To be nominated for Exemplary Chat, a librarian should exhibit at least two of the following criteria:
- Demonstrate the following qualities:
- Accuracy
- Authority
- Objectivity
- Currency
- Coverage
- Perform a reference interview with the patron, asking questions to clarify the information need.
- Answer calls as quickly as possible while staying communicative with the user.
- Try to keep sessions to 20 minutes or less.
- Use information from library resources whenever possible. (Proprietary databases are better than Google or Yahoo.)
- Always use a reference source to locate the answer to a question and always give the caller the name of the source.
- If unable to locate an authoritative answer to a question in a timely fashion, then either get back to the patron in a few hours (do a follow-up) or refer the question to local library.
- Establish and maintain good rapport with patron through
- Word contact
- Enthusiasm
- Empathy
Chat Types:
- Brief Chat - 15 minutes or under
- Detailed Chat - 16-30+ minutes
- Teaching - Uses appropriate technology when possible (co-browsing, page pushing, or URL pasting) to instruct patron. Patron should indicate some learning response through interaction with librarian.
