Welcome

Use this wiki to help Ask?Away librarians and patrons make effective use of Virtual Reference; using (in particular, but not exclusively) the QuestionPoint/247Reference system.

The wiki isn't designed to answer all your detailed unique and thorny problems; sorry we're just not that smart <grin>. To address those kinds of problems, resources include:

• Contact Mark Beatty at mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu or 608.265.5719
•  Join the Virt-Ref electronic discussion group.  Send an email to Mark above and he'll get you signed up, or you can self subscribe, at http://titan.wils.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/virt-ref

  Be aware that all subscriptions pass through the list Admin, and if your name isn't recognized your request will be rejected.  So an email to Mark might work best.

  The Virt-Ref group is a closed group for librarians participating in virtual reference primarily in Wisconsin and Illinois, although it's open to others.  The group is closed in order to control spam.

• Check the rich array of resources at the OCLC QuestionPoint web site at http://questionpoint.org and be sure to log in as librarian to find even more resources.
• If you're having an immediate problem contact OCLC Tech Support at the OCLC Support Line 1.800.848.5800
• In particular make sure you check the QuestionPoint Blog on a regular basis http://questionpoint.blogs.com/
• Contact your fellow admins, who are often the very best resource. Check the listing of institutions and admins on this wiki's Coverage page

Newsletter

Follow this link to the AskAway Newsletter page and check out the latest AskAway information

AskAway Quick News

AskAway Awareness week!

Wisconsin libraries celebrated AskAway during the week of September 8 through 13.  State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster highlighted AskAway with a press release featured on the Department of Public Instruction website. Libraries across the state received customizable press releases, and their successful outreach to the media resulted in stories in a variety of news outlets including The Daily Kenoshan, the Steven’s Point Journal, WisPolitics.com. Madison.com’s “I Don’t Get It” column, and the Marshfield News Herald.  Many library and educational organizations including WEAC, the Milwaukee Public Library and the Eastern Shores Library System highlighted the celebration in their newsletters and on their websites.

A big round of applause to everyone who worked hard to spread the word on AskAway.

AskAway and the Qwidget.  Check out: QuestionPoint Qwidget: Providing a New User Experience to the Library's Virtual Reference Service, a brand new Webinar featuring 3 presenters including our very own Kim LaPlante from Northwest WIsconsin Technical College.  NWTC has the qwidget not only on most of the library's web pages, BUT ALSO on their Library Guides that use the Springshare system.  You can check out an example page at:

You can view the recording of the Webinar from October 1st here.

Virtual reference is an increasingly important part of the information services offered to patrons of all ages. Public, academic and special libraries are using a variety of new tools and methods to make reference service available. The program examined the range of services being offered, the staffing and training considerations around virtual reference, and the benefits and challenges of virtual reference.

Four Librarians covered new and different aspects and approaches to Virtual Reference at their library:

Joy Schwarz, Winnefox Library System, getting links into AskAway embedded in their OPAC pages

Her Powerpoint as a Google Docs use this Link

Sarah Neises, UW-Oshkosh, their LibQual study shows very positive student evaluation of VR access.

Her Powerpoint file snaskaway.ppt

Sandra Byrnes, Milwaukee Public Library, Traning and Staffing for VR using the Mentor approach

Martha Farley Berninger, Reference and Loan Library, on serving Wisconsin Schools and starting up a project

Her Powerpoint file marthaAskAway.ppt

QuestionPoint Training and Refresher Webinar

Affliated Institutions

Historial Societies, Museums, Schools of all sorts can also participate in Ask?Away by putting the Ask?Away logo and links into the service on their web site. We encourage you to do so. The process is easy and all of our patrons will gain no matter what their information needs are. If you need additional help beyond the steps below don't hesitate to contact the Ask?Away contact librarian at the nearest participating library or Mark Beatty at mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu.

Here's the basic steps: 

Choose an Ask?Away logo to use from the samples on the IDs and URLs page

Check the Coverage Page for Libraries and Contacts

Decide which participating library fits best with your institution

Use geography or type or other affiliation

Contact that library to let them know you're adding the Ask?Away logo to your site and using their Patron Entre' URL

Discuss with them how best to add your institutions information to their Policy Page

Use their Patron Entre' URL as the link for the logo on your site

Calendar of Library Events