Status Line
- Reference Services
- September 2006
- Issue: 205
QuestionPoint Installation Update
The August 13, 2006, QuestionPoint installation included a number of enhancements and bug fixes. Many of the changes are below. They are grouped by which set of users the change affects.
Affects All Users
Internationalization
Thai has been added as a language choice in the Profile
(languages served and language strength) and the Knowledge
Base (search/browse restrictor or editorial tag option). It is also
available as an interface option for patron emails (use language
code 22 in your webform scripts).
Ask module
Ask/Reports/Form Fields now show field labels. The field
labels your library displays for patrons on your web forms are
what you will see, too, when preparing this report. This will
facilitate your ability to produce reports on only those elements
you need.
Profile module
Librarians can search for the policy page of any library in the
Cooperative. To search for a policy page, go to the Profile module,
select the Search tab, then click on the Search Profiles link. You
can search by any character string in the Name, by BME (or group)
from a drop-down menu, by state or province, or by country.
The search policies capability is also available from any open policy page whether accessed from the Profile module as above, or if the page is accessed during a chat session. See screen print below.
Note to all users: Policy pages are an extension of QuestionPoint profiles. They facilitate referrals between libraries and are essential to the 24/7 Cooperative. However, any library may complete a policy page if they wish. See http://questionpoint.org/community/TransitionTaskForce/FAQ_247.htm for more information. Help is also available when creating a policy page in the Profile module.
Chat module
You can send URLs in chat without pushing the page. Just
omit 'http://' and the URL will be sent to the patron as part of
your text message; it will not be hotlinked, nor will it open the
referenced web page.
Patron chat interface enhancements:
- Patron chat form moves directly to the session page. The message that previously appeared on the interim wait page now appears in the transcript area and also asks if there is more information about the question.
- Patron is notified when a librarian has joined the session.
- At the end of the session, the survey, if enabled, appears as a pop-up window.
Affects Flash-based Chat Users, Including 24/7 Cooperative Members
Before selecting a patron, you can mouse over the name and view all patron information, including the full question.
All QuestionPoint users EXCEPT those participating in the 24/7 Reference cooperatives will now see two chat links: one for "Standard Chat (HTML version)," and one for "Launch Chat" (for the Flash-based version). This will help users who have been using the html version begin to transition staff to the new Flash version. The link appears in the left margin of the MyQuestionPoint home page, immediately below the "Launch Chat" link.
A new link in the right column of MyQuestionPoint home page points to a page that lists all the known URLs that will break frames. The link is called "List of known framebusting pages" and is under the Resources section. (We urge you to continue reporting those types of site to us, so that we can keep this list up-to-date!)
If a patron ends a chat session, but the librarian continues to post information (perhaps not noticing the patron is gone), an additional transcript will be sent to the patron. Consequently, the patron will receive copies of the transcript at the following times:
- If the patron ends the chat session with the "Exit" button.
- If the patron has already ended the session, and the librarian has added more chat or URLs in the session transcript window, and then ends the chat session.
- Following an ended session (either by patron or librarian or both), if the librarian sends an additional message to the patron from the chat resolution screen.
Any emailed transcripts sent from the librarian side will include a new message at the top saying:
New information has been sent regarding your session:
[Librarian 11:06:33]: message here
During a co-browsing session, Shared URLs are now available in the drop-down menu called My Favorite URLs. These are URLs for the patron's library and for the BME of the patron's library. In the future these will also be available during the chat session (outside co-browsing). The librarian's personal "My URLs" continue to be available in chat and co-browse. See the screen print below.
Affects 24/7 Cooperative Users Only
BME administrator can refer transcripts to Quality from Ask/Reports. Heretofore, the administrator could only forward a transcript from the full view of a transcript selected from a Question List. However, because administrators often need to review transcripts via Ask/Reports, this new option will greatly facilitate their workflow.
Librarians can search the policy pages of any library in the Cooperative (note that this is available to all users. An illustration appears in the earlier section for all users.
Fixes
Internationalization
Pop-up calendar in Ask/Service History and date fields in
Ask/Reports are enabled for translations.
Scripts
Edit shared scripts
Classification and Knowledge Base
- The KB search from the home page is fixed!
- LC classification for glass art is corrected.
- KB record reuses are now counted, even when saved as a draft
Referring URL
Referring URL now correctly reflects first URL the patron
was on and not the OCLC-hosted form of the redirect.
Chat module
- Chat monitoring librarians' logouts are all now properly recorded.
- User will now continue to see all libraries monitoring the same queues as s/he after a co-browse session is concluded.
- Practice Queue remains practice; no "real" patrons can enter.
- Help links from Flash chat and cobrowse have been enhanced to provide information about those particular features.
- All Cooperative members will now have access to the 24/7 Info module.
- Patrons who have left chat by closing browser or crashing will now have a note in the chat transcript.: Patron is no longer connected.
QuestionPoint Documentation Update
Several items of QuestionPoint documentation have recently been added or updated on the QuestionPoint Documentation page http://www.questionpoint.org/support/documentation/gettingstarted/index.html. They are:
- Flash Chat Quick Reference (updated).
- Flash Chat online Help (first release).
- Help for library patrons using a QuestionPoint patron account (completely revised).
- Reports in Ask Quick Reference (updated).
- Administrator Setup Guide (updated).
The Flash Chat Quick Reference and the online Help describe how to utilize Flash Chat for maximum effectiveness. The Reports in Ask Quick Reference documents the administrator reports available to librarians who utilize the Ask a Librarian module. The Administrator Setup Guide provides all the information needed by the administrator of a library or a library group that is preparing to use the QuestionPoint service.
To access the QuestionPoint Documentation page, click the Documentation link on the right side of the My QuestionPoint page (My QuestionPoint is the starting point for every QuestionPoint session). Or, click the Documentation link on the Support page at http://www.questionpoint.org. [OCLC-edited by Jane Neale, Information Technology Coordinator, Nylink]