After much consideration, the QA Workgroup has decided to move in a little different direction with the nominations for the monthly Brief, Detailed, and Teaching Exemplary Awards. This change will encompass both self nominations and nominations from the QA Workgroup.

Basically, starting in August, we will be asking everyone to nominate based on a Best Practice Theme. The theme for August will be Best Customer Service Chat.

Through the past couple of years, it has become harder and harder to pick winners from the nominees. The librarians who staff the service are resourceful and are highly experienced. It shows in the quality of the Chats! And, we have nominated based on the presence of two of the criteria that we have available in Toolbox.

The purpose of the QA Workgroup and Exemplary Chats has been threefold: (1) give recognition to excellent digital reference, (2) provide a bank of chats for teaching, and (3) provide incentives to improve digital reference skills.

With the growth of the AskALibrarian Service over almost 10 years, the staff of the service has grown also in competence and experience. The idea of a theme of a specific Best Practice seems like a natural evolution of that growth!

Here are some of the criteria that will be used in the future:

· Most Enthusiastic Librarian
· Most Exemplary handling of a difficult patron
· Most Exemplary e-gov question
· Most Exemplary t Mobile Reference session
· Great Customer Service
· Most Exemplary Use of Library Materials
· Most Exemplary Use of Non Library Materials
· Most Efficient and Accurate Answer for a Patron at a library Other Than one’s own
· Best Rapport While Keeping it Real with a Patron.

So, we ask you, please keep self-nominating! The response that we’ve gotten in self-nominations has been wonderful. We appreciate your interest and participation!

So now please choose a Chat that matches the Best Practice Theme of the month, “Great Customer Service.” The Quality Assurance Workgroup will be selecting Exemplary Chat winners only from those that display the monthly theme.

Starting in August, we will be looking for “Great Customer Service” for that month in all three categories for Exemplary Chats.

Pat Barbier and Joyce Ward (Co-Chairs of the QA Workgroup)

Don’t forget you can nominate here: https://info.askalibrarian.org/toolbox/exemplaryreference/nominatetranscript/