ASSIST Virtual Reference Project

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ASSISTVirtual Reference Project

• Wendy Haynes
• Virtual Reference Librarian
• University of Wolverhampton
• June 2008

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University of Wolverhampton

• 24,000 students
• 42 part-time
• 68 from West Midlands area
• 15 from overseas
• High numbers
• Combining work and study
• Living at home
• First generation in university
• English as a second language
• Wide variety of needs

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Learning and Information Services (LIS)

• Learning centres on four
• campuses, plus one hospital site
• Range of print and electronic
• resources
• Extensive study facilities
• OPAC with online renewals and reservations
• Self-service machines
• Helpdesks for lending services, information
  queries, and IT.
• Phone and email enquiry services
• ASSIST online chat

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Chat to a real librarian!

• Virtual reference a new alternative to
  in-person, phone and email enquiries
• Chat online to a member of LIS staff
• Provides help with any learning and information
  services enquiry, for example
• circulation queries
• OPAC searches
• finding online resources
• research strategies
• referencing
• Real-person help alongside online resources

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Why VR at Wolverhampton?

• Support for students working off-campus
• Engage those who are reluctant to ask questions
  and prefer anonymity
• Support for those with communication difficulties
• Promote and exploit electronic resources
• Part of review of evening opening
• Do something new!

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ASSIST project history

• Project team set up in March 2006
• Trial of QuestionPoint in April / May
• Visit to Birmingham University in May to see
  software in operation
• New staff appointed September 2006
• ASSIST soft-launched November 2006
• ASSIST promotion February 2007 onwards
• Embedding September 2008

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Virtual reference software

• QuestionPoint from OCLC
• Hosted on their website
• Used internationally, especially USA
• Used by UK public libraries ENQUIRE service
• A few UK academic libraries
• We are one of the pioneers!

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ASSIST extends support

• Available later in evening Monday Thursday,
  after learning centre staffing hours
• Accessible by anyone anywhere via the internet at
  www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/assist
• Help available at point of need at home, at
  work, in the learning centre
• Better access to help for deaf students, and
  those lacking confidence in spoken English

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ASSIST enhances support

• Friendly service
• Removing barriers
• Raises student awareness of LIS help
• Teaching opportunity, able to guide student
  through searches, especially with co-browse
• Student receives transcript with web links
• Ability to follow-up chats with more information,
  or referral to specialist

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Evaluation how are we doing?

• Number of chats
• Statistics
• User satisfaction
• Exit survey
• User questionnaire
• Service quality
• Chat transcripts
• Librarian views

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Chat statistics

• 30 50 chats per week during term time
• Generally increasing usage year-on-year
• Nearly 2000 chats since launch

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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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ASSIST user questionnaire April 2008

• Overall, how do you rate ASSIST as a way of
  accessing advice and information?
• Poor 1.6
• Average 8.1
• Good 35.5
• Excellent 54.8

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ASSIST user questionnaire

• Since September 2007, how many times have you
  used, or tried to use, ASSIST?
• Once 33.3
• Two or three times 52.4
• Four or more 14.3

• When you next have a question, do you think you
  will use ASSIST again?
• Yes, definitely 71.0
• Likely 19.4
• Maybe 8.1
• No, never 1.6

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ASSIST user questionnaire

• Do you visit the Universitys learning centres
  (libraries)?
• Yes, at least once a week 70.8
• Yes, sometimes 27.7
• No 1.5

• On average, how often do you visit one of the
  Universitys campuses during term time?
• Most days 61.5
• At least once a week 30.8
• At least once a month 6.2
• At least once a term 1.5

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ASSIST user questionnaire

• When you last used ASSIST, where were you?
• In the learning centre 11.1
• On campus in teaching areas 1.6
• On campus in social areas 0
• In halls of residence 7.9
• At home 73.0
• At work 4.8
• Other 1.6

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Some student views

• A very useful service, and one I would recommend
  to other students, WELL DONE!
• Quick, accessible and easy service, with very
  patient and helpful staff
• Its ideal for help when most needed, at short
  time, when unable to travel or ring into the
  library
• I found ASSIST very easy to use. I was surprised
  at their speedy reply. Keep up the good work.
  Thank you
• Fast effective way of gaining knowledge from
  friendly knowledgeable people.

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Key points from the survey

• Users like
• Speed
• Ease of use
• Convenience
• Friendly, helpful staff
• Look at service from users point of view
• Remove unnecessary barriers
• Resolve software problems
• Maintain service standards

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Availability and ease of use
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Introducing the Qwidget
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Friendly, helpful staff

• r u a real person? lol
• It's nice to talk to a real person on the other
  end, who is always very friendly

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Building on success

• Use of co-browse
• Incorporation of email-based service
• Improved web links
• Possible link with research project in psychology
• Further dissemination of project results
• Links with other institutions, and participation
  in user group
• Possible participation in 24/7 co-operative
• Link to chatbot project

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Thank you

• Wendy Haynes
• w.haynes_at_wlv.ac.uk
• 01902 321495