Ask a Librarian FKCCTraining

(password=fkcc)

By clicking on an AaL link on FKCC Library’s webpage, which takes them to FKCC’s own “local” AaL page. By visiting the main page, Two common paths to Ask a Librarian:.mobi

FKCC’s local/portal Ask a Librarian page (what we call your “EZ-URL”) is:

Live Chat & Texting Live Chat & Texting FKCC staff only Statewide if FKCC is not logged in

Local (FKCC box)  Check this box to help FKCC students:  Marked “Unavailable”: only  Marked “Available”: Chat and Collaborative (plus Texting)  There are librarians scheduled to check this box for every hour we are open (above). It is like the catch-all or “main” desk.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Collaborative Desk. Academic (plus Texting)  From 10a-4p M-F, a second group of librarians checks the Academic box instead, and see Academic users once inside.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Academic Desk. Statewide Ask a Librarian Hours: Sun-Thurs, 10am-midnight Fri & Sat, 10am-5pm

Local (FKCC box)  Check this box to help FKCC students:  Marked “Unavailable”: only  Marked “Available”: Chat and Collaborative (plus Texting)  There are librarians scheduled to check this box for every hour we are open (above). It is like the catch-all or “main” desk.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Collaborative Desk. Academic (plus Texting)  From 10a-4p M-F, a second group of librarians checks the Academic box instead, and see Academic users once inside.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Academic Desk. Statewide Ask a Librarian Hours: Sun-Thurs, 10am-midnight Fri & Sat, 10am-5pm

Local (FKCC box)  Check this box to help FKCC students:  Marked “Unavailable”: only  Marked “Available”: Chat and Academic (plus Texting)  From 10a-4p M-F, a second group of librarians checks the Academic box instead, and see Academic users once inside.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Academic Desk. Collaborative (plus Texting)  There are librarians scheduled to check this box for every hour we are open (above). It is like the catch-all or “main” desk.  Check this & the Texting box if scheduled to cover the Collaborative Desk. Statewide Ask a Librarian Hours: Sun-Thurs, 10am-midnight Fri & Sat, 10am-5pm ALL OPEN HOURS M-F 10am - 4pm FKCC’s choice

FKCC student enters Ask a Librarian. Software looks to see if FKCC staff is logged into FKCC’s local desk & marked “Available”. If yes, sends patron to FKCC staff. If not, looks to see the Academic Desk is open. If yes, student enters Academic Desk queue. If the Academic Desk is closed, student enters the Collaborative Desk queue. Both Academic and Collaborative are statewide-staffed desks, which ensures that FKCC students get help during all posted hours, regardless of whether FKCC staff are there to help.

info.askalibrarian.org The info part of the site is the librarian end of things. The www part of the site is the patron end of things. Password = toolbox

pslogin.instantservice.com

FKCC students send their text messages to (305) , typing fkc right before the question. To: Message: fkc What time is the library open during spring break?

The fkc keyword causes Florida Keys Community College to display in the Agent Console. To: Message: fkc What time is the library open during spring break?

The fkc keyword causes Florida Keys Community College to display in the Agent Console. To: Message: fkc What time is the library open during spring break? If they forget fkc, no worries… the console will just show Collaborative instead of FKCC for the library name.

User sends text Text is converted into (text) received in statewide Mail Queue Collaborative or Academic librarian replies to (text) converted back into text User receives response as text

Each time you log into Collaborative or Academic, you will also log into Texting. You can also staff Texting when staffing your local desk. Right-click to preview. ~ ~ Double-click to reply.

The text will open in lower- left corner. Right-click to preview. Preview: Text thread previews in HTML Body tab.

The HTML button and HTML Body tab will show the text thread. The SMS Helper tab assists with creating the text reply.

One thing to remember: Reply must be 160 characters or less.

Click on the SMS Helper tab and type reply into first text field. Shorten URLs (include the http) and paste after your reply. Copy/paste reply into field. Click on Send; the user will receive your reply as a text. Use SMS Helper to count characters Type final reply here (or paste from the right)

Best Practices 160 characters or less Shorten URLs; consider search results URLs for multiple user options Try to help through texting before referring (user's preferred media) Include general info if user wasn't specific so they are not empty-handed Include answer details in message - not just URL - for those users without Web capabilities. Remember not all users have unlimited text plans-- it costs some patrons to send and receive texts, so always count characters.

Technical issues? 1) If you don’t see the preview there, click on the Header tab, and then on the messageBodyHTML link. It will show the text in a new window.

Java issues? Three things. 1) If you don’t see the preview there, click on the Header tab, and then on the messageBodyHTML link. It will show the text in a new window. Technical issues cont’d: 2)Click on the HTML button above the text to open the text in a new window. 3)Open the SMS Helper from the URLs tab.

Ask a Librarian Demos (password: toolbox)

Training Questions: Traci Avet , ext. 223 Technical Issues: Training Questions: Traci Avet , ext. 223 Technical Issues: Help !