Tech problems QP

Have you seen this recently:



We started to see this problem over the summer and it has plagued QP ever since. According to QP, the "updating hang" was caused by three separate problems and each one was fixed shortly after it occurred. Because each separate technical problem looked the same to us, it appeared like a persistent bug. QP has asked that you do the following when the "updating" situation occurs:

"Please copy the “about” information at the time (or whenever you can get back in) and email it to support (support@oclc.org), as follows:

Right mouse click in chat and select the ‘About’ option

Click on the ‘copy to clipboard’ button

Paste into an email to support (support@oclc.org)

This problem may be due to QP but it may also occur anytime your local network can't reach OCLC's servers. So please confirm that other sites can connect successfully before sending anything to support. If it happens often during your shift, please log out and let me know. Unfortunately, if you are handling a call and this happens, the patron is unaware of what is happening- so it's better to not take any new calls until we can confirm that it will work correctly.

Thanks for your patience everyone!

Sticky Situation #1

ANONYMOUS Patron:
20:53:32 2009/10/22 (GMT-6) Chat Transcript: Is there anyway that I can access a website that will check my paper for originality. I am having trouble rephrasing some statements in a huge research paper.. and I want to make sure that I am doing it appropriately.

Thanks Janet!

Thanks Janet!

Kudos to Janet Beaudry from Cumberland County for going the extra mile yesterday and calling the library for a specific password. Here's the significant part of the transcript:
....

Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:11:06 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) OK, let me call the library and see if they will give me the passwords or if you will have to call. This will take a while, so bear with me
Patron:
17:12:04 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) ok
Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:17:40 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) they said it is [password]
Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:18:04 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) if not that, then try [password#2]
Patron:
17:18:21 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) thanks!!!!
Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:18:56 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) You're welcome, did it work?
Patron:
17:19:16 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) yes
Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:19:46 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) OK, thanks for using NC Knows, have a good evening
Librarian At CUMBERLAND CNTY PUB LIBR & INF (NC Knows):
17:19:54 2009/10/21 (GMT-6) Bye

NCLA

I presented a session on NCknows last week in Greenville for the NCLA conference. The presentation was an introduction to Libraryh3lp and the increasingly complex ways libraries can offer virtual reference through the State Library. There was lots of great discussion between librarians from several libraries offering various levels of VR, Tim Rogers from NC LIVE and Grant Pair from the State Library.

Some of the comments, and some of my recent experiences talking to libraries about Libraryh3lp indicate that larger libraries love it and have really taken advantage of it but smaller libraries across the state are feeling anxious about dedicating staff time. Especially during these times. There are solutions to this- probably the most obvious is some form of cooperative staffing- but that requires a coordinated critical mass of libraries to make the Libraryh3lp leap.

Chats from NCLIVE patrons

This month (sept 09) 284 calls came directly from nclive.org pages. In contrast, in Oct 09 there was 50. These calls are attributed to the State Library of North Carolina. This almost explains the difference between the Sept 08 chats (911) and the 09 (1282).

In case you are wondering, you can tell if you are helping someone from an NClive.org page by looking at the referral URL:

Libraryh3lp presentation

If you missed the Libraryh3lp virtual meeting, you can still watch the video recording of it. Also, you may want to read the chat transcript- this is the record of the chats that attendees were sending to each other.