The Electronic Resources Troubleshooting Guide

Holly Talbott, Ashley Zmau

• Publisher: ALA Editions
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9780838947647
• eBook ISBN:
  9780838947937
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Library & Information Science
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

A library user can't access an article. Your log in credentials won't work. In the realm of electronic resources everything runs smoothly—until suddenly, without warning, it doesn't. Invariably, systems will break down, but a trial and error approach to finding out what's wrong is highly inefficient. This hands-on guide from two expert ERM librarians walks you through the essentials of troubleshooting. It outlines a methodical process that will help you identify the source of a problem even when it's not obvious and take steps to reach a resolution. With the goal of developing a library-wide workflow in mind, this guide will teach you how to

• familiarize yourself with the components of electronic resources, using flowchart diagrams of common access chains such as discovery services, knowledge bases, research guides, and library services platforms;
• navigate the complete triage and troubleshooting workflow, illustrated through 14 in-depth examples;
• recognize the symptoms of common access disruptions;
• conduct efficient troubleshooting interviews;
• manage help tickets and design problem reports that capture key information without overburdening the user;
• create publicly available help pages for problems originating with users' devices or computers;
• communicate with vendors and IT personnel for speedy resolutions, providing dozens of clear definitions of library and technology terms that will help you minimize confusion; and
• customize your own troubleshooting workflow chart for common use across departments and staff hierarchies.

1

Troubleshooting as Problem Solving

Before we dive into the practicalities of troubleshooting library access issues, we must first establish some underlying concepts of problem solving and decision making, upon which the following chapters will rely. Troubleshooting, at its heart, is just a specialized form of problem solving. Regardless of whether you are trying to fix a broken link, start a stalled car, or make cost-efficient travel arrangements, the process of tackling and resolving a problem is the same. Furthermore, studies have shown that those who educate themselves on the problem-solving process and are able to articulate its various stages and strategies are likely to become more efficient, effective, and creative problem solvers—and, by extension, troubleshooters—than are those who rely on industry-specific knowledge alone (Gugerty 2007). For this reason, we dedicate the first half of this chapter to defining what constitutes a problem and problem solving and to outlining the general stages that make up the problem-solving process. We then pivot to troubleshooting in particular, focusing on the specific knowledge sets, organizational infrastructure, and attitudinal competencies that will set up a troubleshooter for success.

Defining a Problem

What is a problem? While intuitively we all know when we are experiencing a problem, articulating what, exactly, constitutes a problem can be a bit of a challenge. Scholars from across a broad spectrum of disciplines have worked to define problems and problem solving over the past several decades, with varying results. In his monograph on managerial decision making, George Huber (1980) defines a problem as the perceived contrast between a person’s currently experienced situation and that person’s desired situation—that is, “a difference between what we have and what we want” (12). Problem solving, then, is about reducing this difference, irrespective of the ease or difficulty in doing so. Michael Stevens, in contrast, considers a problem to be more than just goal attainment. In Practical Problem Solving for Managers, he defines a problem as a situation “in which we experience uncertainty or difficulty in achieving what we want to achieve” (Stevens and British Institute of Management 1988, 14). For him, a problem results from encountering an obstacle while in pursuit of an objective, not just by having an objective alone.

Stevens’s view is much more in keeping with popular definitions of a problem in the disciplines of teaching and psychology. According to certain teaching theories, true problems, particularly in relation to mathematical tasks, must be nonroutine or novel to the solver and require the use of higher cognitive reasoning and thinking skills (Schoenfeld 1985; Lester and Kehle 2003; Francisco and Maher 2005). Situations that the solver has encountered before or whose solutions are readily obvious do not require the process of problem solving, merely the application of previously attained knowledge. Similarly, in cognitive psychology, a problem is said to exist when someone has a goal but does not know how to achieve it (Duncker 1945). Problem solving, then, is an exercise in knowledge attainment and decision making. If a situation’s resolution is already known and just awaiting execution, a problem does not necessarily exist.

