QuestionPoint Worldwide Cooperative Reference

1. QuestionPointWorldwide Cooperative Reference ICOLC Meeting September 19, 2002 Paul Cappuzzello, West Region Manager cappuzzp@oclc.org

2. Reference Challenges You’re Facing • Increase your library’s visibility & web presence • Make your library the first choice for high-quality reference service • Reach new patrons • Serve patrons where they are • Expand reference availability

3. Overview • What is QuestionPoint? • What does it do for me and my users? • How do I use it? • Pricing? • What’s coming in the future?

4. The QuestionPoint Solution • Collaborative digital reference service • Provides professional reference to users • Low cost • Hosted at OCLC • No software to install • Began as CDRS project • Library of Congress, OCLC, and library pilots with INCOLSA and METRO library groups • Built by librarians—for librarians

5. QuestionPoint Vision • Help libraries provide professional reference service to users anywhere, anytime, through collaborative, web-based networks of libraries.

6. A Cooperative Model Reference Professional Patron Your library reference staff Global Commercial services (Ask-A Services) Subject Based Networks (law, medical) Regional Networks (state, National) Your group reference Networks (branches, consortial)

7. QuestionPoint Participants Professional Associations National Libraries Consortia QuestionPoint Academic Libraries Public Libraries Partners Ask-A Service Special Libraries

8. QuestionPoint Advantages • Management and reporting support • Customize the interface • Create statistical reports • Manage user accounts with Q&A tracking • Local & global knowledge bases • Expanded access to varied expertise • Chat and e-mail capability • Enhanced communications • Browser sharing • Document sharing • Video or static picture to personalize library • Persistent button • And soon Voice over IP • Integrates with other forms of reference

9. What you can do…with QuestionPoint • Provide locally branded & customizable reference service using web forms, email, and chat interaction with users • Receive, respond to, track & manage users’ questions • Route questions to peers locally & worldwide • Receive quality answers quickly using peers and local & global knowledge bases

10. What you can do…with QuestionPoint • Link your existing ask-a-librarian services to QuestionPoint • Increase your library’s visibility • Market to users with “persistent help button” on third-party web sites • Complement existing bibliographic instruction program

11. What your users can do… with QuestionPoint • Get quality and reliable information from trusted sources • Chat and e-mail with you to get immediate information • Share applications with you to gain from your experience • Track and review their previously asked questions

12. The QuestionPoint System QuestionPoint Local/Regional Component Question Management Knowledge Base Profile Information Communication Options QuestionPoint Global Component Question Management Knowledge Base Profile Information Communication Options

13. QuestionPointLocal/Regional Component Your Reference Group Profiled Inst 1 Question Assignment: In Your Library Ref Lib Ref Lib Patron-Library Communication Walk in/Phone Web Form Email Chat Voice* Video Institution Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Patron Ref Lib Institution Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Local KB Global KB

14. QuestionPointGlobal Component Local/Regional Solution Submit question to global component Question answered Global Solution Request Manager Profile Information Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Ref Lib Profile Profile Profile Global AdministrationQ & A Editing Global Knowledge Base

15. QuestionPoint’s Functional Highlights • Interact • Work with your users on their terms using the most appropriate technologies & practices • Cooperate • Leverage expertise and availability of your peers • Build • Create shared resources, experiences & community • Profile • Define your form of participation, availability, and expertise within the reference groups • Manage • Identify trends by statistics, establish your brand with your patrons, track service metrics

16. Governance and Contribution • LC and OCLC serve as organizing stewards • Members on Advisory Board represent variety of library types (libraries, museums, state organizations, reference services…) • Sub-committees address areas of • Legal • Membership • Implementation • Best practices • Contribution • Answering questions from Global Reference Network • Adding completed Q&A to Global Knowledge Base • Editing Q&A in the Global Knowledge Base

17. QuestionPoint Pricing • Annual subscription model based on “profiles” • A profile = a node on the global network • Reference “consortia” created by associating profiles • Unlimited use • Packages • Global Network Access • Local/Group Reference Network & Global Network Access • Enhanced Communications • Starting as low as $1,700 per profile/year • Discounts for contribution & consortia • International pricing available

18. QuestionPoint Pricing

19. The Future… • Voice over IP • Standards-based communication • Interoperability among reference networks and between local services/global network • NISO Standards Committee AZ for Networked Reference (ongoing) • Automated routing at the local level • Off hours and supplemental coverage • Batch import of FAQs • Public access to the global network

20. DemonstrationInteracting With Your Users

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23. Call Now

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29. Cooperating With Others

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34. Defining Your Profile

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39. Building and Using the Knowledge Base

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41. Librarian Librarian – simple search on William Shakespeare

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45. Managing Your Reference Service

50. QuestionPoint Benefits