CHAT COMMUNICATION TIPS
Chatting with a librarian is not the same as a chat room, instead it is very similar to speaking face to face. It's one-to-one, informal, it's immediate and you can ask questions. However, there are some very significant differences that may get in the way of communication. Use the following tips to help make your experience with Chat with a Librarian more rewarding:
MAKE SURE YOUR BROWSER SETTINGS ARE CORRECT
MAC users - Use Safari browser or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.2.3.
AOL/WebTV users - Use Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher
Enable JavaScript
Enable Pop-Ups
After a good introduction, the (unfortunately) necessary technical tips are provided. JavaScript seems to be needed by the QuestionPoint user interface. It was not apparent to me why popups are required.
WAIT YOUR TURN
There may be someone in the queue ahead of you. Please be patient.
Apparently the librarian will give you their full attention, or at least they know they may have more patrons than they can handle. I haven't tried to see the librarian's interface, so I don't know if the software technically allows more than one patron at a time. But if multiple conversations are wanted, the librarian might have several windows open at once, so that detail is dependent upon the librarian's work environment.
BE PATIENT
Although chat is immediate two-way communication, it still does not flow as smoothly as spoken words. There may be long pauses while we type responses to your questions. Also please wait to use the links provided during the session until the chat session is completed. If you use the links during the chat session you will disconnect the session.
Those are useful reminders about the environment. The first part is actually directed at the mental state of the patron, because they can't see that anything is being done while the librarian is typing. The second part is because clicking on links will pull you away from the chat page. The latter is a technical issue, as an advanced user on a modern browser can do things such as open links in tabs ... but then the librarian will be left, forgotten, while the patron wanders off browsing. There's a note further down about closing the chat session.
WHILE IN CHAT TYPE IN SHORT LINES
When you talk, your listeners hear your words as you say them. In chat there is no way of knowing that you are writing something until you hit send. By sending only 5-6 words at a time, you are creating the illusion of flowing conversation.
USE ELLIPSES...
One problem with sending only 5-6 words at a time is that we will not know when you've finished your thought. Use an ellipsis (three periods, like this...) at the end of a line to indicate you have more to say. Use normal punctuation at the end of your thought.
This is an attempt to keep the conversation flowing quickly. The librarian will be asking questions to better identify what the person needs. The question "How can I decrease gasoline usage in a car?" has a different answer for a normal driver than it does for a mechanic. The librarian has training and experience to quickly find the right question and then where to look for the answer. Apparently the LOC have found that often only a few words are needed to answer most questions. Probably another factor is that many people are not touch typists, so it takes a while for them to do any typing.
BE FORGIVING
It is difficult for most people to type fast without making mistakes. Be forgiving of errors in spelling or language.
Another attempt to keep the conversation flowing and focused on the goal rather than get diverted by details.
LET US KNOW WHEN YOU LEAVE
When you want to end a session please tell us and end the Chat session by clicking close. Otherwise we keep going "Hello? Hello? Are you still there?"
The technical details of the web chat program means that the librarian will not be informed for several minutes if the patron takes their browser elsewhere. The librarian can't quickly tell the difference between a patron thinking quietly, a slow typist, or one who shut off their browser or went to a different web site. So they remind people to say goodbye with the "Close" button.
WE CAN FOLLOW UP
If you give us your correct email address a transcript will be emailed to you. If we need to follow up or send you more information we will contact you using the email address that you provide.
Being able to follow up by email is particularly useful because some questions require a while to be answered.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS
Use the Ask A Librarian e-mail function instead.
On the pages which lead to the chat tool there are tools for sending in a question for the librarian to answer via email. If there are problems, the patron can try that different technology and interface.
Overall, this is a very good set of guidelines. They deal with both some technical and usage issues. They're not giving any guidance about the Library's overall service not the patron's question itself, but by the time you reach this part of the web site you should have encountered that information on other pages. The focus seems to be on keeping the conversation flowing so the questions can be asked and answered. It's nicely focused on the goal.
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