** Note: If you didn’t receive this in its more attractive email format earlier today, please email Traci at avett@tblc.org
March Madness Month
A month of surprising facts, informative highlights, and fun activities… all for the chance to brag about our incredible services!
AaL Day 2011, University of Central Florida staff
Don’t you want to be one of the shining few at FLA (or your library system) with an awesome red Ask a Librarian book pack? Sure you do. Take our latest Customer Service Quiz question below and let us know just how high your customer service standards are. Share those strong values with us, so that we can share them with your peers.
The Question 3 topic is extremely important because it is your active participation during your scheduled statewide shift that allows Ask a Librarian to be a successful collaborative effort. It is vital that you feel comfortable enough staffing the desk that you actively engage in chat and/or text message reference during your shift. This is important not only for the users depending on you to help, but also for the librarians who are scheduled with you for that hour, who are depending on your active engagement throughout your scheduled shift. Your balanced contribution is needed for true collaboration to take place. And because you represent your library system to all state staff and users, your active engagement sets an example that will reflect strongly and positively on Ask a Librarian, on your library system, and on you.
Customer Service Question 3 Quiz
You are scheduled to cover the statewide desk. During your shift, you preview a question that you are not sure how to answer; however, no one else is picking them up. Several others are on the desk. What do you do?
1. Continue to research the question; maybe you’ll find eventually find the answer and be able to pick them up.
2. Just let it be – others are on the desk, so surely someone else out there could be more helpful than you at this point.
3. Pick up the question. Let the user know that you aren’t quite familiar with that topic, but you will definitely see what you can find.
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What’s a book pack, you ask? Why, it’s a nifty red drawstring bag with a blue Ask a Librarian logo that promotes us with style and holds your book or sandwich at the same time.
Want one? Send your response to Traci at avett@tblc.org by 5 pm ET on Friday, March 25th. Don’t forget to tell us which option you’d choose and why!!!!
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He Said, She Said: Excerpts from AaL Ambassador Challenge Participants
“The students, faculty and staff at Everglades University’s Boca Raton campus celebrated Ask a Librarian day with Ask a Librarian demos, snacks and giveaways. Many students were AMAZED at the service and how they can get reference help from their homes via chat, text message or email.
Our usage has increased tremendously!”
– Yossi (Joseph) Gremillion, Everglades University, Boca Raton campus
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When speaking to users, please keep in mind these important talking points:
- If you ever need help when you’re not in our library, visit www.askalibrarian.org (or find the link on our library’s website).
- Ask a Librarian is a website where you can go to get your questions answered by a real librarian.
- Ask a Librarian is open for live chat and texting until midnight ET Sunday through Thursday, and until 5 p.m. ET Friday and Saturday.
- You can use Ask a Librarian for free.
- If Ask a Librarian isn’t open for chat or texting, you can always email your question, and your library’s staff will get back to you within 24 hours.
