Why Couldn’t They Find it? Improving your Website Through VR Transactions

1. Why Couldn’t They Find it?Improving your Website Through VR Transactions VRD 5th Annual Digital Reference Conference November 17, 2003 Christine Clifford Hennepin County Library

2. Hennepin County Library • 26 libraries, the eLibrary, Outreach Services, and the Children’s Readmobile • 11.5 million circs • 3.7 million hits on website (1.9 million remote) • Serves suburban area outside Minneapolis • 2002 Statistics

3. Background • Began chat reference in November 2001 • Used only library staff for limited hours • Went 24/7 in October 2002 • Contracted with LSSI Call Center (now Tutor.com’s Librarians by Request)

4. Transcripts from HCL chat reference • New evaluative tool • What questions were patrons asking and why they were not finding the info for themselves on our website? • What could we do to make the site more intuitive and easier to navigate for our patrons?

5. Transcripts from HCL chat reference • Were we burying information in too many links? • Were we using library lingo and not plain language? • What tools could we provide to assist our patrons in learning our resources and how to use them?

6. Transcripts from the contract librarians • Additional Evaluative information • How intuitive was our website to these librarians? • What resources or materials did they have trouble finding or using?

7. Transcripts from the contract librarians • How effectively could they navigate our website and provide assistance to our patrons? • How could we use this information to improve our website?

8. Why? MISSION: Hennepin County Library promotes full and equal access to information and ideas, the love of reading, the joy of learning, and engagement with the arts, sciences, and humanities.

9. Selected strategies in support of the Library’s Mission “Bricks and Clicks”— Develop and maintain library services incorporating both traditional and emerging formats and sources of information and ideas. Continue to improve the usefulness of Hennepin eLibrary to the remote library user as well as to the on-site library customer.

10. Selected strategies in support of the Library’s Mission “Service and Systems”— Commit to excellence in service redesign to improve effectiveness with available resources, remove barriers to accessibility, and increase the ability of the user to become self-reliant.

11. HCL eLibrary • Manager 1.0 • Web Administrator 1.0 • Adult Services Librarian .5 • Reference Services Librarian .5 • Youth Services Librarian .5 • Projects Librarian .5 • HTML Maintenance .5 • Authorware production .5

12. Problem 1 • Full text newspapers • Patrons not finding them • Patrons unsure of access and location • Staff also not understanding access and location

13. Problem 1 • The main issue was access to our ‘Big 5’ newspapers • HCL has online access to these through a collaborative purchase

14. Below is the transcript of your online session with Ask a Librarian. We hope that you found it helpful. Please visit our service again. Patron: I was wondering if you have the New York Times? Librarian: Are you looking for NY Times of a certain date? Patron: Well, I am doing research on banning cell phones while driving and I have found 2 article from Dec. 2 and Dec. 9, 2001. Librarian: Thanks for your patience. The Hennepin library does own the New York Times but for information on dates and location, you will need to contact them directly.

16. Solution • Created an entry in the feature column of our Magazine and Newspapers page • Highlighted the newspapers by title and linked to the online access for them via Proquest

19. Outcomes • Decreased the number of questions regarding full text online newspapers • New tool to assist staff • Top 5 newspapers promoted

20. Problem 2 • Patrons had difficulty understanding our periodical holdings • Holdings were not in our catalog • Contract librarians had difficulty assisting patrons with magazine questions

21. Transcript Example Below is the transcript of your online session with Ask a Librarian. We hope that you found it helpful. Please visit our service again. Patron: Do any of the Hennepin County libraries have back copies of Investors Business Daily newspaper? Librarian: It appears that the library does have a back file of Investors Business Daily. But the record isn't telling us which branch holds it.

23. Solutions • Developed an online tool for the public that lists all magazine and newspaper holdings • Includes all formats: paper, microfilm/fiche and online • Includes links to online access when available • Lists holding and location information for paper and microfilm/fiche

29. Outcome • Tool for patrons and staff to access holding information for magazines and newspapers • Fewer questions needed to be referred back to HCL from contract librarians

30. Problem 3 • Various parts of our website allow the patron to send in comments or questions • Questions entered the wrong service point and had to be rerouted • Patrons’ inquiries were bounced around before being handled

31. Problem 3 • Questions contract librarians couldn’t answer were bouncing back to us causing a delay in service • Purchased bundles of questions were depleted by questions that the contract librarians had to refer on or not fully answer • Interlibrary loan requests • Title requests

32. Problem 3 • Circulation coordinator was receiving large numbers of reference questions through the form for patrons to get assistance with their library accounts

33. Problem 3 • Needed to make the options for service clear • Needed to streamline processes and provide better customer service • More cost effective for us to direct title requests and ILL inquiries away from the chat service

34. Solution • Developed a new form to triage questions • That could not be answered via chat to the appropriate service channel • Reference questions away from the circulation contact form • Better explain services

38. Outcomes • Fewer questions reaching the chat service that could not be handled there • Dramatic decrease in the number of reference inquiries sent to the circulation service • Clear options for patrons

39. Problem 4 • HCL has a page of Reference Tools for databases and a Website Catalog for selected free websites • Contract librarians were not using both the Website Catalog and the Reference Tools to answer questions • Time consuming to illustrate both resources via a chat interaction

40. Problem 4 • Patrons were unclear about where to look on our website to find information on a subject • Patrons do not understand (and don’t care!) the difference between a free website and a purchased database • Distinction was made because of funding issues and because the difference is important to librarians

41. Solution • Merge proprietary databases with librarian selected websites • One place for patrons and staff to look for information on a particular subject • Opportunity to add any additional tools that applied: • booklists • catalog search tips and canned searches • online tutorials • classes or programs

42. Solution • Ongoing project that will create a tool similar to an online pathfinder • Useful for remote patrons • Streamline reference interactions for staff • Useful for in-house patrons

47. Thank You! Christine Clifford Reference Services Librarian, eLibrary Hennepin County Library cclifford@hclib.org Presentation is available on the HCL extranet. http://www.hclib.org/extranet