a “final satisfaction” question. The student got what she needed right away and is a satisfied customer.

But, there are several issues with this session:

• Lack of reference conversation: the librarian should ascertain whether the student had tried to find the article online through the library’s databases. A surprising number of students aren’t sure how to find articles online.
• In this case, Library ABC (the student’s library) doesn’t actually subscribe to the journal nor is it available online through the library. By sending the item to the student, the librarian’s actions may give students at ABC an unrealistic expectation that the chat service can provide document delivery for items otherwise unavailable at ABC library, as well as circumventing the ILL process at ABC.
• Sending items from library X databases to non-X students (such as the student at ABC) may violate library X’s database license.
• The goal in assisting academic students is not to give them a quick answer, but rather to assist them in using the resources available at their library so that they can do the research themselves: see 24/7 Policies, Section 3.3:  http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247-Policies#33AcademicvsPubliclibrarypatrons .

Recommended approach: The chatting librarian should assist the student in finding the article from the resources available from the student’s library. For journal articles, be sure and check if the journal is available through the local library (as part of a database, and/or by searching the catalog). If the local library does not have access to the requested item, the librarian can send the student information about the library's ILL service (found on the policy page) and instruct them on how to proceed with a request.  See the 24/7 Policies, Section 3.5.1:

http://wiki.questionpoint.org/w/page/13839422/247Policies#351Ifthepatronrequestsaspecificperiodicalarticle

Questions about Quality?  Please comment below or email me at [email protected]

Quality tip: Dealing with the lonely chatter

Holiday times can be difficult for patrons who are lonely, cut-off or with other socialization issues.  In the physical world, a trip to the library can be a social lifeline, but issues arise when the lonely latch on to the library chat service – especially when there are other patrons, needing help with research or other library-specific requests.

Here are some tips to deal with the lonely, the bored, and/or the persistent:

· Pick up the patron.  Don’t leave patron waiting in the queue, as this will result in skewed wait times for the service, and may cause the waiting patron to enter multiple times.

· If you know (or have reason to believe) that the patron has asked this same (or similar) questions before, ask a clarifying question to determine if the patron seems to be following a pattern of unwarranted excessive use.   Example:  "What was lacking in the resources previously given to you?"

· If patron is simply asking the same previously asked question and has no additional clarifying information, then send this message:  “I’m sorry, I can’t find anything else with the resources available to me, but I will forward this to your local library for further review.   Could you verify your email address?” 

· Code Follow Up if patron provides an email address. If no email address, code as Answered.

· If this patron returns with the same question,  send this message if you coded patron’s previous message for follow up: “I’ve already forwarded this for further review and there is nothing more to add at this time.  Thank you for using this service.”  If patron is anonymous/hasn’t left an email, change the message slightly as follows:  “I’ve already offered the option for further review and there is nothing more to add at this time,  Thanks for using this service.”

· Add a librarian note to the session:  repeat patron

For more detail, see the 24/7 Policy on Persistent Patrons

If you suspect your patron just wants to chat rather than get an answer to a question, try this approach:

Patron: [asks a question that’s already been answered]

Librarian:  Hi [patron name, if provided], I see you’ve already asked that question several times.

Librarian: do you log in repeatedly because you have not had your questions sufficiently answered?

Patron: Nope

Librarian: Do you like chatting with different librarians?

Patron: Yep

Librarian:  Does it help you?

Patron: Yep

Librarian: How so?

Patron: Because I’m bored and need somebody to talk to all day online

Librarian:  This is a library reference service, and we have people waiting who need assistance with their research.  I suggest you try a chat room, where you can discuss whatever interests you.  Do you need help locating one?

If patron says yes, send a link to Yahoo!’s directory of chat rooms  or something similar.

If patron indicates he may be in crisis or needs a support group instead, refer the patron to an appropriate hotline, staffed by mental health professionals or trained crisis volunteers. The librarian should not provide counselling.  See the policy on crisis calls for more detail.

Quality Tip: Use Policy Pages for open hours and much more!

Did you know…

• Baruch College library is open 24/7 beginning Dec 13, for the duration of the exam period (Dec 21)
• Multnomah County Library has electricity usage monitors, called Kill-A-Watt devices, available for check out to patrons.
• Queens Library (in New York) has computer classes, and Hennepin County (Minnesota) has Homework Rescue Online Tutoring
• Santa Monica PL has meeting rooms – they are very popular, so must be reserved

You can find out all of this, and much more, by consulting the library’s policy page.  Many frequently asked questions can be found in a field specific to that topic (for example, the “hours” field will have library open hours. For special programs at the library, there is a field for “Library programs, events, services”.  Other fields include “Meeting Rooms” and “Tutoring/Homework Assistance”

And if no field fits, there is an “other policies” section, where you can find information about the Kill-A-Watt program. 

Not sure what field applies?  The policy page is just one long web page, so when in doubt use your browser’s Find function, to find keywords in the page.

And be sure your own library policy page links to resources at your library!

Quality Tip: establishing a connection with the patron to provide great service

While most questions may relate to the library (policies, hours, resources available), sometimes patrons seek the guidance of a librarian for matters outside the usual purview of library services.  This is a great compliment:   it demonstrates the trust that people put in the information found through libraries, as mediated by librarians.   Indeed, a recent survey commissioned by Arts Council England found that “Library staff are second only to doctors in terms of the trust placed in them by seekers of information, which again demonstrates the need for these staff to be effectively trained in order to deliver the safe, quality service people expect.” See http://www.goscl.com/survey-reveals-librarians-second-only-to-doctors-in-publics-trust/ for a copy of the report.

