A few clicks a day: Improving access, informing staff and encouraging communication using a blog and a listserv
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In 2011, the University of Kentucky Libraries' electronic resources unit launched a blog and listserv to enhance communication and support for users and staff regarding electronic resources. The initiative aimed to streamline information sharing, improve internal communication, and facilitate collaboration among library staff, resulting in a more knowledgeable workforce and enhanced user support. Regular monitoring and user feedback have led to better understanding of user needs and improved reference services.
A few clicks a day: Improving access, informing staff and encouraging communication using a blog and a listserv
- 1. Esta Day, M.L.S. y, esta.day@uky.edu esta day@uky edu University of Kentucky Utilizing multiple communication channels to improve access, access, inform staff and encourage communication g In 2011 the Electronic Resources Unit at the University of Kentucky Libraries introduced two new y y services for communicating with users and library staff: a blog and a LISTSERV. Our blog keeps LISTSERV internal staff up to date on issues with and changes to o r electronic resources while our LISTSERV p iss es ith our reso rces hile o r serves as the primary point of contact for users needing assistance with e-resources. p yp g Before you Click B f y Cli k Initial Clicks I iti l Cli k Keep K p on Cli ki g Clicking Counting Clicks C ti g Cli k (Planning) (Implementing) (Maintaining) (Evaluating) Points to Consider: Points to Consider: Points to Consider: Points to Consider: Who is the audience? The majority of our blog posts What platform will you use for the blog? I Who will maintain the blog? How? Will there How well is your blog serving its purpose? Many are g geared towards staff while other pposts are written have experience with Wordpress, a free p p be standardized post formats? Will all staff p p platforms have statistics features that show where for patrons; however, there is a great deal of overlap. content management system, so we chose create content and update the blog, or will our users are linking from and what content they it. it There are a number of other options work be divided? are viewing viewing. What content do y want to include? We have you available. information about trials, downtimes, assistance with Who will monitor the LISTSERV? Analyze the types of questions that you receive. e-resources, e resources new resources and resource updates. updates If setting up a LISTSERV is not possible, possible If a problem is a frequent topic on the consider a free solution such as a Google g Where will related data (guidelines, (g LISTSERV, then we create a blog p and direct g post Do you have the technological capabilities? If not, form. instructions, etc.) be stored? users to it. can your IT department (if you have one) provide y you with assistance? At UK: At UK: At UK: Make sure you aren’t duplicating efforts. At UK aren t efforts UK, August 2011: I created a manual for adding new posts to We gather data for monthly and quarterly various library departments have blogs, so we make y p g The blog and LISTSERV were created. g the blog, and we store all relevant data in a g reviews. Blog data includes the number of g sure to provide content that is unique to e-resources. We brainstormed blog titles, created a folder on our shared drive. posts and visitors, and LISTERV data includes Wordpress account and chose a layout layout. numbers and types of questions. questions Does your organization have policies regarding y g p g g Our ER librarian sends blog content to the g blogs? Do you need prior approval? We needed For the LISTSERV, our ER librarian two technicians, who then update it. Both channels are monitored regularly for approval from our Associate Dean; additionally, UK additionally emailed our IT department and they set trends. trends For example, some problems we example has a Social Media policy that includes blogs. p y g it up for us. I use email rules (Microsoft p ( Initially, we tried a schedule where each y encounter on a regular basis include problems g p Outlook) so that all emails from the staff member took turns monitoring the opening PDFs in various browsers on various At UK: LISTSERV go to one folder. The folder LISTSERV. LISTSERV We soon found that it was platforms, platforms confusion about the availability of LISTSERV email is automatically copied y p better to take advantage of our open office g p articles on PubMed and misunderstandings g May 2011: on every response so that the whole unit environment and collaborate on questions. about access available on branded sites. As a Planning began; a series of discussions were held sees all responses. This helps us know responses result, result we created blog posts for each problem by the unit throughout the summer. y g when and how a q question has been and direct users to the post when they contact p y answered. us via the LISTSERV. The Good the Bad and the Clicked: Good, LIB-ER@LSV.UKY.EDU @ S http://ukeresources.wordpress.com h p // k dp LISTSERV Questions by Type Popular Pop lar blog content: Out of our area “Having Trouble Saving Elsevier Science Direct Having of expertise of expertise Password 350+ questions PDFs? Try this” (Feb 13 2012) this (Feb.13, “Problems linking to MD Consult articles Problems 66 bl posts blog t requests E‐resource E q questions since A g 2011 Aug. from PubMed” (Aug. 3, 2011) PubMed (Aug 3 “Help with e-Resources” Page Help e Resources 1,188 1 188 blog views We have learned that most users do not understand the organizational structure of libraries. libraries We receive numerous requests (ILL, e-reserve, technology and website questions) that are No longer is our ER Librarian inundated with requests for passwords and help with journal not directly related to our mission of providing access to e-resources. This leads to the access! Now, this duty is shared. Further, whereas in the past we worked individually on question: how should we structure our reference services to accommodate our users users’ reference questions, now th i more collaboration. Thi l d t b tt t f ti there is ll b ti This leads to better transparency expectations? A library-wide LISTSERV and blog are inexpensive and simple solutions regarding our reference services, which means that we are constantly improving our g g , y p g that would allow the entire library to participate in a streamlined reference process that communication skills and thus our level of service. would save the user time and keep all library staff informed. There are also proprietary solutions (such as LibAnswers) available. Better Understanding of Our Users Better Internal Communication More Knowledgeable Staff ROC Better Communication With Users (Return on Cli k ) (R Clicks) In the past, our ER librarian was the most informed and aware of access issues and past Overall, Overall the LISTSERV has increased the number of reference questions that we receive. receive resource updates. While this is still the case, staff are now becoming more knowledgeable Further, it, in conjunction with the blog, has allowed us to educate and inform users. Even and as a result are able to provide b d l bl id better reference services and contributions to the overall f i d ib i h ll though a f h h frustrated patron might not lik our answer to their question, many of them d i h like h i i f h depa t e ta goals and workflows. departmental goa s a d wo ows. This means that staff a e more equ pped to notice s ea s t at sta are o e equipped ot ce e p ess gratitude when ou blog p ov des a explanation ot only their question, express g at tude w e our b og provides an e p a at o not o y to t e quest o , but to trends in access problems, make better decisions regarding their resolution and plan many other questions that they had but did not express. Additionally, the LISTSERV is like preventative measures for e resource access problems. e-resource problems an on-going user survey, where users are able to provide us with constant feedback on going survey feedback.