AskAway Blog

Posted on behalf of UNBC Library

We wanted to alert you that our users are experiencing issues exporting via email using the classic EBSCO interface in the health science databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, AND PSYCINFO). Our users need that functionality for their upcoming assignments, and they may reach out on AskAway.

We’ve put together instructions for a workaround here: https://libanswers.unbc.ca/faq/215008

Please let us know if you have any questions.

As we start a new fall term, we wanted to review several important changes to the AskAway website and tools. Guest logins have been relocated to LibraryH3lp, and can be accessed either in context via the patron chat or via the profiles section in the sidebar. The email address for the Admin Centre has changed to askaway@bceln.ca. A new wait time indicator has also been added to library help.

UBC AskAway Policy page was recently updated and restructured to provide easier navigation and better support for service providers. We’d like to share what has changed and how to navigate the updated page.

SFU wanted to share some information about a common assignment at their institution that might be helpful for service providers.

Two updates from SFU Library for service providers: MFA authentication and the AskAway link in Canvas.

In this post, find out about recent updates to the list of Recommended Citation Guides and Websites. Many thanks to Shannon Moist (Douglas College), Nicoletta Romano (University Canada West) and Rebekah Prette (Camosun College) for completing the update.

By Tina Bebbington and Christian Schmidt, UVic Libraries

UVic Libraries has embraced AI Literacy as a core competency for all librarians and library staff, and are working towards this goal across several platforms, including the creation of an AI Literacy Task Force in 2023. The AI Literacy Task Group have created a variety of tools to support the development of AI literacy in reference and instruction that are sharable, adaptable and promoted across campus.

By Ishvani Hans, UBC AskAway Student Librarian

I’ve been working as an AskAway student librarian for over a year now. Having engaged with a diverse range of patrons and addressing their queries, I have identified recurring themes of problems. If you’re new to AskAway, you may find these tips helpful.

With AskAway starting up in the new term, UCW wanted to share some information about their institution that might be helpful for service providers.

We hope you enjoyed your summer and are feeling ready for the exciting fall term ahead. In this post, try out the Refresher Quiz to help you stay sharp then check out the rest of the blog post below to learn about updates for the new term and reminders about the supports and resources available to AskAway Service Providers.

July 27, 2023

• Summer Gratitude
• Shared-Shift Collaborative Scheduling
• BC ELN Orientation Series
• Collaborative AskAway Research
• Celebrating Retirement
• Read More

In this post, Sydney explores how generative AI tools like ChatGPT have started to impact AskAway. 

The North American Virtual Reference Online Conference (NAVROC) took place from February 21-23, 2023. For those who were unable to attend or would like to revisit a session, recordings will be available on the conference website soon.  

The keynote presentation and theme for the conference was Wholehearted Libraries: Meeting the Needs of Community, from Dr. Michael Stephens of the School of Information at San Jose State University. This theme translated into the great variety of sessions presented over the three half days. Sessions covered a wide range of topics, some of which are directly applicable to AskAway while others are more relevant in the broader virtual reference environment.  

In case you missed it, catch up on the cozy Holiday 2022 issue of the Chat Box newsletter:

• Happy holidays!
• Look back at 2022
• Blog top three
• On the horizon

The new Open Education tag allows us to track those questions when a service provider explains or provides access to Open Access, Open Education, or Open Textbook resources. This includes questions about no-cost textbook options, for example a student looking for an older version of a textbook from the library. In celebration of this new tag, Elizabeth Padilla (BCIT) shares the B.C. Open Collection and her role in developing the new home for the collection.

In this post, find out about recent updates to the Recommended Citation Guides and Websites. Many thanks to Elizabeth Fernandes (Liaison Librarian at University Canada West), Shannon Moist (Head of Reference Services at Douglas College) and Tina Bebbington (Humanities Librarian at the University of Victoria) for their work on this update!

Changes to the AskAway chat box are coming! We will soon upgrade to the next generation chat box, which comes with new features and special attention to visual accessibility. As the next generation chat box is rolling out, there are new features and functions we’d like to bring to your attention!

In case you missed it, catch up on the Summer 2022 issue of the AskAway newsletter.

There are three new tags that you can now apply to your AskAway chat sessions in LibraryH3lp: Copyright, Course Reserves, and Open Education. These tags were recommended by AskAway participants and will help the service and libraries better understand student needs in these areas. The Interlibrary Loan tag has also been updated to include (ILL) so that it is faster to bring up in the drop-down list by typing ILL.

It has been almost a year since UBC Library implemented OpenAthens for e-resource authentication. Many thanks for all of your help in supporting our users transitioning to the new process. We have heard that accessing UBC’s e-resources via OpenAthens as an AskAway service provider can be tricky. We have updated the wording on the Guest Login page as follows, and we hope it clarifies the issue.