Create your Qwidget (QuestionPoint widget)

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• Overview
• Steps to create your Qwidget

Overview

When you add the Qwidget (QuestionPoint widget) on your library web pages, patrons can easily enter your service. The patron simply sends a message through the Qwidget if chat is available. For librarians, Qwidget sessions appear in the QuestionPoint chat monitor, along with other patron sessions.

In the Qwidget, the patron sees that chat is available if a librarian whose primary queue matches the patron's primary queue is monitoring chat. Librarians see Qwidget sessions only if the patron's primary queue matches the librarian's primary queue. Qwidget sessions are not available for the cooperative to pick up.

In the librarian's chat monitor, "Qwidget" appears in front of the patron's question if the patron is using the Qwidget.

Steps to create your Qwidget

1. Go to Administration > Institution > Forms > Forms Manager.
2. Click Create Qwidget.
3. Select a language for which you want to provide a Qwidget and click Submit.
4. On the Qwidget Configuration page for the selected language, enter and select option values on the left and see their effect displayed on the right.

   Notes about available options:

   • Qwidget Language shows the language that you selected for the Qwidget.
   • Qwidget Name is text that appears in the banner at the top of the Qwidget.
   • Offline Message is the message that a patron sees when chat is not available because no one is monitoring your primary queue. Coordinate this message with the Email Option that you select. If you do not provide a message, the patron sees no message when chat is not available. You can include the HTML code for a link in the message. Example: Go to <a href="http://www.questionpoint.org"> QuestionPoint</a> for assistance.
   • Qwidget Size lets you select the size of the Qwidget. The Fill (100%) option fills all the space that you make available for the Qwidget on your web page.
   • Qwidget Color lets you select the color of the Qwidget.
   • Email Option lets you offer or not offer e-mail question service to the patron in the Qwidget when no one is monitoring your primary queue. If you offer it, boxes are provided for the patron to type and send an e-mail address and a question. They go to your library's QuestionPoint account as an e-mail question. The patron receives an e-mail acknowledgement. If you do not offer it, the patron cannot send a question in the Qwidget when chat is not available.
   • Mask patron IP addresses lets you mask or not mask the patron's IP address. If you select No, the patron's IP address is available when you review transcripts in the Ask module. If you select Yes, the patron's IP address is not available. (The patron's IP address is not available in the chat monitor or in Full Questions in the Ask module whether you select Yes or No.)
   • Require Email for Qwidget Chat lets you require or not require that the patron submit an e-mail address in order to chat with a librarian. If you select No, the patron is not required to submit an address and can check a box to remain anonymous when submitting one. If you select Yes, the patron must submit an e-mail address after sending a first message in order to chat with a librarian. The new chat request does not appear in the chat monitor unless the patron submits an e-mail address.
   • Required Email Prompt is the message that a patron sees in the Qwidget before sending a first chat message if you require that the patron submit an e-mail address in order to chat with a librarian. Provide a message that informs the patron about the requirement. If you do not provide a message, the patron sees the default message shown on the Qwidget Configuration page.
   • Nudge patron to enter email address lets you nudge (remind) the patron at the beginning of the session to submit an e-mail address. (This option and Nudge Message are not available if you require the patron to submit an e-mail address.) If you select No, the nudge message is not displayed. If you select Yes, it is displayed.
   • Nudge Message is the message that a patron sees after sending a first chat message if you choose to nudge the patron to submit an e-mail address. Provide a message that encourages the patron to submit one. The message appears for a few seconds in place of the envelope button that the patron can click during the session to submit an e-mail address. If do not provide a nudge message, the patron sees the default message shown on the Qwidget Configuration page. If the patron does not submit an e-mail address during the session, the patron can click a link after the session ends to request a transcript. If the link is clicked, the patron is prompted to enter an e-mail address.
5. Click Submit.

   Note: If you make changes to the Qwidget, you must click Submit before you click Test or copy the Qwidget code.

6. Click Test.

   A separate test window containing the Qwidget opens. If someone is monitoring your primary queue, you can test chat. If no one is monitoring your primary queue, you can see what the patron sees in that case.

7. Repeat steps 4–6 as needed to make changes based on your test results.
8. When the Qwidget for the selected language is ready for use on web pages, click anywhere in the Code box to select all of the code, copy the code, and paste it in web pages.

   Notes:

   • The Qwidget code contains UTF-8 encoding so any foreign language diacritics display correctly regardless of the encoding on the rest of your web page.
   • If you make changes to the Qwidget after you paste the Qwidget code into web pages, you must replace the code in the web pages if you change Qwidget Language, Qwidget Size, or Qwidget Color. You do not need to replace the code in web pages if you change only other options.
9. Click Return to Forms Manager.
10. Repeat steps 2–9 as needed for each language in which you want to provide a Qwidget.