You can view transcripts from past chat sessions
Ask a Librarian Toolbox News
Using the AAL Training Room
How to win an Exemplary Reference Award
Updated 2/24/21
View the Ask a Librarian Service Expectations Here
Collaborative Scheduling with When to Work
Please note: The password to the shared account on When to Work has changed.
Username: askalibrarian
Password: askalibrarianshared1
Editing Your Email Form Header
Email form headers can be edited to indicated library closures or requests for information.
Monitoring Who’s Online
View who is currently monitoring from your local library without logging in to chat.
Enabling Pop-Out Chats
Choose how you’d like chats to appear when opened. “Individually” will show one chat at a time and gives you a large chat area for each; “Multi Chat Overlay” opens each chat in a pop-out window, which can then be moved/resized as needed.
How to Use the ‘Set Away’ Checkbox
If you need to step away from the LibChat window for a moment but don’t want to sign out of chat completely, you can set your status as “Away”. Please note: Chats widgets will still allow questions to come through, but the patron will receive a message that the chat operator has stepped away if you are the only one monitoring that desk.
What should I do if my library is closing?
Holiday or Hurricane closures coming up and you’re not sure what to do about Ask a Librarian?
Here are two important questions to ask yourself:
Will my library miss a collaborative desk shift (Statewide or Academic) because of the closure?
NO – If the collaborative desk is also closed and no one will be monitoring your local chat desk, no further action is needed. When no chat desks are online and monitored, the chat widget displays an Offline message with the option to submit an email ticket instead.
YES – If the collaborative desk will be open and your closure means missing a shift, please email the listserv (askref@askref.simplelists.com) with the date, time and collaborative desk that needs coverage.
Do I need to notify patrons submitting email or SMS questions that we’re not available?
NO – If you use your own email form outside of Springshare or don’t need to signify your closures through email, there are no further action needed.
YES – There are a few options for site coordinators to indicate a delay in response due to closures: Edit your Question Form Header, change the success message displayed when a question is submitted, AND/OR enable and edit an automated email response once a question is submitted. These options are not available if you use your own email form outside of Springshare. You can also set up an auto-reply for SMS questions.
**If you change these Queue settings, don’t forget to reset them once your library opens again!
Don’t forget, site coordinators can kick library staff accounts linked to your local department off of the chat dashboard. This feature is helpful if someone forgets to log out before a long break.