SF Bay Regional Forum - Tuesday, February 8, 2005
All-group discussion session, Question-and-Answer session - Notes
Outside of California, libraries have always paid for software, each seat, and training – but not for after-hour service to keep it 24/7. If OCLC changes charges to California libraries, hope that State will continue to pay for AskNow. Support it with your reference head and director.
· Jeff Penka and Susan McGlamery will review the new QuestionPoint 24/7 Cooperative Reference service, and what it means for you. Please plan to attend one of the following live, virtual sessions.
Tuesday, February 15, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST [1:00 – 3:00 p.m. PST]
Wednesday, February 16, 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. EST [6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PST]
Thursday, February 17, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. EST [6:00 – 8:00 a.m. PST]
Thursday, February 17, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST [11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m. PST]
To register for a session or change to another, please contact Marianne Vagnier at 'vagnierm@oclc.org '. Please indicate your institution, the names of all staff attending, and the number of seats needed. Hopefully institution staff will gather around speaker phones to reduce the number of seats needed.
· Policy pages: Send recommendations for changes in any library’s policy page to Sue Barb and Mary Beth Train. Also send them copies of transcripts, for troubleshooting or for compliments.
· Ongoing co-browsing troubles: Make sure both librarian and patron clear cache. OCLC is working on the problem posed by patron firewalls. If patron can’t see the librarian’s typing, send firewall script (if patron has provided email address) so patron will be advised what to do via the transcript. Guideline: if no response from patron in 4 minutes, you may assume there’s a problem and end the session.
· Scripts and Messages: Since the coordinators for the different queues write the scripts, you may not find your favorite script in some queues. You can put your favorite scripts in your personal messages, which are in the drop down box below the “Messages” chat box. The most important system messages are at the top of the list. Yours will be below that. The messages drop down menu doesn’t contain the many scripts because it would be long, unwieldy, and unsortable.
· Support pages: When Sue and Mary Beth get access to the AskNow site to make changes, they will encourage the web team to add link in addition to AskNow link stating something like “If you’re using IE, click here.”
· Library barcodes: If your library management team has not already done so, encourage them to provide library generic barcode/PIN (with no expiration). Issue the card to AskNow Then online librarians can access your library’s expensive databases to show them off to your patrons. If you find that a library’s barcode has expired, please notify Sue and Mary Beth.
· Overflow queues: Some of the other states, e.g. MD AskNow, CT project, want to serve their own patrons first, so they won’t pick up more than one patron at a time. When these librarians are all busy, their patrons move into Public Cooperative Overflow.
· Schedules & Holidays: Victor maintains library schedules – should be polling libraries on their holiday availability. On the general collaborative schedule at http://www.247ref.org/schedule/libschedule.cfm, the consensus was that name for the librarians in the old QandAcafe area will be changed from qanda to SFBay. That will have more meaning to librarians outside California.
· Back-up/Contract Librarians: When looking for someone to transfer patron to, look for 24/7 librarian (not MCLS any more). These contract librarians, who provide back up and staff when the libraries are closed (nearly 2/3 of the week) may be called QP Librarian (+ initials) in the future.
· Instant Message – IM: The Ipswitch IM client used for the QuestionPoint-24/7 service is completely private and secure, unlike AOL or the other open IM clients. It is on the 24/7 server, not a public, open one. Please install it on your computers if you haven’t already done so and explain this to your IT department to reassure them of the safety of Ipswitch IM. Instructions and the link are at http://www.247ref.org/info/im/index.cfm
If you get no response when you IM, assume that the librarian is unavailable. Sue Barb is generally on IM 9-1 in the 24/7 Librarians group. Ingrid is on weekdays at the bottom; she is part of the Cherry Hill support team.
To IM someone, double-clicking on their name will bring up the messaging box.
· Marketing tips: Add AskNow to your email signature line, to your library’s main telephone message about hours, to your telephone reference service message, and to your out-of-office email messages
Example: Ronna C Nemer
Reference and Live Online Reference Librarian
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San Jose Public Library System
San Jose, California, USA
Library web page: http://sjlibrary.org
Link to AskNow: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/reference/
· Live Homework Help: It’s now extended to college freshmen. Stats going WAY up. Patrons must download Shockwave, but most kids have it on their computers. Always do brief interview before sending script to patron being connected to Live Homework Help. We must end session before patron can go to LHH. Current hours: 1-9, M-F. Bilingual help, 1-8, M-F. Also helps with editing English language documents. Students will get a persistent link for 30 days, after which they must go through AskNow again. Students may review previous sessions with this link. Try out a session yourself to see how LHH works. Contact Mary Beth for marketing materials, including a customizable PowerPoint for presentations to students, parents, home-schoolers and teen and children’s librarians.
