SpringyNews - On Your March, Get Set, Go!

We're beyond thrilled to share that the LibAnswers 24/7 Global Cooperative launched officially on February 28th! That's right, the wait is over. It's up and running. While many have already done so, hundreds of libraries will be migrating from Question Point to the LibAnswers Co-Op in the coming months.

Set goals to take your customer service to new heights! Libraries new to the LibAnswers Platform or who have LibAnswers but are interested in adding the Co-Op functionality -- are now asking questions, watching our Co-Op sneak peek videos, getting pricing, and coming on board.

We've got recent updates to highlight, you'll learn who benefits the most from these exciting changes and can find out ways to get a good look at how the LibAnswers 24/7 Global Cooperative can make sure you're covered.

If you've joined one of our Co-Ops as a contributing member -- in other words, your librarians will be answering chats on behalf of the Co-Op -- we are happy to announce that we've added new features for you!

Learn More With Institution Activity/Coverage Reports.

These reports are designed to:

• Give Institution and Co-Op Administrators all the information they need related to chat monitoring.
• Display a breakdown of the total number of hours that all users in a given institution have provided in a given time period. In the future, they will also include information about the total number of chats that were answered within that same period.
• Show a detailed breakdown of the participation levels from within a specific Institution, so you know in a flash how much your librarians are contributing!

For a good look at the reports, Co-Op and Institution Admins can head to Co-Op > Reports > Chat Monitoring Activity.

Enjoy Co-Op Canned Messages.

In a recent update, we’ve added canned messages to be shared by all librarians who participate in a given Co-Op!

• Co-Op Admins add new canned messages by heading to Co-Op > Admin > System Settings > Canned Messages.
• Once created, these canned messages display in the chat operator console for all librarians who are answering a chat that has come into that Co-Op.

We have a lot of data about the people we are reaching. You know if patrons are connecting with you via phone or with email or chat, etc. We can even learn about the time spent helping a patron and whether the interaction was considered a success. What's not always clear is which people we are not reaching. In 2020, raise the bar on being responsive!

The LibAnswers 24/7 Global Cooperative allows librarians across multiple LibAnswers systems to provide collaborative chat reference. We're initially launching with two cooperatives (with more cooperatives planned for the future):

1. The Academic Global Cooperative
2. The Public Global Cooperative

Build a reputation for having next-level customer service! Participation in the Co-Op means you can assist patrons you couldn't help before because of staff or hours limitations. For example:

• The students with classes scheduled back to back during the day because they have to work in the evenings. By the time they clock out and are ready to start looking for the right databases to find what they need for their assignments, the library is closed.
• The public library patrons who are starting a non-profit organization and need information on the difference between a 401(c)3 versus 501(c)3. They live in a smaller town that only has one library that closes at 5pm.
• A distance learner who is struggling to get a chat question through to get help because it's exam time and the library, while open, is overwhelmed with other student and faculty requests.

The LibAnswers 24/7 Co-Op gives you the opportunity to turn a missed chat into a successful chat. The system includes the ability to build a 24/7 Staff Policy FAQ to help other librarians provide answers to your patrons.

See how a patron is served by the 24/7 Cooperative (no audio)

When you have 24/7 coverage as one of your chat widget fallbacks, your library chat is never offline! Your patrons get the help they need when they need it. 

Do more than consider whether the LibAnswer 24/7 Global Cooperative is right for your library. Take advantage of all our resources! Treat them like a self-guided tour. Or, be sure to attend one of our live training sessions in March, detailed below.

1. Peruse the Buzz guide for an overview of the LibAnswers Platform, or for details on the 24/7 Co-Op.
2. Learn about excellent features the Co-Op has in place by checking out highlights of what Springshare has built into LibChat for Co-Op participants.
3. Dive into our Blog Post, "LibAnswers 24/7 Cooperative: Views From the Patron Side" to learn more about those who would benefit the most from your participation in the Global Cooperative. 
4. Watch the 24/7 Co-Op Sneak Peek Webinar at your convenience... and don't forget the popcorn.
5. Attend a live session! LibAnswers Cooperative Features -- March 10 at 9am U.S. ET and March 23 at 2pm U.S. ET
6. Get information on pricing for your library by telling us a bit about your library's needs and how you envision participating.
7. Contact us with any questions so we can help you evaluate how the LibAnswers 24/7 Cooperative fits into your library to offer unparalleled service.