News from the QP Users Council (Full Text Search?)

Joe and I are both on the QuestionPoint Users Council and the 24/7 Advisory Board. The Users Council acts as the liaison between QuestionPoint and you guys- the folks that use the software. The Advisory Board exists to discuss issues, policies, etc regarding the 24/7 Reference Cooperative. Both groups meet about monthly.

Today I had a Users Council Meeting and as I was jotting down notes as people talked it occurred to me that we don't share the outcomes of these meetings with you guys on a regular basis. So here it is- the first update on the QuestionPoint Users Council.

QuestionPoint Events @ ALA Annual

• Best Practices Reference Program
  Saturday June 28th @ 1.30pm in the Convention Center Room 207D
  Panelists Julie Strange; Beth Cackowski of New Jersey's QandANJ; and Mark Beatty of AskAway Wisconsin will be talking about what makes a successful virtual reference service. Topics include promotion, quality, training, management, sustainability, recruitment, and more.


• User Group Meeting
  Sunday June 29th @ 1.30pm in the Embassy Suites South Ballroom, Salon C.

Exciting News from the QuestionPoint Product Team
The Qwidget is currently in "production preview" mode, where it was released for folks to play with it and give feedback to the product team. It should be in "finished" version by the next install in December. They are looking into testing w/ social networking sites like facebook and MySpace. The hold up there is that especially with MySpace, you can't just drop a chunk of code (like the widget) into their site and have it work, you have to develop apps using their api.

There was a lively discussion about QuestionPoint having the ability to allow individual institutions to monitor their own queue. This way, libraries can monitor chat above and beyond their AskUsNow! or Cooperative hours and be able to chat with their customers, never seeing people from other institutions like you would if you were monitoring the MDAsk Public queue, for instance. Allowing local librarians to monitor for their local customers would also take a strain off the 24/7 Reference Coop and I think we would see quality rise and customers happier.

QuestionPoint is still poking around in the area of "integration with commercial IM" but there is a shift from living everywhere to the embedded librarian, letting folks embed the things that are important to them into the spaces they live online. There may sooner than later come a time where we can give folks the code chunk for the widget and say, "embed this in the environment where you live and we'll always be there when you need us." This would take things another step forward and instead of customers having to do to Y/OUR Facebook page or Y/OUR website, we would live in theirs.

Upcoming Developments w/ Major Install 2 (December)
Form Manager Phase 3 includes the ability to manage your chat forms. They are currently figuring out how this works in a state-wide/coop environment where we'd want the chat forms to be the same to have a consistent brand.

Probably the most exciting thing to hear about during the meeting (and part of the title for this post) was Search for Questions/Answers. QuestionPoint is looking into implementing a full text search ability for all sessions within 90 days (those sessions currently available in the ASK / Review Transcripts section). I now notice I am unsure if this search feature would appear in the back-end QuestionPoint or the Chat Monitor, but having this structure built would allow for things like advanced query systems that would allow for things like A List Of Sessions This Email Recently Had. This would help a lot in a few things. First, it would help us build relationships with the customer (Oh, i see you mentioned you had a project on xx, how'd that go?"). It will also help with better identifying customers who return to the service repeatedly in a short time frame and those who are being unsavory.

Wikipedia or "Don't worry, we'll change it"

Bart: So Dean Martin would show up at the last minute and do everything in just one take?
Homer: That’s right
Bart: But Wikipedia says he was passionate about rehearsal
Homer: Don’t you worry about Wikipedia, we’ll change it when we get home
(thanks to Vince of AskHerePA for the reference)


There is a lot of controversy over whether or not to use wikipedia or other similarly-unreliable resources when helping customers answer their questions.

Sadly, the world is not at a point where people with information needs come directly to librarians for help- we are usually last on the list. When people come to librarians for help, it is usually after having searched their own brains, their friends brains, and google's "brains." Make sure when you send resources to customers that they're the very best for the customer's needs (and if you wouldn't consider what you're able to find, "the very best" give them options for a referral if they need it).

Before recommending any resource to a customer, don't forget the basics of web evaluation:

• Accuracy- Who wrote the page? What is the purpose of the document? Is this person qualified to write this document?


• Authority of Web Documents- Check the domain of the document, what institution publishes this document?


• Objectivity- View any Web page as you would an infommercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom?
• 
  
• Currency- Is the information on the page outdated? Are there dead links?


• Coverage- If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don't have the software? Is it free or is there a fee, to obtain the information?

Bottom line- Would YOU use this site/information to answer the same question for yourself? Would YOU put it in YOUR bibliography? If the answers to either of those is NO, rethink what you're sending to your customers. For more details of evaluating websites, check out the UMD website

Things wikipedia is excellent for:

1. getting your head around a subject/topic you have no idea about before starting to search to find resources for the customer ("'good enough' knowledge" as wikipedia's founder calls it)


2. information on pop-culture (where else will you find information on Wawa references in music and film?


