Springshare to add QuestionPoint to LibAnswers
MIAMI (May 31, 2019) - OCLC and Springshare have signed an agreement to transfer the QuestionPoint 24/7 Reference Cooperative and all active QuestionPoint subscriptions to Springshare, a recognized leader in the development of reference software for libraries worldwide.
QuestionPoint is the global industry leader in providing cooperative virtual reference services, including 24/7 reference back-up coverage from its team of experienced reference librarians. Through this acquisition, Springshare will extend its highly regarded LibAnswers virtual reference software to include the comprehensive QuestionPoint library reference cooperative with 24/7 coverage. QuestionPoint’s team of reference librarians will become part of Springshare and will continue to work from their current locations around the world.
“This agreement brings together Springshare’s full-featured, state-of-the-art reference software and the unparalleled professional reference coverage from QuestionPoint’s 24/7 Reference Cooperative that libraries count on,” said Chip Nilges, OCLC Vice President, Business Development. “We’re confident that this move will result in the best possible virtual reference service for libraries.”
Slaven Zivkovic, Founder & CEO of Springshare, added: “We are thrilled to welcome all QuestionPoint libraries and the QuestionPoint librarian reference team to the Springshare community. We see great potential for the Cooperative to include tens of thousands of libraries worldwide - all sharing librarian resources to ensure their users can get help online whenever needed. Today’s library users have 24/7 access to many non-library services. Our goal with the Cooperative is to ensure these users also have access to high-quality assistance from professional librarians, anytime, anywhere.”
Springshare has committed to further invest in enhancing the Cooperative by hiring more co-op librarian staffers, providing additional training to the co-op librarians, and devising more effective workflows to share knowledge and information between co-op librarians and local admins. Mr. Zivkovic continued “In addition to our own ideas for taking the Cooperative to its new heights, we will seek feedback and suggestions from current QuestionPoint users. Springshare has built a tremendous reputation for listening and acting on customer feedback, and our approach here will be no different. We are very excited to start working on this project and we’re thankful to our partners at OCLC for entrusting Springshare to lead QuestionPoint’s next growth phase”.
Current QuestionPoint subscribers will maintain uninterrupted use of QuestionPoint while Springshare completes software upgrades to its LibAnswers platform to integrate the 24/7 library reference cooperative. Once the changes are completed, all current QuestionPoint subscribers will move to LibAnswers. At any point, QuestionPoint subscribers can attend free and unlimited training as well as request a LibAnswers Platform system install to learn and explore the system prior to service migration. Springshare will contact subscribers directly about timing and process for their transitions to LibAnswers. “OCLC and Springshare are working together to ensure uninterrupted support of libraries’ virtual reference service during the upcoming transition from QuestionPoint to LibAnswers,” said Nilges.
About Patron Point
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About OCLC
OCLC is a nonprofit global library cooperative providing shared technology services, original research and community programs so that libraries can better fuel learning, research and innovation. Through OCLC, member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the most comprehensive global network of data about library collections and services. Libraries gain efficiencies through OCLC’s WorldShare, a complete set of library management applications and services built on an open, cloud-based platform. It is through collaboration and sharing of the world’s collected knowledge that libraries can help people find answers they need to solve problems. Together as OCLC, member libraries, staff and partners make breakthroughs possible.
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