· Statistics and annual report: Attendees asked that the annual report be published on the listserv. For help with statistics and packaging them to appeal to management and boards, please contact Mary Beth.
· QRC migrating to QuestionPoint’s question-answering software. On 1/23, QRC was loaded into the QuestionPoint databases and QuestionPoint will replace QRC for handling AskNow follow-up questions. It’s free until 6/2006. In addition to AskNow follow-ups, your library can track phone, walk-in, and library email questions; patrons also will have the ability to track the status of their questions – useful for complicated questions. Much better statistical reporting. Basics will be similar to QRC. Since all transcripts for a library’s QuestionPoint account will go into its database, the ones requiring follow-up need to be flagged and extracted; this is one of the migration issues. Susan McGlamery wants conversion completed by 3/15 but she doesn’t know if this is doable or not. Interface to logon for chat will look different, but once on, the chat main page will look the same.
You *always* have option of forwarding QRC follow-up question to 2nd level reference or subject specialist. Since many libraries want to see all of their follow-up questions and have the first pass at answering them, all the follow-up questions, not coded for a specialist, are put into the CA FOLLOWUP folder.
Inactive transcripts not being purged from QRC– can go back quite far. Transcripts in 247reg.org/INFO have the identifying information stripped after 35 days. The follow-up component to QuestionPoint has a knowledge base for you to check to see if an answer to a similar question may help with a question you’re working on. The migration to QuestionPoint involves these privacy and knowledge base issues.
· Question: Possibility of incorporating IM directly into the software so we don’t have to load yet another thing? Sue will look into this.
· 30-second Public Service Announcement for AskNow on KPIX Channel 5 (wee hours) There are 30-, 20- and 10-second versions for TV stations outside the 9-county KPIX market. Please contact Mary Beth Train about getting a PSA for your area if you’re outside the greater San Francisco Bay area.
· Marketing idea: Starbucks provides wireless service – Mary Beth will search for an introduction to a contact to get the AskNow logo on one side of Starbucks’ java jackets.
· OCLC and Sue are recruiting for after-hours Spanish language service, trying to get fully 24/7. Spanish 24/7 is a high priority. After that, the next language is French because of OCLC’s proximity to Canada. Chinese is after that.
· Third Thursday Forums – live online meetings to be announced on the listserv. Possibilities of Tuesday or Wednesday meetings too; contact Sue Barb for those times.
Note-taker: R. Nemer
Outside of California, libraries have always paid for software, each seat, and training – but not for after-hour service to keep it 24/7. If OCLC changes charges to California libraries, hope that State will continue to pay for AskNow. Support it with your reference head and director.
· Jeff Penka and Susan McGlamery will review the new QuestionPoint 24/7 Cooperative Reference service, and what it means for you. Please plan to attend one of the following live, virtual sessions.
Tuesday, February 15, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST [1:00 – 3:00 p.m. PST]
Wednesday, February 16, 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. EST [6:00 – 8:00 p.m. PST]
Thursday, February 17, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. EST [6:00 – 8:00 a.m. PST]
Thursday, February 17, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. EST [11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m. PST]
To register for a session or change to another, please contact Marianne Vagnier at 'vagnierm@oclc.org '. Please indicate your institution, the names of all staff attending, and the number of seats needed. Hopefully institution staff will gather around speaker phones to reduce the number of seats needed.
· Policy pages: Send recommendations for changes in any library’s policy page to Sue Barb and Mary Beth Train. Also send them copies of transcripts, for troubleshooting or for compliments.
· Ongoing co-browsing troubles: Make sure both librarian and patron clear cache. OCLC is working on the problem posed by patron firewalls. If patron can’t see the librarian’s typing, send firewall script (if patron has provided email address) so patron will be advised what to do via the transcript. Guideline: if no response from patron in 4 minutes, you may assume there’s a problem and end the session.
· Scripts and Messages: Since the coordinators for the different queues write the scripts, you may not find your favorite script in some queues. You can put your favorite scripts in your personal messages, which are in the drop down box below the “Messages” chat box. The most important system messages are at the top of the list. Yours will be below that. The messages drop down menu doesn’t contain the many scripts because it would be long, unwieldy, and unsortable.
· Support pages: When Sue and Mary Beth get access to the AskNow site to make changes, they will encourage the web team to add link in addition to AskNow link stating something like “If you’re using IE, click here.”
· Library barcodes: If your library management team has not already done so, encourage them to provide library generic barcode/PIN (with no expiration). Issue the card to AskNow Then online librarians can access your library’s expensive databases to show them off to your patrons. If you find that a library’s barcode has expired, please notify Sue and Mary Beth.
· Overflow queues: Some of the other states, e.g. MD AskNow, CT project, want to serve their own patrons first, so they won’t pick up more than one patron at a time. When these librarians are all busy, their patrons move into Public Cooperative Overflow.
