E-Reference Services Update to Staff
As you may know the Library District is planning to offer our customers a virtual reference (live chat) service where customers can get answers to their questions in real time with a go-live date of February 1, 2005 (or thereabouts). The District will continue offering email reference to its customers as well. This project is involving the assistance of many library staff members. Librarians throughout the Library District will share approximately 36 hours of virtual reference desk coverage during the pilot phase of the service.
General Information
A marketing survey has been developed in order to gather more information from our customers asking if they would be interested in using such a service. This survey will be conducted in person (one week) and electronically (one month). Other libraries throughout the state will be invited to use this online survey so we may gather their responses as well. Stay tuned for more specific information on the survey.
Virtual Reference Services
The product 24/7 Reference has been chosen mainly for its staffing model as well as its functionality. The service is open 24-hours per day and is staffed by librarians across the country. Likewise, our staff will be serving other libraries' customers during certain hours. If you would like more information on this software or to see how it operates at other libraries please see: www.247ref.org or visit www.bpl.org and test it out. I will be happy to come out to your library and give you a demo as well.
Staff Training
Librarians mark your calendars for the two planned training sessions--one is the how-to's of the software and the other will focus on core competencies of providing reference service. Please try to save these dates for training. Jeremy will be sending more detailed information on times and locations.
1) Software Training: December 8th OR December 9th All Day: Each participant takes a 1 day course that includes lecture, software demos, and 4 hours of practice.
2) Reference Services--Core Competencies: Dec, 14, 15 OR, 16th (Makeup session offered): 4-hour course. Reference guidelines, procedures, search skills, website evaluation, MCLD Databases, online etiquette, and chat reference interviews.
Polaris Upgrades
A few Polaris upgrades are planned that will help us serve our customers better. They are
1) Customers will not be asked for their library card number when they click on the "Ask Us" button. This has implications for the way we are currently doing e-mail reference so we will have to change a few things. When we go live with the virtual reference service, staff members assigned a particular hour will be responsible for checking the in-box of the "Ask" email account.
2) Customers who choose to use the virtual reference service (live chat) may enter their card number. If they do so, their transcripts will be available in the "My Account" area when they login to their account.
3) When no hits are pulled from a search in the catalog the resulting screen will ask the searcher if they want the assistance of a librarian.
We are really excited about this new service and how it will help us improve services to existing customers and possible attract some new ones. We know you may have a lot of questions so please email me what questions you do have. I will schedule visits at your library to give your staff an overview of the service during the month of January. If librarians at your library would like a demo of the service prior to the first training sessions in December I will be happy to meet with you.
Thank you.
Paula
Contacts on this project:
Paula Wilson, Web/Outreach Services Coordinator, x61634
Susan Varscsak, Electronic Resource Librarian, x 65784
Jeremy Reader, Staff Development Manager
General Information
A marketing survey has been developed in order to gather more information from our customers asking if they would be interested in using such a service. This survey will be conducted in person (one week) and electronically (one month). Other libraries throughout the state will be invited to use this online survey so we may gather their responses as well. Stay tuned for more specific information on the survey.
Virtual Reference Services
The product 24/7 Reference has been chosen mainly for its staffing model as well as its functionality. The service is open 24-hours per day and is staffed by librarians across the country. Likewise, our staff will be serving other libraries' customers during certain hours. If you would like more information on this software or to see how it operates at other libraries please see: www.247ref.org or visit www.bpl.org and test it out. I will be happy to come out to your library and give you a demo as well.
Staff Training
Librarians mark your calendars for the two planned training sessions--one is the how-to's of the software and the other will focus on core competencies of providing reference service. Please try to save these dates for training. Jeremy will be sending more detailed information on times and locations.
1) Software Training: December 8th OR December 9th All Day: Each participant takes a 1 day course that includes lecture, software demos, and 4 hours of practice.
2) Reference Services--Core Competencies: Dec, 14, 15 OR, 16th (Makeup session offered): 4-hour course. Reference guidelines, procedures, search skills, website evaluation, MCLD Databases, online etiquette, and chat reference interviews.
Polaris Upgrades
A few Polaris upgrades are planned that will help us serve our customers better. They are
1) Customers will not be asked for their library card number when they click on the "Ask Us" button. This has implications for the way we are currently doing e-mail reference so we will have to change a few things. When we go live with the virtual reference service, staff members assigned a particular hour will be responsible for checking the in-box of the "Ask" email account.
2) Customers who choose to use the virtual reference service (live chat) may enter their card number. If they do so, their transcripts will be available in the "My Account" area when they login to their account.
3) When no hits are pulled from a search in the catalog the resulting screen will ask the searcher if they want the assistance of a librarian.
We are really excited about this new service and how it will help us improve services to existing customers and possible attract some new ones. We know you may have a lot of questions so please email me what questions you do have. I will schedule visits at your library to give your staff an overview of the service during the month of January. If librarians at your library would like a demo of the service prior to the first training sessions in December I will be happy to meet with you.
Thank you.
Paula
Contacts on this project:
Paula Wilson, Web/Outreach Services Coordinator, x61634
Susan Varscsak, Electronic Resource Librarian, x 65784
Jeremy Reader, Staff Development Manager
posted by MCLD at 3:38 PM
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