We're Agile.... So You Can Be.
There's an age-old adage that states, "You can only be as flexible as the technology you're using." Okay, maybe not an old saying... much less age-old. And okay, definitely not an adage. Now, come to think of it, what exactly defines an 'adage'? And how is an adage different than a proverb?!
Stop! We're getting side-tracked. :)
Technology that isn't flexible for your needs and the needs of your community bars you from fulfilling those needs.
And here at Springy HQ, agile and flexible solutions are what define us. They're our bread and butter. Our raison d'être.
24/7 Reference Cooperative Coverage Coming Soon
Perhaps you missed the big announcement on May 31, or our recent blog post from Slaven, Chief Springy. Springshare recently acquired QuestionPoint and we'll be integrating the QuestionPoint Cooperative service and 24/7 support from the QuestionPoint Reference Team into the LibAnswers Platform.
Whoa Wait, What's LibAnswers?
Let's back it up a step. For those not in the know, LibAnswers is Springshare's Reference/Helpdesk Communication Platform. Completely hosted in the cloud, mobile-first, and built with accessibility in mind (like all Springshare Tools), LibAnswers allows you to answer patron questions in a variety of channels and methods.
- Integrated Chat - For real time conversations. Create an unlimited number of customizable LibChat widgets with proactive chat functionality, send emojis and canned messages, transfer chats to other operators or departments, and explore stats while reviewing transcripts for quality control. Our market-first Facebook Messenger integration allows you to answer Facebook messages right from your LibChat operator console.
- Email | Customizable Question Form | SMS-Texting - Patrons are emailing you, texting you, or filling out your customizable question form... all of these are funneled as tickets into your queues for timely answering.
- Searchable FAQs - Create an unlimited number of searchable FAQs organized by Group and Topic. FAQs can contain text, images, embedded videos or widgets, links, downloadable documents, and more.
- Reference Analytics - Not all questions require the same level of effort. Tag Chats and Tickets (email, sms, etc.) with customizable qualitative metadata fields and make use of the integrated READ Scale invented by Dr. Bella Gerlich.
- Privacy Focused - GDPR-focused privacy features for clients (worldwide) Including PII- scrubbing and anonymizing patron data.
Proactive Chat Functionality
But, There Was One Thing Missing...
A question we heard over and over from libraries around the world was, "Do you have 24/7 Chat Reference Coverage"... and alas, we did not.
But we do now! The most-widely used Reference Cooperative, with hundreds of participating librarians and 20+ Springshare (former QP) MLS librarians, delivering the highest quality co-op reference coverage for libraries.
Flexible Software With Flexible Service... So You Can Be Flexible.
Springshare's plan for the 24/7 Cooperative is big. As the adage says, "Fortune favors the bold." We're committed to enhancing the service by adding more 24/7 Librarians on staff, providing more training, improving workflows for sharing information between local admins and the 24/7 Librarians, and more.
Our goal is to offer libraries flexible 24/7 Cooperative service options, like:
- Decide Your Own Coverage Levels - You're in the driver's seat with what hours you need covered and at which levels.
- Participate in Cooperative or Not - Choose whether you wish to participate in the co-op or just get backup coverage instead.
- More than just Chat Coverage - We've all been there and have needed an extra pair of hands during busy times. Our backup will provide more than just chat services, if you need it.
Customizable 'Ask Us' Question Form
We're Only At the Beginning of This New Chapter
Two heads are better than one. And thousands upon thousands of heads, in the 24/7 Cooperative, are better than two. We're only at the beginning of this project, but we envision tens of thousands of libraries participating worldwide - all sharing librarian resources to ensure their users can get help online, whenever needed.
We're already well underway adding the infrastructure to enable the LibAnswers Cooperative and we're adding more and more features every day. We anticipate a release of the LibAnswers 24/7 Reference Cooperative functionality by September 2019. That's just a few months away!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. We're excited for you to join us on this journey. Perhaps meet us around the 312 step marker?
We'll have cookies. 