The KRS chat service allows you to access library staff expertise to quickly find answers to your questions.
What can I expect from the KRS chat service?
- Staff are available to answer your chat questions Monday-Friday, 8-4 pm
- Your chat request will be picked up by a staff member within 1 minute
- If your chat is missed or disconnected, we will follow up via email
- If your request is more involved (more than 5 mins of assistance) or requires additional consultation we will ask to follow up with you by email
- We’ll do our best to connect you with the resources that you need and we will offer to submit any follow-up service requests on your behalf (e.g. in-depth literature search or obtaining full text)
How soon can I expect to receive a response?
KRS staff strive to respond to the initial chat within 1 minute. If this is not possible because we are chatting with another person, you will receive a message letting you know that we are busy and we will follow up by email.
What if my chat question is more involved?
While a staff member is looking for information on your behalf, they will do their best to communicate what they are doing and relay progress updates. If you’re pressed for time, you’re welcome to let our staff know they can email you with the information. If the information will take longer than 5 minutes to obtain, the staff member will suggest that they follow up by email.
Can a KRS staff member complete a literature search for me while on chat?
We will do our best to connect you with a few relevant articles during our chat conversation, but we are unable to complete a comprehensive search for you while on chat. Please see our timelines for completing a literature search. The KRS staff member will complete a literature search request form on your behalf.
What happens if the chat is disconnected before the conversation is finished?
A KRS staff member will follow up by email if you are disconnected. You are welcome to chat again at any time!
