Revised presentation: August 2012

1. Advanced
Virtual Reference Training
Don Boozer
KnowItNow Coordinator

2. Today’s Agenda
• Introduction
• Google & Wikipedia: The Right Tool for The Right Job
• Ohio Web Library Databases: A Very Quick Refresher
• Handling Tricky Questions: Dealing with "Problem"
Patrons and Patrons with Problems
• Enhancing Customer Service Skills Through
Transcript Evaluation
• Questions & Follow-up

3. You're
part
of a
posse....
not
a
Lone
Ranger!

4. Benchmarks & Best Practices
http://bit.ly/f9VEcD
• RUSA Professional Competencies for Reference and User
Services Librarians (2003)
• RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference
and Information Service Providers (2004; being revised - 2012)
• RUSA New Definition of Reference (2008)
• RUSA Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual
Reference Services (2010)
• OLC Ohio Public Library Core Competencies
• Seeking Synchronicity (2011)

5. Google
& Wikipedia
The Right Tool
For
The Right Job
Source: Photo by Jeff Dahl at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SOG_tool.jpg

6. (Search, News, Scholar,
Books, Translate, Patents...)

7. Be discerning!

8. Be aware
of your
location

9. Don’t
just send
search
results

10. Try the
color
filter on
Images

11. Don’t
limit your
search to
English
only

12. Don’t
forget
Patents

19. Some
Recommended
Uses
of

20. Quick
Intro to
a Topic

21. References
&
External
Links

22. Pop Culture

24. Reading
Order

25. Language Study

28. Be part of the solution!

29. http://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bookshelf/
Resources to Get Started

30. Questions?

31. Ohio
Web Library
Databases
A Very Quick Refresher

32. www.ohioweblibrary.org

34. ONLY for
KIN24x7
Librarians

37. Always
right-click
&
copy
the
persistent link
in all databases
where it is
available
NOT
the browser URL

38. Questions?

39. Handling Tricky Questions
Dealing with "Problem" Patrons
and Patrons with Problems

40. Resolution Codes

41. What isn't a Prank?
What is a Prank?

42. What isn't a Prank?
Expanded Crisis Call Guidelines
(KIN24x7 Provider Site > Documentation)

43. What is a Prank?

44. What is X ? See also…
Teens & Sex
Information
Pathfinder

45. I NEED HELP WITH A
QUESTION CAN YOU
HELP ME?

46. Paul likes turtles
Mmm cheese
POOP
Chickky-boww boww
69-Lover

47. A prank deftly handled…

48. Additional Resources
on KIN24x7 Provider Site
http://bit.ly/NkbgP6
• "Tips & Tactics" in May 2011 KIN24x7 Newsletter
• Expanded Crisis Call Guidelines (under Documentation)
• KnowItNow24x7 Provider Handbook
• SparkRef Forum Summary: October 18, 2011
• Teens & Sex Information Pathfinder
• Two examples of pranks deftly handled
“What to do if you have nothing to do”
• “Bored” Links: http://bit.ly/cwUPZr

49. Questions?

50. Enhancing Customer Service Skills
Through Transcript Evaluation

51. http://provider.knowitnow.org/transcript
and the
Quality Assurance
Committee for
KnowItNow’s
Transcripts of the
Month

52. It's all about
customer service...

53. You can never really tell
who is on
the other side
of a
reference
transaction...

55. Guidelines for
Behavioral Performance of
Reference and
Information Service
Providers

56. Approachability

60. Transcripts

61. Interest

64. Transcripts

65. Listening/Inquiring

68. Transcripts

69. Searching

71. Follow-up

72. Transcripts

73. Conclusion & Follow-up

76. Transcripts

77. I will make myself approachable.
I will show interest and be curious.
I will listen and ask questions.
I will conduct searches
together with my patrons.
I will follow-up
and encourage patrons to return..

78. Questions? Comments?
Evaluation
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T3GJMBP
Slides
http://www.slideshare.net/donboozer
Email
support@knowitnow.org