email reference - nights and weekends!

forming a new habit is one of the most difficult things to do - but since we have switched over the email link to our iminerva account, the department needs to take responsibility for checking this. I've deleted previous instructions, these are a little different.
The procedures will be a little different now that Mark has returned, but on nights after 5 and weekends, we should check email at least once every 2 hours, unless it's incredibly busy. It would be best to log on to the iminerva account at one of the two computers and leave it logged in.

Accessing email
Please open Reference email at the Reference Desk from 5 pm to midnight and weekends. Mark, Armando or Michael will normally monitor during the day and will work out among themselves who is the primary person. Otherwise, we could end up with two people working independently on the same question.
To log on:
· Open ispartan
· Enter iminerva as user name
critters2 as password

When to check email

The Reference email account should be checked at least every two hours when the Reference Desk is open.


What to do with a new email: 2 options

Respond to it immediately, then delete the message.

Or, if you but have started composing an answer but couldn't finish, move it to the “In Progress” folder. If you're at the end of a shift or too busy to begin working on an email, leave it in the Inbox.

The assumption will be that those in the inbox or the in progress folder have not been answered. You should check both! Answer as soon as you can.

If it will take more than 24 hours to answer, email the patron that you are working on his/her question. If you think subject expertise is needed, reply to the patron and let them know who will be answering, and copy to the appropriate librarian. Make sure the librarian in question isn't ill or on vacation by checking the Ref. calendar.

When you sent an answer to the patron, delete the email from the In Progress folder.

Please don’t leave messages in the “In Box” if you have started working on it! Either answer a new email and delete it, or move the email to “In Progress” once you have started answering it.
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On Answering Email Reference Questions

I just finished a question in the iMinerva reference email and want everyone to tale note of the new labels in the sidebar. I have created on that says "Answered by Michael" so everyone would that I am working on a particular question. I recommend that we each create a label for ourselves when we take a question. There is also a label for completed question to "move" the email to when you are finished and have sent a reply.

Michael

We discovered that there can only be one iminerva at a time. I logged in as iminerva at the lower desk and the chat program was confused about which computer should have the chat, sending it back and forth. So one must log on as oneself and let Irma stand alone. Thought I'd pass this on in case anyone else was wondering. -- Jenny R.