Presentation for the International Information Programs IIP Office of the U'S' Department of State,

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Presentation for the International Information
Programs (IIP) Office of the U.S. Department of
State, June 5, 2006

• Krakow, PolandE-services for LocalCommunities
  Offeredby LibrariesHighlighting theMaryland
  AskUsNow!Virtual Reference ServiceJoe
  ThompsonProject Coordinator Maryland
  AskUsNow!Baltimore County Public
  Libraryjthompso_at_bcpl.net

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Crossing the Divide

• More about Maryland AskUsNow! later
• First, what are some useful electronic services
  that libraries in Maryland are offering to their
  communities, especially those relevant to the
  most economically and socially disadvantaged?

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In the Library Buildings

• Free use of computers in all branch libraries
• Internet E-mail access
• Subscription databases (magazines, journals,
  encyclopedias)
• Microsoft Word (for typing job applications,
  reports, etc.)
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Free technology programs
• Computer basicsThe mouse, keyboard, and basic
  terminology
• Introduction to the Internet (Parts 1 and 2)
• The librarys web site directory, search
  engines, and how to evaluate online resources for
  quality information

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In the Library Buildings

• Free wireless Internet in all library buildings
• The library is a hot spot!
• A wealth of materials
• Large part of the collection is geared toward
  young students and beginners topics (including
  DVDs, CDs, and cassettes).
• Materials in languages other than English
  Spanish, Russian, and Korean.
• Ability to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) materials from
  other libraries in the state, or nationally
  through OCLCs WorldCat.

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Services outside of the physical library
buildings Where they are

• Online catalog
• Search for material
• Place holds
• Check for overdues
• Renew material
• Shelf Help service makes renewal possible by
  telephone
• Online subscription databases for library card
  holders
• Magazine and journal articles
• Topical encyclopedias
• Online Community Information Directory of
  organizations
• Online index of historic photographs ex. BCPLs
  Legacy Web(next slide)

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Services outside of the physical library
buildings Where they are

• Low priced Internet accounts
• Mobile Library Services (The Bookmobile!)
• Includes computers with Internet access
• Programs, including childrens story times
• Marketing and Outreach
• Maintaining connections with local newspapers,
  radio, and TV to let them know all the great
  things that the library offers.
• Making sure that your government officials and
  funders are aware of your useful library
  services.
• Visits to schools, senior centers, community
  festivals. Make sure your library is seen as an
  integral part of the community, not just a
  building over there. Give them what they want!

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Beyond the static web page

• Libraries have begun to find ways to provide
  direct interactive customer service to their
  customers online
• Blogs
• RSS Feeds
• Live online tutoring services for students
• The ability to chat or Instant Message (IM) a
  librarian for help
• ..and even Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to
  talk through the computer
• My focus now is going to be on how we in Maryland
  are providing a cooperative live chat information
  and reference service 24 hours a day, 7 days a
  week, every day of the year.

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A Quick Look Back

• When did we start? Planned in 2002 Launched on
  March 17, 2003.
• What is it? Maryland 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. Format is Live chat with E-mail
  follow-up.
• How do our customers access it?
• Yellow icon on our partner librarys home pages
  and links throughout site. (Branding is
  important!)
• The statewide promoted www.askusnow.info page.
• Links on K-12 school, nonprofit, and other
  organizations web sites.

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A Quick Look Back

• Why do it?
• It allows our students the public to access to
  the same trusted library service in a new
  desirable format (similar to IM) at their time
  and place of need.
• Our librarians are also learning much more about
  using online sources to provide quality reference
  service.
• Why cooperate?
• Its cost effective!
• We are better drawing from each librarys
  strengths (i.e. knowledgeable staff, resources,
  technology)
• We have built a valuable communication and
  learning network of libraries.
• Whos involved? Provided by over 270 librarians
  for 266 hours a week at our 27 public, academic,
  special library system partners across
  Maryland. In addition, librarians from around
  the country with QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference
  back us up at busy times, overnight, and
  weekends. Training is provided by the Maryland
  AskUsNow! project.

