Onondaga County Public Library in Syracuse, New York has a great page explaining their Text a Librarian service, contents below.
They recently received wonderful local TV news coverage and do a great job of explaining how it works (click the image for the video):
From their page:
Text A Librarian – FAQs
FAQs
What kind of questions can I ask via texting?
What do I need to use the service?
Do I always need to include Info2go at the beginning of my questions?
What is Text a Librarian?
Text a Librarian lets you use the text messaging feature of your mobile device to get information from Onondaga County Public Library librarians.
To send us a question via text from any mobile device:
Text 66746
Start your first question with Info2go. A librarian will text you an answer.
Examples:
Info2go Which upstate city won the Golden Snowball award last year?
Info2go Does library have Andy Rooney’s new book in large print?
When can I use the service?
The text reference service is available
Monday – Thursday 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM
Friday – Saturday 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
We will respond as soon as possible. Questions sent outside of service hours are answered the next service day.
Please be aware that some text messages can be delayed or even fail due to problems with the connections between different telephone carriers.
What kind of questions can I ask via texting?
Questions about library hours, programs and collections, or simple, quick information questions that can be answered with brief responses. Replies may arrive as multiple text messages.
For questions about your fines or overdues or to update your account information, call your library.
For questions requiring immediate, lengthy or detailed responses, please use one of the other options listed on our Ask a Librarian page.
What do I need to use the service?
A mobile device that is enabled to send and receive text messages.
What does the service cost?
Info2go text a librarian reference service is free. However, standard message rates may apply.
The library does not take any responsibility for any charges your mobile provider may assess you for sending or receiving messages while using this service.
Do I always need to include Info2go at the beginning of my question?
No. You only need to include Info2go the first time you send us a question. For easy future access, add 66746 as Info2go to your contacts.
What about my privacy?
Info2go text a librarian is private and secure:
- Our service assigns a random User ID number to each patron.
- Neither your phone number or name is visible to us at any time.
- Your phone number is not accessible by us.
SMS Text Message Reference in Libraries 