What is Maryland AskUsNow!?
Maryland AskUsNow! is a 24/7 live online interactive service for the residents and students of the state of Maryland. Questions from outside of the state that are about Maryland are also accepted. It uses the expertise of trained librarians to provide answers to questions, research guidance, and help navigating the Internet. All you have to do is log in with your question and you'll be connected with a librarian who can help you. It's that easy!
What you can expect while using AskUsNow!
The librarian will be able to communicate with you using Internet chat and may take you to various websites. A normal session lasts between 5-20 minutes. It can take several minutes for the librarian to search and send you an answer. We thank you for your patience while the librarian searches for a resource that satisfies your request. The librarian may ask you questions to get a better understanding of what you need. He or she may offer to follow-up by e-mail if your question cannot be answered online in the standard timeframe. The librarian will then have the opportunity to refer to print and local resources, as well as subject specialists who may not be available during the live session. Follow-up replies by e-mail can be expected within 72 business hours.
By entering an e-mail address at login you will receive a complete transcript of your session with the librarian, including all chat and links to web sites visited. This also helps the librarian send a follow-up message to you if more information is found after your session has ended.
At the end of the session you will receive a list of live links that will allow you to go back and visit all of the pages you were shown. If you have provided an e-mail address, you will receive a full transcript by e-mail. Each page received can then be bookmarked or printed after the session. Please do not try to bookmark, favorite, or print anything during the session or you may experience a disconnect.
You may also choose to select the "anonymous" setting at the top of the login screen to have no identifying information about yourself submitted, but will not receive a transcript of the session by e-mail. You will, however, have another opportunity to get a transcript at the end of your session.
Please do not use the "back" and "forward" buttons on your browser. If you need to open a second browser for any reason while connected, please use the "start" menu or taskbar shortcut. Do not use [Ctrl + N] or [File > New] which may unintentionally disconnect you from the librarian.
Staff / Librarians
In most cases, you will be communicating with a librarian who does not work at your local library. They will not have access to your library card records. The librarian may be from any one of the Maryland partner libraries, or elsewhere in the national QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference cooperative. Select this link to view the list of Maryland AskUsNow! Participating Libraries.
Maryland AskUsNow! is provided by experienced reference staff from the partner libraries who are expert at Internet searching and have completed a formal 24/7 Reference software training.
Maryland librarians provide coverage during the hours of the day when our library buildings are open to the public. Maryland AskUsNow! is a partnering member of a nationwide consortium called QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference and during busy periods and at other times of the week the service is supported by librarians working in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the national cooperative. This national support allows us to have librarians available whenever you need information.
Maryland AskUsNow! is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, LSTA grant funds, through the Division of Library Development & Services, Maryland State Department of Education.
Since the launch of Maryland AskUsNow! on March 17, 2003 we have answered 198,432 questions by Internet chat and 31,738 questions by e-mail/follow-up (as of December 31, 2007).
Software Compatibility
- Browsers: Currently the software we use works best using an Internet Explorer browser version 6 or higher. Other browsers, including Netscape, Firefox, Opera and Safari should allow the librarian to chat with you and send web pages to your screen.
- Operating systems: The service works best on a Windows operating system. Please check these instructions if you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed to see how you can configure it to chat with the librarian. Some advanced features of the service may not be available when using a Mac.
- Firewalls: If you have a firewall enabled, such as Norton Internet Security, it may interfere with your ability to communicate with the librarian. Content and chat filtering can interfere in the same way. In these cases, you may not be able to receive messages from the librarian. If you experience this problem, please exit the service and check these firewall instructions to see how you may configure it to allow for successful communication. Setting the domains questionpoint.org, oclc.org and askusnow.info as "trusted" or "permitted" in your firewall settings may help.
- If all else fails: If you cannot reconfigure your computer's firewall, please be as thorough as possible when you type in your question, since the firewall may block messages after this starting point. Be sure to include your e-mail address so that we can send a reply to you. If technical problems keep you from using the live chat service, you may submit your question at our Contact us! page to receive an e-mail reply.
Copyright
Please note that during your session the librarian may send you web pages and electronic documents from a variety of sources. These may include sources found in proprietary databases. All current database licenses apply. Please notice that material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (1998). Further reproduction may not be authorized. Responsibility for any possible copyright infringement lies solely with the user.
Disclaimer
While every effort is made to provide accurate information, Maryland AskUsNow! and QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference do not control the content of resources used. The user agrees to hold the participating libraries harmless from any claims, losses, damages, obligations, or liabilities relating to the use of information obtained from these services.
The provision of any factual information or materials, and the identification of other resources that may be useful in obtaining additional information cannot be construed as legal or medical advice. The librarians may offer you sources to use and suggestions on where to search, but are prohibited by law from offering legal or medical advice or opinions. Only a professional practitioner can provide specific advice and direction in resolving legal and/or medical issues.
By using this service you agree not to send any question or content that is illegal, harassing, libelous, threatening, harmful, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. You agree not to send any question or content that otherwise violates any applicable local, state, national, or international law.
We treat our customers with respect and expect the same in return. If you use abusive language or deliberately waste librarian effort in a way that denies service to others, we will end the session.
- We protect the privacy of your question. However, people who make threats or use offensive language forfeit their privacy.
- Threats are taken seriously. If you tell us that you plan to do something illegal, you can expect there to be serious consequences.
- We contact schools and Internet providers to report violations.
E-mail Service
If you do not need an immediate response to your question and wish to wait for an answer by e-mail, you may choose to use your local library's e-mail reference service if available. One recommended service is Ask A Librarian, provided by the Enoch Pratt Free Library & State Library Resource Center in Baltimore City. Most responses to questions will be sent within 2 working days using Ask A Librarian.
Questions and comments regarding the Maryland AskUsNow! service may be sent using the Contact us! page or at webmaster@askusnow.info.
