LIB: Library Policies and Procedures

Research Assistance via Chat

General Comments

The East Central Library provides assistance to library patrons through in person, telephone, email and chat options.   Chat service provides an additional way for users to contact trained library staff for help in using ECC Library and its resources. 

Responsibility for Software and Training

The Director of Library Services is responsible for selection of chat software, set up and training library staff in its use.  Third party chat service may be used for additional hours of service

Guidelines

A chat provider is used for software and trained library staff are available many hours a week to respond.

Chat is available to all ECC Library users including students, faculty, staff and established community patrons.

Chat sessions should not exceed 20 minutes.

Chat is available through the library website, and embedded in Archway catalog, EBSCOhost results list and an option for Moodle.

Questions best suited for Chat service include:

• Library services, hours, general info
• Where are articles
• How or where to begin a research
• What database to use
• Tips about using a certain database, catalog, etc.
• Services at satellite locations
• Catalog searches for a particular title
• Instructor course reserve inquiries
• Assistance in evaluating sources
• Factual information searching

Questions NOT suited for chat Service include:

• Indepth research
• Extensive instruction on database use
• Questions exceeding 20 minutes

Simultaneous Chats

Occasionally you may be answering more than one chat at a time.  Tell the second chat with another chat and to please hold for a minute.  If you believe it will be longer you can ask them to wait, come back to chat later, stop by physically, call or e-mail.

Schedule

Director of Library Services will set the staff chat schedule.  Library H3lp is a multiuser queue system, more than one person can be logged in to answer a call.  Ideally, chat will be available all hours the Library is physically open.  Availability may be limited depending on staff schedules; however they may be revised depending on time of year and demand.

Third party chat answer service may be used for additional hours of service.

Etiquette

• Welcome users quickly, introduce yourself
  •  “Hi this is….from ECC Library.  How may I help you?”
• Use the patron's name (if provided, but not required)
• Show interest in the question
  • “That’s an interesting topic.  EBSCO Academic Search Premier would be a good place to start searching for articles”
• Engage the user in conversation, ask more than yes or no questions
• Give users the play by play
  • “One moment please”
  • “Let me check our catalog”
  • “I’m searching EBSCO now”
• Break up long messages
• Use a guideline of 20 minutes per session
  • Offer to send info via their e-mail
  • Invite them to come in person
• Give frequent and positive feedback
• Use common rules of grammar and spelling
• Tone and behavior should be professional
• Go slow  and step by step through the process
• End the session and close window
  • Patron may end chat session on their end
  • You may prompt them “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Do Not

• Use CAPS (YELLING) - instead use *asterisk* for emphasis
• Say "no" without an alternative
  • We close at 7:30 but our online databases are open 24/7.
• Use library or software related jargon – unless explain said product/service
  • Boolean, LSH, MARC record, MOBIUS, EBSCO

Angry Users

• Take all complaints seriously
• Remember it is not personal
• Empathize and stress the positive
• Never blame another staff member

Chat Session Example

1. The user will either immediately post a question or post something like "Can I ask a question?"
2. ECC: “I can help you. My name is _____. Can I get your name?”  ** use their name during the exchange, especially at the end.
3. Susan: “I need articles on the high gas prices”
4. As you look for information for the user, let them know what you are doing. Avoid packaging together a polished complete response, and instead offer information as you discover it.
5. ECC: “EBSCO is a great database for full-text articles.  Go the Library home page, EBSCOhost on the front page; it’s under the Quick Links.”
6. ECC: “Chose Academic, Associates and Humanities.  Have you used EBSCO before?”
7. Susan: “Yes for computer class last semester.…it says off campus access”
8. ECC: “If you are not at ECC campus you need to enter your student ID number followed by EC and last name” 
9. ECC: “Like 0123456ec and Smith”
10. Susan:“I’m in”
11. ECC: “Click on Academic Search Premier and let’s enter some search terms”
12. ECC: “Helpful keywords are  - gasoline, petroleum industry, “ 
13. ECC: “One moment, Susan”
14. ECC: “Other good keywords are – petroleum production, energy policy”
15. Susan: “I have 544 results.  Wow that’s a lot”
16. ECC: “You can add more keywords to narrow it down, or on the left column change the date range”
17. ECC: “With the list you can read a little summary to see if the article will be useful.  Click on the full-text link to read the entire article”
18. ECC: “I’ll let you review some of the results.  If there anything else I can help you with there is a chat box in EBSCO on the right side, just pop in again and ask” 
19. Follow up and closure - ask if there is anything else you can do to help them (use their name if you have it), provide specific information as often as possible
20. Susan: “Thank you”

