Email inquiries and / or Chat follow-up questions are the responsibility of the Librarian assigned to a chat shift on Mondays through Thursdays until 4 p.m.
During evening shifts, the LCC queue of chat, as well as Email inquiries and / or Chat follow-up questions will be monitored by the Reference Librarian staffing the Research Help Desk.
LibStaffer is used to clock in and out of a librarian’s assigned chat shifts. Librarians’ assigned shifts should appear in 30 minute increments in LibStaffer. Access LibStaffer under the heading Status Messages and Alerts each time you log into LibAnswers when staffing chat.
If chat shifts have been traded, the assigned shift must be traded in LibStaffer. Follow the instructions below.
The Library provides virtual reference service by participating in the Michigan Virtual Reference Collaborative Research Help Now (RHN) service. RHN LibAnswer reference service software from SpringShare. The software allows librarians and students to type messages and share webpages in real time, as well as providing the option of email services.
Virtual Reference Librarians have access to information about participating libraries in order to inform students about the resources, including research databases at their institutions. LCC students who use this service may be helped by a librarian from another Michigan academic institution or from another librarian hired by the chat software service.
Virtual Reference Librarians instruct students rather than provide them answers. When deemed appropriate, Virtual Reference Librarians will first take students to the databases at their own institution.
Students can access the library's Ask a Librarian chat service or RHN by following these steps: