[WEB4LIB] Managing E-mail Reference Questions

[Elizabeth A Reiten]

Please please please if you have any suggestions, reply to the list!!  I 
would love to actually have something other than my own brain to help me 
manage our email reference!

Beth Reiten, Librarian
Digital Library Services
Edmon Low Library
Oklahoma State University
Phone: 405-744-9109
Email: reitene at okstate.edu




Andrew Mutch <amutch at waterford.lib.mi.us>
Sent by: web4lib at webjunction.org
05/03/01 12:32 PM
Please respond to amutch

 
        To:     Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
        cc:     (bcc: Elizabeth A Reiten/lib/Okstate)
        Subject:        [WEB4LIB] Managing E-mail Reference Questions


We are in the process of revamping our library web site.  One element of 
the
site that we will be highlighting in the new design is our "Ask A 
Librarian"
service which allows patrons to submit reference questions through a 
web-based
form.  Our current version of this service gets limited use and I know 
from what
others have reported that this type of service may take some time to 
generate
significant use by patrons.  However, in the event that the redesign does
generate more responses from our site visitors, I would like to have a 
system in
place to manage the responses.

I don't want to have to re-invent the wheel to do this.  So, I'm curious 
as to
what systems people use to manage their e-mail reference questions.  I 
would
envision that a good system would include the ability:

* Route questions dependent upon departments/services
* Track the status of the various e-mail questions
* Allow questions to be assigned "owners"
* Archive questions
* Generate statistics
* Other things that I haven't thought of but people will tell me are "must 
have"

I'm looking for something that is easy to set-up and maintain and 
relatively
easy for staff to utilize.  I'm trying to avoid a proprietary or 
thrown-together
solution that runs on a wing and a prayer.

Thank you,

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI