LibAnswers Guide for Library Staff & Librarians: Using FAQs

The patron-facing, public side of the FAQ is found at this link (the Chat & FAQ link from the Library Website). 

Did you know? You don't have to link to just ONE single FAQ answer. Example links to content in the FAQ that you can use in answering questions : 

• Interlibrary loan search (maybe a patron didn't know about ILL and after you suggest it, you say "if you have questions, these FAQ could help")
• Limited by Topic in the dropdown to "Computers & Tech Help" (maybe someone just texted "I need tech help" without more context and you respond: "We can try to help with that! We have a lot of FAQ that might already address your issue at his link, but could you explain a little more?"
• FAQ Result for "Q. Do you have a fax machine?"
• FAQ Result for "Q. How do I add both a page number and a running head into the header of my Microsoft Word document?" 
• OER FAQ Other FAQ groups/Other College Departments (from the dropdown) (maybe an instructor wants to find an FAQ they've seen previously about OER. You could link to the whole group of FAQ). 

All library employees are in some way responsible for making sure our FAQ are current and have accurate information. Though only Full-timers and Librarians will have access to create and update FAQ, it is the responsibility of all staff to report inaccurate information or suggest new FAQ be made if there isn't one that covers an issue. You can reach out to any librarian or CTL to let them know. Or, anonymously suggest an FAQ be made or updated (link from the LibAnswers Dashboard) here. 

 It is recommended you bookmark the FAQ public-facing search page ("Chat & FAQ" link) at your station or at least the Library Website so that you can get to the "Chat & FAQ" link here: 

• Oftentimes, Googling your issue with the FAQ using the word "Springshare" will help you learn about settings in LibAnswers. Here's an example. (This is mostly relevant to Librarians and CTLs). 
• The LibAnswers admin can create new "Groups." Other departments at TCC (non-library) have their own groups of FAQ that they maintain. The "Ask Us - Library" group is the main group that is cleaned up every summer. Other library-related groups that are added to and maintained by specific persons are (as of 2023): 
  • Open Educational Resources (OER) - maintained by the OER team
  • Records Management - maintained by Andy Taylor
• FAQs: Create, edit, and publish an FAQ entry - Springshare 
• Chatbot relies on FAQ to answer questions
• PT staff rely on the FAQ to retrieve information for patrons 

• When making an FAQ, it is possible to reuse answers for similar questions if they have the exact same answer by choosing “Reuse Answers.” This means, when the original is updated, it will also update all the other instances of that answer in other FAQ where it's been "reused." But PLEASE be sure that the Question/Title fits the answer in the derivative FAQ you have created and consider how the linked answer might evolve in the future. Is the Question/Title general enough to fit as the answer may evolve? ​
• Feel free to Unlink reused answers if the answer no longer succeeds at answering/matching the question. I would rather have no linked questions than ones that make no sense (see image below, note the question/titles).  ​
• Link answers only if the Question/Title is a rephrasing of the same question with little room for nuance. Maybe make a note in the original (when you create the FAQ) if its answer is used elsewhere so that others who are editing the original know to keep language general (there is no messaging otherwise to alert you you're editing an answer linked elsewhere, there is only messaging on the FAQ that has reused). 
   

(Open image in new tab to expand, first answer gives info about Office 365, not Office 2010. Editors of right answer didn't realize the original was linked elsewhere. Also, answer on the left starts answer off with "Yes..." which is an odd way to answer the title/question)

For the Ask Us! library group:

• Create FAQ if there is not already an answer for a question. 

• Use a "set it and forget it" approach. Don't copy and paste from, for example, a TCC page or a LibGuide if there is potential for that page information to change, making the FAQ dated. Instead, link to/direct people to the page within the FAQ answer. 

• FAQ answer should have only one (1) Topic assigned to it.

• Keywords can be unlimited and duplicate content found in answer or title, though it's not mandatory that they do (can make widgets from keywords so reuse of a word might be necessary). Keywords can be misspellings, varied spellings, pluralizations. 

• Keep the audience in mind. The audience for FAQs is not just for students, but should keep students who might come across it in mind. If information is for a specific group (students, staff, faculty), edit the information to say so. Keep language general where possible (instead of saying “students should use the Discovery catalog to find this information,” say “users” instead, because faculty and staff can search our catalog too!).

• Add a note to the FAQ if it is important to your area of work so that there is context if someone else tries to edit it or delete in the future. They will be able to make a more educated decision based on that. 

• Unless there's a reason to not use the default font "style," use the default as well as the size default. (no weird fonts, please!).​

• Type in italics Publication titles (books, magazines, journals), use quotation marks for "article titles" or "sections of works" like chapters.  

• It's recommended to type in bold any website titles, areas, departments, and etc. that are part of a pathway. Such as "select Hotspot & Laptop Loan Program under the Services column of the website." This will make them stand out. 

• Hyperlink text, do not paste a url unless it is very short and relevant. See previous point for example of linked text. 

• Make use of numbered steps or bullet points where applicable. 

• Follow accessibility guidelines (get tips on the Best Practices LibGuide) and be aware of how people are using our services. Use language like "select" instead of "click on" because many people are on their phones or mobile devices without a mouse. 

For Ask Us! Library group: 

• If you see incorrect information, change it immediately if you can or tell someone who can
• Keep style guidelines in mind (other box) 
• Make sure FAQ answers are still correct 
• Check for dead links and to check that links go to the right place (click on everything from the public view because sometimes embeds are dead as well!)
• Check for clarity, grammar, typos, ADA compliance
• Verify phone numbers, extensions, room numbers, names, etc. are all still correct (call the numbers if unsure!)
• Publish “unpublished” or “unpublished drafts” in a Topic or delete them if no longer relevant
• Delete outdated FAQ 
• Match the language and style within the FAQ (if the answer uses the word e-books instead of ebooks, make sure it all matches)
• Update images/screenshots if an interface has been updated 
• Subtitles are recommended to clarify the original question/title.
• Don't change ownership unless the person is no longer at the college. Otherwise, the note it generates in the FAQ will show who changed the ownership (usually to themselves), but not note who first created it. Add a note about original creator if you can if you do change it.
  • The first time an FAQ is reassigned, it only notes who it was reassigned to, erasing the history of who first made it! It’s not a big deal, but it’s sometimes nice to refer back to the creator to understand why an FAQ was made. This is especially helpful if you think something should be deleted, but want to make sure from the person who made it in case it affects their guides, widget, classes, etc.​
  • Screenshots below have a test example of what not to do. Amanda used the IR "dummy" LibAnswers account to reassign an FAQ to Victoria's account, losing history of who made the FAQ (Amanda made the FAQ). You can add a new note as to who made the FAQ, however, if you forget this. For example: ​
     
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