{"id":43,"date":"2025-02-06T14:07:23","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T19:07:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/sertcasestudies\/?post_type=chapter&p=43"},"modified":"2025-07-16T10:54:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T14:54:23","slug":"askaway","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/sertcasestudies\/chapter\/askaway\/","title":{"raw":"Sustaining Virtual Library Support through Multi-Institutional Collaboration: AskAway Chat Reference","rendered":"Sustaining Virtual Library Support through Multi-Institutional Collaboration: AskAway Chat Reference"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\n\u00a9 2025 BC Electronic Library Network. CC BY 4.0 license<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Abstract<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\nAskAway is a collaborative virtual reference service that fosters sustainability in British Columbia\u2019s post-secondary library system by expanding institutional capacity, optimizing resources, and ensuring long-term service continuity. Through a shared staffing and funding model, it provides real-time research and library support to students, faculty, alumni, and staff at 28 institutions across British Columbia and the Yukon. AskAway not only enhances access to library support but also cultivates a strong community of practice among library professionals. Its centralized coordination streamlines operations, training, and governance, reducing administrative burdens on participating institutions. The service has contributed to resilience in the sector and proven particularly valuable during library closures, including those caused by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic; it ensures uninterrupted library support when it is needed most. As a powerful example of consortial collaboration, AskAway provides valuable insights and inspiration for others seeking to build impactful, sustainable shared services.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

About AskAway<\/h2>\r\nAskAway is a collaborative post-secondary library chat service providing real-time support for research and library-related inquiries. Serving students, faculty, alumni, and staff from 28 participating institutions in British Columbia and the Yukon, it offers easy-to-access assistance through chat widgets on library websites and is available seven days a week during the academic term. During operating hours, users can simply type their questions into a chat window and within seconds receive assistance from a knowledgeable library staff member. AskAway service providers specialize in handling research, citation, access, reference, and circulation inquiries. For highly complex or out-of-scope questions, service providers direct users to the appropriate staff at their home institution.\r\n\r\nThe BC Electronic Library Network (BC ELN) manages AskAway\u2019s operations, via the AskAway Administrative Centre. To join AskAway, institutions must be a member of BC ELN<\/a>, and then must meet AskAway\u2019s requirements<\/a>. BC ELN employees staff the AskAway Administrative Centre, which provides centralized coordination for the service.\r\n\r\nParticipating institutions collectively share almost all costs and labour associated with AskAway service delivery. Each library contributes service fees and staffing based on tiered commitment models<\/a>. Cumulatively, over 300 librarians, library technicians, and in some cases student librarians, staff AskAway and respond to questions from users across all member institutions in addition to their own.\r\n\r\nAskAway governance and strategic planning is shared by participating institutions. An Advisory Committee made up of participating member representatives provides strategic oversight for AskAway and reports to the BC ELN Steering Committee, which holds ultimate responsibility for the service.\r\n\r\nBoth public and private post-secondary institutions are members of AskAway, as both are eligible for membership within BC ELN. While private institutions pay an annual membership fee to belong to BC ELN, there is no difference in how private and public post-secondary institutions participate in AskAway. Private institutions contribute staffing and service support fees based on their full-time equivalent (FTE) numbers and, like public institutions, may also serve on the AskAway Advisory Committee.\r\n

AskAway's Origins<\/h3>\r\nAskAway launched in 2006 as a collaborative initiative between public and post-secondary libraries in British Columbia. It emerged in response to strong interest from both sectors in establishing a provincially coordinated virtual reference service for public library users and post-secondary students. Pilot projects at Vancouver Public Library, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, and the University of British Columbia demonstrated both the need for the service and the feasibility of operating side-by-side public and post-secondary virtual reference services.\r\n\r\nFrom the outset, the Council of Post-Secondary Library Directors encouraged BC ELN to request seed funding from the Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) to support the post-secondary component. Seed funding for the public library service came from the Ministry of Education\u2019s Public Libraries Services Branch. Early discussions about the post-secondary service took place within the BCcampus Learning Services Committee, of which BC ELN was a member. AVED ultimately provided $250,000 in seed funding over two years, enabling BC ELN to launch the service with 19 early-adopter libraries contributing only in-kind staffing. This funding also allowed BC ELN to operationalize the service and conduct in-person training sessions across the province \u2014 critical for addressing initial staff concerns about the new technology.\r\n\r\nWhen public library seed funding ended in 2010, public libraries withdrew from the initiative, and AskAway transitioned into a stand-alone post-secondary service. BC ELN\u2019s Administrative Centre took over coordination, with BCcampus providing annual funding of approximately $55,000 to sustain operations. Around the same time, BC ELN introduced tiered annual service support fees based on student FTEs for participating institutions.\r\n\r\nIn 2014, when BCcampus funding was discontinued, participating libraries increased their financial and staffing contributions to cover the shortfall, ensuring AskAway\u2019s long-term sustainability as a self-funded service.\r\n