· Schedules & Holidays: Victor maintains library schedules – should be polling libraries on their holiday availability. On the general collaborative schedule at http://www.247ref.org/schedule/libschedule.cfm, the consensus was that name for the librarians in the old QandAcafe area will be changed from qanda to SFBay. That will have more meaning to librarians outside California.
· Back-up/Contract Librarians: When looking for someone to transfer patron to, look for 24/7 librarian (not MCLS any more). These contract librarians, who provide back up and staff when the libraries are closed (nearly 2/3 of the week) may be called QP Librarian (+ initials) in the future.
· Instant Message – IM: The Ipswitch IM client used for the QuestionPoint-24/7 service is completely private and secure, unlike AOL or the other open IM clients. It is on the 24/7 server, not a public, open one. Please install it on your computers if you haven’t already done so and explain this to your IT department to reassure them of the safety of Ipswitch IM. Instructions and the link are at http://www.247ref.org/info/im/index.cfm
If you get no response when you IM, assume that the librarian is unavailable. Sue Barb is generally on IM 9-1 in the 24/7 Librarians group. Ingrid is on weekdays at the bottom; she is part of the Cherry Hill support team.
To IM someone, double-clicking on their name will bring up the messaging box.
· Marketing tips: Add AskNow to your email signature line, to your library’s main telephone message about hours, to your telephone reference service message, and to your out-of-office email messages
Example: Ronna C Nemer
Reference and Live Online Reference Librarian
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San Jose Public Library System
San Jose, California, USA
Library web page: http://sjlibrary.org
Link to AskNow: http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/reference/
· Live Homework Help: It’s now extended to college freshmen. Stats going WAY up. Patrons must download Shockwave, but most kids have it on their computers. Always do brief interview before sending script to patron being connected to Live Homework Help. We must end session before patron can go to LHH. Current hours: 1-9, M-F. Bilingual help, 1-8, M-F. Also helps with editing English language documents. Students will get a persistent link for 30 days, after which they must go through AskNow again. Students may review previous sessions with this link. Try out a session yourself to see how LHH works. Contact Mary Beth for marketing materials, including a customizable PowerPoint for presentations to students, parents, home-schoolers and teen and children’s librarians.
· Statistics and annual report: Attendees asked that the annual report be published on the listserv. For help with statistics and packaging them to appeal to management and boards, please contact Mary Beth.
· QRC migrating to QuestionPoint’s question-answering software. On 1/23, QRC was loaded into the QuestionPoint databases and QuestionPoint will replace QRC for handling AskNow follow-up questions. It’s free until 6/2006. In addition to AskNow follow-ups, your library can track phone, walk-in, and library email questions; patrons also will have the ability to track the status of their questions – useful for complicated questions. Much better statistical reporting. Basics will be similar to QRC. Since all transcripts for a library’s QuestionPoint account will go into its database, the ones requiring follow-up need to be flagged and extracted; this is one of the migration issues. Susan McGlamery wants conversion completed by 3/15 but she doesn’t know if this is doable or not. Interface to logon for chat will look different, but once on, the chat main page will look the same.
You *always* have option of forwarding QRC follow-up question to 2nd level reference or subject specialist. Since many libraries want to see all of their follow-up questions and have the first pass at answering them, all the follow-up questions, not coded for a specialist, are put into the CA FOLLOWUP folder.
Inactive transcripts not being purged from QRC– can go back quite far. Transcripts in 247reg.org/INFO have the identifying information stripped after 35 days. The follow-up component to QuestionPoint has a knowledge base for you to check to see if an answer to a similar question may help with a question you’re working on. The migration to QuestionPoint involves these privacy and knowledge base issues.
· Question: Possibility of incorporating IM directly into the software so we don’t have to load yet another thing? Sue will look into this.
· 30-second Public Service Announcement for AskNow on KPIX Channel 5 (wee hours) There are 30-, 20- and 10-second versions for TV stations outside the 9-county KPIX market. Please contact Mary Beth Train about getting a PSA for your area if you’re outside the greater San Francisco Bay area.
· Marketing idea: Starbucks provides wireless service – Mary Beth will search for an introduction to a contact to get the AskNow logo on one side of Starbucks’ java jackets.
· OCLC and Sue are recruiting for after-hours Spanish language service, trying to get fully 24/7. Spanish 24/7 is a high priority. After that, the next language is French because of OCLC’s proximity to Canada. Chinese is after that.
· Third Thursday Forums – live online meetings to be announced on the listserv. Possibilities of Tuesday or Wednesday meetings too; contact Sue Barb for those times.
Note-taker: R. Nemer
posted by Mary Beth Train at 2:25 PM
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