Ask Us - Chat: Policies

Overview & basics

Policies

Procedures & help

Documentation

Using LibChat

Quick Referrals Form

Updated 10/19/2017

• Staff should try searching documentation to find answers to unknown questions. If they can't find the answer using documentation, they should reach out for support from other chatters using the #ask_chat slack channel or fill out a quick referral form.
• Staff who are scheduled on chat should feel free to use the #ask_chat slack channel to find others to cover in an emergency or if the staffer needs to take a break.
• Chat should never go unstaffed during service hours (10-5, M-F), unless there are extenuating circumstances.  If that happens, the staffer should log out, so Chat looks unavailable to users.
• Staff should log in 5 minutes before their scheduled shift, to allow time for the previous staffer to get to meetings on time. If you know you’re going to be late, ask the person you’re following if it’s ok in advance, or arrange for coverage. Staff are responsible for the last 5 minutes of their chat shift unless the next chatter relieves you.
• If a staff member is scheduled to be on chat and they get a question from the desk, Chat has priority. The staffer can notify the desk they are on chat via Slack.
• Staff should not be on chat during meetings, unless it is unexpected or unavoidable. It is important to be present in meetings, not distracted or distracting. Meetings that are difficult to schedule and therefore overlap with your chat shift are valid reasons to request coverage.
• If a new chat is initiated close to the end of the chat business day (5PM) try to help the user as best you can. If the chat transaction continues past 5:05, refer the user via the Quick Referral form. It might be something a desk could handle, too. Use your judgment on which would be effective for the user. 
• Chat staff should claim chats within 30 seconds or less.
• Chat Staff should not share information about MIT Libraries staff over email. Refer them to the MIT Libraries staff directory or the MIT people directory.

Calendar

The calendar is listed in Outlook as "LIB: Ask Chat."

Getting Coverage for shifts

You're responsible for finding coverage for your shifts. Try to get coverage at least a week in advance. Please send an email to ask-chat@mit.edu asking to have your shift covered. If no one responds after a first call, the person seeking coverage should put out a second call and indicate that in the subject line. If there’s still no response, e-mail Courtney Crummett.

Staff should respond directly to the person seeking coverage rather than replying all. It is the responsibility of the person seeking coverage to keep track of the offers, and to distribute them evenly when there’s more than 1 volunteer (so if a person says they are available to cover multiple shifts, they do not necessarily have to cover all of them). 

Once you find coverage, it's your responsibilty to update the calendar and e-mail ask-chat@mit.edu to let us know that everything is covered. To update the calendar, please delete the calendar occurence from the LIB: Ask Chat resource calendar (make sure that you do not delete the entire series), and send a new invite to the staff member that is covering your shift.  Please label the new chat shift to describe the coverage arranged, for instance: Angie for Courtney or AL for CC. 

Getting Coverage when out sick

Please send an email to ask-chat@mit.edu letting the team know that you are sick. The coverage and calendar adjustment will be handled for you. No need to do anything else if you are sick. The Chat Coordinator will ensure that your shift is covered. 

Scheduling

Email Courtney Crummett if something changes in your schedule and you need to permanently change your shift.

Do:

• Welcome users quickly
• Act and communicate in a manner to encourage questions and input from the user
• Show interest in the question
• Engage the user in conversation
• Break up long messages
• Keep users in the loop - in other words, keep them informed as you're looking for something ("Still looking - hang on!", etc)
• Use common rules of grammar and spelling
• Be professional in terms of tone and behavior, but also be human - chat can be less serious & less formal than other forms of communication
• Arrive to your slot on time (at least a few minutes before your shift starts)

Don't:

• Use CAPS - use *asterisks* for emphasis
• Use terse phrases
• Use library jargon

(Adapted from Brown University)

Do not provide information regarding a user's library account via chat. Information may only be given in person or by sending an email to the address listed in the user's Aleph account. This way we can ensure the person requesting the information is in fact the account holder. You should refer the user to Your Account so they can access this information themselves. You can also send them to the Circulation FAQ section on Your Account.  If the user is not seeing what they need in Your Account, see these procedures for helping a user with Your Account.  Refer library patrons requesting additional information about the confidentiality of patron records or other privacy issues to the Director's Office, phone: 617.253.5655 or email: diroff-lib@mit.edu.

For more information, see below

PS Doc section on Privacy

Libraries' Privacy Policy