3. Can't-seem-to-find-it-anywhere-else information. Sometimes info is just hard to track down. The user-generated (aka long-tail experts) content may lead you to another resource, a mention, or new language you hadn't throught to search before

You represent yourself, your library, AskUsNow! and the profession every time you help a customer- be your fabulous and smart librarian self and rock their socks off with excellent, relevat, information that answers their questions! :-)

Customer Love #3

Here's some excellent Customer Love to brighten your dreary May-Day:

Libraries are THE PLACE to go for answers

• COULDN'T HAVE GONE TO A BETTER PLACE TO GET THE ANSWER!!!

The Extra Mile, for us, is Standard Practice!

• [the librarian] helped me and came "online" to answer my question immediately. He tracked down the volume I was looking for and instead of just submitting an internet request, telephoned to confirm the book was still available. He was congenial and fun, and made this overall a very enjoyable experience.


• I asked for a free place to learn French. He found me three places. Two of them were a little complicated, but the last one was perfect. I can't wait to start French. I highly recommend Ask Us Now if you have a single question. And it's easy to reach.

Marketing works!

• I saw your poster posted on the wall in our school and decided to try using the service since I had been unable to locate any information on a certain artist. The librarian who helped me was swift, kind, helpful, and efficient. I will definitely use the service again.


• I found out about it on a blog in reference to Truth versus Information. Thank you very much. I shall like to use it again.

The word is out! You’re better than a search engine!

• LOVE this site its so easy to use and its quick!! so much eaiser than going to google or ask.com! gives you information withou all the frantic searching! love it!


• This site is really helpful. You provided me with excellent sites. I am very grateful to you. Thank you very much

A service is only as wonderful as the fabulous people who provide it!

• Wonderful service. This thing is really great. Please keep it!

Your SuperLibrarian skills save people time!

• sweeeeeeeeeet totaly saved my time YAY!!!


• really liked the "ask the librarian" source! It really helped alot and didn't take alot of my time.I surely will use this website anytime I need it!!


• Fantastic! I could not believe you all could come up with an answer so fast. The photo you sent was of the exact bug I was seeing. Again, thank you.

They’ll be back!

• I found this service very helpful. My questions were answered quickly and efficiently. Not only will I use this forum again, but I sure will recommend to friends.


• I like this website a lot it has helped me and i will use it more often and whenever i need help with my homework. Thank You for creating this website!


• This is a fantastic public service. I will use it again. Thank you.


• I will be sure to return again for all my questions, this was extremely helpful and pretty cool to use. I am surprised I had not heard about it before, but later is better than never!


• Although the internet is extremly limited with reliable resourses, ive been extremly satisfied with the hard work the libraryans have givin to find me what i need. Great site and i will use askusnow.info in the future as well as suggest it to others!


• this was really helpful--the information is good. I will go to the library when I return home (on a biz trip now) and try to find the book suggested.


• the librarian i had was so nce and so helpful. She wasn't all bussiness and talked to me much more than others have. I was very satisfied and if i had the choice i'd choose her personally.

You’re Off the Hook!

• I had BCPL Librarian Lisa. She was off the hook.

We're SUPERLibrarians here to save the day!

• I am absolutely glad this service exists. I was having the hardest time ever to find this. The librarian found it immediately. Thank you again.

You’re loved!

• I love Ask us now they are so great!! I use them every time I have a question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


• I love this resource. I'm pretty good at finding things but I know whenever I'm stymied this is the place to go. I recommend to everyone I know. We're very lucky to have this service.


• I loved how the librarian knew everything and answered all my questions. i will definetly use this again

You’re invested in your customers!

• My librarian was fantastic. She asked lots of questions to clarify and I truly felt as though she was actively interested in my research. Thank you so much!


• The library staff service was polite and patience, which made me feel comfortable.


• A superb experience! Indeed, I never ever expected a live chat capability. The experience has given me a great deal of confidence that I will be able to obtain the information I'm seeking. I certainly do appreciate the fine customer oriented capability of your system.


• I am working on my PhD. I go to school fulltime and work fulltime. This is a great resource. The librarian (Amy) is sending my request to the interlibrary loan. She will have saved me a trip into Baltimore, a ton of time, and I will have the reference material I need. Thank-you for this wonderful service!


• My librarian was very polite and helpful with my questions. She showed exceeding courtesy toward me and answered my question fully and thouroughly. I will highly recommend this service to others in the English department at my University, and intend to use it again myself whenever I have more questions.

You’re “good people!”

• Not only was she helpful, but she was very kind and considerate.

You're always "there" for people- wherever they are!

• This is an excellent resource when you can not find what you need on the shelf, and the inhouse librarians are busy with other customers.

You Rule!

• Ask us now is great way to get accurate information. All the librarians are great people to work with! LIbrarians rule!

You’re so loved, people are overwhelmed!

• I am truly overwhelmed that this service is not only available, but so incredibly helpful and efficient.

You make people look dumb! (in a good way)!

• the people who worked there were very friendly those people behind the desk are really experts they know what there doing. there reiable and understanding they have hopitality/manners. they know how to make a person look dumb(in a good way).