Please visit askherepa.org/askstaff (log-in required) for the following information:
- System Requirements
- Browser Setup
- Institution ID List
- Staff Schedules
Qwidget, the QuestionPoint Widget
Where are some suggested places where you can provide the Qwidget to your customers?
Anywhere on your website, but key locations are on your front page and in a recurring table of contents, if possible.
Other great locations for the Qwidget:
- Subject guides
- Young adult pages
- Readers advisory
- In the catalog (specifically, on a “no match” results page)
- In the subscription databases
- Social networking sites like MySpace, FaceBook, etc.
Examples of the QuestionPoint Chat Widget on Pennsylvania Library Sites:
Schlow Centre Region Library (State College, PA)
The chat widget is available when a “no results” search is performed on their catalog. To check it out, go to schlowlibrary.org and perform a catalog search that will provide no results. (There is a catalog search available from the upper right of the main page.)
Albright Memorial Library (Scranton, PA)
The chat widget is available on their Reference Department blog: albrightreference.blogspot.com
Franklin County Library System
Chat widget is available on their Do Online Research page.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
The chat widget is available from their “Ask a Librarian” page: carnegielibrary.org/research/ask
The following libraries have the widget on their front page:
Eastern Monroe Public Library (Stroudsburg, PA)
About the Qwidget
QuestionPoint has introduced the Qwidget, a Meebo-Me-like chat box that libraries can place anywhere on their website, at the customer?s point of need. Unlike other widgets (like MeeboMe), the Qwidget will allow multiple concurrent sessions on the librarian side.
For the librarian, the Qwidget is another customer entry point into the chat queue they already monitor. The only difference apparent to the librarian is the term ?[Qwidget]? displayed at the beginning of the question.
If you are assisting a Qwidget customer, there is no automatic page push functionality. You can still send pages as you normally do, but the customer will receive only the link and will need to click on the link to view the web page. (The link will open in another window for the customer if they click on the link.) You may need to direct the customer to click on the link to view the web page.
What Is a Widget?
A widget is a small application that adds utility or other information from external sources, via html code that you add to your webpage. A common widget used by many libraries is the MeeboMe widget (Meebo is a web-based IM service). Widgets are popular among users: according to Jupiter Research (Oct. 2007), awareness and use of Widgets among online users, which was less than 5% in early 2007, has now increased: 39% of online users are aware of widgets, and 26% have used them.
