MOBIUS CHAT REFERENCE TASK FORCE DECEMBER 2014 – MAY 2015 Jeannette E. Pierce University of Missouri, Columbia June 8, 2016

CHARGE The MOBIUS Virtual Chat Reference Task Force explored and assessed various opportunities for consortia-wide participation in a virtual chat reference tool. The Task Force prepared a recommendation to broker 3 rd party reference services by ChatStaff using LibraryH3lp for evening, most weekend, and overnight hours. MOBIUS contracted with ChatStaff to begin offering brokered services in Fall 2015.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS Jeannette Pierce (Chair), University of Missouri – Columbia Martha Allen, Saint Louis University Theresa Flett, St. Charles Community College Tammy Flippen, Springfield-Greene County Library Rebecca Hamlett, William Jewell College Anthony Kaiser, University of Central Missouri Rhonda Whithaus, University of Missouri—Columbia Donna Bacon, Ex-Officio, MOBIUS Megan Durham, Ex-Officio, MOBIUS Christina Virden, Ex-Officio, MOBIUS Additional thanks to Georgia Baugh at Saint Louis University, Daria Carson-Dussan at Washington University, and Lisa Farrel at East Central College, as well as MOBIUS members who completed surveys and provided feedback on the vendor demonstrations.

WHY CHAT ABOUT CHAT? Our resources are available anywhere, anytime. Our librarians are not.

OUR PROCESS Literature Review Membership Survey Vendor Demonstrations Platform Assessment Interviews Director Survey

VENDORS CONSIDERED Altarama – full service support for collaborative chat reference; manages relationship with Chatstaff behind the scene LibraryH3lp – highly functional software for chat providers; closely affiliated with ChatStaff for third party staffing LibChat by SpringShare – highly functional software for chat providers; new agreement with ChatStaff for third party staffing OCLC Question-Point – internal third party staffing + a global shared staffing requirement

MORE ON CHATSTAFF A third party staffing solution offering 24/7, after-hours, and backup chat reference staffing Libraries that currently contract with Chatstaff, as well as other libraries contacted, are pleased with quality of the service provided Platform agnostic (though LibraryH3lp is closely affiliated) Flexible scheduling options

TASK FORCE CONCERNS Cost effectiveness Chat not seen as a high priority for many MOBIUS libraries Viability of a shared staffing model Varying types of libraries Small staffs Management of schedules/training/quality control Quality of third party staffing 24/7, 24/5, or customized hours Cost effectiveness!

TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION MOBIUS negotiate a contract with ChatStaff to offer evening and weekend chat reference service for MOBIUS institutions that choose to participate Participating libraries would be responsible for offering chat reference from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday Individual libraries may choose to identify partner libraries to provide chat reference during week days rather than provide it on their own It would also be possible for a library to turn off chat during week day hours and just offer the service outside of regular business hours The contract would include LibraryH3lp software at no charge

ADVANTAGES Provide patrons with support for library services at participating institutions outside of normal business hours Provide participating member libraries with free LibraryH3lp software Leverage cost savings for members through shared billing and administration provided by MOBIUS, as well as volume discounts based on the combined FTE total of participating MOBIUS libraries Provide an opportunity for MOBIUS librarians to work together on a shared user services initiative Does not require participating libraries to provide services for other member libraries Does not require the administrator in the MOBIUS Office to commit extensive time to coordinate shared staffing provided by librarians at participating libraries

FUTURE OPPORTUNITY For Member Libraries:  Sharing responsibility for chat services during normal business hours with like libraries may be an opportunity to benefit from collaboration  Librarians at like institutions leverage existing relationships and shared services (MOBIUS, shared databases) to provide service  Librarians gain a deeper knowledge of the collections and services at partner libraries  Patrons have another service option beyond coming into the library or calling on the phone  Consider forming a interest group of ChatStaff implementers  To create best practices  To mentor interested members  To consider new brokering arrangements with ChatStaff (for example, a back-up service to run during business hours)  To consider adding ChatStaff to MOBIUS Catalog (Grant Opportunity?)

CHALLENGING A MYTH Bishop, Bradley Wade, "Can Consortial Reference Partners Answer Your Local Users’ Library Questions?" (2012). Library and Information Science Faculty Publications. Paper 4.

THANK YOU Jeannette Pierce Task Force Chair University of Missouri, Columbia

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT IMPLEMENTING CHAT REFERENCE? Brandy Brady Hannah Christian Northwest Missouri State University

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY FTE: 5552 Databases: Full-time librarians, 1 half-time

SET-UP Follow Christina’s directions Designate admin to create users and queues Decide about canned messages Skins and snippets (embed or popup style) Dinger Web placement

TRAINING Reference shifts Logging on and off Canned messages Attachments Practice answering and transferring chats Number of chats at once Autologout

STAFFING (CHATSTAFF) Make sure you know the hours No coverage on federal holidays Will not pick up if librarians are available Developed our own offline text response

STAFFING (LOCAL) Canned messages can be tricky It’s all about winning!

STATS Admin  Options only show totals  Per month  Per queue  Per profile  Overall (texts v. chats)

STATS (CONT’D) Any operator  Activity tab shows monthly usage by day  Transcripts

PROMOTION Student workers Instruction Social media postings Entryway poster Website Word of mouth

OUR OVERALL USAGE

QUESTIONS?

MOBIUS & Chatstaff A Beautiful Partnership

What Do You Get?  Free Access to the LibraryH3lp Chat Reference Platform Through the Shared MOBIUS Account.  Backup Coverage from Chatstaff’s MLS Librarians During the Defined MOBIUS Hours  Monday - Friday: 5pm to 8am  Saturday: 10am to 10pm  Sunday: 10am to 12am  Free Access to the LibraryH3lp Chat Reference Platform Through the Shared MOBIUS Account.  Backup Coverage from Chatstaff’s MLS Librarians During the Defined MOBIUS Hours  Monday - Friday: 5pm to 8am  Saturday: 10am to 10pm  Sunday: 10am to 12am

What Do You Have to Do?  Cover Your Patrons in Some Way During Regular Business Hours  Adhere to the MOBIUS Shared Account Procedures  Cover Your Patrons in Some Way During Regular Business Hours  Adhere to the MOBIUS Shared Account Procedures

How Can You Learn More mobiusconsortium.org/chatstaff