About us

About us

AskNow is a virtual reference service staffed by librarians in Australia and New Zealand. It aims to provide high quality information to users, with the convenience of immediate, online communication. Using purpose-built software, it allows librarians and users to interact in real time.

How the service works

By completing a web form users can submit a question and chat to a librarian who will help find high quality information. The OCLC QuestionPoint™ software which underpins the AskNow service allows librarians to provide more than just an answer; the chat session is an opportunity for users to learn how to find information for themselves. During a session, the librarian can “push” websites and other information directly to the user’s computer while chatting. Librarians can also initiate a co-browse session with a user, which allows both parties to see the same screen.

At the close of the session, users who have supplied an email address will receive a transcript of the session, including links to any web pages sent by the librarian.

Who we are

AskNow is a collaborative service offered by National & State Libraries of Australasia (NSLA). More than 160 librarians, rostered three at a time, provide information and research help in real time.

Participating national and state libraries are:

And public libraries:

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When is the service available?

The service is available Monday to Friday, during the following hours:

During daylight saving, the service is available Monday to Friday, during the following hours:

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Privacy statement

Asknow uses the QuestionPoint software, which is provided by OCLC. The document QuestionPoint Patron Terms of Service contains the vendor’s privacy statement. It sets out OCLC’s privacy policy and explains what OCLC does with the personal information that the Asknow service collects from its users.

If any substantive changes are made to this policy, we'll announce this on our site. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should contact us at asknow@nla.gov.au .

More information

The AskNow discussion list is regularly used to disseminate information about the service. It is recommended that all AskNow operators subscribe to the AskNow discussion list. To subscribe, provide your email address at http://listserver.nla.gov.au/wws/subscribe/asknow-l.

The following articles and presentations provide further information about AskNow

Instant Messaging trial

From November 2006 to June 2007, the AskNow cooperative trialled an IM reference service in parallel with the exisiting AskNow virtual reference service. The trial was a great success, demonstrating a clear demand for an IM service. The trial also allowed us to gather data about potential usage and to explore sustainability and resourcing issues. Importantly, it also allowed us to test various software options and to develop a model for a system architecture for collaborative Instant Messaging reference service provision.

A comprehensive report on the trial has been prepared and can be found in the May 2007 issue of the Australian Library Journal.

Find out more about the IM trial:

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