[WEB4LIB] Ask-A Services
TMGB
bennettt at am.appstate.edu
Sat Nov 27 16:01:24 EST 1999
We are in the final testing phase of ASU's Ask A Librarian. Answers to
your questions are inline.
"Karen G. Schneider" wrote:
>
> Do you offer reference services by email (also known as "ask-a" services, as
> in "ask a librarian")? I'd like to hear from you for an upcoming column in
> American Libraries. Any input is welcome, but I'm particularly interested
> in knowing--
> * How did you resolve staffing issues (who answers the questions, how are
> the accounts set up, what is your turn-around time on questions)?
Several reference librarians and reference assistants volunteered
to answer
questions. Turn around time is scheduled to be a maximum of 24
hours.
> * Did you provide staff with special training in email reference?
I gave the responders a "crash" course with detailed and summary
documentation.
Then, after their questions had been answered, they were told to
"go play with
it, you can't hurt it so try anything and let me know if there are
any problems
or password prompts"
> * How many questions do you get every month? Is it increasing? What did
> you do to publicize the service?
Since we are only in the final stages of testing I can't give you
an answer to
the first two parts of this question except that I assume it will
be increasing.
The publicity will be on our "What's New" link, probably on the
Reference home
page and elsewhere in the web site, and probably in the University
paper
published by the SGA.
> * How do you think you compare with commercial "ask-a" services? What do
> your patrons get from your service that they don't get anywhere else?
Do you mean compare to their services or technology and in what
way?
I'm convinced most students are too shy, insecure, or whatever the
correct
term may be to ask a librarian a question directly, the web
interface gives
the student a certain amount of anominoty that fills that
insecurity or shyness,
so they get their question answered, also we are now involved
with distance
learning and this affords the patron a response from a librarian
without
having to call long distance on the phone.
> * When did you start offering the services?
Actually, when "will we" start offering the services?
This service is scheduled to be in public operation by 01/01/2000.
>
> Real examples from the field are particularly welcome. Please contact me
> directly at kgs at bluehighways.com , and don't forget your name, organization,
> city and state. Thanks!
As my supervisor tells me, I give more answer than is asked for so here
it goes:
I am using a standard web form for the user interface. The
information is submitted
to the Zope Server which is a WEB Object Publishing server that has
been compared to
Cold Fusion (but this one is open source [free to use and most support
is free
although you can pay for support from the original developers]) The
Zope Server
verifies that required fields have been submitted and upon
verification creates a
record in a MySQL database. There is one responder for all the
questions each week.
The responder pulls up the new questions on the web and sets his/her
name for that
question, this actually sets the responder field in the database.
Then the responder
can bring up a page to respond to his/her questions. On this page,
the responder can
set the answer to the question, add the question to the FAQ, email the
Reference team
or an individual to consult on this question, email the response to
the patron asking
the question, and/or set this question as "dun". Any questions marked
"dun" will not
show up in the general or specific responders page but will show up on
the View All
Records Page (no editing). All of this is done with features of the
Zope Server (Python
based) and SQL requests to the MySQL server.
WEB4LIBers are invited to view, test, and criticize the Ask A Librarian
pages. The full
user MS Word documentation contains screen shots from every aspect of
the interface. My
antivirus program definition file is updated daily so there should be no
macro viruses.
The Responder page will not be available outside of the library after
December (more than
likely). Zope Server is available for most platforms NT, Linux,
possibly even Amiga :^).
This NT server will be replaced within two weeks with a Linux server
that will have
a different name and ip address so this is only a temporary site.
You may use my name Thomas Bennett if you want to set responder and use
the responder page.
Url for Documentation for using Ask A Librarian (please forgive the html
formatting,
the original word
documents can be
downloaded by changing
htm to doc)
Full:
http://www.library.appstate.edu/webmaster/AskRefDoc.htm
Summary:
http://www.library.appstate.edu/webmaster/AskRefDocSum.htm
The URL for a form you may test a submission is:
http://www.library.appstate.edu/webmaster/askref.html
The URL for the Responder page is:
http://intelnt.library.appstate.edu:8080/Zope_Server/Forms/ask_ref/responder/
If you are prompted for any usernames/passwords use 'askref' for both
(no quote).
If you have a problem with any of these URLs please email me at:
webmaster at www.library.appstate.edu
>
> Karen G. Schneider kgs at bluehighways.com
> Assistant Director of Technology
> Shenendehowa Public Library, Clifton Park, NY
> http://www.shenpublib.org
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Rock and Rule
Zope Rocks -- http://www.zope.org
Python Rules -- http://www.python.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett Appalachian State University
Computer Consultant II University Library
bennettt at am.appstate.edu
http://www.library.appstate.edu/webmaster/
Voice: 828 262 6587 Boone, North Carolina 28608-2026
FAX: 828 262 3001
Windows 95 is a 32-bit extension to a 16-bit patch for an 8-bit
operating system that was originally coded for a 4-bit microprocessor.
- Chris Dunphy Boot Magazine
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