StaffGuide: Electronic Serials

Electronic Serials

LibAnswers Overview

The LibAnswers platform houses the email ticketing service that we use to answer queries from patrons and colleagues. Questions to LibAnswers can be submitted via text (sms), phone, email, or chat. The questions appear as “tickets” in the LibAnswers system. The eSerials team periodically reviews the ticket queue and answers any eSerials related questions.

Access requires a user login and password. For access consult with your supervisor.

A login page can be located at the bottom of the main page of the LibAnswers web site.


The Platform Overview:

Libanswers pic 1

Above are the multiple ways that queries can enter the LibAnswers system.

LibAnswer questions posed by patrons or colleagues appear as tickets in the main dashboard.Once you click on a ticket, you are listed as owner of that ticket. (This can be changed once you are in the ticket).You can choose to quick view a ticket by hovering over the eye icon (you won't be assigned ticket ownership), or you can enter the ticket by clicking on the question (and you will be assigned ticket ownership).

Libanswers Tickets

Inside the ticket, you will have access to the users contact information, the comments they choose to leave, and their technology configuration (for recreating errors).

Libanswers Patron Problem

Below this information you have the ability to: reply to the patron or colleague using the Create a Reply tab, send a message to colleagues in the LibAnswers system using the Post an Internal Note tab, or Assign/Transfer ownership of the ticket (with the option of attaching a note).

  • Create a Reply = Information goes directly to the patron or colleague who posed the question.
  • Post an Internal Note = you choose which LibAnswers user you want to email using the drop-down Email Note to section.
  • Assign/Transfer = allows you to compose a note and assign ownership to another team member or return the question to the queue.

All correspondence to the patron can be handled in the LibAnswers ticket. Past correspondence will appear below the initial query.

Responding to patrons or colleagues

If possible, troubleshoot the problem. Once the issue is resolved, apprise the patron of the fixed status and ask if there is anything else that you can help them with.

Some issues cannot be resolved quickly. When this is the case, alert the patron that you are working on a solution, but that their problem may not be resolved quickly. If possible, locate an alternate way of connecting to the resource and provide them a link. You may suggest that they Interlibrary loan the needed content.

Always be polite.

Once an issue is resolved, complete the bottom portion of the LibAnswers ticket by selecting Tech Services from the drop-down menu. Under type, select the type of problem worked on (e.g. Catalog error, FindIt error, etc.), and post any internal notes that may be helpful for statistics. Then submit the case as closed. This will remove from the ticket from the ticketing queue.

If there is more information needed from a patron, or the issue will take some time to resolve, submit the case as pending.Note: If you submit a case as closed and a patron responds to the closing email, the case will be reopened in LibAnswers.

LibAnswers Interface