QuestionPoint Worldwide Cooperative

Reference4th e-ICOLC Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece

3rd October 2002

Simon DaySenior Product Specialist, OCLC PICA

days@oclc.org

Overview

• Context: digital reference and collaboration

• History: from CDRS to QuestionPoint• Vision• Components: how it works• Current position: participation so far• Future• Sources of further information

Digital reference

• Definition• “The provision of reference services, involving

collaboration between library user and librarian, in a computer-based medium” – Bernie Sloan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Technologies• Web forms• Asynchronous communication

• email

• Synchronous communication• Text Chat• MUDs & MOOs• Video, Voice over IP• Co-browsing, application sharing

Reasons for digital reference

• Serve users where they are• Reach new users• Expand reference availability• Increase the library’s visibility and web

presence• Make the library the first choice for high-

quality reference service

Collaborative digital reference• Solo – one library with its own users• Consortium/Group

• Resource sharing

• Global• Access the community of librarians and libraries

worldwide• Bring the power of library co-operation to the reference

desk

• Forms of collaboration• Referring questions

• Routing – manual/human, automatic/machine• Question and collection metadata comparison

• Sharing answers• Knowledge bases of previously asked/answered questions

The origins of QuestionPoint

• Library of Congress• CDRS (Collaborative Digital Reference Service) • Global library-to-library pilot project: June 2000 –

June 2002• Early adopters defined requirements• Membership: grew from 16 to 260 libraries of all

types in 20 countries over the two years• Proof of concept: member profiles, algorithms for

routing questions

• OCLC• Local/regional user-to-library service pilots with the

INCOLSA and METRO U.S. library networks

QuestionPoint vision

To help libraries provide professional reference services to users anywhere, anytime, through collaborative, web-based networks of libraries.

QuestionPoint provides:

• Web-based tools to provide and manage reference services within your library

• The option of linking with your local reference networks or with the global reference network to provide additional coverage

With QuestionPoint libraries can…• Deliver reference support to users via the web

• Provide a locally-branded and customisable question-asking reference service using web forms, email-based interaction, and chat interaction with users

• Use enhanced communications: browser sharing, document sharing, video, voice over IP

• Manage local reference functions• Receive, respond to, track & manage users’

questions • Route questions to peers locally

With QuestionPoint libraries can…

• Collaborate locally• Create, profile, and manage local, regional or

subject-based reference groups to handle querying, routing, and answering of user questions within these groups

• Collaborate globally• Participate in a global co-operative network of

reference librarians for answers to user questions requiring expertise or coverage unavailable within your institution or group

With QuestionPoint libraries can…

• Access a local and/or global knowledge base• Build and access shared local and global

knowledge databases comprised of completed and edited Q&As

• Manage user accounts, interface customisation, and statistical reporting

With QuestionPoint library users can…• Ask questions and receive answers from their local

library via the Web• Get quality and reliable information from trusted

sources

• Chat with a librarian to get immediate information

• Share applications to gain from librarians’ experience and expertise

• Track and review their previously asked questions• View their question history and the current status of

submitted questions via a password- protected and secure interface

Components

• User question forms (templates)• Local librarian interface• Global co-operative network

