 home > libtec2003 > papers > current page |
|||
|
12th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference
Live Online Reference: All the time, across the world. From a great idea to the launch of 'answers now' - the first global reference serviceTom Condric, Sharon Moy and Patricia Christensen, Brisbane City Council Library Services 'answers now' Virtual Reference ServiceBrisbane City Council is the largest local Government and has the largest public library service in Australia. In April 2002 Brisbane City Council Library Service commenced work to establish a 24/7 live reference service through an international public library partnership. By November 2002, the service Answers now: All the time across the world was operational. Born of a partnership between the library services of the Brisbane City Council, Queensland, Somerset County Council, United Kingdom and the Richland County Council, USA for the purposes of providing 24/7 live reference service services. This service uses Virtual Reference Toolkit (VRT) software, which has capabilities for one-on-one virtual reference sessions and access to related electronic content (shared browser, push pages, e-mail & transcripts). Answers now: All the time across the world offers free, live and fast online ready reference service to public library users. The service combines the speed and convenience of the Internet with the information skills of the librarian. Tom, Sharon and Pat as part of the inaugural 'answers now' team will share their experience in the establishment of this global 24/7 service at Brisbane City Council Library Service. Key areas to be covered will be:
IntroductionAdvances in technology which heralded the information age in the 1990s, are continuing to influence the way in which society interacts. Major changes to on-line communication technology have literally meant the diminution of international boundaries and the opening up of information exchange opportunities. Libraries have moved from being passive repositories of print material by providing online access to information. The live online chat reference service, as an additional channel in service delivery, complements the concept of the library as a gateway to information available any time - any place. OverviewBrisbane City Council Library ServicesBrisbane City Council (BCC) is the largest local government in the southern hemisphere servicing 1220 km2 area and operating from over 100 business locations - 8000 employees. The Brisbane City Council Library Service is the largest public library service in Australia with 32 branch libraries located throughout Brisbane and a mobile library. Each branch provides a range of services and facilities that are accessible to all community members. Figures to date are:
Reference and InformationLibraries are one of the highest traffic areas within the Brisbane City Council website, with many users taking advantage of the online features offered:
Brisbane City Council Global Cities InitiativeBrisbane City Council Global Cities Project is a Council-wide initiative to establish contacts and develop partnerships with key cities around the world. The goal is to gather new ideas and improve service delivery, promote policy innovation, raise Brisbane's profile and exchange learning's for mutual benefit. The 'answers now' service ideally fits within this criteria. The Brisbane City Council CLICK initiativeLibraries are changing continually and are focused to meet community needs online 'any place - any time'. CLICK is the Brisbane City Council strategy for supporting informed communities in Brisbane to 2010:
Within Inclusive Communities platform Brisbane City Council Library Services have taken onboard customer needs for 'My Time My Place Quality Reference Service' through ensuring that information and reference services are available online 24/7. Library services visionWe are the community's gateway to lifelong learning and recreation. We are partners with the community in:
Information anywhere anytimeThe paradigm of libraries is continuing to shift from a repository of hard copy information to a gateway of information from any source leading towards the delivery of information services through electronic channels (Coffman, 2003). DescriptionHistoryThe idea of establishing a global online reference desk was first proposed in 2000. This was when Christine Mackenzie, Manager Brisbane City Council Library Services visited colleagues in Maryland. Christine is a member of the Bertelsmann Foundation International Network of Public Libraries. By April 2002, Brisbane City Council Library had formed a sister library relationship with Richland County Public Library, South Carolina. Later that year, another partnership was formed with Somerset County Council, United Kingdom. The partnership with two countries in complementary time zones matched the projected service commitments for our local community as a pilot project. This partnership made it possible to provide a 24/7 live reference service. Project co-ordinationSandra Dean, the co-ordinator for information and reference, Brisbane City Council Library Services. How 'answers now' worksVirtual reference complements reference and information services already established - an addition to existing on-site face-to-face, e-mail and telephone reference services. 'answers now: All the time, across the world' enables Brisbane residents and Brisbane City Council library members to ask librarians questions online, in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 'answers now' service started in November 2002. This service is a global partnership between the:
It provides 24/7 reference service on a time-share basis. The service is using LSSI (Library System and Services Incorporated) software Virtual Reference Toolkit, because of its reliability and reputation as an industry leader. The Virtual Reference Toolkit has capabilities for one-on-one virtual reference sessions and access to related electronic content (shared browser, push pages, e-mail and transcripts). BCC LS covers: Weekdays - 10.30am - 18.00 Weekends - 10.30am - 15.00 (Summer Time October - April) Weekdays - 09.30am - 17.30 Weekends - 09.30am - 15.00 (Winter Time April - October) lssi.com Web Central covers: Public Holidays and any outstanding hours. How it is staffed in BrisbaneThe agreement between Brisbane City Council Library Services, Richland Public Library and Somerset County libraries outlined the responsibilities of each partner in the consortia, and agreed on standards for customer service. The agreement stated that each party is responsible for scheduling staff to operate the service. Each participating library occupies the virtual reference desk eight hours per day, and is responsible for administering local staff training. In Brisbane the initial 'answers now' team was located at Central City Library, to oversee establishment of the service. Two additional staff members (librarians or library technicians) were selected from applicants working in the branch libraries. The initial Brisbane 'answers now' team consisted of:
Learning to use the softwareTraining outcomes: The 'answers now' team is committed to:
Technology usedLSSI VRT Version 2.5The Library Systems and Services (LSSI) Virtual reference Toolkit version 2.5 is used. The software support allows global partners to provide real-time assistance 'around the clock' to customers. Implementation of the software, required specific system requirements for example, the computer was configured to optimise the system for javascript. Seats vs queuesFor the pilot project, 'One Seat' was purchased between the three partners. This allows only one staff member from the group to monitor the queues at any one time. However, this librarian can service one or more patrons from a queue. Screen layoutThe Virtual Reference software provides different interfaces for patrons and staff members. Patron View
A patron accesses the 'answers now' service through any one of the three partners' library catalogues. The top half of the 'answers now' entry screen is shown below. This entry form displays the answers now logo and is common to all partners. Once the patron has completed the 'required' sections, they click on 'connect' to begin the session. The patron then sees a new screen that allows them at the bottom of the right hand side to enter messages to the librarian. Messages from either a patron or the librarian are recorded from the top of the right hand side of the screen. The remaining area is for viewing the websites. When the interactive session is finished a pop-up survey is displayed for the patron to complete. A list of web sites visited appears allowing the patron to link back to the sites after the session. If the patron provided their e-mail address, in the login screen, they are able to receive a transcript of all messages sent and received along with web sites or documents that have been sent to them during the session. Staff view: Session inboxThe session inbox is designed to allow the staff member to respond to one patron at a time. Within the session inbox the librarian selects the categories they wish to monitor, - namely, Richland, Somerset and Brisbane. This allows customers' queries to be received. Staff members are able to select a further twelve training categories in order to practice using the software without tying up the 'seat'. Active SessionOnce a customer is 'picked up', the software enables the staff member to view their record by clicking on the patron's name. This provides details such as e-mail address, question and previous sessions if any. The software has two toolsets: Basic: Allows people with older computers to use some of the functions of the software. They are still able to chat, have online meetings, waiting rooms and slide shows. They are able to co-browse most but not all web pages and unauthenticated databases. Interact: Provides full functionality of the software which is chat, online meetings, waiting rooms and slide shows, co-browse all web pages, authenticated databases, form sharing, and two-way escort (VRT Manual, p.30, 2002). Once the session is in progress a reference interview is conducted to understand the customer's enquiry. During the session the Librarian can use a number of scripted messages by selecting 'suggestions' or typing their own message in the 'messages' box. Examples of scripted messages include:
In addition to scripted messages, the software also allows for websites and slide show presentations to be developed and saved for future use. SearchingThe librarian is able to type in web addresses or choose from a number of pre-selected sites which are divided into sections for ease of use. These are:
Government Information for each local area. The image below captures the librarian view while a session is in progress. Librarian view with session in progress: 
CopyrightMuch of the material available on the internet is copyright protected. Users must not breach copyright in material available on the internet. We have a disclaimer on the patron entry form that states that the 'responsibility for any possible copyright infringement lies solely with the user; the libraries disclaim any responsibility or any resulting liability'. Multiple inboxThe multiple inbox allows a number of patrons to be served within the one interface and provides the capability to easily switch between patrons. Different colours are used to identify whether it was the librarian or the patron who sent the last message. The number of people serviced at any one time is dependent on the type of query and staff expertise. Generally, 10 is the maximum number of patrons to be serviced at one time. ReportingThe software has extensive reporting capabilities. The administrator is able to run reports after preselecting required fields. The information available includes satisfaction with the service and usage statistics. The administrator is also able to edit scripted messages, websites and staff details. The technical support provided by LSSI has been excellent and efficient. This has helped staff to resolve issues quickly. A statistical record of current usage is collated regularly. Software FeaturesPlugins: Patrons do not require specific software in order to have content from word documents, pdf files, or other files displayed. Escort: This capability assists customers navigate between web pages. Co-browse: This allows patrons to watch the same screen as the staff member. Form synchronisation: This provides the capabilities for both the librarian and the patron to input text to the same form, or within a search box from a catalogue or search engine. Material share: This allows documents such as word, pdf, and screen dumps to be displayed within the patron's browser. Monitor queues: This allows the staff member to monitor who is servicing the queues. This is an important feature because it helps to ensure that there are no gaps in the service - particularly during changeover between providers. Meetings and conferences: This function allows for the ability to have meetings and conferences. Transfer patrons This feature allows the librarian to transfer a patron currently 'in session', to another staff member in another country to continue the service if required. Current Status
Future directions
ConclusionThe pilot project of 'answers now' has been an experience for us all. The service has proven that it is possible to have a global partnership despite physical location barriers and different government and organisational structures. We are now working towards sustaining our virtual working environment through continued communication with each partner and through maintaining a high quality service. 'answers now' has provided staff with an opportunity to expand their knowledge of effective service delivery to the community. We have gained both personally and professionally from the experience. AcknowledgementsThanks to Christine Mackenzie (BCC manager library services), Sandra Dean (information and reference co-ordinator) and the Central City Library team for their support. Thanks to staff at Richland Library and Somerset County Library for their partnership. ReferencesBiographiesTom Condric worked at Mitchelton Library as a library technician from 1997. He completed postgraduate Library and Information studies at QUT and is librarian based at Central City Library. Sharon Moy worked as a casual library assistant at the State Library of Queensland, Special Collections, from October 1996. In March 2000 she was employed within Brisbane City Council Library Services and is currently working as a librarian at Garden City Library. Patricia Christiansen has worked as a library technician and librarian, at Carindale Library from 1999, following a career as a primary school teacher librarian for approximately 15 years.
|
|
|
