The latest news about your virtual reference service
MARCH 2019
Humber Peer-led askON Training
by Caleb Domsy and Amy Weir, Humber College 

Caleb Domsy, Humber askON Co-Site Coordinator
At the close of the fall semester the Humber askON team gathered to train each other on five of the other colleges we share the service with. In advance of the training we grouped our operators into pairs and assigned them to study one of five askON partner libraries. A library profile and sample chats were provided to each team.

The task of each team was to prepare a twenty minute presentation and exercise that would increase our team knowledge and skill with the college libraries we share the service with. On training day, we gathered in a computer lab for two hours and each of the teams took turns training us on their assigned college library. In our future training we plan to cover the remaining college libraries.   

Amy Weir, Humber askON Operator
The team-based askON training organized by Humber's Co-Site Coordinators provided a fun and supportive opportunity to practice askON skills while deepening our knowledge of the services, resources, and common questions asked about our askON library partners.

The resources provided ahead of training were an asset that allowed each team to thoughtfully prepare presentations and training scenarios in advance. With the freedom to focus on any topic, a wide array of skills were practiced. Notable examples included specific exercises exploring a particular library's lendable technology, to broader lessons practicing RUSA-guideline behaviour to improve chat quality.

As each partner library's services continue to grow and develop, ongoing askON training is important and well appreciated by Humber's staff. Peer-led training has proven to be a creative and alternative means of engaging staff that we look forward to taking part in again!
Fall Traffic Update

Fall 2018 continued to see record-breaking traffic, with 5,744 questions received during the fall semester, an 11% increase over fall 2017. Of these, 77% came through our click to chat buttons, which include the white static button and floating tabs, 20% came via proactive chat, and another 3% through text.

The winter service has seen steady traffic so far, with 3,052 questions received in January and February, up from 2,666 in the same months last year.
Visitors to the service this fall reported high levels of satisfaction, with 92% reporting good or excellent service.

"The staff that assisted me today was great! Very patient and helped me fix my technical issue. I recommend using askON to my fellow classmates all the time." 
- askON visitor, November 2018
Winter Storms and College Closures 

With severe weather hitting southern Ontario this February, askON colleges faced several weather-related clos ures. During the worst storm, nine of the twelve askON colleges were closed. Despite college closures, all shifts were covered and the service remained open for our usual hours, thanks to the efforts of college library staff across the system. As a result, askON visitors from all partner libraries were able to ask questions and receive research help.  
 
During the storms, an askON system message alerted visitors that wait times might be longer than usual. We also saw several questions from visitors about campus status. There is now a system of canned messages and information in the college profiles so that all askON staff have quick access to closure info.

Thank you to all of the college libraries, library staff, and student operators who kept the service running through these winter storms! 
Virtual Reference Conference - Recordings Available

The North American Virtual Reference Conference held on February 12, 2019,  covered a wide range of virtual reference topics including effective referral strategies, communication style over text, and incorporating emerging technologies into virtual reference services. Recordings and presentation slides for all of the sessions can be  accessed online here. 
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