Academic Librarians: Be Everywhere... Right From Your Desk

In this session:

Customer Service Happens Where They Need It Most

With LibAnswers, your reach can extend far beyond the walls of the library. Embed point-of-need FAQs in discovery layers, add proactive LibChat widgets to your OPAC, share customizable 'Ask Us' forms on your website, and communicate live with integrated social media - so your Library's customer service is available right at the point-of-need.

"In a dynamic world where knowledge is exploding and its half-life is shortening, the key requirement is access to knowledge sources at the specific time the particular information is needed." - Charles Jenning, Global Head of Learning, Reuters

Patrons want easy-to-find resources when and where they need it the most. Take the below quote from Digital Learning Strategist David James from Looop, and replace 'employee' with student and 'job' with classes. Library guidance is clearly needed at a student's point-of-need, so that 'learning-by-doing' can occur. 

"The central premise of the ‘resources-first’ approach is that employees want easy-to-find, point-of-need support to overcome their real-life challenges, so they can both do their current jobs better and faster, as well as improve their prospects for the future."

30min LibAnswers Tour, We'll Cover:

• LibAnswers Platform Components - Brief overview of the components of LibAnswers from search FAQs, live proactive LibChat, Social Media Management, a robust ticketing system, and more. 
• Embeddable Widgets - See live examples of LibAnswers widgets embedded in discovery layers, library websites, courseware tools, and more. 
• Robust Statistics - Get credit where credit is due. With robust statistics you can demonstrably showcase the library's invaluable guidance and support to your community.

Cited Resources:

1. James, David (2017). The Secret to Learning at the Point-of-Need, LinkedIn Blog Post.
2. Jenning, Charles (2009) The Point-of-Need: Where Effect Learning Really Matters. 
3. Zhang & Meyer (2014). Proactive Chat Reference: Getting in the Users' Space. College & Research Libraries News (Vol. 75, 4)