Tips for Providing Reference in iVocalize

Changing Your Settings

Note: You should need to make these changes only once. The changes you make should stick even after you exit the program, turn off your computer, etc.

Adding Time Stamps to Every Chat Component:

Either pull down the "file" menu and click on "timestamp chat entries" or simultaneously press ALT + SHIFT + I.

Inserting URLs into Text Chat of Every Webpage Visited:

Either pull down the "file" menu and click on "show URLs in text chat" or simultaneously press ALT + SHIFT + U.

Enhancing the Accessibility of the Software:

Highlight new text messages:
Either pull down the "help" menu, click on the "accessibility" option, then click on "highlight new text messages" or simultaneously press ALT + SHIFT + 5.

Append text icons to user names:
Either pull down the "help" menu, click on the "accessibility" option, then click on "append text icons to user names" or simultaneously press ALT + SHIFT + 4.

Speak Using Voice over IP (VoIP)

Press and hold the Control key on your keyboard.

To lock the talk key, either pull down the file menu options and click on the "lock talk key" option, or simultaneously press the "ALT" and "L" keys, or just click on the microphone icon in the lower left corner, which acts as a toggle switch. Locking the talk key frees up your hands, but no one else can speak until you unlock the key.

Synchronized Browsing

Either pull down the "moderator" menu and click on "synchronized browsing" or press the F3 key.

Note: the phrase "synchronized browsing" will appear in the lower right area of the screen.

Note: you may want to routinely turn on synchronized browsing when you begin your "desk" shift.

Note: it always is possible to have another browser window open outside the iVocalize reference room, so that you can browse individually.

Text Chatting in an iVocalize Room

The text chat input box is located in the left center area of the screen. You can send your text chat to everyone in the room, or to a specific individual. Use the drop-down menu immediately above the text chat input box to do that.

Transmitted text chat messages appear in the box in the upper left corner of the screen. The most recent message is at the bottom of the box.

Scripts

Copy and paste scripts from www.infoeyes.org

Protecting Patron Confidentiality

The InfoEyes iVocalize room for enhanced online reference will be only a two-seat room, so that only the reference librarian (also known as the moderator) and the patron can fit into the room.

If another patron attempts to use enhanced online reference while a patron is in the room, the second patron will be redirected to a webpage of options (e.g., wait for a few minutes, then try again; use the basic chat interface; or email us your question).

iVocalize functions work like toggle switches

To undo a function, simply click the menu function again, or reuse the same keystroke you used to enable it. For example, to stop synchronized browsing when it is enabled, simply click "synchronize browsing" in the Moderator menu, or press F3.

What iVocalize will not do:

• Show you web pages your patron has surfed to
• Syncronized scrolling

Adjusting iVocalize Audio Controls to Better Hear Patrons Entering Chat Room:

Instructions:

• Step 1: In an iVocalize room, click on the file menu (upper left part of screen)
  • Click on "play sound effects"
    • Choose "always"

• Step 2: Click on the file menu again
  • Click on "launch windows sound scheme editor"
    • Click on the "Volume" tab
      • Adjust your volume as needed.

• Step 3: Click on the file menu again
  • Click on "launch windows sound scheme editor"
    • Click on the "Sounds" tab
      • In "program events" box under "iVocalize Internet Conference 3" click on "person enters chat room"
      • Under "sounds:" click on small drop down arrow to show a list of possible sounds

Click on a sound. Click the larger arrow to the right of the drop down arrow. This will play the sound for you. Experiment. Finally, click the sound you like best and click the "OK" button.

By following these steps you can choose different sounds for different things. Experiment. To test that you've done this correctly, leave the iVocalize room and then re-enter the room. When you enter, the sound you chose should play.

Experiment with iVocalize in the OPAL lobby:

If you ever need to experiment in an iVocalize room, maybe you're wondering how something works, you can go to www.opal-online.org and click on the lobby. We don't schedule events in that iVocalize room, so you're not likely to be interrupting anything. If you use the name librarian you'll be a moderator, so you'll have the same perspective you'd have in the InfoEyes reference room. If you use any other name you won't be a moderator, so you'll have the InfoEyes patron's perspective. The way you know you're a moderator is that your name will be in bold, plus, you'll have access to the moderator menu at the top of the screen.