NCknows February 2013 Monthly Report
Chats:
This Month: 2099 (coop coverage) + 929 (libraries monitoring their own queues) = 3028
Last Month: 1929 (coop coverage) + 561 (libraries monitoring their own queues) = 2490
This Month Last Year: 2013 + 899 (LH3 independents)= 2912
Comments: Many thanks to Matt Lawson and the fine folks at Fayetteville State University for joining the NCknows staff on Mondays from 2-4.
Training will soon be easier than ever! I’ve updated our training page and sent the files to the State Library to be uploaded. I’ll alert this list when they are live. The videos now reflect the updated software changes made last year. They also have links to videos demonstrating all of the tasks I demonstrate at trainings, including all of the tasks folks said they were less confident about in last year’s survey. I hope to continue to add to this over the summer as well so please feel free to tell me what you need help with.
Our review of many libraries’ links to NCknows continues. Many many thanks to Alicia Wyatt, who is part of our backup staff, for contributing mightily to this effort. Many of you have worked with her or me to get widgets and links up and running properly. My hope is that this will (1) give us the most accurate statistics possible concerning where traffic is coming from and (2) effectively market the service in ways that we know work. As always, if you ever have questions about your service or need any changes, feel free to contact ncknows@gmail.com
One thing that is long overdue is better reporting. A new, easy to use, reporting module is in the works. What reports show is what we’ve seen since the transition to Libraryh3lp- differences in marketing lead to wildly different results in traffic. Now that we are up and running with Libraryh3lp and everyone’s links have been checked, it is time to focus on marketing full force! So, I’ll occasionally highlight libraries who have managed to do it exceptionally well. First up- Rowan Cabarrus Community College.
Here’s a video of their page in action: http://www.screencast.com/t/rzP1M5IyH
And here’s a comment from RCCC Libn Lisa Shores:
Rowan-Cabarrus has participated in NCKnows for years, and we always tried to encourage use by promotingit in our instruction sessions and making faculty aware of the service. However, we were continually disappointed by the lack of use and even the lack of awareness by the majority of our population. The biggest problem was it took several clicks to get to the link. We’ve recently redesigned our site and included the widget prominently on the front page. We also include the widget in all of our online research guides (using LibGuides). In addition, one of our librarians, Andrew Schenck, developed a QR code scavenger hunt for our developmental classes, which includes a question on NCKnows. Making the chat widget visible on the homepage has been key in increasing usage.
Transcripts of the Month
Libby Gorman has been volunteering with NCknows after leaving her library job for an extended maternity leave. She often has great transcripts so I’m glad to highlight one.
In this case, it is what you don’t see that is most important, namely, that she was helping several others at the same time. Libby does a great job keeping the patron engaged while doing a thorough job with the question. In the end, the patron found just what they needed because Libby gave them the tools they needing to specifically find results.
14:19 Patron Hi! Do you have any suggestions on an ebook that would tell me about the effects of violent video games on teenagers?
14:20 Patron Specifically teenagers, not just all kids.
14:20 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Hi
14:20 nclg@libraryh3lp.com thanks for contacting NCknows
14:21 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Let me take a look at your question--it might be a little harder to get an e-book than a print book, but we'll see!
14:21 Patron Okay thank you!
14:25 nclg@libraryh3lp.com thanks for your patience..I've got a couple other patrons on the line, too...have you looked on NCLive's ebooks? Your public library may also have its own Ebook collection...so we'll want to look at both places.
14:28 nclg@libraryh3lp.com still searching on NCLive
14:32 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Ok, phew, here are a few from NCLive:
14:32 nclg@libraryh3lp.com http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy054.nclive.org/ehost/results?sid=ac34452d-1178-4d56-9470-728fe8330657%40sessionmgr15&vid=2&hid=6&bquery=(video+AND+games+AND+violence)&bdata=JmRiZ3JvdXA9MTY1MjMmdHlwZT0xJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d
14:32 nclg@libraryh3lp.com (Let me know if you have trouble with the link)
14:32 nclg@libraryh3lp.com (Not all of the results from this search are about teens--I did a quick search first to get video games and violence)
14:32 nclg@libraryh3lp.com But since there's only one page of results, it should be pretty quick to browse through and see what works for you
14:33 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Let me go look at your local library's site now.
14:34 Patron I'm back! Let me look over all that you said
14:35 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Ok, great.
14:35 nclg@libraryh3lp.com I'm look at your local library system's e-books now.
14:36 Patron The NCLive site said I needed to login...
14:36 Patron Thanks for checking my local site!
14:36 nclg@libraryh3lp.com ok, you do need to log-in. If you have your library card handy, you choose your library, and then log in with your card number--if not, I can give you a password that will work just for today.
14:37 nclg@libraryh3lp.com I'm not sure yet, but it doesn't look like Surry/Northwestern's collection will have what you need--their e-books are still mostly fiction, with a little nonfiction tossed in.
14:37 Patron I will need a password from you! :) Hmmm that's strange. Okay, thanks for checking
14:38 nclg@libraryh3lp.com I'm still looking through that collection...but here's today's password in just a sec...first, I have to ask that you are a NC resident and/or student.
14:39 Patron I am an NC resident and an SCC student.
14:39 nclg@libraryh3lp.com great...
14:40 nclg@libraryh3lp.com First I have to tell you:
14:40 nclg@libraryh3lp.com NC LIVE requires a password when used outside a North Carolina library. The password below is available only as a temporary convenience, and automatically changes at 9:00 AM. This password works for all libraries found on the NC LIVE login page. Continued use of NC LIVE is available through your local library.
14:40 nclg@libraryh3lp.com And now the password:
14:40 nclg@libraryh3lp.com The password of the day is: cjmadjnw
14:40 nclg@libraryh3lp.com (Since you are also a student, you might find it easier to get NCLive access through your college than the public library--just depends on where you go more often.)
14:43 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Yes, nothing on video games in the public library collection--let me just check Surry CC, just in case...
14:43 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Are you able to get to those NCLive ebooks?
14:44 Patron Okay, thanks a ton! Yes, I am. There is one I'm checking out right now.
14:44 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Oh, great!
14:44 nclg@libraryh3lp.com do you have off-campus credentials for SCC? I just tried to search for e-books but can't go in...let me give you the link of where I started:
14:44 nclg@libraryh3lp.com http://libguides.surry.edu/home (Library home page)
14:45 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Then click on the "e-books" tab over the search box...
14:45 nclg@libraryh3lp.com I just searched for "video games"--if you get a lot of results, you can then narrow it down.
14:45 nclg@libraryh3lp.com So I'm afraid that's as far as I can take you from here with e-books...do you need any help finding articles or print books?
14:47 Patron You actually helped me a ton. The ebook Impulse Control Disorders you found me is exactly what I needed.
14:47 Patron Thank you so much!
14:47 nclg@libraryh3lp.com great, I'm glad!
14:47 nclg@libraryh3lp.com You are more than welcome--good luck with the rest of your semester. Is there anything else you need today?
14:47 Patron Thank you! And no, that was it. :D
14:47 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Great! Have a good afternoon, then.
14:48 Patron You, too!
14:48 nclg@libraryh3lp.com Thanks.