• Profile database• Routing Manager

• Knowledge base(s)• Administrative interface• Usage statistics and reports

QuestionPoint local/group component

Your ReferenceGroup

InstitutionRef Lib Ref Lib

Local Local KBKB

Local Local KBKB

UserUser

Global Global KBKB

Global Global KBKB

Profiled Inst 1Profiled Inst 1

Your Library

Ref LibRef LibRef LibRef Lib

User-LibraryCommunication

Walk in/PhoneWeb Form

EmailChat

Voice*Video*

User-LibraryCommunication

Walk in/PhoneWeb Form

EmailChat

Voice*Video*

Ref LibRef Lib

Ref LibRef Lib

Ref LibRef Lib

Ref LibRef Lib

Institution

Ref LibRef LibRef LibRef Lib

Inst. Inst. AdminAdmin

Group Group AdminAdmin

QuestionPoint global component

Local/Regional Component

Question submitted to global componentQuestion submitted to global component

Answer returnedTo local environmentAnswer returnedTo local environment

Global Knowledge BaseGlobal Knowledge Base

Profiled QP MembersRefRefLibLib

RefRefLibLib

RefRefLibLib

RefRefLibLib

RefRefLibLib

Automated Question RoutingAutomated Question Routing

Q & A Editing Process

Member Member Member

Global ComponentGlobal Component

“Best Fit” ProfileProfileDatabaseDatabase

GlobalGlobalAdminAdmin

Automatic question routing

• Routing Manager compares elements of the question with elements of each member’s profile to obtain a “best fit”

• Question metadata• Time deadline• Subject area / Subject broad class• Geographic focus• Educational level• Format

Automatic question routing

• Institution profile• Available times

• Days of the week, hours during those days• Unavailable dates, time zone, observance of daylight

saving time

• Quota• Number of questions the library is prepared to answer per

week

• Subject strengths• LCC & RLG conspectus collecting levels

• Geographic strengths• Education levels served• Format strengths

Routing Algorithm Routing Algorithm

QuestionTime Deadline

Subject Area

Subject Broad Class

Geographic focus

Education Level

Format

ProfileAvailable Times

Unavailable Dates

Time Zone

Daylight Saving Time

Processed per week (quota)

Subject Strengths

Educ. Levels Served

ProfileAvailable Times 20%

Load 20%

(Time last question received from global network)

Subject Strengths 40%

Geog. Strengths 10%

Format Strengths 10%

Select eligible institutionsSelect eligible institutions

Select “best fit” from those eligible

Select “best fit” from those eligible

Global participation

UnitedStates

China

Australia

United Kingdom

Germany

Netherlands

Slovenia

Norway

Canada

Belgium

Governance and contribution

• LC and OCLC serve as organising stewards• Advisory Board: members represent variety of

library types• Sub-committees address areas of

• Legal• Membership• Implementation• Best practices

• Contribution• Answering questions from Global Reference Network• Adding completed Q&A to Global Knowledge Base• Editing Q&A in the Global Knowledge Base

QuestionPoint membership benefits• Total reference solution: local, group, global

access & tracking tools• Local and global knowledge bases of previously

answered questions• Usage statistics• Web-based (no local software or hardware)• Global network of expertise

• Access to subject specialists worldwide• Potential to extend reference service to 24/7

• Collaborate locally and globally• Raise the visibility of libraries

QuestionPoint pricing

• Annual subscription model based on “profiles”• A profile = a node on the global network• Reference “consortia” created by associating

profiles• Unlimited use• Packages

• Global Network Access• Local/Group Reference Network & Global Network

Access• Enhanced Communications

• Discounts for contribution & consortia

The Future…

• Standards-based communication• Interoperability among reference networks and between local

services/global network• NISO Standards Committee AZ for Networked Reference Services

• Quality Standards for e-Reference McClure & Lankes http://quartz.syr.edu/quality/

• Routing• Automated local routing• Manual global routing: pick from best 3 suggested by routing

algorithm

• Off hours and supplemental coverage• Knowledge Base development

• Batch import of FAQs• End user access

• Public access to the global network

Further information

• QuestionPoint: http://www.questionpoint.org

• Digital Reference Services bibliography: Bernie Sloan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaignhttp://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~b-sloan/digiref.html

• VRD 2002 Conference: The 4th Annual Digital Reference Conference, "Charting the Course of Reference: Toward a Preferred Future," will be held on November 11-12, 2002 in Chicago, IL. http://www.vrd.org/conferences/VRD2002/

• Standards: NISO Standards Committee AZ for Networked Reference Serviceshttp://www.niso.org/committees/committee_az.html

Questions?