User Types

There are three types of users in RefTracker:

• Full Users: can use all Q&A functions
  • Exercises the full range of Q & A functions
  • Can do the final steps of sending an Answer to a requester and the Q & A pair to the KB (Knowledgebase)
  • May be required to have their response reviewed (probation level user)
  • Can be designated as a supervisor or systems administrator
• ServicePoint Users: i.e. users that do not provide responses
  • Can use DeskStats for recording statistics. 
  • Can use the New function to record the details of requests that need to be responded to by reference staff. Some New forms may also allow these users to close the request where this has been specifically allowed for use by ServicePoint users e.g. surveys.
  • DeskStats users are a special level of ServicePoint user that are limited to only viewing the KB, using DeskStats, referring requests to others using New, and recording detailed statistics using forms that close immediately
  • General users are a special level of ServicePoint user that can exercise most of the Q & A functions that do not involve communicating with the requester or third parties
  • General users may not send the Answer to the client or the Q & A pair to the KB. Any Answer they create must be reviewed by a Full user (their Work reviewer) before it is sent to a requester
• Clients/Requesters: full Ask-a-librarian access including ability to submit new requests, manage their own existing requests, and search the KB

Full users: The primary staff users of RefTracker are called Full users. User signons identify these users so that requests can be allocated to them and the system can automatically email them when it requires them to do work. These users have access to all of the functions of RefTracker, and are generally those staff qualified to send answers to requesters and to add answers to the knowledge base. Although System administrators can give specific permissions to individual users, the main attributes of the different levels of reference user are: 

• Administrators: manages the parameters and other system settings and resolves system issues as well as having supervisor user capabilities
• Supervisors: checks the work of probationary and general level users, and can add users to their area and do statistics, as well as having all Regular user capabilities.
• Regular users: have access to all staff functions for entering and answering questions/requests/tasks with full ability to communicate with the requester. They can make decisions about putting requests into the knowledge database and have full access to searching both the knowledge and the work databases, as well as having all the ServicePoint user capabilities.
• Probationary users: can have work assigned to them and have access to most regular user functions, but they cannot close requests and must have their responses checked before they can be sent to a requester and the request closed. Basically they are reference users in training.

Your System Administrator can set up as many of each type of Full user as is required to effectively run your system, but your licence level determines how many Full users in total can be signed into the system at any point in time.

ServicePoint users: The library’s non-research staff (e.g. circulation staff) can participate in RefTracker using ServicePoint user signons. These staff users must also sign onto the system but do not have requests allocated to them directly and are not sent any emails by the system i.e. they are not given the responsibility for responding to any requests. They can search the KB, use DeskStats to enter statistics for completed requests, and enter new requests for requests that need to be referred to other staff. Where a Request form has been specifically allowed for use by ServicePoint users, they can also enter details of requests that are closed at the same time as they are entered.  This is generally allowed so they can record the details of requests that are answered on the spot and record more detailed statistics than DeskStats can record, such as details of training proved or survey responses).

There are several levels of ServicePoint user and each level has different permission levels: 

• General: can use all ServicePoint user functions, including DeskStats in a separate window.  They can even work on questions/requests/tasks, but they cannot close requests, and cannot do anything that involves communicating with requesters or third parties.
• DeskStats: DeskStats level users are presented with the DeskStats screen in their main RefTracker window so that DeskStats can be used with only one window open. They can also search the KB, refer requests to others using New, and record more detailed statistics and survey results using forms that close on the spot this has been specifically allowed by your system administrator. This level of user is designed for those who primarily just use DeskStats, for example those at service desks and mobile reference staff (sometimes called floor walkers or rovers), however, it can also be effectively used with DeskStats access denied and all stats entered using forms in the Quick function.  RefTracker can be used on a tablet, but don’t forget to allow popups!

Your System Administrator can set up as many of each type of ServicePoint user as is required to effectively run your system, but your licence level determines how many ServicePoint users in total can be signed into the system at any point in time.

Clients/Requesters: The web based Ask-a-Librarian interface allows requesters (also known as clients, patrons, members or customers) to submit questions via your web pages, to update and cancel those questions/requests, to view the status of their previously submitted requests, and obtain further information about answers that have been provided to them. All RefTracker systems allow unlimited access to the RefTracker requester interface by requesters. Requesters who want to use the system do not have to be individually set up (registered) in RefTracker – they provide contact information as they submit each request. 

This part of the manual covers the RefTracker functions that can be performed by Full users (of which Probation, General, and DeskStats users can perform a subset). The functions that can be performed by Clients, and by Supervisors and Administrators are covered by separate manuals.