Who Uses AskAway<\/h3>\r\nAskAway\u2019s primary users are the 200,000 students who attend its participating institutions. Faculty, staff, and alumni also use the service.\r\n\r\nFigure 1 below shows a breakdown of users over five years (2019-2023) based on AskAway exit surveys.[footnote]Users are invited to provide feedback on their AskAway experience through a survey presented at the end of their session. Participation is voluntary. The response rate is approximately 3%.[\/footnote] The data shows that first- and second-year students consistently represent approximately 40% of users, while third- and fourth-year students and graduate\/postgraduate students each typically account for about 20% of users respectively.<\/a>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_44\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2339\"]\"A Figure 1 [Click to view accessible version of data]<\/a>[\/caption]\r\n

Benefits of a Collaborative Chat Reference Service<\/h3>\r\nLibraries have a longstanding history of collaborating through consortia to maximize resources and expand capacity. Since its establishment in 1989, BC ELN has offered its members a variety of shared services, such as consortial licensing and province-wide interlibrary loan, and has consistently shown the impacts of collaborative efforts. As a collaborative service, AskAway delivers significant benefits to both participating libraries and end users.\r\n

Benefits for Participating Libraries<\/h4>\r\nAskAway exists to leverage the resources of individual libraries to create a broader and more significant impact for all. While all participating libraries benefit, the service is especially valuable for medium- and small-sized institutions. Through AskAway, these institutions can provide a service that would otherwise be out of reach due to limited resources, technology, and\/or expertise.\r\n\r\nParticipating libraries contribute a portion of staff time to AskAway, ranging from 2 to 34 hours per week based on student enrollment. In return, institutions gain access to approximately 240 hours of reference service weekly, covering AskAway\u2019s 73 service hours across seven days, including evenings and weekends \u2014 ensuring support even when physical libraries are closed.\r\n\r\nAdditional benefits for participating libraries include:\r\n
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Cost Savings<\/h5>\r\nSince participating libraries contribute just a small portion of staffing compared to what is available in return, and the service is centrally managed by the AskAway Administrative Centre, institutions benefit from significant cost savings. The Administrative Centre handles key tasks like scheduling, training, governance support, communication, statistics, reporting, and technical support, significantly reducing the financial and labour burdens associated with these tasks for institutions. BC ELN estimates that medium-sized institutions save about 80% of the costs they would incur if running a similar service independently. From a sector-wide perspective, this collaborative model supported by a centralized coordinating body significantly reduces costs by eliminating duplicated efforts and by sharing resources across institutions.\r\n
Meeting User Needs<\/h5>\r\nAskAway was created to help libraries address the growing need for flexible research support in an era of online and distance education. It enables libraries to meet students \"where they are,\u201d supporting those studying off-campus or during evenings and weekends when physical libraries may be closed.\r\n\r\nThe service\u2019s technical capabilities have also advanced to better meet users at their point of need. In 2022, AskAway introduced proactive chat, allowing timed widgets to invite visitors to chat after lingering on library webpages. Early data suggests proactive chat effectively engages a larger percentage of new users. Additionally, the AskAway chat widget can now be embedded directly in EBSCO and ProQuest databases. This ensures students don\u2019t need to search for help, they can access assistance precisely when they need it most: while researching.\r\n
Service Continuity if Physical Library is Closed<\/h5>\r\nAskAway provides uninterrupted support when physical libraries are closed or minimally staffed. Operating seven days a week during the academic term and until 9 pm Sunday through Thursday, it provides students with assistance when they need it most. In summer, when many smaller college libraries reduce hours or have limited staffing, AskAway continues to offer service.\r\n\r\nIn exceptional circumstances this benefit becomes a critical safety net for institutions. As natural disasters like forest fires and floods are expected to increase due to climate change (see\u00a0Is climate change increasing the risk of disasters?<\/a>), physical libraries and infrastructure are at risk. When flooding affected the community of Merritt B.C. in 2021, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology\u2019s Merritt campus library had to close, but students could continue to access library support via AskAway.\r\n\r\nAskAway became a crucial support system in 2020 when COVID-19 forced post-secondary libraries in British Columbia to close and transition quickly to fully online services. As an established virtual service, AskAway was well-positioned to seamlessly facilitate this shift. The traffic data tells a compelling story: usage increased by 62% in 2020 compared to 2019, underscoring how heavily students and other users relied on the service. Institutions responded by adding shifts and extending hours, ensuring students continued to receive the support they needed during a very challenging time.\r\n\r\n
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\u201cBeing able to pivot almost immediately to virtual reference after the shutdown of our physical spaces and services [because of COVID-19] was invaluable. Our staff and students are grateful to have the ability to communicate with each other in real time during the crisis, and the work of the AskAway team to ensure everything continued to run smoothly is much appreciated. Thank you!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u2014 Dan Slessor, Librarian, Langara College<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Community Care and Mobilization<\/h5>\r\nParticipating institutions benefit from AskAway\u2019s strong culture of community support. During COVID-19, libraries recognized the importance of keeping the service open during typically closed periods and took action by collectively contributing 3,275 extra staff hours and adding 42 service days in 2020 to meet increased demand. Even in less challenging times, libraries frequently volunteer additional staffing. When the service experiences an overwhelming volume of activity, providers send a \"swamped\" message to the AskAway service provider listserv. Unscheduled library staff then step in to assist by logging in and responding to users until the traffic has returned to a manageable level. Several institutions consistently volunteer hours over the term, while others contribute as needed, which helps keep service costs low.\r\n
Community of Practice<\/h5>\r\nAskAway fosters a supportive community of practice among participating library staff. Service coordinators and providers stay connected through tools like Campfire, a team messaging app used during shifts for communication, transferring chat sessions, and offering mutual support. The AskAway Administrative Centre further strengthens collaboration by hosting semi-regular coordinator meetings for all 28 institutions to discuss progress, share strategies, address challenges, and explore trends in virtual reference. Periodic working groups provide additional opportunities for library professionals to collaborate, share insights, and contribute to the service\u2019s ongoing improvement.\r\n
Library Worker Skill Development<\/h5>\r\nAskAway service providers include librarians, library technicians, and student librarians, depending on the institution. Service providers respond to queries from any of the 28 participating institutions, offering exposure to a wide variety of questions and providing an excellent opportunity to keep skills sharp. Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) students hired to staff AskAway gain valuable hands-on experience in research assistance strategies while on the job and bring the asset of AskAway experience to their job searches in the library sector.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Benefits for Users (Students)<\/h4>\r\nThanks to AskAway, students, faculty, and researchers at 28 participating institutions have access to convenient, online, point-of-need research assistance. Since students are the primary users of AskAway \u2014 comprising approximately 80% of its traffic \u2014 the following section will focus on AskAway\u2019s benefits for students specifically:\r\n
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Low Barrier<\/h5>\r\nNo accounts or logins are required to use AskAway. Students can access immediate assistance during AskAway\u2019s operating hours simply by typing their question into a chat box. The service is anonymous, with any information shared being entirely voluntary. Anecdotal feedback suggests that the privacy offered by AskAway is an important and valued feature for users:\r\n\r\n
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\u201cI like that the service is anonymous for both the librarian and user. I feel that it helps avoid anxiety barriers that might come up when seeking help. Thank you!\u201d - Okanagan College student<\/p>\r\n

