Welcome to the Eastern Washington Virtual Reference Cooperative

Ask Us 24/7 connects you with a real person who can help you answer questions and locate information online–24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ready to start?

  • enter the requested information in the form to the right
  • if you don't want to provide an email address, check the box for "anonymous session" at the bottom of the form; NOTE: a valid email address enables us to send you a complete transcript, including all chat and links to web sites visited during your session
  • click once on the button labeled "Connect"

Software Requirements

  • If you are using Internet Explorer, Netscape (versions 4.79 to 7.1), or Firefox, and have "session cookies" enabled in your browser (unless you turned them off, they will be), the librarian should be able to take you to various Web sites to show you the answers. We will be able to "chat" with you in real time and send you pages via your browser during the session
  • Mozilla browsers and WebTV are not supported
  • If you use a Macintosh, we will be able to send you pages, but you will not be able to take us to other websites during the session
  • If you use Windows XP and have Service Pack 2 installed, you must configure it to work with our software in order to chat with the librarian. Please check the instructions at http://www.247ref.org/instructions/servicepack2guide.html

Firewalls:

  • If you have a software firewall enabled, such as Norton Internet Security, you may not be able to see chat from the librarian after you connect. If you experience such a problem, please exit the service and, if you wish to reconnect, either disable the firewall before you return or check the instructions at http://www.247ref.org/instructions/firewall.html. Remember to re-enable the firewall after the session is over.
  • If you do not wish to disable your firewall, you may be unable to see the librarian's chat and vice versa. Therefore, please be thorough when asking your question and include an email address. Within ten minutes of the end of your session, you will receive an email with an answer or with a request for more information.

While You're Connected:

  • please don't use the "forward" or "refresh/reload" buttons on your browser or you'll be disconnected; instead, please use the forward, back, and refresh buttons within the software's shared webpage
  • don't create bookmarks, open a second browser window, or try to print; at the end of your session you'll receive a list of live links
  • please do be patient: we'll work quickly, but answers aren't immediate. You're working with a real librarian, not a computer.

Who can use this service?

Ask Us 24/7 is provided primarily to customers of the Mid-Columbia Library System, students, faculty and staff at Spokane Falls Community College and Spokane Community College, residents of Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Whitman Counties, and the City of Pullman.

When is this available?

Ask Us 24/7 is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except for Christmas Eve.

What kinds of questions can be answered online?

"Factual" questions that can be answered with dictionaries, encyclopedias, or reliable Web sites are best suited to this new service. If the Virtual Librarians cannot answer your questions quickly using online sources, they may refer you to your local library's telephone, e-mail or in-library reference services. Most questions can be answered in 10–15 minutes, but some may require more time. We can also provide you with basic information about your local library. Librarians are not authorized to provide medical or legal advice.

Who answers the questions?

Librarians and staff from each of the project libraries staff the Virtual Reference Desk. Virtual Reference Librarians are specially trained to help you find reliable Web sites and other sources. When librarians from a local library are not available, librarians from 24/7 Reference, an online library reference service, provide assistance.

What about privacy?

We can send you a transcript of your session if you provide an email address. We don't collect or use your address for any other purpose. In any case, you are not required to provide one. Further information regarding privacy and the Ask Us 24/7 reference service can be found in the Privacy FAQ at http://www.247ref.org/portal/247priv.htm

Ask Us 24/7 Reference Partners:

Additional information about the libraries participating in the Ask Us 24/7 can be found on each library's web site: