Chatstaff's team of experienced reference librarians is eager to help you cover your chat reference service whenever you want.
Want different schedules for different days/weeks? We can do that, too.
Want to add a single 24-hour coverage day on an emergency basis, because of inclement weather? No problem whatsoever!
Some common schedules ideas are below, but in the end the exact schedule is 100% up to you.
After-hours
It may not be cost-effective to keep the physical library open all night, but that doesn't mean patrons won't need help during those hours.
By adding after-hours coverage you can ensure that someone is always on hand to help your patrons with your online resources, without all the costs associated with keeping the building open. One of the reasons this is a popular option is that the overnight hours are the cheapest ones.
Open hours
Providing easy access to resources is one of the goals of librarianship, but these days many people use texting or online chatting constantly, and never use their phones to actually place a phone call.
Chat reference is an ideal way to facilitate access to the library for these people, but figuring out in-house staffing for it on top of all the existing duties and commmitments can be frustrating at best. Having "open hours" coverage from Chatstaff avoids that hassle, and also means that patrons can get support even if the library is closed due to inclement weather.
24/7/365
Simple and straightforward - we will be online to help your patrons all, day, every day, no matter what.
This option is popular with both libraries concerned about accreditation, and also with small libraries whose low traffic levels mean they can afford complete coverage for a very reasonable price.