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. Patrons of approximately 50 libraries from all over the US, including a number of libraries from the Peoria area are now 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. Alliance Library System (http://www.alliancelibrarysystem.com) in East Peoria, Illinois has partnered with participating libraries, Altarama (http://www.altarama.com) and Web Clarity Software Inc. (http://www.webclarity.info) developers of Peoplewhere (http://www.peoplewhere.com) to build this exciting new reference service.
Peoria area library partners include Alpha Park Public Library District, Bradley University, Illinois Central College, Peoria Public Library, and University of Illinois at Chicago Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria.
“Text reference service is the next big thing to hit libraries,” said Kitty Pope, Executive Director of the Alliance Library System. “It is important because it augments traditional core reference services and meets our customers where they are. I would like to thank all the libraries who are so eager to learn this new service and to our great Peoria area library partners; without your enthusiastic support and encouragement this project would have been impossible!”
The hours of service are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
For more information about My Info Quest and for a list of participating libraries, check out http://www.myinfoquest.info.