Library H3lp

Library H3lp is the current provider (July 2017) of the chat software. 

Chatstaff is the third party chat answer service (July 2107) 

Hours of service are: Saturday 10 am – 10 pm

            Sunday 10 am – Monday 8 am
            Monday 5 pm – Tuesday 8 am
            Tuesday 5 pm – Wednesday 8 am
            Wednesday 5 pm – Thursday 8 am
            Thursday 5 pm – Friday 8 am
            Friday 5 pm – Friday midnight

Research Assistance via E-mail

General Comments

The East Central Library provides assistance to library patrons through in person, telephone, email and chat options. 

Responsibility

The Director of Library Services is responsible for assigning library@eastcentral.edu to the library staff.  Users may also contact library staff by their direct e-mail address.

Guidelines

E-mail provides an additional way for users to contact trained library staff for help in using the Library and its resources.

A general e-mail account, library@eastcentral.edu, is overseen by professional staff of the Library

E-mail is available to all ECC Library users includes students, faculty, staff and established community patrons.

Questions best suited for e-mail service include:

• Indepth research
• Extensive instruction on database use
• Chat questions exceeding 20 minutes
• Follow up to chat, phone or inperson assistance

E-mail from outside of eastcentral.edu domain

Occasionally users may e-mail you from an address outside of the eastcentral.edu domain.  You may respond to this e-mail but need to verify information before responding about specific to a personal account or library materials.

Schedule

Director may reassign responsibility on an as needed basis.

Etiquette

• Respond by next business day; if on vacation leave a vacation message with other contact information.
• Use the patron's name (if provided, but not required)
• Show interest in the question
  • “That’s an interesting topic.  EBSCO Academic Search Premier would be a good place to start searching for articles”
• Use common rules of grammar and spelling
• Tone and behavior should be professional
• Go slow  and step by step through the process
• End the e-mail with note to contact again if they need further assistance

 

Do Not

• Use CAPS (YELLING) - use *asterisk* for emphasis
• Say "no" without an alternative
  • We close at 7:30 but our online databases are open 24/7.
• Use library or software related jargon – unless explaining said product/service
  • Boolean, LSH, MARC record, MOBIUS, EBSCO

Angry Users – bring to attention of Director, if needing to response in time, please

• Take all complaints seriously
• Remember it is not personal
• Empathize and stress the positive
• Never blame another staff member

 

E-mail Example

1. Susan: “I need articles on the high gas prices”
2. ECC: “EBSCO is a great database for full-text articles.  Go the Library home page, EBSCOhost on the front page; it’s under the Quick Links. Chose Academic, Associates and Humanities. 
3. ECC: “If you are not at ECC campus you need to enter your student ID number followed by EC and last name, like 0123456ec and Smith”
4. ECC: “Click on Academic Search Premier and enter some search terms such as gasoline, petroleum industry, petroleum production, energy policy.  Use AND to link more than one term Gasoline AND Cost
5. ECC: “You can add more keywords to narrow it down, or on the left column change the date range”
6. ECC: “With the list you can read a little summary to see if the article will be useful.  Click on the full-text link to read the entire article”
7. ECC: “I’ll let you review some of the results, my search for Gasoline AND Cost has 544 article listed.  If there anything else I can help you with there is a chat box in EBSCO on the right side, just pop in again and ask, reply to this e-mail or call us at 636-584-6560”