The Ask a Librarian page provides access to chat reference assistance, in addition to phone, face-to-face, and email reference. When LCC librarians are not available, patrons can get assistance 24/7 through LCC’s participation in Research Help Now, a virtual reference collaborative.
From 2008-2010, we used the AIM Wimzi widget for chat reference. When LCC librarians were not available, the widget appeared with a red light and an away message. Below the widget there was a link to 24/7 chat assistance, but website users often missed this link.
In 2011, I set up a type of chat widget, LibraryH3lp, that would allow the LCC widget to be replaced by the 24/7 widget if LCC librarians were not available. You can see the screenshots below of the the Ask a Librarian page both when LCC librarians are available and when they are not.
LCC librarians are available for chat
LCC librarians are not available for chat
-- Download Ask a Librarian as PDF --