Below are some common questions about using the TDL Helpdesk. Want to submit a request? Go to the Helpdesk Form.
How do I contact the TDL Helpdesk?
Contact the TDL Helpdesk by emailing support@tdl.org or using this request form.
Who may request TDL Helpdesk support?
Anyone in need of assistance with TDL services may request support. Membership in the Texas Digital Library is not required to submit a ticket, only interaction with a TDL-hosted service.
TDL Helpdesk support is not available to institutions that are self-hosting Vireo under its open source license. Questions from open source users of Vireo should direct their questions to the Vireo Users Group email list.
When is the TDL Helpdesk available?
The Helpdesk is available Monday through Friday during business hours, except on the following holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, Emancipation Day (Juneteenth), and Independence Day. Additionally, the TDL support team is unavailable during the Winter Break that falls between the fall and spring semesters. View more detail on the TDL Holiday schedule page.
Requests submitted outside of normal business hours will be handled as expeditiously as possible, taking into account the urgency of the request and the order in which it was received.
What services are supported by the TDL Helpdesk?
- DSpace Repositories
- Vireo ETD Management System
- Electronic Journals (Open Journal Systems)
- Digital Preservation with DuraCloud
- Texas Data Repository
- DPLA Metadata Aggregation
What are the levels of support? What can I expect?
In order to handle requests effectively, the Texas Digital Library assigns each help request to one of three levels, or tiers, of support, based on the complexity of the issue and the time and expertise required to resolve it.
- Tier 1 Support: Requests which can be resolved quickly, within one or two days. Tier 1 issues are minor support issues such as trouble with login credentials or misunderstandings about how a service works.
- Tier 2 Support: Requests which require minor programming or system-level intervention to be resolved. Customization requests (e.g. changing the Item View page in DSpace) and new journal deployments fall within this category. Time varies on these requests, with urgent matters that prevent access to a system taking first priority. Non-urgent issues may take up to 2 weeks to resolve, depending on workload.
- Tier 3 Support: Requests that raise issues requiring significant software development work or complex systems interventions by the TDL technical team. Requests that are escalated to Tier 3 Support will result in communication regarding the status of the request and an estimated timeline for addressing the issue.
Are there other means of TDL support besides the Helpdesk?
Yes! TDL facilitates Users Groups for each of its services, which provides a forum for mutual support and information exchange. Each Users Group meets regularly and has an email list where members can ask questions of the community.
The TDL Wiki also contains documentation and other resources related to TDL services.
Additionally, for users of the Texas Data Repository, you may contact your TDR institutional liaison for additional support.