TGIF Tips, 1/30/09, Issue 11

TGIF Tips

Attention all Ask a Librarian staff! Are you using KnowledgeBase during your chats with patrons? If not, now is definitely the time to learn (or relearn) about this invaluable resource always available to you right inside the Agent Console.

What in the world is KnowledgeBase?

KnowledgeBase is a database of information on specific libraries. Since Ask a Librarian is a collaborative, statewide service, we want to make it easy for you to find regional information for your patrons no matter where in Florida they are located. Site Coordinators for each participating library system enter information specific to that system directly into the KnowledgeBase, resulting in an e-resource that is an extremely valuable ready reference source during chats. If your patron needs his library’s phone number, or if you want to search his library’s catalog for a particular book, KnowledgeBase can give you this information with just a few clicks of the mouse. Other information you might find here includes:

• Contact information such as phone numbers or email addresses;
• The main URL for that library’s home page;
• Specific Web links, such as direct catalog & database URLs, branch hours or locations pages, & even links to specific topics such as “How to Renew” and “Fines & Fees”;
• Staff/Dummy ID (available from some libraries) which allows you to mimic the patron’s steps in the background in order to better view, and help them with, their specific navigation needs;
• Other information deemed relevant by the Site Coordinator, such as remote access procedures or tips like “The patron’s default password is the last 4 digits of the patron’s telephone number.”

Where in the world is KnowledgeBase?

This is an easy one. KnowledgeBase is located in the upper-right corner of the Agent Console, in the same panel as the Chat Queue. The KnowledgeBase tab – the last tab on the right – contains many helpful sub-tabs, such as Help, Blog, KnowledgeBase, Library Email Addresses, & even Nominate Exemplary Transcript. To access the KnowledgeBase, you have to click on the KnowledgeBase subtab (found under the main KnowledgeBase tab). From there, just choose the specific library you wish to explore and click “go.” It’s that simple!

 

Once you get to that library’s page, just scroll down to view the information provided. You can click directly on the links to open that page in a new (pop-up) window, or you can copy the text and paste it into an existing Internet window (the latter ensures that you have an address bar).

Here is an example of one library system’s information as it appears inside the KnowledgeBase:

 

Note the scroll bar on the right side, which indicates that there is more content below the visible pane. When you are done, click on the “back” arrow or the “home” icon located just below the KnowledgeBase screen to return to the list of libraries on the main KnowledgeBase page. Don’t forget to click on the Chat Queue tab if you wish to make the queue screen – which displays waiting patrons – the prominent screen in that portion of the panel.

With the KnowledgeBase, it’s important to keep in mind that the types of information provided may differ from one library to the next. For example, the collection policies of some libraries do not allow them to provide staff or dummy IDs. Also, if you notice any missing or broken links, please report them to the Site Coordinator (if shown) or to Ask a Librarian staff so that the information can be updated as soon as possible. Finally, don’t forget to use the KnowledgeBase! This means exploring it before you have a patron so that you don’t forget – or panic – when the opportunity arises mid-chat.

 

Monitored Practice & New Workshops

Want a great opportunity to “get to know” the KnowledgeBase? Join the Ask a Librarian statewide monitored practice session, held every Tuesday from 9-10 a.m. at info.askalibrarian.org/toolbox/training.asp. Just follow the instructions on the Training Room page to log in as a librarian or as a patron.

Also, new in-person and online-only classes are being added regularly, so please check out our latest Ask a Librarian workshop schedule at www.tblc.org/ws_classes.php. If the class you want is full, be sure to register anyway so that you are added to the wait list. (This also tells us what the demand is for a particular topic.)