Policy Page

 

The location and how to create and update your Policy Page has just changed with the system change to Flash Chat QuestionPoint in March 2006. The instructions below are all brand new. In general the process is just a touch easier now. To start you should log in and edit your policy page using your 9 digit Admin autho. Later on you can enable other authos to edit your policy page.

 

Yup, you need a policy page. For the Public Library systems you could create one for either the system as a whole or for your resource library and use it for all your libraries as a good beginning. Which one you use is based on which Institution ID you used on the web link.

 

For examples of how other Ask?Away libraries have chosen to configure their policy pages see the Examples section below.

 

How to...

To set up a policy page log on to http://questionpoint.org and go to the librarian log on. Use your admin authorization.

 

From the home use the "Select Service" drop down menu and choose "Profile.

 

 

Click on the "Institution Services" tab.

 

 

Then click the "Policies" tab.

 

 

 

 

From the Policies page you can:

View your Policy page and see your progress

Make sure your page is active and "Viewable"

Edit any of the specific individual Policies fields

 

 

 

At the edit box simply type, or better yet cut and paste all the info you want in that field. Note it's just simple HTML. Most of the information should be readily available on your current library web site, so open another browser window to cut and paste. To create web links use basic html coding.

For example:

<a href=http://www.library.wisc.edu/>UW Madison</a>

 

You can work through each of the fields in the order of your choosing.

Remember to click the Save button to save your edits.

 

 

 

Policy Page Email Contact

You should enter the email address of whoever should be notified at your library regarding changes to the library’s policy page.  It can be any email address (ie, it can be a listserv or generic departmental address). Just enter the email address in the field – no names, parenthesis, etc.

 

When a chatting librarian accesses your policy page and has trouble finding something on your page, then that chatting librarian can click on the link “Policy Page E-mail Contact”.  This will open up a form with a text box.  The chatting librarian can then use the text box to state the problem or suggestion for the policy page.  The form is then sent automatically to the email you have identified in the Policy Page E-mail Contact field.  When you get one of these emails, you will see the name of the librarian who submitted the suggestion.  This will allow librarians to quickly send suggestions while in session, and hopefully will provide lots of great feedback for everyone’s policy page.

 

 

Remember to click the "View Policy Page" button occassionally to review your work in another popped up window.

 

 

 

Finally double check that your Policy page status is "Viewable". If not click on the "Change" button.

 

 

 

Examples

Here are 3 examples of Policy pages by Ask?Away libraries. Each takes a slightly different approach to displaying information about their library. All work well and suit their specific needs. These examples are what a policy page looks like when displayed to a librarian helping one of your patrons. When creating your policy page don't hesitate to use the ideas of others, contact your fellow Ask?Away participants or contact Mark Beatty, mbeatty@wils.wisc.edu.

 

UW-Oshkosh

This is a good full complete policy page for a single institution. Note mostly full text but scattered links to addition resources.

 

 

 

 

 

Appleton Public Library

Appleton already had the vast majority of their policy information on their own web site. So their policy page is predominantly links to already existing information. This approach was quick and easy for them, plus it enables them to keep the information complete and up to date by editing only one resource.

 

 

 

Winnefox Library System

The Winnefox policy page is for all the libraries in their system. The policy page links to separate "outside of QuestPoint" individual policy pages for each of the libraries. Those individual policy pages are however formated exactly like the QuestionPoint policy pages. By being on the Winnefox web site they are able to update any or all from one system location quickly and easily.

 

 

 

In summary

It shouldn't be a really big deal. Most of the information you probably already have on a web site or document hand out somewhere. And of course you can go back and modify over and over again at your leisure.

 

 

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