Spark Curriculum Outline
This outline is intended for librarians training staff at their libraries on spark.
L-net will also provide training anywhere in Oregon. To schedule a training, contact Emily Papagni at 503-988-5433 or emilyp@multcolib.org
In advance of training:
Download spark software from http://www.oregonlibraries.net/spark
Ask Caleb to create new accounts for librarians attending the training.
Ask Emily for copies of the L-net Handbook, Field Guide, and Quality Team rubric for trainees.
During training:
• What L-net is and how it works
Pilot project began April 2003. Came in part from OLA Vision 2010 - "...the citizens of Oregon are best served if libraries remain at the center of our communities and campuses as primary providers of information services."
Funded by an LSTA grant administered through the Oregon State Library.
L-net began using spark software in September 2008. The software was developed in partnership with Cleveland Public Library and Ohio's Knowitnow. Spark is the open source software on which the current virtual reference software is based. It was originally developed by Jive, a Portland company. Besides being a statewide service, L-net offers our software as a utility to Oregon libraries.
Our partner libraries are http://www.oregonlibraries.net/libraries
We contract with librarians out of state to provide 24/7 service.
• L-net web site and links
Public transcript archive http://www.oregonlibraries.net/archive
We can be a place where information comes from, taking us out of our islands. The archive of public transcripts shows what is possible in a conversation.
Overview of public web site http://www.oregonlibraries.net
options for chat, email, find search engine
Overview of staff blog http://www.oregonlibraries.net/blog
the buzz page (including login and password) http://www.oregonlibraries.net/buzz
listserv subscription
Service philosophy http://www.oregonlibraries.net/philosophy
More detailed service guidelines and best practices are in the Policies section of the L-net handbook
Core competencies http://vrstrain.spl.org/textdocs/vrscompetencies.pdf and in the Reference section of the L-net handbook
Crisis calls policy http://www.oregonlibraries.net/crisis and in Policies section of L-net handbook
Librarian profiles http://www.oregonlibraries.net/librarians
• Articles
What Libraries Do Best: Bringing Warmth to Virtual Reference http://www.pnla.org/quarterly/Spring2004/PNLA_Spr04.pdf
• Bill Drew article on starting an IM service (ask Emily for copies)
Oregon Librarians Answer Questions Through Online Chat
http://www.govtech.com/gt/print_article.php?id=92073
• Exercises
secret patron assignment
http://www.oregonlibraries.net/secretpatron
Discuss
How did the librarian set the tone?
Was there a reference interview?
Did the librarian check in with the patron while searching and keep the patron informed?
Did she use authoritative sources?
Closing - did the librarian ask the patron if question had been completely answered or if there were other questions?
Look at a few examples of transcripts in which things went awry and discuss how problems could have been prevented. Emily can provide transcripts that work well for this exercise.
• Spark accounts
Preferences
Reset password
Uncheck idle enabled
Create nickname (under edit my profile)
Email training
Tag practice questions “practice”
How questions get into the email service
Patron selects email option (your library may have agreed to work on the general incoming questions in addition to local questions)
Transferred from live chat service
2nd level from an Oregon library
patron gives up while waiting for chat session
http://www.oregonlibraries.net/ask
http://www.oregonlibraries.net/ask/answer/open
Tagging
Answering and other actions
Comments
Email notifications of new questions
A manual
http://www.oregonlibraries.net/ask/manual
Privacy: Be sure not to use your own email account to communicate with the patron. In Oregon, email of public employees is public record. Library records are not. By sending patron information over a public employee's email account, the library records become public records. In order to protect our patrons' privacy, we try to keep our reference questions out of our email whenever possible.