AskWhyKy.org

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AskWhyKy.org

• Providing 24/7 Reference Service to all
  Kentuckians

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Overview of AskWhyKy

• What is AskWhyKy?
• History of the consortium
• Cost
• Requirements for participation coverage schedule

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The Chat Experience
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Librarians view Monitoring the chat
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Log onto QuestionPoint
Enter User ID and Password
www.QuestionPoint.org
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Launch the chat
Launch chat
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Review your alert settings
Click here to view and change settings
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Review your alert settings (contd.)
(1) Make and save changes
(2) Return
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Select queue(s) to monitor
(1) Select queue
Kentucky queue
Global queue
Practice queue
(2)
Save
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Wait for a question
New questions will appear here.
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Customers viewAsking a question
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Customer selects their library
Customer selects their library
www.AskWhyKy.org
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Customer provides information for librarian
(1)
Select anonymous session
OR
Provide information
(2) Type question
(3) Connect
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Librarians view Answering the question
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Alert will tell you that new patron has arrived.
Click OK
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Pick up the question
Hover to preview question, click to answer
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Respond to customer
(1)
(3) Send
View patron information
(2) Type response here
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Customers viewChat
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The customer will see your response.
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Librarians view Chat
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Locate answer and send response.
(2) Send
(1) Copy and paste the URL from your web browser
to send a web page to the customer.
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Customers viewChat
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Customer will see the web page load in left frame.
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Customer responds.
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Librarians view Chat
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Say goodbye with the closing script.
(3)
(2)
(1) Select the script you want to use
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End the session.
Click here to end
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Select resolution and close.
(1)
(2)
(3)
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Review of Tools We Just Used

• Alerts
• Patron Information
• Sending web pages
• Scripts

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More Tools for Librarians

• Policy pages
• Co-browsing
• Follow up
• Customer surveys
• Question history
• Statistics
• Tutorials
• Knowledge base

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Before you join Considering online reference
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Staff Concerns

• Can we handle another service point?
• Will we have to change our policies?
• How does the technology work?
• What about quality control?
• What if I get a question I cant answer?

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Preparing for Chat Reference

• Lots and lots of reading
• Classes and seminars
• Visited libraries doing chat reference
• Prepared a report
• Installed IM on staff computers
• Tried the service as a patron
• QuestionPoint training
• Practice, practice, practice

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Our Experience
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Lexington Public Librarys Experience

• Havent answered that many questions yet
• Patrons are finding us without marketing
• So far hasnt been a huge change in the way we do
  things
• Most staff is comfortable with the software
• Site administrators job does take time

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Types of Questions(January mid-March)

• Circulation - 4
• Local History/Kentucky Room- 5
• Library Services 4
• General Reference 5
• Readers Advisory 1
• Taxes 1
• Net Library 2
• Homework - 1

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How to get involved
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Q A