This presentation addresses service quality issues experienced in Research Help Now, an academic virtual reference cooperative service in Michigan. Includes examples and tips for improving service quality in the virtual learning environment.

1. Service Quality in
Cooperative Virtual Reference:
A Local Perspective
Christine Tobias
RHN Quality Assurance Committee
Research Help Now Annual Meeting
April 13, 2012

2. Policy Pages
• QP’s #1 Quality Control Issue
• Highlights institution-specific information to
help other librarians answer your patrons’
questions.
• Keep up to date with current information and
active hyperlinks.
• Use QP’s web form to suggest content for
another library’s Policy Page.

3. Use QuestionPoint’s web form to suggest content
for another library’s Policies Page.

4. Example #1: I Don’t Work for Your Library/Have Access to Your
Resources…So I Can’t Help You! Sorry!
Suggestions to improve the quality of this session:
• Reference interview: Which book would you like to check out? I’ll see if it’s available.
• Policy Page/Library Website: Let me see if there is a phone number I can call to get an
answer to your question.

5. Example #2: Providing Articles vs. Providing Instruction
Patron: I need help finding a peer reviewed article on the taxon ctenophora or
the species comb jellies
Librarian 1: Hi, I'm ***, a librarian at the ***. Your library and my library are
part of a nationwide cooperative of libraries that staff this service. I'm reading
your question now.
Librarian 1: I just sent two articles to your e-mail. Are these OK?
Patron: Thanks Im checking them now
Patron: Yes one of these will work thank you…
Section 3.3 of the Cooperative Policies and Procedures:
The goal in assisting academic students is not to give them a quick answer, but
rather to assist them in using the resources available at their library so that
they can do the research themselves. To best help academic students, start
with the resources available to the students from their own library, as set out
in the library’s policy page.

6. Example #3: Follow Up by Patron’s Library vs. Answered

7. Resolution Codes Flow Chart

8. Example 4: Follow Up by Me vs. Follow Up by Patron’s Library
Follow Up by Patron’s Library:
Use for questions from OTHER institutions that need additional
information.
Follow Up by Me:
Use only for questions from YOUR institution in which YOU plan to
provide additional information.

9. Other Reported Service Quality Issues
• Adding Descriptive Codes to other libraries’ sessions
• “Since each library has its own understanding and use of the codes, please
refrain from assigning any descriptive code to a session from another
library.”
• “Descriptive Codes vs. Resolution Codes” – QuestionPoint: 24/7 Reference
Services Blog (http://bit.ly/HF4AeT)
• Confirming patron’s institution and affiliation (i.e. –
student, faculty, staff, retiree) and using the patron’s library’s resources to
answer the question.
• Referring to databases as they are listed on the library’s website or on Policy
Page (i.e. – ProQuest, ProQuest Research Library)

10. Other Reported Service Quality Issues
• Not waiting at least 5 minutes before ending session with unresponsive
patron
• Section 4.4.2 – “Patron Becomes Non-Responsive” - 24/7 Policies Wiki
(http://bit.ly/HxoQS5)
• Discerning difference between Patron Note and Librarian Note
• Patron Note: Sends a direct message to the patron. This should not
include information meant only for another librarian or comments
that may undermine the patron’s library’s credibility.
• Librarian Note: Sends a private message between librarians. Patron
does not see the message.
• Thanking patron for using “our chat reference service” in closing script
• Due to the variety of service names in RHN and the 24/7
Cooperative, it is best to refer to the virtual reference service in
generic terms.

11. Damage Control
Negative Surveys:
• Respond promptly to smooth things over with your patron whenever you receive
negative feedback on a survey.
Quality Control Issues with RHN Librarians:
• Send an email explanation with a copy of the transcript to the RHN Librarian’s VR
Manager. VR Manager and RHN Service Quality Committee will respond to the
RHN Librarian as appropriate.
• Refrain from reporting RHN Librarians to QP Quality Control unless the issue
cannot be resolved otherwise.
Report Question to QP Quality Control:
• Click on Question in Active Questions List.
• Click on the Refer To drop down menu.
• Select Subject Matter Expert and click on the gray arrow button.
• Select Quality Subject Expert in the drop-down menu.
• Describe the quality control issue in the Reason for Referral box.
• Click on either Refer button to send the question to QP Quality Control.

12. Setting A Good Example

13. Interested in serving on the RHN Quality Assurance Committee?
Christine Tobias
tobiasc@msu.edu
517-884-0897
http://slideshare.net/tobiasc