• About the Service
• Participating Libraries
• Privacy
• Tips and Tricks
• Fun Stuff

What is Maryland AskUsNow!?

Maryland AskUsNow! is a 24/7 live online interactive service. It uses the expertise of librarians to provide answers to questions, research guidance, and help navigating the Internet. AskUsNow! serves the information needs of Maryland residents and students of academic institutions through a partnership of Maryland public, academic, and special libraries. Customers most often access the service from a link on a partner library's web site or from the www.askusnow.info home page. The statewide service launched on March 17, 2003 and has received over 218,00 questions via chat.

Check out our list of partner libraries!

Maryland AskUsNow! is a project of the Division of Library Development and Services, Maryland State Department of Education, funded through a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

How do our libraries provide the service?

Maryland AskUsNow! participates in an international cooperative called QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference. Participation in this network allows us to use the QuestionPoint chat and e-mail virtual reference tools. It also allows us to have librarians available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the global cooperative and back-up staffing. QuestionPoint is a service of OCLC. The Maryland AskUsNow! grant covers the cost of our QuestionPoint contract. No fees are charged to our partner libraries.

Maryland AskUsNow! partner libraries provide coverage of a regular weekly schedule. For our academic and public libraries, this takes the form of monitoring chat queues. Our special libraries provide service in their area of expertise by responding to questions via follow-up or through an email web form.

What are the benefits to your library?

Virtual reference services have been embraced by an increasing number of libraries around the world in the last decade. Why have libraries selected to communicate with their customers in this way?

• Expanded hours of service: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Help is available when the customer needs it and is at their point of need in real-time.
• Service in a customer-preferred format: Chat/Instant Messaging.
• Chat, unlike e-mail, gives us the ability to clarify complex questions in real-time communication.
• Instruction and research guidance from our trained staff.
• Our partner libraries make their customers more aware of other related services, such as databases and the catalog.
• Maryland AskUsNow! marketing and publicity materials are made available to each partner library to distribute to their customers. These materials have included highlighter keychains, post-it notes, bookmarks, posters, pencils, radio and TV spots, among other incentives.
• It is a great opportunity for staff to further develop their online search skills. Instruction on how to use the QuestionPoint tools and best practices for providing online reference is included in the training provided by the project. There is no fee for training.
• We are making an efficient use of existing staff through cooperation.
• Participation in Maryland AskUsNow! is free.
• Customer satisfaction. Sample feedback includes:
• "Even though the librarian who I talked to did not work at my county library, she helped me find exactly what I needed."
• "I am very grateful for this option because it has helped me to complete my homework and projects when I really needed help."
• "Slick service. I LIKE IT!"
• "Fast, helpful, easy to use, friendly... I can always count on it!"

What are the responsibilities of each library?

There is no fee to participate. Libraries contribute to the cooperative by staffing designated hours of service. Current staffing availability at the partner library and expected usage are considered when determining an appropriate schedule. The standard minimum contribution is five hours of chat coverage from one library system each week. Academic partner libraries cover at least a quarter of their weekly schedule on both the "academic" and "public" Maryland queues.

Maryland AskUsNow! partner library systems return a signed Letter of Intent to Partner (.pdf) which promises at least one full year of active participation and provision of service. This letter is signed by the library director and sent to the Maryland AskUsNow! Project Coordinator. Continued active participation and provision of service is assumed to continue after the first year unless other arrangements are communicated to the Project Coordinator.

By participating in this project, partner libraries:

• Appoint a Project Liaison to represent the library
• Provide coverage of an assigned service schedule, based on what your particular library can reasonably contribute
• Identify staff to provide service and have them participate in necessary training, including a one-day training session provided by the project coordinator
• Use software and hardware that will meet the minimum requirements needed to accomplish the assigned service schedule.
• Add a standardized branded link to AskUsNow! on the library's home page

What are the responsibilities of the library's project liaison?

• Represents the partner library system at statewide meetings and joins the MDASKUSNOW e-mail listserv
• Reports local training and scheduling needs to the project coordinator
• Maintains service quality by monitoring local performance data, including session transcripts and referrals
• Maintains scheduling and arranges for substitutes as necessary
• Maintains the currency of local library information used by the cooperative, such as the library's "policy page."
• Contributes enthusiasm and energy to make the project a success!

What are the next steps to participate?

Return the completed Letter of Intent to Partner (.pdf).

You may also contact the Maryland AskUsNow! Project Coordinator at any time with questions. You will have the opportunity to discuss the following:

• The project's history
• Technical requirements: Note: In almost all cases, the PCs currently being used at your library meet the minimum technical requirements. A summary of the system requirements for offering QuestionPoint chat can be found at: http://questionpoint.org/web/requirements/index.html. A detailed description of browser setup requirements may be found at: http://www5.oclc.org/questionpoint/Chat_setup.pdf
• An appropriate schedule
• A date and location for the project coordinator to provide training with your staff
• Partner library web resources and marketing material

Who do I contact?

Any questions about the service may be directed to:

Julie Strange, MLIS
Statewide Coordinator, Maryland AskUsNow!
320 York Road, Towson, MD 21204
410-887-6124 (phone)
410-887-6103 (fax)
jstrange@askusnow.info

Maryland AskUsNow! is a project of the Division of Library Development and Services, Maryland State Department of Education, funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. All contents (c) 2003-2008 Maryland AskUsNow! All rights reserved.