\"I really appreciated that it was a one-click button to start a chat with a librarian, and I got quick help, and no one asked me for any information or proof or whatever, all in all the whole process took 5 minutes!\" \u2013 University of Victoria student<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Sector Equity<\/h5>\r\nAskAway\u2019s 28 participating institutions range from the smallest public and private colleges to the largest university in British Columbia. Institutions are geographically spread throughout the province and are found in both rural and urban environments. If a student attends an AskAway institution, they have access to the same high-quality research support regardless of the size or location of their school.\r\n
Information Literacy<\/h5>\r\nAskAway interactions offer students valuable opportunities to learn how to search for and evaluate relevant sources. Service providers are trained to guide students, not by doing the research for them, but by demonstrating effective research strategies that students can apply independently in the future. Via exit survey data, students report learning skills such as where and how to search for information, how the library can assist, and how to accurately cite sources from their AskAway interactions.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Sustainability Model<\/h2>\r\n

Organizational Structure and Governance<\/h3>\r\nBC ELN provides the infrastructural framework for AskAway, while participating institutions shape AskAway\u2019s development through representational governance. It is important to note that a consortium dynamic is different than a vendor-client relationship. Simply put: BC ELN is not merely providing a service that libraries pay for \u2014 libraries are \u201cthe service.\u201d BC ELN\u2019s role is to maintain a strong foundation that enables that service to flourish.\r\n

The AskAway Administrative Centre<\/h4>\r\nBC ELN plays a critical role in supporting AskAway through the Administrative Centre, which provides and maintains the service\u2019s infrastructural framework. The Administrative Centre leverages existing BC ELN resources, and is staffed by the equivalent of 0.7 FTE, made up of a portion of several BC ELN staff positions, including a librarian faculty member, student librarians, finance, communications and administrative roles. For example, BC ELN Client Support staff assists with invoicing participating libraries and BC ELN\u2019s Communications Manager produces AskAway marketing materials and an annual service report.\r\n\r\nThe Administrative Centre, which was established at AskAway's inception, handles essential administrative tasks such as compiling the collective schedule, managing software licensing, training new service providers, and more. It also maintains archived historical documents that trace AskAway\u2019s evolution over time. This external framework enhances sustainability in several key ways:\r\n