AskAway Update Digest – Fall 2025 Edition

Submitted by Austin Miner on

Welcome back to AskAway as we prepare for another fall term! Whether you’re a brand-new service provider or have been helping to staff the service for many years, this is a good opportunity to review recent changes and new features that can help us deliver reference services to patrons as smoothly as possible. Without further delay, let’s dive in! 

 

New: Guest Logins Relocated to LibraryH3lp 

First up is an important notice for anyone staffing the service this term - guest login credentials have been updated and relocated from the AskAway website to a more secure location inside LibraryH3lp. The Guest Logins page will be updated to include instructions describing how to access guest login credentials and direct service providers to two new FAQs: "How do I access the guest logins?" and "How should I use the guest logins?"

There are now two easy ways to access guest login credentials within LibraryH3lp: 

Directly via the patron chat 

The credentials for the institution associated with a current chat can now be found in the chat’s contextual information. To view this information, click on the queue name at the top of the chat. Guest credentials will be visible at the bottom of the pop-up window. 

Via the Profiles section 

To see the credentials for any institution, select “Profiles” in the LibraryH3lp sidebar, then select an institutional acronym. The window will display the login credentials and any associated notes for that institution. 

If you run into any institutions that are missing guest login credentials in LibraryH3lp, please let the AskAway Admin Centre know by emailing us at askaway@bceln.ca. 

Library policy pages and the list of institutional acronyms can still be accessed on the AskAway website. Links to both pages are provided on the Service Provider home page. 

 

New: LibraryH3lp Wait Time Indicator 

LibraryH3lp just added this new feature! When a new chat appears in LibraryH3lp, service providers will now see a real-time message at the bottom of the chat that increments until the chat is picked up. 

In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to misjudge time or to miss an incoming chat; this indicator will help us keep an eye on how long a patron has been waiting. The wait time indicator also appears whenever a chat is transferred. The indicator is visible only to service providers and does not appear for patrons. 

 

Reminder: Updated Email Address for AskAway Admin Centre 

The AskAway Admin Centre email has at long last been moved to new SFU email servers and has a new address: askaway@bceln.ca 

Please take the time to ensure that email from the new email address has been added to your “Safe Senders” list and update your contacts to reflect the change. Email directed to the old email address (office@askaway.org) will temporarily be forwarded to the new address, with the old address being retired before the end of the year. If you notice email signatures, webpages, or any AskAway materials that list the old email address, please let us know at askaway@bceln.ca so that we can update them. 

 

Reminder: New Generative AI Guidelines Field on Policy Page 

Last September, the “Generative AI Guidelines” field was added to the policy page template. Generative AI is a hot topic among students, and policy varies from institution to institution. This field gives institutions a handy place to summarize their policy regarding generative AI, answer any frequently asked questions, and present a collection of links to the institution’s relevant policies and guides. 

 

 For example, SFU’s generative AI guidelines are as follows: 

Some institutions may not have a single generative AI policy in place but provide a collection of related links. For example, here’s KPU’s generative AI section: 

Because generative AI can be divisive, it’s especially important not to make assumptions about how and why the patron is using the technology. Avoid making blanket statements, conduct a reference interview to make sure you understand the patron’s needs, and refer to their institution’s policy before making recommendations. Let’s do our best this term to help students navigate this tricky topic! 

 

Reminder: Tags 

When you’re in the middle of a chat, it can be tough to remember all the tags that are available and when to use each. It’s worth the time to review the tags page so that you know you’re applying them to chats correctly. For new service providers, especially, it’s crucial to keep the tags page handy! Here are a few of the newer tags that have been added: 

  • Alumni (Added 2024) 
  • When the patron is an alumni or is requesting information on behalf of an alumni 
  • Bot (Added 2024) 
  • When a patron assumes that AskAway is a chat bot or a Generative AI tool. 
  • Copyright (Added 2022) 
  • Questions relating to copyright. This includes questions about fair dealing, open licenses, and referrals to a copyright specialist. 
  • Course Reserves (Added 2022) 
  • Questions concerning course reserves material. For example, an instructor asking how to submit a course reserve request or a student asking about the loan period for a reserve item. In some cases, it may be appropriate to apply an additional tag such as Circulation. 
  • Open Education (Added 2022) 
  • When a service provider explains or provides access to Open Access, Open Education, or Open Textbook resources. This includes questions about no-cost textbook options, for example a student looking for an older version of a textbook from the library. 

 

Reminder: Updated Crisis Scripts 

While patrons in crisis are rare on AskAway, when they do reach out, it can be stressful, so it’s good to be prepared and know where to find the relevant information. There are two updated scripts available in LibraryH3lp that contain information to refer a patron to appropriate services – the Problem – Crisis Line script for patrons who are experiencing a mental health or personal crisis, and a new Problem – Medical Emergency script for individuals who are in imminent danger. The patrons in crisis procedures have also been updated and are worth reviewing.  

Remember, if you encounter a patron who claims to be in crisis, even jokingly, take their claims seriously, be professional and supportive, refer them to the appropriate provincial and national services (available via the scripts), and report the transaction (name, date, approximate time of the transaction) to the AskAway Admin Centre. Take care of yourself and reach out for support following a crisis call. You can contact the Suicide Crisis Helpline at any time for advice and support. Call or text 9-8-8. 

 

Reminder: Updates to the List of Recommended Citation Guides and Websites 

Late last year, the list of recommended citation guides and websites linked to from the service provider home page on the AskAway website was updated with guides for American Sociological Association (ASA) citation style, the 18th edition of Chicago Style, and new guidelines on how to cite generative AI. For more information, see this blog post. The recommended citation guides and websites page is a useful supplement to service providers, but as always, remember that your first port of call when helping a patron should be the citation resources listed on the policy page for their institution! 

 

Thank you for working with us, and we look forward to another exciting term of AskAway with you! See you on the service! 

Best, 

Austin and Cristen