Dummy Library Cards in Policy Pages

Submitted by Julie on 13 September 2010 - 10:18am
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What is a dummy library card number?

This is a library card barcode number or student id number that is available in the policy pages for chatting librarians to use with the customers/students from those institutions. These card numbers are not shared with customers - they are ONLY for use by the chatting librarian when they are helping a customer from that institution.

Why should my institution list a dummy card number?

These card numbers allow access into the customer's databases so the librarian can help the customer further without having to refer the customer back to their local library.

Giving the chatting librarian access into your databases allows them to help your customers or students with their questions by helping them navigate through the databases (when they've logged in with their own information on their side) that the chatting librarian may not have had access to.

Including a library card # in your policy pages also allows the chatting librarian to navigate your account/renewal process more easily as they'll be able to log in as a fake customer and guide the customer they're chatting with more successfully.

What about our licensing agreements?

If customers can use your databases while they are in your physical building, they should be able to be helped by a librarian one-on-one when they are using AskUsNow!. The same goes for your databases when  you are helping a customer from another institution- they are your customer at that moment, they should have access to their library's stuff and you library's stuff.

You have the control and can negotiate better agreements for this new world of customer service.

Note: If you have the same databases as an organization listed in the "Libraries providing a Dummy Library Card on their Policy Page" - you can probably include one as well.

Libraries providing a Dummy Library Card on their Policy Page

  1. Allegany College of MD
  2. Allegany County 
  3. Anne Arundel County PL
  4. Baltimore City Community College
  5. Baltimore County PL
  6. Calvert County PL
  7. Carroll Community College
  8. Carroll County PL
  9. Charles County PL
  10. Community College of Baltimore County
  11. Enoch Pratt, SLRC
  12. Frederick County
  13. Harford Community College
  14. Howard County Library
  15. Prince George's County Memorial Library
  16. St. Mary's County

Libraries not providing a Dummy Library Card on their Policy Page

  1. Allegany County
  2. Anne Arundel Community College
  3. Caroline County PL
  4. Cecil County PL
  5. Harford County PL
  6. Loyola Blakefield
  7. Montgomery College
  8. Montgomery County
  9. Prince George's Community College
  10. Salisbury University
  11. Stevenson University
  12. UMES
  13. UMCP
  14. Washington County
  15. Wicomico
  16. Worcester

AskUsNow! Goal

To have all partner libraries list a dummy library card on their policy page before September 2011.