Nov 2012 German user group QuestionPoint
QuestionPoint community c.1,200 libraries in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative Statewide services : Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington and others National libraries: Library of Congress, British Library, BnF, and others Over 8 million sessions in database c.1,700 libraries in 33 countries Academic groups: UC system Ubib (France) and many more Germany: State libraries, Academics, publics
Interact, Manage, Cooperate Email forms & addresses Chat forms & widget Texting via 3 rd party Mobile Reference Desk QuestionPoint Knowledge management Reports, stats Subscription groups Virtual groups
New: Email program
Email program: steps Devise a method to accept attachments into QP Scanning, virus protection, storage 90 day storage Accessible by anyone with access to the question Allow questions via email address (in addition to web form) Existing email address rather than new email address Set up issues: writing filtering rules to block spam, autoreplies Patron attachments came in and were scanned
2011 texting option: Upside Wireless $35 (Canadian dollars) per month, for 400 texts per month (includes all messages IN and OUT) No set up fee For more information, contact Upside Wireless: http://www.upsidewireless.com/
Upside Wireless (UW) workflow User texts a question to library Text goes via phone carrier to UW UW sends the text to QP Text appears in QP s Ask module within seconds.
Librarian workflow Librarians access texts in Ask, respond in Ask Text Answer screen contains a character counter, & Tiny URL resolver Send Answer transmits to UW, which sends response via text to user
Upside Wireless link to QP account: institution>forms>forms Manager
Attachments sent as answers are saved with the answer, in current database 1. Attachemnt is scanned 2. If scan successful, attachment is available via hotlink 3. If scan is unsuccessful, document is not saved; notation that attachment is not saved
Recent enhancements: Chat module Wait messages for chat queues Queue closing: close your queue while finishing up the last chat Patron library descriptive code displays in chat monitor (was the descriptive code of chatting librarian s library) Optional captcha available for chat forms
Wait Messages for Chat and Qwidget: immediate; 50; 80; 120; 190 seconds
Changes to Forms Chat and email form built with Forms Manager no longer links to OCLC patron terms New Walkup form (via Forms Manager) Captcha option for chat forms
Forms: Link to library privacy policy Pre-spring 2012:
Today: Link to library privacy policy use Footer in Forms Manager
Forms Manager -> Select E-mail Fields
edit view of footer
Captcha for chat forms Administration Module>Forms>Spam Filter Select chat, then click Save After patrons fill in the chat form on your websites, they will be challenged to enter a series of letters, displayed in a distorted image on the screen. If they do so successfully, the chat session will then pass through to the librarians online. There is audio assistance for those who may have difficulty seeing or The interpreting world s libraries. Connected. the characters.
Changes to Form Field Reports (as of May 13, 2012) Form Field reports can be distinguished between chat and Qwidget, between email and walkup Patron email address is available in current reports Standardization for form fields, for more consistent reports New documentation for reports! http://questionpoint.org/support/documentation/gettingst arted/index.html (scroll down to Documentation for administrators )
Form Field report: Qwidget vs Chat (Excel file view)
Free training: recordings www.questionpoint.org, click on Training
2012-2013 Future enhancements
Qwidget enhancements October 2012: fixes, including 2 Qwidgets on a page February 2013: Updated Qwidget interface, with increased optimization for mobile devices and tablets: platform agnostic
Ready to chat; help throughout the process
Preferences; End Chat
Qwidget is available, ready for chat
Avatar: forthcoming
Tablet view
Additional enhancements: 2013-14 Patron chat interface for regular chat Librarian chat monitor More flexibility for chat queues Alerts in chat monitor for text messages: investigation will be done early 2013 Continued integration with OCLC enterprise platform
Further information http://www.oclc.org/questionpoint http://questionpoint.blogs.com 24/7 Cooperative: FAQ: http://bit.ly/247faq Susan McGlamery, mcglames@oclc.org QuestionPoint Product Manager