Frequently Asked Questions
Topic: About AskMN
What is AskMN?
AskMN is a live interactive chat service that allows patrons to converse with a librarian in real
time. AskMN is funded by a legislative appropriation to Minitex. The service is available to residents
of Minnesota, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The service is staffed by experienced library staff
from Minnesota, QuestionPoint's 24/7 Reference National Cooperative (a group of hundreds of libraries
across the country that work together to provide online reference service), and Minitex.
What is a participant?
A participant is a Minnesota library that:
- Contributes staff to the service
- Is provided with access to the QuestionPoint software
- Is provided with a unique patron entry point identifying users as yours
- Is provided with detailed usage statistics based upon entry point usage
Does my library have to participate for my patrons to use AskMN?
No. Residents of Minnesota are able to use AskMN regardless of whether or not their home library contributes
staff to the service.
How will my patrons use AskMN if I am not a participant?
AskMN provides a link to askmn.org that a library may add to its website so that visitors to your site will
be able to connect to AskMN. Graphic logos are also available for download.
How much does it cost to participate?
There is not currently a fee to participate or to provide links to your patrons to use AskMN.
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Topic: AskMN Participation
How do we join?
Contact ask at askmn dot org. [NOTE: You don't have to apply for your patrons to have access
to the service.]
What types of libraries can participate?
All types of libraries may participate staff. Additionally, as a collaborative reference service, participants
must have a strong commitment to sharing the expertise of their reference staff.
We are a small library with limited resources. How can we answer questions with our limited print
collection?
Most questions answered via live chat will utilize online resources. The suite of statewide ELM resources
(Electronic Library for Minnesota, elm4you.org) are used as the base of online resources from which to start.
How much staff do we have to contribute to participate?
For public libraries, the minimum number of hours per week contribution is 5 hours. For academic libraries,
the minimum number of hours per week contribution is 3 hours. These hours will be spent providing coverage to
the live chat service. Larger libraries may be asked to provide additional coverage depending upon the usage
by their affiliated users.
Once we have provided our minimum weekly coverage to the statewide service, can we use the service to
provide additional coverage to our own patrons?
Yes. Participating libraries are able to serve their own patrons during the times in which they are providing
their minimum hours on AskMN and may elect to provide additional coverage to their own patrons. Participating
libraries also have access to additional virtual reference tools such as email reference and an IM widget that
they can implement for their own patrons, at no cost, as part of the AskMN subscription.
We are a special library. Will our collection be unequally accessed?
No. Most questions are general reference questions and can be answered utilizing online resources.
Our special library is not in practice handling general reference questions. Should we consider
participating?
Yes. If your library can contribute 3-5 hours per week and has an eager staff willing to answer the questions
posed on a statewide service, you should consider participating.
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Topic: 24/7 Live Chat
How will we provide live chat coverage 24 hours per day, 7 days per week?
In addition to coverage provided by staff from participating libraries, AskMN utilizes the OCLC 24/7 Reference
Cooperative to ensure that live chat reference is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
What is the OCLC 24/7 Reference Cooperative?
The 24/7 Reference Cooperative provides a round-the-clock coverage for libraries and bolsters service when and
where it is needed most. Library staff at participating locations in the Reference Cooperative utilize the
QuestionPoint software system hosted by OCLC in order to provide virtual reference to all member libraries,
contributing a small amount of time in order to receive complete coverage.
How are requests for homework help handled? Are we expected to spend time providing tutoring services?
AskMN will help students understand what they can expect from the AskMN service. Assistance will be provided to
students with research and answering questions but not with tutoring.
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Topic: AskMN Functionality
How does a statewide live chat service work?
Library staff from participating libraries jointly provides coverage (a minimum of 3-5 hours per week per library)
for AskMN. There are two queues: an academic queue and a general (public library) queue. Staff from participating
libraries will staff the appropriate queue answering questions from Minnesota patrons and the Reference Cooperative.
What is a queue?
A queue is where a patron arrives in the QuestionPoint software and where staff monitoring the service accept a
patron into a live chat session.
When I am staffing AskMN, how will I help patrons from other libraries?
Each participating library in QuestionPoint has a complete Policy File, which includes detailed information about
the library that staff can use to assist patrons of that library.
How is the use of proprietary databases handled in AskMN?
ELM (elm4you.org) is the base of online resources to use with Minnesota patrons. Additionally, resources from the
patron's library may also be used if guest access authorization has been provided by the participating library in
the staff-only, secure policy file page.
What is the follow-up process when the live chat session ends?
When a chat session ends, the librarian selects one of the following resolution codes in the chat monitor:
- Answered
- Follow-up by patron's library. The patron's home library or group will follow up.
- Follow-up by me. The librarian who chatted with the patron will follow up.
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Topic: Technical Questions
What is QuestionPoint?
QuestionPoint is a total reference solution composed of four tools: email reference, chat reference, IM widget,
and a 24/7 Reference Cooperative. The 24/7 Reference Cooperative component works with the chat reference tool only.
QuestionPoint is designed to be a fully integrated service. This is accomplished by utilizing an add question
feature that allows you to input and track questions by walk-in, fax, phone, etc. You will be able to respond to
and manage these questions and they become part of the statistics reporting system. The 24/7 Reference Cooperative
service will enable AskMN to provide live chat coverage 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Will I have to install the QuestionPoint software on computers for staff and/or patrons?
No. QuestionPoint is a web-based product and is entirely hosted on servers at OCLC.
What are the minimum computer requirements for staff?
The minimum system requirements for staff are:
-
A Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 (or higher) using Microsoft Windows (2000 or XP) Note: Firefox
browser can be used for QP reference management and chat software components.
- A high speed connection to the Internet
- Adobe-Macromedia Flash Player, Version 7 or higher
What are the minimum computer requirements for patrons?
The minimum system requirements for patrons are:
- A Web browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, Netscape, Firefox, Opera or Safari
- A connection to the Internet. The faster the connection the better the experience.
Will my patrons be able to use traditional instant messaging services like Yahoo!, MSN, and AIM with AskMN?
Not at this time. OCLC has plans to integrate this functionality into a future version of QuestionPoint. However,
OCLC has created its own IM widget component that is fully compatible with any Web browser or website.
What is co-browsing?
Co-browsing is collaborative Web browsing. It is a Web-enabled technique that allows staff using QuestionPoint to
interact with a patron by using the customer's Web browser to show them something. For example, a patron having
difficulty searching the catalog could access AskMN and a librarian could then show the patron how to search the
catalog. Collaborative browsing allows a librarian and a patron to be on the same Web page.
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