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A Quick Look Back

• Where do we get the software?The backup
  staffing, chat software, and e-mail follow-up
  software are all included in our contract with
  QuestionPoint. The software is online, so
  nothing needs to be loaded on our machines.See
  www.questionpoint.org for more information!
• Who pays for it?LSTA grant funding from Maryland
  State Department of Education, Division of
  Library Development and Services covers the total
  cost of our QuestionPoint contract, full-time
  coordinator, training, statewide marketing.
  Maryland partner libraries contribute existing
  staff, Internet workstations, and enthusiasm, but
  no fee! This has greatly helped to keep and
  encourage new partnerships.

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Its Busy!

• What is usage like?Our goal at the beginning was
  to eventually receive 1000 questions each month,
  which has been surpassed every month! The
  highest month of usage so is April 2005, with
  5970 questions submitted. Spring and fall are
  busiest. In total, we have received over 130,000
  questions since the service launched.
• Who are these people?In the first half of 2005,
  44.36 of people who filled out the AskUsNow!
  pop-up survey identified themselves as Student
  (Kindergarten 12th). About half of all survey
  responders say theyve used the service before.
  Over 40 of people find out about it just be
  seeing the link on the librarys web site. A
  prominent link makes a huge difference!

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Sample Questions Feedback

• Sample Questions
• What kind of salary should a nurse make?
• Whats the law on my neighbors kids playing
  basketball after midnight?
• Do you think BGE should be allowed to raise
  their rates?
• Does the library have a copy of HP and the Half
  Blood Prince?
• Exemplary Survey Feedback
• The service was very knowledgeable and they knew
  just where to look to find the information that I
  needed!
• Fast, helpful, easy to use, friendly and I can
  always count on!!
• My librarian rep. was very nice and helpful she
  should get a raise!

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Training and Research

• Maryland librarians who provide AskUsNow! must
  attend a one-day in-person training class
• Discussion of their secret shopper experience
• Recommended behaviors for providing chat
  reference
• Identifying what truly is inappropriate and how
  to handle sensative topics
• QuestionPoints Flash Chat software
• Question E-mail Followup
• Research the service has been involved that has
  been extremely helpful
• Marie Radford (Rutgers University) and her
  evaluation of chat transcripts (ALA 2004, VRD
  2004, Maryland Library Association 2005)
• Teen focus groups to find out what they really
  want of a library chat reference service

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Maryland AskUsNow!also participates

in InfoEyes

• Mainstream chat Virtual Reference Services are
  not fully accessible to people who use
  screen-reading devices
• InfoEyes launched January 2004
• Its a question and answer service for people
  with a visual impairment or other print
  limitation
• People can ask a question about anything
• Questions may be
• E-mailed via webform using QuestionPoint
• Voice Over IP by request

infoeyes.org
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A Model Service for Others

• When we planned AskUsNow! in 2002, we had several
  models to draw from in the state, as well as
  large new cooperative services like New Jerseys
  Q and A NJ.
• Since then, our service has become an example for
  many others, including state projects in Arizona,
  Florida, Louisiana and the province-wide
  Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.
• In 2004, Maryland AskUsNow! wasone of only two
  services to receivethe Exemplary Digital
  ReferenceService Award from the U.S.Department
  of Educations VirtualReference Desk Project.

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Would you like to see how it looks?
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Thank you!

• Thank you for using Maryland AskUsNow! If you
  have any further questions, please contact us
  again! You can go ahead and select the End Call
  button if thats all you need. Bye for now!
• Questions? )
• This presentation will be posted at
• www.askusnow.info/presentations
• Feel free to contact me
• Joe Thompson
• Baltimore County Public Library
• 320 York Road
• Towson, MD 21204 USA
• jthompso_at_bcpl.net