Rochester Public Library (RPL) has joined AskMN, a cooperative online library service of Minnesota libraries providing 24/7 access to information and research help available to all Minnesota residents and students.
AskMN is a service that lets Minnesota residents and students get help from librarians online anytime. The service is staffed by trained librarians in Minnesota and by a cooperative of librarians around the country. There is no cost for customers to use AskMN.
RPL decided to join AskMN when a digital accessibility audit showed that their current chat client was not compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards, required by the ADA law change now coming next year.
“The new service expands access, reduces cost and increases accessibility,” says Stacey Hendren, Deputy Director of Public Services at RPL. “It supports Rochester and the MN library community.”
To use this service, customers simply visit the
library’s website and fill out the AskMN chatbox to get started. RPL staff are available to answer questions during open library hours, and other library staff across the state and globe will assist when the library is closed. Any questions that require RPL staff to answer will be submitted for follow-up.
AskMN is brought to you by Minitex, supported by funding from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