In this session, a UK patron used Enquire, the UK national virtual reference service, to ask about taking a mobility scooter on the train.  The patron asked the question in the evening, when the UK was not staffing – it was picked up by a Coop librarian across the pond, in the U.S.  This session demonstrates virtual reference services may field a wide variety of questions, due to the trusted place of librarians in the community, and that with good searching skills and a welcoming approach, librarians can provide an important service beyond that which strictly pertains to the library:

Patron:  I have been told recently that I can use my electric scooter on trains, as its medium size, not big, I always thought I had to book, that is a bit off putting, as i dont get out regularly, but would be good if I could just go to station buy ticket and go to [small town in U.K.] deaf club just like that...but Im so lack of confidence I dont know what to do, do I just go and try buy ticket and maybe end up embarrased that i cant do it..

Librarian: Hi! I am a librarian in [U.S. location] and I'll be assisting you today. Your librarians have asked our librarians to staff this 24-hour service when they are unavailable. I'm reading your question right now to see how I can help you.

Patron:Well now I see [U.S. location] and I’m in UK, Im unsure if you can help me..

Librarian: I can certainly get you started in the right direction, never fear!

Patron: Thank you

Librarian: My grandparents were deaf, and I have a mobility issue that causes me to sometimes use a scooter, so I know where you are coming from.

Librarian: Let's unravel the issues and see if there is some guidance for you.

Librarian: Do you have a few minutes for this now?

Patron: yes

Librarian: Great -- so one issue is booking ahead of time to accommodate your scooter, right?

Patron: issue is to just go and get ticket and board train

Patron: as I cant book in advance, as Im unable to get out many times

Librarian: Yes, I totally agree - it's frustrating to have to do that much planning to simply ride a bus or train!

Librarian: Let's see what the disability policy is for your transport system.

Librarian: Which one did you want to use?

Patron: Just to GO when Im able and buy ticket and board train with scooter..

Librarian: Yes - but my understanding is that each area of the UK is served by a different train company (no more British Rail, right?)

Patron: been such a long time since I used a train, I think you are right no more british rail

Librarian: OK let's search for transport in your area -- where do you live?

Patron: [name of town]

Librarian: What county is [name of town]?

Patron: [name of county]

Librarian: Great --let me do a little search now and see what train services that area. Just a moment.

Patron: ok no problem.  The guy who wrote down that i could just go and buy ticket works with electric scooters for disabled..But I haven't gone and asked at station as i dont want to be embarrassed.

Librarian: It looks like [town] is served by National Rail. Here is their web site page for passengers with disabilities: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/

Librarian: Would you need assistance getting on and off the train, do you think?

Patron: Only thing I would want is ramp into carriage of train, Ive seen bikes etc go on

Librarian: They are very used to working with all kinds of passengers and are set up to help, so I wouldn't hesitate to ask -- you have every right to ask for help!

Librarian: So what they ask that you do is just let them know, so they can have someone ready to help when you get there -- are you comfortable doing that?

Patron: I know they have ramp into carriage all I would need to do is drive aboard, and I also know they have lifts at stations now so I can cross from 1 side to other with ease

Librarian:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/wheelchairs_scooters.html

Librarian: Here's what they say about riding the train with a scooter:

Librarian: Let's also find out if [name of town] station has a lift or ramp.Just a sec.

Librarian: While I'm looking -- do you have one of these?!

Librarian: http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/

Patron: My son has told me they do and I have just read and my scooter comes within all catagories,dimensions etc

Librarian: OK, I will double-check on that...

Patron: no I don’t have railcard as i dont use it that much

Librarian: Here are some tips from that disabled railcard site:

http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/travelling-by-rail

Patron: so I dont have to book ticket, I can just go and buy ticket and go ?

Librarian: Here's the station web site -- I'm looking to make sure there are ramps and a lift: [librarian sends link to info about town’s station]

Librarian: When you scroll down, there is a whole section on Accessibility.

Patron: I know from my son that stations I need have lifts and that is great, I just wante4d to make sure I can just go and buy ticket and board without booking

Librarian: No, unfortunately, you can't!

Librarian: They need notice as they have to make sure they have room for your scooter, even if it's regulation size.

Librarian: If you prefer, you can just go and buy a ticket -- as long as you can navigate the station, and don't mind waiting for help. It looks like they have a staffed Help Point during the day. It's up to you.

Librarian: Help points are available on all platforms Monday-Friday 24 hours Saturday 24 hours Sunday 24 hours Staff help Monday-Friday 05:00-22:30 Saturday 05:00-22:30 Sunday 06:30-22:30

Patron: Ok maybe I should just go and try and see what happens

Librarian: If you feel more comfortable doing that, then that's what you should do!

Patron: yes that is pleasing

Librarian: The most important thing is that you do it your way, but that you do it!

Librarian: Getting out is so beneficial, it's worth a bit of struggle.

Patron: I get maybe 1 or 2 days a week where I can use scooter and balance is ok

Librarian: Yes, I experience that myself -- it's frustrating but I push myself anyway!

Patron: sadly sometimes I havent been out for about 3 months

Librarian: Yes, people without these issues don't understand how difficult the simplest things are. I hope you will try, and just go with the flow as long as you have the time and patience. It will be worth it.

Patron: Yes I will go and try it out, hopefully that it isnt busy day

Patron: Ok many many thanks for your help

Librarian: You're very welcome.

Librarian: Please log back on if you need more help, or other searches done.

Patron: most helpful indeed have a nice day if its daytime there

Librarian: It is! A bit cloudy but you understand that :)) Have a wonderful time on your adventure! Bye for now.

Patron: bye for now

While this isn’t typically the type of question asked at the library, a virtual service may receive a wider range of requests.  Public libraries especially seek to engage with their community and establish relevance – and to be a trusted partner in a crowded world of information is a nice place to be!

Comments about this or any quality issue? Post your comments or email me at [email protected]