Transcript Slide 1
CLIU 21 Librarians'
Consortium Meeting
Ask Here PA
• Fast facts:
– 24/7 live chat
– Staffing
– Free service for all residents of PA
– 70% of users K-12 during school year
Access
• All you need is Internet access
• Logon is anonymous; users are only required
to provide a screen name, question, and zip
code
• Librarian’s respond by having a chat
conversation and showing relevant Web sites
• Web-based software – No heavy lifting for
you
How do Students Find Us?
How do Students Find Us?
How do Students Find Us?
Chat Interface
Chat Interface – During Chat
Chat Widget
What Happens?
• 5 – 15 minutes
• Chat conversation
• Provide the information and/or show the
patron how to find the answer for future use.
• Staff tools = POWER Library, Access PA, Your
catalog, Credo Reference & the open web
• Follow-up
After the Session
• Transcripts are reviewed for quality assurance
by local and statewide Ask Here PA
administrators
• Optional e-mail delivery of transcripts
Link to Ask Here PA
• Every school can link to Ask Here PA
• Linking instructions online at
askherepa.org/quicklinking.htm
– Provides staff with referring URL
askherepa.org/quicklinking.htm
Ask Here PA Course
• Understanding & Promoting Ask Here PA
• 3 Act 48 credits
• WebJunction
– http://pa.webjunction.org/
• More courses from Access PA
– www.accesspa.state.pa.us/wjcourses.htm
Your Students
• We love them!
…but not all at once
• Limit simultaneous logons
– Stagger logon times
– Pair them up into groups
• We help with school related work and
research, but…
– We don’t do “solve for x” or reading
comprehension
During Chat
• They can tell us what they know already
• Patience is…
– Not logging in again because you want it faster
– Understanding research can take time
• Provide an e-mail and we can send more!
Lesson Plan
• A Good Question Gets a Good Answer
– askherepa.org/lessons/goodquestion.htm
Ready-to-Go Presentation
• In PPT and PDF
We are Socially Inclined
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ask-HerePA/148629061859944
• http://twitter.com/askherepa
Questions?