Quick Setup Guide for QuestionPoint

1. Quick Setup Guide for QuestionPoint

2. Profile • Please go to www.questionpoint.org • Click on Librarian Login at the top of the page • Enter your authorization and password to login • Navigate to “Profile” on scroll down menu at the top right of the screen • Click on Institution Service and make sure Institution information and Contact information is correct • Click on submit when finished

4. Enter your 9-digit ID here Enter your password here

8. Enter your library’s name in regular letters (not all capitals) Scroll down the page, checking all your contact information. Change and add where necessary.

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11. Where do you want notification of new emails and chat transcripts to be sent? The name of your QP administrator at your library

12. What about the buttons underneath “Institution Information” and “Contact Information” ? • Alternate Name: Your library’s name in other languages. If you don’t know, leave it blank. • Available Times: The hours that your library is available to provide virtual reference service. Some libraries put their open hours, others just the hours they cover virtual reference. • Unavailable dates: dates when your library is closed (usually Federal holidays, etc.) You will want to update this a couple of times a year. • Locations served: Where is the primary service area for this service? All our libraries put Montana. • Languages Served: Are there any other languages in which your library can provide reference service? List them here. (Note that there is a Spanish language VR queue, separate from the 24/7 Public and 24/7 Academic queues.)

13. If you don’t know your library’s name in other languages, don’t worry about filling out this section.

14. Usually your library’s hours

15. Dates when you library will be closed. You’ll need to keep this updated.

16. Choose Montana from the list.

17. If your library can offer reference in a language other than English, you can specify that here. It’s up to your library whether you offer foreign language virtual reference, though!

18. Library Policies Page • Your policies page is your communication with other librarians: What do you want them to know? How do you do things at your library? What services do you offer patrons? • The more information you give, the better your patrons can be served! • Common questions: • How do I get a library card? • When is the library open? • Does the library have internet/wireless/printing? • How do I renew a book? • How do I get into InfoTrac/NetLibrary/Auto Repair? • When is the library booksale? • You don’t need to put database passwords or other confidential information on the page– just say something like “Use the barcode and if it doesn’t work, please ask the patron to call us.”

19. Library Policies Page • Be sure to fill out as many of the policy page sections as you can • Local history, genealogy, and other very local information and sources are particularly important! Provide links to your historical society, genealogy society, local history museum, and other research sources in your community. • With your local links, explain why a patron should be referred to that source and what they should know about it: • Do they do obituary lookups? • Have historical photographs? • Provide access to rare books and local publications? • Does they charge fees for entrance or services? Have limited hours? • Be sure to provide contact information, both phone and email!

20. Library Policies Page • Please go to www.questionpoint.org • Click on Librarian Login at the top of the page • Enter your authorization and password to login • Navigate to “Profile” on scroll down menu at the top right of the screen • Click on Policies on the furthest right on the screen • Edit each section that applies to your library • Click on the Submit button

22. Click “Edit” to edit the field information. It’s not necessary to fill out every field, but do complete as many as you can! More information = better service for your patrons.

23. Note that you do need to use HTML coding to enter URLs, line breaks, paragraphs, bold or italic text, and other features. Use the Help link for a list of basic HTML codes. Be sure to click the SAVE button when you’re through entering your information!

24. When you’re done…. • If your library is a new member of the 24/7 Reference Cooperative (i.e. national coverage), you must submit your policy page when it is ready in order to begin your chat service and your participation in the Cooperative. • After you submit your policy page, the QuestionPoint team reads it and contacts you if they have questions. After any needed additional information is added, the QuestionPoint team sets up your primary chat queue and notifies you. Then you can place links to your chat form on your library's web site. • To submit your policy page, click on the Institution Services tab on the left, then click the Submit button to the right of your library’s name. • You only submit the policy page once. After that, you can update your policy page as needed without clicking the Submit button.

26. Questions? Betsy Garlish Tracy Cook Statewide Consulting Librarian Montana State Library (866) 843-6524 tcook@mtlib.org Reference Librarian / Assistant Professor Montana Tech Library (406) 496-4839 bgarlish@mtech.edu