TGIF Tips – Oct. 24, 2008 – Issue 4 (previous issue)

We’ve gotten some great responses through the Ask a Librarian staff survey!  We’ve had wonderful comments, questions, and insights regarding your experiences with the new software, and we will address many of those in this and upcoming issues of TGIF Tips.  (If you haven’t yet completed the survey, please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Y9e7XBNGbg0dO45lUcMAvA_3d_3d as soon as possible, and put in your two cents.)  As always, we also receive valuable information from your emails, so please continue to contact us with your thoughts and questions.  Here are just a few of the topics you have asked us to address.

 Pushing Web pages

“Where do I push pages?”

“I type in a Web address but the patron doesn’t see it as a live link.”

 We’ve had a number of staff inquiring about pushing Web pages to patrons, so here is a quick reminder on what goes where.  Remember that text goes into the smaller white space below the chat transcript area (the space next to the “Send” button), while Web addresses go into the smaller white space above the chat transcript area (the space next to “View” and “Push”).  Remember:  if you type a URL into the “text” portion of the chat, it will not display as a clickable hyperlink; all Web addresses should go into the URL address bar.   

A brief how-to for pushing Web pages:   Either type a Web address directly into the space above the chat transcript area, or double-click a Web page from the URL’s tab in the upper-left corner of the console.  To preview the web page (just on your end), click the “View” button on the right.  To send the page to the patron, click “Push” or press the Enter key on your keyboard.  The customer will see the web page displayed on his or her screen.  (Note:  some pop-up blockers & other settings may prevent the pushed page from automatically displaying on the patron’s screen.  If this happens, just tell the patron to click on the hyperlink in the transcript window to view the page.)

Tokens for Scripts

“How do I get my patron’s name to automatically display in my script?”

“Does InstantService let you insert tokens like Docutek did?”

Would you like to format your scripts so that certain information, such as your patron’s screen name, is automatically inserted into the reply?  You can do that by inserting a “token” into the desired scripts.  Just place the token’s code (see below) in the space where you would like that specific information displayed.  For example, here is the token for the patron’s screen name:  [%CSRFIRSTNAME%] 

By inserting this token into your script, the following script: 

“Hello, [%CUSTFIRSTNAME%] , and welcome to Ask a Librarian.”

Is sent to the patron as: 

“Hello, Robert , and welcome to Ask a Librarian.”

To do this, just log in to the software as usual, and when you get to the Account Administration page (the same page where you click on Agent Console), click on the “Agents” tab.  You can then click on Response Libraries to add, edit, and organize your own personal responses.  Just click on “Launch Response Editor” to begin.  Just keep in mind that these tokens will automatically insert whatever field you specify.  In this example, for instance, if the patron’s screen name is a lengthy or otherwise “unusual” one, that screen name would nevertheless be inserted wherever you placed the token.  (For more information on tokens, please see https://admin.instantservice.com/help/tokens_help.html.)

Resizing Panels & ScreenSharing in a Separate Window

“The windows on the console are sometimes too small, especially when screensharing. Can I resize them?”

“Some of the agent panels are smaller than others & I can’t see the patron’s desktop as well.”

Some of you asked about resizing the different panels inside the console, especially for easier viewing during the ScreenSharing process.  All four panels are easily resized; just drag on the gray lines separating each quadrant from the next and pull them up, down, or across (see screenshot) as you see fit.  They can be resized anytime.  For the ScreenSharing process, there is also a globe icon for “LiveLook” (the program that does the ScreenSharing) right above the ScreenSharing panel.  Just click on that globe icon, and then LiveLook, in order to view the patron’s desktop in a separate browser window. 

Monitored Practice Session

Don’t forget to join your colleagues across the state in next week’s monitored practice session for the new Ask a Librarian software on Tuesday, October 28, from 9-11 am.  (You do not need to register, and you can enter & leave anytime.) 

To join as a librarian, please log in to the toolbox at http://info.askalibrarian.org/toolbox/login.asp, log in with your personal info, check the local desk option only (not academic or collaborative) & select “Training Room” from the local desk’s pull-down menu options.  Feel free to pick up any patrons that come into the training room.  To join as a pretend patron, please log in to the toolbox (link above), click on the “Practice/Training” link on the left, and click “Practice as a Patron”.  (You will not be asked for a patron name or question.)  I will be right there with you in case you have any questions, need a practice partner, or would like assistance.