So where does that leave us? For the purposes of this book, we will be using Stevens’s definition of a problem, which can be boiled down to this simple equation:

OBJECTIVE + OBSTACLE = PROBLEM

However, we have one modification. If we look closely at Stevens’s full definition of a problem—“a situation in which we experience uncertainty or difficulty in achieving what we want to achieve” (Stevens and British Institute of Management 1988, 14)—we see that a problem is actually composed of three distinct elements: an objective, an obstacle, and a desire to overcome the obstacle to achieve the objective. This third, emotion-driven element is also present in the definitions of George Huber (1980) and Richard E. Mayer (2013), expressed implicitly through phrases like has a goal, want to achieve, and desired situation. Because each of these definitions starts from the premise that the objective is generated from within the problem solver—the manifestation of that person’s own desires and aspirations—the motivation to overcome obstacles and achieve the objective is inherent to the situation. This is not necessarily true when it comes to troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting, especially within the context of a library work environment, is typically initiated by an outside source, such as a patron, coworker, or supervisor. It is the patron who has the goal and who has encountered the obstacle in pursuit of the goal. It is also the patron who harbors the desire to overcome the obstacle in order to achieve the objective. For example, a student may have the goal of obtaining a particular journal article that is critical to a research paper. However, the student encounters an obstacle when the necessary link within the library search interface leads to an error message. Becuase the student has a desire to overcome the obstacle and achieve the goal of obtaining the article, the student would begin the process of problem solving, which may include reaching out to the library staff, who, in turn, would attempt to resolve the problem for the student.

In such instances, library staff are taking on the objectives and desires of another individual, and thus making the individual’s problem their own. (Or, if we want to be overly precise, we could say the library staff have the objective/desire to fulfill the individual’s objective/desire—either because they wish to do their job well or they empathize with the individual or both—but this largely amounts to the same thing: taking on another person’s problem as their own.) How fully library staff embrace the individual’s objective will naturally affect how much energy they are willing to expend overcoming any obstacles that are encountered. More invested staff members will likely be more inclined to learn and engage in extensive problem-solving behaviors, while less invested staff members may expend minimal effort, give up if the answer is not readily obvious, or not even think a problem exists at all. In other words, it is this third, emotion-driven motivational element that determines whether and to what degree a troubleshooter will acknowledge a problem exists and engage in the problem-solving process.

Thus, taking these three elements into consideration, we can define a problem as follows:

OBJECTIVE + OBSTACLE + MOTIVATION (to overcome obstacle) = PROBLEM

The Two Problems of Library Troubleshooting

Within the library, access issues are typically composed of two distinct problems. The first, which we alluded to earlier, is patron focused. In our example, the problem was that a student was unable to access the article needed for a research paper. Here, the objective of the troubleshooter is to provide the patron with access to the article, despite the obstacle of the interface link being broken. Once the article has come into the patron’s possession, the problem—at least from the patron’s perspective—ceases to exist. This, of course, opens the door to a lot of potential solutions, many of which have nothing to do with fixing the broken link. However, it is unlikely many troubleshooters would consider the access issue truly resolved while the link remains broken. This is because of the second problem, which is technology focused. The goal for the troubleshooter is to have a system that functions as it is intended, with a problem arising only when an obstacle—sometimes known, sometimes unknown—causes the system to behave incorrectly. Once the obstacle is identified and removed and the system returns to its properly functioning state, the problem is resolved.

