Help for chat with a librarian

Contents

• What do I need to know about this service? I have not used it before.
• How do I scroll the transcript on my iPhone?
• How do I request an e-mail transcript? Can I be anonymous?
• What happens if I choose to be anonymous?
• How do I end the chat?
• What problems might occur during the chat?

What do I need to know about this service? I have not used it before.

This service lets you chat with a librarian from your library or another library that is helping yours:

• If chat is not available now, you see information about service options. You may have the option to send your e-mail address and question to your library so a librarian can respond later through e-mail.
• If chat is available now, you type questions and messages in the bottom box. You press Enter or click Send to send a message.
• Your library may require that you submit your e-mail address in order to chat with a librarian. If your e-mail address is required, you see a box to enter and submit it after you send your first message. The librarian does not receive your message until you submit the address. Your library uses your e-mail address only to send you a chat transcript and any additional information it finds for you after the chat.
• You can click the window icon in the upper-right corner to open a separate chat window so you can continue to chat if you decide to go to another web page.
• Each message that you and the librarian send is added to the transcript in the top box. The newest message appears at the bottom of the transcript.
• You can click on any URL in the transcript to open a new window containing the Web page for the URL.
• If you request a transcript or provide your e-mail address, the service sends the transcript to your e-mail address when you end the chat.

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How do I scroll the transcript on my iPhone?

On the iPhone and iPod touch, scroll bars do not appear and the content expands to fill the area. Use two fingers at once to touch the transcript box and slide up or down to scroll the transcript only.

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How do I request an e-mail transcript? Can I be anonymous?

If your library requires your e-mail address, you must submit it after you send your first message. Your library uses your e-mail address only to send you a chat transcript and any additional information it finds for you after the chat.

If your library does not require your e-mail address, you can provide it anytime after you send your first message if you want to receive a transcript. You can also choose to be anonymous.

During the chat, do the following to provide your e-mail address and request a transcript. You can repeat these steps if you need to make changes.

1. Click the envelope button.
2. Type your e-mail address in the pop-up box.
3. Check the box if you wish to be anonymous.
4. Click Submit.

After the chat, do the following to provide your e-mail address and request a transcript. You do not need to do this if you provided your address during the chat. You remain anonymous if you provide your address only after the chat.

1. End the chat.
2. Click the Email session transcripts link.
3. Type your e-mail address in the pop-up box and click OK.

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What happens if I choose to be anonymous?

If your library does not require your e-mail address in order to chat with a libarian, you can provide it but choose to remain anonymous. The service sends the transcript to you but the librarian does not learn your e-mail address and cannot provide additional information to you later.

If you do not choose to remain anonymous, the service sends the transcript and the librarian can send additional information to you later if necessary. The librarian would use your address only for that purpose.

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How do I end the chat?

To end the chat:

1. Click X.
2. Click OK to confirm.
3. If you have not already requested an e-mail transcript, click Email session transcripts and follow the instructions to provide your e-mail address.
4. Click OK when you are done.

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What problems might occur during the chat?

Your communications connection with the librarian might stop working. Each time that you send or receive a message, the message should be added to the transcript. If you send a message but it does not appear in the transcript within 30 seconds, your connection may be lost. You may need to end your chat and start a new one.

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