The Ask-A-Librarian service promotes the online reference service available through Helmke Library. Each question that comes to the library electronically deserves a timely, consistent, high quality response. In addition, a count of interactions must be maintained and privacy maintained. This document describes the polices for assuring that electronic reference service meets the high standards of Helmke Library service.
Librarians at Helmke Library respond to questions submitted to Ask-A-Librarian. Usually a response will be sent to your e-mail within 24 hours, although response time depends on when a question is received. Reference librarians check the e-mail service several times during the library's work day. Helmke Library's days and hours of operation are posted on the library's Web site. Vulgar, offensive, or harassing e-mails will be deleted without a response.
As an academic library, our primary role is to promote information literacy by directing our clients to authoritative sources of information and teaching them how to use those sources.
Online reference service at Helmke Library are primarily provided for the IPFW community and will often refer users to electronic resources requiring IPFW authentication (user name and password). These electronic resources are also available from public computer stations in the library.
Reference sessions are kept confidential. In keeping with ALA's Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records (1986) and Policy Concerning Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information About Library Users (1991), Helmke Library staff will not respond to any informal request by a third party for personally identifiable information about any library user. Such information includes reference interviews and e-mail requests for information.
