TXT 4 Answers

BTW, TMB

TXT 4 Answers: My Info Quest Text Reference Service Launches

East Peoria—July 16, 2009

It’s official!  People are now sending more text messages than they are making cell phone calls.  Librarians are aware of the popularity of texting and are ready to take their professional services to cell phones. 

Starting July 16th, patrons of approximately 50 libraries from all over the US, including UNT Libraries are able to text a question to (309) 222-7740 and a real, live librarian will respond within minutes.  The service is free of charge, but standard text messaging rates do apply.  Staffed by librarians from around the country, answers are sent to cell phones by librarians in 320 characters or less, or the equivalent of two 160-character text messages.

It’s a different way of helping people get the answers they need, wherever they are at the time, with professional assistance.  The service, named My Info Quest is the first collaborative text messaging reference service of its kind.   Other partners include San Jose State University Graduate School of Library and Information Science,  Abilene Christian University, Adams State Universitym, Alliance Library System, Dakota State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Nebraska at Omaha and University of South Florida at Tampa.

The hours of service will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  For more information about My Info Quest and for a list of participating libraries, check out http://www.myinfoquest.info.