1. 6/21/07 1 ‘ Best Practices’ Ask Away June 21, 2007 1 st. Day of Summer Debra Aggertt Illinois Virtual Reference Coordinator daggertt@ilsos.net 217-558-1945 Mark Beatty Wisconsin Virtual Reference Coordinator mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu 608-265-5719 Martha F. Berninger Librarian Supervisor Reference & Loan Library martha.berninger@dpi.state.wi.us 608-224-6168

2. 6/21/07 2 Topics for today… QuestionPoint updates and enhancements Shared follow up Descriptive codes Resolution codes ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’/Martha Beringer Guest speaker/Loretta Broomfield Reference resources Library consultant/Illinois - Shawnee Library System Wisconsin Virtual Reference workshop July 24, 2007 3 rd. Virtual Reference Workshop – Denver July 30- August 1. 2007

3. 6/21/07 3 Enhancements and updates to QuestionPoint 24/7 NEW FEATURES AND FIXES 1.1 Administrators: More flexible reporting 1.2 Administrators: Forms Manager 1.2.1 Chat 2 (Preview): Next generation patron interface 1.2.2. Chat Form tab is renamed to Practice Chat 2.1 Administrators: BME-level Announcements area on home page 2.2 Ability to send e-mail to patron for notification purposes only 2.3 Administrators: Ability to send e-mail to all librarians within a BME 2.4 Patrons who provide screen name but no e-mail 2.5 Institution name and question date in public Knowledge Base records

4. 6/21/07 4 Enhancements and Updates 2.6 Help on patron Logon page in other languages 2.7 Administrators Link to custom survey 2.8 All timestamps include seconds 2.9 Retired News 2.10 New Descriptive Codes available 3. User Apparent Fixes 3.1 Administrators: Edit an SUP policy pages 3.2 Export of reports 3.3 IP address removed from records with status Deleted. 3.4 Search Policy Pages link on home page for all Cooperative members From the May 31, 2007 QuestionPoint blog

5. 6/21/07 5 Shared Follow up To strengthen the cooperatives and provide the best reference services for the patrons, there are three types of follow up to a chat session- Follow up by Me (my library’s patron) Follow up by Me (other library’s patron) Follow up by Me (my library’s patron – shared follow up)

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7. 7 Workflow: Shared follow up A library selected the resolution code, “Follow up by Patron’s library”. As a result, a note was added to the transcript to show that the transcript was ultimately placed in the Shared Follow up area for the patron’s library. Questions in Shared follow up also appear on the New List of the patron’s library. The transcript is unassigned and is marked for shared follow up.

8. 6/21/07 8 It is the responsibility of each participating library to check the Shared follow up tab several times a week when they log into their ‘My QuestionPoint’ home page. Questions will be placed in this tab by chatting librarians answering questions from your patrons. Please claim the questions and provide backup reference services to your patrons.

9. 6/21/07 9 Tips for Virtual Reference Librarians Subject: Shared Follow up Automatic Reminder Function Sometimes we’re busy and may forget to check our shared follow up questions. If you use Microsoft Outlook, there is a function that will automatically remind you to check your questions. New Recurring Appointment Click on the Calendar tab Click on Actions in the top toolbar Select New Recurring Appointment Select the appointment time Select the recurrence pattern – daily, weekly, etc. Click in the radio button by “No end date” Click OK at the bottom of the box Fill in the Appointment box on the screen Subject: Shared Follow Up Location: Enter your library name or leave blank Set Start time Set End Time Reminder interval: 15 minutes Participating in answering shared follow up questions will help you be a better cooperative partner. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to CLOSE the questions you’ve answered.

10. 6/21/07 10 Descriptive codes Subject: Descriptive Codes vs Resolution Code(s) When you end a chat session, you are given an opportunity to enter a Resolution Code and a Descriptive Code (or codes). You must enter a Resolution Code at the conclusion of each chat session. However, Descriptive Codes should ONLY be used for sessions with your own patrons. Why? It relates to the differing purposes of the codes.

11. 6/21/07 11 Descriptive codes merely describe the session, for purposes of analysis. For example, a library can use descriptive codes to see how many research (vs instructional) questions were asked by their patrons, for example, or how many business questions came in. Librarians differ as to what the individual descriptive codes mean, or when one code should be used over another code. Since reports can be generated based on the code, there is an interest within a library of maintaining the integrity of what codes to use, and when. Since each library has its own understanding and use of the codes, please refrain from assigning any descriptive code to a session from another library. If a chatting librarian mistakenly assigns a descriptive code to one of your patron's sessions, you can change it. Up to 4 codes per session may be used. However, if a chatting librarian assigns 3 codes to a session, and you only want one code, there is no way to delete the codes already assigned (you can only change a code, not delete it). Libraries do not have to use descriptive codes for their patron sessions: it is completely optional. So, always use Resolution Codes, and never use Descriptive Codes (unless you are chatting with your own patrons). From the QuestionPoint Blog: http://questionpoint.blogs.com/questionpoint_247_referen/2007/03/de scriptive_cod.html http://questionpoint.blogs.com/questionpoint_247_referen/2007/03/de scriptive_cod.html By Susan Glammery

12. 6/21/07 12 Updates – New Descriptive codes available 6/3/07 Interlibrary loan (ILL) Electronic Resources Referred to home library Non-affiliated Item Request

13. 6/21/07 13 Resolution codes Resolution Codes directly affect the status of a question. There are 5 of them: Answered Follow Up by Me Follow Up by Patron Library Lost Call Practice. Using one code rather than another will impact how the session appears in both your Question List and, when chatting with a patron from another library, in the Question List of the patron's library.

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15. 6/21/07 15 ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ Martha Beringer/WiLS

16. 6/21/07 16 Reference resources- Loretta Broomfield/Library consultant Illinois/Shawnee Library System

17. 6/21/07 17 “It’s All About Them” Successful Virtual Reference Marketing – Madison, Wisconsin July 24, 2007 Buff Hirko – Marketing and promotion of a virtual reference service.

18. 6/21/07 18 Collaborative Virtual Reference Symposium Denver, Colorado July 30-August 1, 2007

19. 6/21/07 19 Comments or suggestions for a ‘Best Practices’ session for Ask Away? Next scheduled session is July 19, 2007 Hosted by Martha Beringer/Wisconsin