In many cases, a troubleshooter will need to solve both the patron-focused problem and the technology-focused problem to successfully resolve an access issue. Such is the case for our previous example: the troubleshooter would need to both obtain access to the article for the patron and fix the broken link. However, problems can exist singly as well, with either the patron or the technology being the focal point. For example, in instances of user error, a patron may discover a citation within the discovery system but believe it should also link to the full text. The system is still functioning as it should; however, because the patron is not knowledgeable in using the system, the patron may report the full text as missing. In such cases, the access issue can be resolved by assisting the patron in retrieving the full text through another method, such as interlibrary loan. No adjustment to the system would be necessary. On the flip side, an access issue may present itself when library staff members are performing a routine check of their database A–Z list and uncover a broken link, which was otherwise not reported. The solution to this problem is purely technological. Once the librarian discovers and updates the broken URL within the database A–Z list, the problem is resolved.

The Stages of Problem Solving

Keeping in mind the definition of a problem and the two types of problems that troubleshooting needs to address, let’s turn our attention to the problem-solving process itself. Quickly defined, problem solving is the mental processes involved in overcoming an obstacle to achieve an objective. These mental processes are generally divided into four stages (Pólya 1945):

1. 1. Understanding the problem: During this stage, the problem solver endeavors to fully understand the problem, including its root cause.
2. 2. Evaluating options and planning the solution: During this stage, the problem solver explores the possible options for resolving the problem, including the resources (staff, time, effort) needed to implement them, and decides on a course of action.
3. 3. Implementing the solution: During this stage, the problem solver carries out the solution.
4. 4. Monitoring/reviewing results: During this stage, the problem solver determines whether the implemented solution fixed the problem; depending on the nature of the problem, continued monitoring may be required to ensure the problem is resolved; if the problem is not resolved, the problem solver may need to return to one or more of the previous stages.

While pursuing a solution, troubleshooters move through these four stages of problem solving whether they are aware of it or not; however, the path they follow is seldom as linear as the version just described. Instead, the process tends to be recursive, with troubleshooters revisiting previous stages to gather more information, brainstorm additional options, or try a new solution if their first proves to be ineffective. This type of looping behavior is both expected and, to a degree, desirable, particularly as the complexity of the problem and the system in which it resides increases; however, too much time spent revisiting previous stages is also inefficient. By bringing the problem-solving process into their conscious awareness, troubleshooters are able to fully think through each of the stages, which, in turn, reduces the amount of time spent backtracking due to faulty assumptions, errors, or poorly conceived diagnoses and resolution strategies. This is especially true for novice troubleshooters who are less familiar with the system and, therefore, more prone to these errors.

We wanted to expand upon this process and identify a methodology that takes into consideration the needs and best practices particular to troubleshooting access issues in a library environment—specifically, the needs around communication, assessment, and documentation. Several expanded troubleshooting methodologies already exist within the discipline of information technology, including the six-step methodology recommended by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, and the DECSAR method, which was first developed by Craig Ross in 2004 to assist in the education and training of novice troubleshooters. The DECSAR method in particular is notable for its depiction of the iterative nature of troubleshooting. This method identifies both the ideal linear path, which is often the sole focus of other troubleshooting methodologies, and the backtracking, or recursive thinking, that is necessary depending on the complexity of the issue and the skill of the troubleshooter. The DECSAR method is also highly generalizable—something Craig Ross and R. Robert Orr (2009) noted about the improved results of the office administration professionals who were trained in the method—and as a result has gained in popularity outside of information technology, including among librarians looking to augment their and their staffs’ troubleshooting skills.

For this book, we use a modified version of Ross’s DECSAR method that consists of these seven stages:

1. 1. Identify and define the problem.
2. 2. Examine the situation.
3. 3. Consider the possible causes.
4. 4. Consider the possible solutions.
5. 5. Implement the solution.
6. 6. Review the results.
7. 7. Communicate and document the resolution.

We have organized our instructional content acco...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• 1. Troubleshooting as Problem Solving
• 2. The Access Chain
• 3. Soliciting Problem Reports
• 4. Diagnosing Access Issues
• 5. Resolving Access Issues
• 6. Common Access Issues and Examples
• 7. Troubleshooting Workflows and Training
• 8. Proactive Troubleshooting
• Conclusion
• Index