Digital Reference Practice Widget

Get Started Checklist

Detailed instructions and tutorials can be found on our Dig Ref Confluence Page.

• Log in and find LibAnswers
• Update your personal settings
• Check nickname is correct "first name @ UCLA"
• Change from displaying LibApps User Profile photo to generic avatar, use background UCLA color: #2774ae (blue) or #ffd100 (gold)
• Update other personalized settings

Practice session dates and times
Tuesday 6/16: 10am - 12pm
Wednesday 6/17: 2pm - 3pm
Thursday 6/18: 10am - 11am, 1pm - 2pm
Friday 6/19: 10am - 11am, 2pm - 3pm

Practice Makes Perfect!

UCLA has a go-live date of 6/22/20. Before this date, start practicing! You will need at least one other person to practice with. Practice with both the patron side and librarian side.

• After signing in on your dashboard (see instructions below), for practicing make sure you are only monitoring the UCLA Library Digital Reference Department. 

  • Chatters will not be monitoring the ticket queue when on chat, you can set this to "Don't Notify"
• Use our PRACTICE WIDGET to submit a question as a patron.
• Use the "claim chat" button to claim the practice chat question
• Use a canned message in your chat. Canned messages are pre-made scripts you can use to answer common questions or to greet the patron and close out the session. The canned messages are located at the bottom left of the chat window
• Find the institution's policy information by clicking on the FAQ tab. Use the search field or Control-F to find keywords quickly.
• Try transferring a chat using the transfer chat icon in the top right.
• Create a ticket using the ticket icon in the top right. Creating a ticket is the equivalent of marking a session for follow-up by their library.
• Always email the transcript to patron (instructions). Transcripts are no longer automatically sent, so we will actively need to send to patrons before closing the chat.

• Ignore Ref Analytics, we currently do not subscribe to this service.

• Every patron receives an auto-message greeting after submitting their question:
  • The Local Staff auto-message reads, "Welcome to Ask a Librarian. I'm reading your question and will be with you in just a moment."
  • The Co-Op Staff auto-message reads, "Hello and welcome! Your library and my library are part of a nationwide group that provides backup for each other's service. I'm reading your question and will be with you in just a moment."
• If the patron waits more than 30 sections, an auto-delay message shows up. It reads, "We apologize for the delay. Don't want to wait? Submit your question." The patron can choose to wait for a chatter or submit a ticket for follow-up.