2008-03-10 ASKCO
From Library
Contents |
Roll Call & Introductions
Kris took roll-call. Asked for additional agenda items, no offered.
Possibility of switching academic queue to OCLC QuestionPoint
- Idea to use QuestionPoint comes from Kris. Steering and Software committees interested in feedback from Academic
- Costs: OCLC, cost more than Tutor.com. Start-up costs $4k for coop. Different models - Join Global coop, individual libraries contribute answer questions from across National coop. Academic queue only $34k, ask libraries to contribute 40 hours to national queue in addition to 63 hours which is current level.
- Patron need for this QuestionPoint? Look and feel would change but chat reference would be similar. Marketing would be different. Paying more money to serve same users and potential users. Patron experience would not change.
- Why better experience for librarians? Enjoyed reference experience because of college questions across nation. Frustration with working other college students not at institution. Depends on resources available for all, very limited. What databases available for use? Information available for all libraries pushed to reference.
- QuestionPoint - has true co-browse environment, patron can take control or reference librarian. Technology is not perfect, patron and reference librarian must have same/similar OS environment. Delay in software can be annoying. Problems with screen resolution.
- QuestionPoint - has basic a chat reference service, along with a widget for libraries to embedded in websites. Tutor.com does not have these features. QuestionPoint does not route questions, questions are in a queue.
- Majority of opinions, burden for additional hours and costs. More information on patron experience. No marketing at national level, presence for nation wide queue would be answering academic question.
Possibility of removing academic queue from main AskColorado site
- Remove academic queue from AskColorado web-page, have only local links from college web-site. Move to eliminate K-12 questions.
- Interest in improving/enhance AskColorado service? Co-browsing for database interaction. Best practices good first step for marketing.
Meebo/IM Up-dates
- Colorado College: Robin Satterwhite, get about ~6 questions a day. Subject specialist have subject specific questions. Available whenever someone is at reference desk (10pm). Kinds of questions (location, class information) very local questions. Can refer questions to traffic to library.
- UNC – Lisa Blankenship - Hours more limited. Same experience as CC, librarians pleased with questions, local focus. About ~50 questions per semester.
- CU – Anne Jennings - Staffed 1-8 M-Th, 1-5 F-Sat. Librarians please with local nature of questions. Students more likely to use format of chat. Added Meebo widget to database pages. More local patrons and questions. Easy-of-use with software.
- Mesa State – Anne Knipe - plans for implementing with a AskLibrarian with Meebo widget. Will start with 4 hour, M-F schedule in about a month.
Scheduling
- Scheduled staff should log in at time and to cover shift.
- Additional cost for covering Saturday by Public Library queue? Public queue staffs evenings and weekends.
CVR Academics Listserv
- Should we keep? Only avenue for trades. No trades. Maintenance problems, vote to cancel.
- Nice intention but nobody taking advantage. Should include type of question (Academic,K-12, Public) on general listserv.
