QuestionPoint on the go

The cooperative virtual reference service now provides more channels to connect with users where they are, at the point of need

By Tom Storey

The mobile Web will bring waves of new virtual users to the library. And the OCLC QuestionPoint service is making sure reference librarians are there to help them.

Developed by the Library of Congress and OCLC, QuestionPoint is a network of reference librarians that serves users via the Web 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It brings professional librarianship to the Web and helps you move one of your traditional strengths—the one-to-one reference service—into the digital age.

QuestionPoint is a complete reference management system that offers your users multiple avenues to get reference assistance—including e-mail Web forms, live chat and chat widgets (the “Qwidget”). Libraries use QuestionPoint’s knowledge bases to build additional resources, while referral and administrative tools enable effective management of your complete virtual reference operation.

The QuestionPoint service is now accessible through supported mobile devices and social networking sites. Users can also send text messages to QuestionPoint librarians via a collaboration with Mosio.

“Texting and social networks are two more doors to reference services,” says Susan McGlamery, QuestionPoint Senior Product Manager. “Our members suggested we look at Mosio’s Text a Librarian. This combined service offers users more options to reach the librarians and provides libraries with increased efficiencies in managing their user inquiries in a single place.”

Susan says that the collaboration with Mosio represents a new approach for QuestionPoint: APIs. “Rather than build a texting component inside QuestionPoint, we are instead developing an API to work with aggregators, such as Text a Librarian. Thus QuestionPoint continues to build on its core competency of providing integrated reference management—seamless referral, reporting and knowledge management, regardless of the communication mode: chat, e-mail, SMS text—while Text a Librarian manages the relationships with cell phone providers and transmission issues.”

OCLC plans to expand the central index to include resources from familiar content providers that are most used by libraries today. Over time, the central index will provide access to the majority of available content, and will be complemented by searching remote indexes to incorporate the diverse materials libraries make available to their users.

Meet your users through text messaging, Facebook or mobile devices:

Mobile Qwidget. Qwidget, QuestionPoint’s chat widget, is accessible on the iPhone—no special programming is required. People with compatible devices can access your Qwidget at your library site then bookmark it to their home screen for convenient access. This will allow users to chat with a librarian directly from their iPhone, without needing to navigate first to the library Web site.

Texting/SMS. If you subscribe to the Text a Librarian text messaging service from Mosio, you can now receive text questions through QuestionPoint. This allows you to integrate all of your methods for receiving questions—e-mail,chat, SMS text—into one interface for answering, referring, tracking and reporting. Telephone and in-person questions can also be added through the Add-Question feature

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Qwidget in Facebook. Facebook users can now add the QuestionPoint Qwidget to their Facebook pages and ask questions of a librarian while using Facebook.

Chat widget displays in WorldCat Local. If you use the QuestionPoint Qwidget or another chat client, you can provide your users the opportunity to chat directly with your reference librarians from within WorldCat Local.

Custom Qwidget skins and formatting. QuestionPoint now offers your Web team the ability to create a custom Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) file for the Qwidget, enabling them to match the color of the Qwidget with the rest of your Web site.

Knowledge bases offered as a Web service. QuestionPoint knowledge bases can now be accessed via other interfaces by using a Web service. Searches can be posted and limited by any of the parameters listed on the QuestionPoint advanced search page, while search results can be formatted in XML or HTML for flexible implementation by various search engines.

Susan says the latest round of enhancements is part of OCLC’s continuing efforts to integrate the latest technologies in QuestionPoint.

“We are looking at other spaces where librarians can assist users in their information quest, such as social spaces and other content-rich sites. Wherever users are, that’s where we want QuestionPoint to be.”

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