AskNOW

Cal Poly Pomona University Library's
Virtual Librarian Service

GUIDELINES

• All full-time reference librarians and library assistants will staff AskNOW as part of their regular Reference duties. Part-time reference staff may provide service depending on their schedules and workloads. In this document, the word “librarian” refers to the librarian or library assistant who is providing the service.
• Hours of Service will be 10-11am Mondays-Wednesdays and Fridays, 9-10am Thursdays. (See schedule: draft and current.)
• When scheduled for AskNOW, librarians will be in their offices, logged on and alert to incoming messages. Librarians who do not have PCs in their offices may choose to work from a classroom, if available, or they can check out a laptop PC from Systems. Use common sense regarding phone calls and other interruptions that occur while on duty.
• Back-up and emergencies
  • If the scheduled librarian calls in sick, Reference Office staff will find someone to fill in for that day. The person who calls in sick is expected to take the next scheduled session for the librarian who filled in for him or her.
  • Librarians are expected to find their own replacements (e.g., trade) if conflicts develop that prevent them from working their scheduled shift. Schedule changes shall be reported to the Reference Office staff.

• We will attempt to answer questions for all who use the service. As with walk-in, telephone, or email reference there may be circumstances where non-Cal Poly Pomona patrons will be given different responses than we would give to our own patrons.
• RICS’ Reference Questions Guidelines will apply to AskNOW.
• From 24/7 Reference Best Practices (PDF):
  • Greet the Patron
    • Send a personal greeting, identifying yourself and indicating your willingness to help. Identify the name of the library or group you are affiliated with, in order to set expectations with the patron.
    • Example: "Hello, my name is Mark, and I'm a reference librarian at xxx University. Your library and my library are part of a nationwide cooperative that staffs this chat service. I'm looking at your question right now."
  • Reference Interview/Resource Selection
    • Conduct an adequate reference interview to understand the question and the patron's information need. Be sure to clarify patron’s question before beginning the search.
    • Choose resources at the appropriate level for the patron's research. In general, databases are preferable to Google or other general web sources when assisting students with research projects.
    • Use the library policy page to find information using home library’s resources (including OPAC, databases, and guides).
    • Evaluate resources for authority, objectivity, and currency; share with patron.
    • Answer questions accurately.
  • Provide professional level search assistance
    • Provide context and instruction to the patron, rather than just sharing resources or merely sending web pages. Provide enough guidance so that patron can recreate the search if needed (include the name of links, which one patron should click on, as well as the “click path”). Merely providing links to resources often will not suffice – some URLs are dynamic, such as library catalog search results, and the links that appear in session transcripts may become dead links.
    • Recommend appropriate search terms and subject headings, in the context of a recommended search statement using Boolean operators. Provide examples of query constructions using basic and advanced Boolean operators.
      • Example:
        Patron: Need help finding books on the history of black businessmen in New York City.
        Librarian: You should search the catalog by typing in things like this (exactly as I have them)...
        Librarian: african americans and business* and new york
        Librarian: or using that last one, replace business* with the word entrepreneur*
    • Help patron evaluate the sources for relevancy to topic
    • Ask for feedback on resources sent
  • Before closing, ask the patron if their question has been answered (“Does this completely answer your question?”) or if they need additional information.
  • If the request cannot be adequately answered during the session, code the session for Follow Up (see Resolution Codes, below)
  • Before coding for follow up, verify the patron’s email address and deadline. It may take several days for the patron to get an answer back from the library.
  • If the patron indicates that they need no additional information, send the appropriate Goodbye script provided by the patron’s library. If no Goodbye script is available, thank them for using the service and encourage them to return if they have more questions.
  • Resolution Codes: It is important to use a resolution code to end the session. If no resolution code is selected, then the session is assigned the default code of Answered. Use the codes as follows:
    • Answered: no additional information is needed by patron.
    • Follow Up by Patron Library: In most cases, use this code anytime Follow Up is needed.
    • Follow Up by Me: Only use this code if you (the chatting librarian) have information at hand which will thoroughly answer the question. When you use this code, you are responsible for the follow up. Be sure and either send the follow up through QuestionPoint, or add a note that follow up has been done.
    • Lost Call: If the patron never responds and does not have an email address. Do not use Lost Call if the patron left an email address; instead, use Follow Up by Patron Library.
• Librarians may receive messages that are inappropriate (harassing, obscene) or encounter patrons whose questions or dialog seem objectionable in some way. Librarians are expected to use their own judgement in dealing with these situations and should feel free to end the session if the patron refuses to cooperate.

• The patron login page links to the 24/7 terms of service and privacy policy.

• From 24/7 Reference Best Practices (PDF):
  • Create a welcoming atmosphere
  • Chat frequently, so patron doesn't have long lags without chat from librarian (no more than 3 minutes should elapse without the librarian sending a message to each patron who is in session, even if it is a simple “I’m still working on your question”, or even “Still searching…” )
  • Show interest in the patron's question through chat tone and choice of words
  • Use positive phrasing ("We can…" instead of "We don't/can't/won't…")
  • Use scripts appropriately, as needed
  • Paste small excerpts of information; avoid pasting long blocks of text in the chat.
  • If patron has trouble viewing a web page that you send in chat, try escorting the patron to that page
  • Send chats to correct patrons when serving multiple patrons.

Back to top.

Last updated 03/11/2008 by Julie Shen

Formerly maintained by New Directions in Reference Team (December 13, 2001)