MLA Conference 2005

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MLA Conference 2005

• Please Hury It Up ThanksInterpersonal
  Communication in Maryland AskUsNow!Chat
  Reference Encounters
• Maryland Library Association Conference
• May 5, 2005
• Marie Radford
• Associate Professor of Library and Information
  Science
• Rutgers University
• gt Joe Thompson
• Project Coordinator Maryland AskUsNow!
• Baltimore County Public Library
• Now the practitioners perspective at Maryland
  AskUsNow!

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Background Basics

• Maryland AskUsNow!
• Grand opening on March 17, 2003
• 27 library systems (public, academic, Maryland
  State Law Library, and the Maryland State Library
  for the Blind and Physically Handicapped)
• Participant in 24/7 Reference national
  cooperative, now merged with OCLCs
  QuestionPoint service
• Mission
• AskUsNow! is a 24/7 live online interactive
  service. It uses the expertise of librarians to
  provide answers to questions, research guidance,
  and help navigating the Internet. AskUsNow!
  serves the information needs of Maryland
  residents and students of academic institutions
  through a partnership of Maryland public,
  academic, and special libraries.

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AwardWinning!
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Why are we offering the service?

• Expanded hours (24/7)
• Answers at time and point of need
• Chat and Instant Messaging are the communication
  style of choice for increasing numbers of library
  customers
• Personalized service from trained staff
• To clarify complex questions
• Instruction
• To highlight existing services and instruction
• Marketing and publicity
• Opportunity for staff development
• More efficient use of existing staff

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How do people get to it?

• From
• www.askusnow.info
• Partner library home pages, and other locations
  on library web sites
• K-12 schools, nonprofits, and other community
  organizations who have added a link

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How much is it being used?

• A lot!
• Maryland customers account for 26 of all 24/7
  Reference national cooperative usage!
• Its busier than we ever expected!
• January 2005 4362February 2005 4592March
  2005 5932April 2005 5959
• Over 70,000 questions have been submitted
• Of these, 7500 have received attention later in
  e-mail

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www.askusnow.info/join
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Training

• What training has already been provided?
• Jan. 2003 New Staff Training Software
• Fall 03 Spring 04 Refresher Training
  Sessions
• Model Chat Reference Behavior
• Behaviors Checklist
• Review of secret shopper sample sessions
• Neutral Questioning
• Law Reference
• Follow-up (e-mail) process
• New Staff Training now incorporates the model
  behaviors discussion

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Reactions to the Research

• What are the possible implications?
• Software
• Page layout
• Policy development / Standards of service
• How we promote and explain the service
• Staff training

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Training Considerations

• Communication facilitators likely to be stressed
  with staff in the future
• Offer reassurance. Currently at 32. Confirm to
  your customer that they made the right decision
  to use your service. A negative librarian
  comment at the start may encourage a disconnected
  session.

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Training Considerations

• Reassurance
• Yes! ?
• Thats a great question, we should be able to
  find something on
• Not ?
• We dont answer those kind of questions here.

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Training Considerations

• Reassurance
• Okay, what if we really cant address that
  particular question?
• Then ?
• Hmmm I wish I could help you with that here,
  but for your own privacy I cant get into your
  library records. To find out whats overdue on
  your card Id recommend calling your local
  library by phone. They will definitely be able
  to help you with this. Heres their number

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Training Considerations

• Communication facilitators likely to be stressed
  with staff in the future
• Use self disclosure provide information about
  self.
• Hi! This is Joe, a librarian at the Baltimore
  County Public Library in Maryland. Im reading
  over your question right now

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Training Considerations

• Hi! This is Penny Kenilworth, a librarian at
  the Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland.
  Im reading over your question right now

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Training Considerations

• Communication facilitators likely to be stressed
  with staff in the future
• Explain why youre asking for more info or
  clarification (part of explaining search
  strategy).
• Just to make sure I understand what you need,
  are you looking for

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Training Considerations

• Deference (polite expressions, etc.) exhibited by
  librarian only 45 of the time. Are we showing
  our smile? ??
• Librarian continues after user has disconnected
  7. Although classified as a barrier, we
  encourage completion of the question if customer
  provided e-mail.

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Impatience Abruptness

• User impatience reflected in 10 of sessions
• Expectations that are not being met?
• Frustration with software?
• Frustration with us?
• Abrupt user sign off in 39 of sessions
• Disappearing Customer Syndrome
• Connection glitches?
• Customer multi-tasking or walking away?
• Was what they received so far good enough?

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How can we establish expectations?

• Although live and in real-time, answers are not
  instant. It usually takes at least 5 minutes and
  often longer for the librarian to find exactly
  what you need.
• The service often gets very busy. If you contact
  the service at one of these busy times, your
  librarian may suggest writing you back later by
  e-mail so that you dont have to wait online.
• Your librarian will likely ask you questions to
  make sure you get exactly what you need.

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How can we establish expectations?

• Like in a library, the same standards of
  respectful behavior apply. If you are rude, you
  wont receive any help.
• As you type in your question, please give as much
  detail as you can. Heres a good example of a
  question someone sent
• Im in 8th grade and writing a paper about the
  crusades. I dont know where to start. Can you
  help me find some good websites?

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Maries recommendations

• AskUsNow! Librarians cited these as very useful
• Admitting lack of knowledge. My patrons gain
  nothing but wasted time if I try to fake it and
  bull my way through If I dont know what theyre
  talking about Im right up front with it.
• In the closing be sure to respond to
  self-disclosure. Being polite and personal is
  one way of ensuring repeat business. Just
  sending a scripted closing will dampen any good
  will or rapport weve built up during the
  transaction.

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Survey feedback

• Sample comments from the last few weeks
• Two words can describes your service and that is
  Fast and efficient.
• The service was very knowledgeable and they knew
  just where to look to find the information that I
  needed!
• My librarian rep. was very nice and helpful she
  should get a raise!
• Fast, helpful, easy to use, friendly and I can
  always count on!!

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Contact Information

• Maryland AskUsNow! Presentations
• askusnow.info/presentations
• Contact Joe
• jthompso_at_bcpl.net