Ask-A-Librarian Policies
What is WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE?
WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE allows you to use your web browser and Internet connection to speak with a WSU Librarian. Ask-A-Librarian LIVE is intended to provide the same type of reference service you would receive if you were conversing with a librarian face-to-face across a reference desk.
The students, faculty, and staff of WSU are the primary clients of WSU Virtual Reference. Those unaffiliated with WSU are also encouraged to make us of Ask-A-Librarian LIVE.
Shiffman Medical Library offers its virtual information services to the university community, affiliated clinicians, and Michigan residents here. This includes support for the Detroit Community AIDS Library, Michigan Go Local and Urban Health Partners.
The Hours for Fall Semester
Beginning September 4, 2007
Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you have medical questions, those questions will best be answered between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday when a medical librarian will be available online.
Types of Questions
Reference questions are usually concerned with locating and evaluating information, performing library research, using library services, and understanding library policies. Most frequently, WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE answers
• Questions on how to start a research project
• Questions about sources to consult for research in a particular area
• Questions for historical facts
• Questions regarding bibliographic information
Because WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE allows patron and librarian to converse in real time and for the librarian to guide online searching of library resources, Ask-A-Librarian LIVE may also be used to provide assistance that could not normally be handled over the phone or via e-mail. WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE also provides help with
• Complex questions with more than one component
• Questions answered by a long list of items
• Questions that require hands-on instructions
Who will see my question and who will answer it?
WSU Ask-A-Librarian LIVE is staffed by WSU librarians and Library and Information Science graduate students under the close supervision of librarians.
Your questions and conversation with librarians are regarded as private. Such information is shared within the WSU Library System only to facilitate library services. It is unavailable to those outside the WSU Library System unless formally subpoenaed.
You should, however, be aware that transcripts of sessions may be reviewed for accuracy and used for quality control. Questions added to our FAQ/online Expert System will be reworked to serve the purpose of that service and will never have a patron’s name attached.