Manchester Business Answers 24/7

Abstract

The Manchester Business School (MBS) library service of the John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester has a wide variety of customers, some of whom are not in a position to visit the library buildings frequently. Manchester Business Answers 24/7 is an online enquiry-type service to help them get the most out of a large range of e-resources and, crucially, the expert specialist knowledge of library staff. It is based around a searchable database of frequently asked questions and answers. For any online service, technology is important: we have adopted the ‘Business FAQ’ system from the University of Pennsylvania library. We focus on a service perspective, as our experience is that two general service issues are more important than technology. The first is service definition: how users will understand what the new service can do for them. The second is the service monitoring and improvement process: this is essential for deciding how to develop the service based on how it has actually been used rather than on the assumptions of service providers.