Technical Tips/Updates

Two updates from SFU Library for service providers: MFA authentication and the AskAway link in Canvas.

With AskAway starting up in the new term, UCW wanted to share some information about their institution that might be helpful for service providers.

Changes to the AskAway chat box are coming! We will soon upgrade to the next generation chat box, which comes with new features and special attention to visual accessibility. As the next generation chat box is rolling out, there are new features and functions we’d like to bring to your attention!

It has been almost a year since UBC Library implemented OpenAthens for e-resource authentication. Many thanks for all of your help in supporting our users transitioning to the new process. We have heard that accessing UBC’s e-resources via OpenAthens as an AskAway service provider can be tricky. We have updated the wording on the Guest Login page as follows, and we hope it clarifies the issue.

A new tool is now available to you on your evening and weekend AskAway shifts. If you’re alone or short-staffed on an evening or weekend shift (weekday after 5pm, Saturday, or Sunday), you can now easily send an automated message to the evenings-weekends list and request assistance.

Six AskAway libraries now use OpenAthens software to provide access to online resources. If you're using the Guest Logins at one of these libraries to access resources on your shift, that's no problem. But, if you're using the guest logins to access resources at two or more of these libraries simulatenously or within a short time frame, that can create problems. See below for more information on what's happening and workarounds.

On your shifts, you're encouraged to use the new QuestionPoint chat monitor. Before taking it live, please check out the recent blog post Going Live with the New Chat Monitor for short demo videos and important information about what's changed and how to stay consistent with AskAway practices and procedures.

Read on to learn the latest on the chat monitor redesign including recent enhancements, when access to the current chat monitor will end, and a workaround for hopping out of the queues.

You're invited to use the new QuestionPoint chat monitor on your AskAway shifts. The new interface and the current (aka old) interface will operate in parallel for at least 2 weeks before access to the current version ends.

***Before taking the new chat monitor live, see below for important information about what's changed and how to stay consistent with AskAway practices and procedures.

At their November 8 Virtual User Group meeting, QuestionPoint shared an update on the chat monitor interface redesign. Learn more about what's expected and check out a recording and slides from the meeting.

A reminder on how to log out fully at the end of your shift.