When I started this blog post, I wanted to see what other librarians had to say informally about staffing a chat reference service. I feel that there is so much to say about my initial experiences staffing a statewide chat reference service and I wondered if other conversations were being had publicly. I initially didn’t find anything matching what I had in mind but I did find myself quickly wanting to go off and explore the sites of other statewide 24/7 chat reference services.
aclark43's blog
Getting a Handle on E-mail Questions and Learning How to Move the Question, Not the Patron
Hello!
As part of my practicum, I help monitor the email account for KnowItNow24x7. When a patron goes to knowitnow.org and enters their information and clicks “Connect to a Librarian”, they are placed into a queue, where it gives their approximate wait time. The patron can either hold for a librarian or leave a message. If the patron chooses not to hold and leaves a message, the question goes to the e-mail inbox that several librarians monitor.
Something to QuACK About
Good evening,
During my practicum, I have the privilege of being an honorary member of the Quality Assurance Committee for KnowItNow24x7, or QuACK for short. Each month the group reviews a random sampling of transcripts from public, academic, and After Dark librarians. Committee members use a Transcript Evaluation Form to assess the quality of reference service, quality of communication, and overall impression of the session. The group then selects an exemplary transcript to feature on the QuACK blog and includes explanations of why the transcript was exemplary. Sometimes they receive too many good transcripts to feature just one, so they’ll include honorable mention transcripts. Their work recognizes their colleagues staffing the service and also helps give other librarians examples and tips for enhancing their reference transactions.
The Jing Experiment
Hello! Now that I’ve introduced myself, I’d like to talk about what I’ll be working on during my practicum that will help give me a better understanding of not only virtual reference issues and trends, but also reference service, support, and administration in general. First, I will staff the service and answer e-mail questions at various times, which will help me gain experience in providing reference services. Second, I will help support the statewide network of librarians that staff the KnowItNow24x7 service.
Let the Wild Rumpus Start!
Greetings! My name is Ashlee Clark, and I am a current student in the Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science. I am working on my culminating experience practicum this semester with KnowItNow24x7. The practicum gives students an opportunity to gain professional experience in a real-world library setting and to test and apply principles learned in graduate study to real-world experiences.
