Recent Web sessions and recorded presentations
| Topic and brief description | Date recorded |
|---|---|
| Learn more about QuestionPoint’s chat service, Qwidget QuestionPoint Qwidget is an embeddable chat service included in a subscription to QuestionPoint, OCLC’s reference management service. QuestionPoint provides librarians with tools to interact with users in multiple ways, using both chat and email. The Qwidget tool lets you easily add the option for users to chat with your librarians from any Web page. The combination of this chat tool and an email reference component enables seamless integration of chat, follow-up and referral, as well as one-stop reporting tools for all types of reference services. In addition, you may choose to join the 24/7 Reference Cooperative and provide live around-the-clock reference service to your school and community. | June 20, 2012 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference: Finding Your Virtual Reference Users Online Seeking Synchronicity found that one of the biggest obstacles to a successful virtual reference service was getting users to simply know the service existed. How do you find your users online? How do they find you? Look at what signs have been effective in letting users know about the service. What works best in both drawing users’ attention and getting them to know what the service is about? With our constantly changing technical vocabulary, are you really saying what you want to say? | May 17, 2012 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference: Virtual Reference in Tough Times In tough economic times, everything gets a turn on the chopping block. Make the case for virtual reference to your funding bodies and show them the impact you have online. Hear what has an impact on funders and learn what features are most valuable to your library. Despite the best advocacy, paying for virtual reference still may not make the cut. Explore what free options you have and hear how they’ve worked for those already using the service. Know what you really need to have in a virtual reference service to make it work for your community. [1 hour, 37 minutes] | April 24, 2012 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference: Keeping the Virtual Lights on 24/7 Joining a cooperative group can help libraries keep their virtual reference services going at all hours. Studies show that up to 40% of virtual reference inquiries come in after typical library hours. Explore the challenges and benefits to working through a cooperative to keep your virtual reference answering users 24/7. Find out if being "on" all the time really makes a difference in your community. [49 minutes] | March 06, 2012 |
| Community Outreach with QuestionPoint Programs and events offered through virtual reference are a cost-effective way for UK public libraries to engage with their community. The users do not need to visit the library in order to fully participate, and in many cases the speakers are offsite as well. Not only does this raise the profile of the library - it can open up many intriguing ways to collaborate with community leaders, artists and subject experts, regardless of their location. And it can be a lot of fun, too! Presented by Joanne John, coordinator of the UK's national virtual reference service, Enquire. | August 18, 2011 |
| Get your virtual reference team ready with QuestionPoint Glorian Sipman, California Community Colleges Group Administrator, discusses how MiraCosta College Libraries use QuestionPoint to provide 24/7 live reference support to students and faculty. Lauri McIntosh, OCLC Product and Services Consultant, provides an overview of the reference service, highlighting easy-to-use widgets, e-mail support and texting options. | April 14, 2011 |
| Boost your reference service with QuestionPoint Learn how QuestionPoint 24/7 Cooperative helps you meet your users at their point of need with chat reference services, easy-to-use- widgets, e-mail support and texting options. Get an overview of the features and benefits of QuestionPoint, including the searchable knowledge base for both staff and users. Hear how you can use QuestionPoint as a stand alone solution or as a part of a group solution. | October 21, 2010 |
| ALA Annual Program: 24/7 Reference Cooperative Celebrates 10th Anniversary, with Nancy Huling and Marie L. Radford QuestionPoint’s 24/7 Reference Cooperative looks back on the successes and challenges of 10 years of cooperative virtual reference. Susan McGlamery (24/7 Reference Cooperative manager) and Nancy Huling (University of Washington, QuestionPoint User Council chair and 2009 Mudge Award recipient for distinguished contributions to reference) review the state of the Cooperative from its start in July 200 with 3 libraries in Los Angeles to is current membership of nearly 1,500 libraries in the US and UK. Marie L. Radford (Rutgers University and 2010 Mudge Award recipient) leads a discussion of how trends such as mobile technology, social networking and scarce resources will shape the future of virtual reference services. | June 26, 2010 |
| QuestionPoint Goes Mobile and beyond QuestionPoint's latest enhancements provide more opportunities for libraries to reach out to their users. The Qwidget (QuestionPoint's chat widget) is now accessible on selected mobile devices and on Facebook. This live Web information session overviewed QuestionPoint's Mobile Webkit, expanded Qwidget customization options, and our new knowledge base Web service. It also QuestionPoint provides a complete reference management system incorporating chat, e-mail, knowledge base and administrative tools. Libraries may also participate in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative to provide live 24-hour service to their users | February 24, 2010 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference: Making the Case for Virtual Reference Panelists share tips and best practices for communicating the value of virtual reference to stakeholders, whether they are grant funders or potential subscribing libraries. | January 17, 2010 |
| QuestionPoint Case Study recordings [, ] Short recordings providing brief overviews of how the referenced libraries use QuestionPoint. | October 05, 2009 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference: Panel [Streaming video, 1:27:00] | July 11, 2009 |
| Best Practices in Virtual Reference [3 Streaming video segments, 00:52:24] A panel presented two innovative approaches to improving reference service for our users: building a better search engine using the knowledge of reference librarians, and building a multilingual, multinational reference service. Presentations by David Lankes, director of the Information Institute of Syracuse, and Paul Ulrich, Berlin Central and Regional Library are followed by a discussion with speakers and participants. | January 24, 2009 |
| Best practices in virtual reference A panel presented two innovative approaches to improving reference service for our users: building a better search engine using the knowledge of reference librarians, and building a multilingual, multinational reference service. Presentations by David Lankes, director of the Information Institute of Syracuse, and Paul Ulrich, Berlin Central and Regional Library are followed by a discussion with speakers and participants. | January 24, 2009 |
| QuestionPoint: Take a Second Look [WMV, 00:45:25] QuestionPoint is a unique reference management service that provides tools for libraries to interact with their users (chat and e-mail), enhanced by the global network of QuestionPoint libraries worldwide. Membership in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative is available, which provides libraries with the ability to provide live chat reference services to their users, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. View this recorded webinar and learn how QuestionPoint helps you and your users:
| January 21, 2009 |
| QuestionPoint Qwidget: providing a new user experience to the library virtual reference service Curious about Qwidget? Join us for an informative discussion with librarians who have taken the plunge and put the QuestionPoint Qwidget up on their library websites. Our speakers are from a large university, a community college, and a public library, and will discuss aspects of deploying the Qwidget, including: where the Qwidget is placed on the website (library catalog, library guides, etc); promotion; response from users (including usage statistics), and any issues with the Qwidget. Our speakers are:
| October 01, 2008 |
| Promoting virtual reference services (beyond bookmarks) Virtual reference services reach out to bring the library to the user, and the most successful promotional activities go where the user is to promote these services. This Web session featured two of the most innovative publicity campaigns for virtual reference services:
| November 15, 2007 |
| Eliminating barriers to service with lightweight chat This Web session explored how libraries can provide reference services to all users, including those using screen readers or other assistive technologies, with a focus on QuestionPoint's new lightweight patron chat ("Chat 2"). | September 19, 2007 |