30 Nov
Xtranormal has to be getting a ton of registration and usage after some of the incredible videos people have made using their platform. A favorite that sticks out is EVO vs iPhone 4 (contains curses) which has 10.5 million views on YouTube. Simply put, it’s an incredibly easy way to make videos, instructional or otherwise.
Here’s one from UMKC Libraries promoting their Text a Librarian service.
16 Nov
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:
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?
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?
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.
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.
A mobile device that is enabled to send and receive text messages.
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.
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.
Info2go text a librarian is private and secure:
27 Oct
The library page for UMKC’s Libraries does a great job of explaining everything their students need to know about how, what and when you can text their service. Well done!
They also have a great presence on an impressive number of social networks (links below go to their respective pages):
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flickr
YouTube
Taken from their page…
| GOT QUESTIONS |
 |
Text A Librarian – Send questions through text messages!
|
Who can use this service?
How do I text the library a question?
What kinds of questions should I ask through text?
What kind of response will I get?
Text a Librarian is private and secure
Need a more detailed answer?
|
 |
6 Oct
The New York Public Library has had a lot of success with their text messaging reference service, implemented to augment their long standing ASK NYPL services.
They also tweet select questions and answers they find interesting and were inspiration for adding “Post to Facebook and Twitter” features in Mosio’s Text a Librarian system, explained here.
Details from their website below. They also promoted it in their email newsletter and got a blog write up on the Resource Center Blog (News from Lincoln Center Institute’s RC).
Have a question? Text us!
We now offer free text message reference services (standard message rates apply).
Text us at 66746 and start your question with AskNYPL.
Example: AskNYPL What are the library hours on Saturdays?
We will respond as soon as possible.
5 Oct
Darien Public Library (in Darien, CT) went live with their Text a Librarian service on September 15, 2010. Here’s the link to their page promoting the service with more info and their youtube video below.
How to Text the Darien Public Library Video:
To begin, simply text the keyword “AskDL” to 66746. A standard reply, asking the user to save the number as “AskDL,” will follow, creating quick and reliable access for text messaging with Darien Library. (Standard text rates apply.)
On average, Americans text message almost twice as much as they talk on mobile phones, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Survey, making it a preferred means of communication while on-the-go. Recognizing the increased use of text messaging by Library users of all ages, we feel that it is important to offer a way to communicate with us via text messaging. This new service provides ease of use for our librarians and maintains the privacy of our members’ information.
For those who are unable to ask a librarian in person or online, or simply prefer texting over talking, the Text a Librarian service provides a convenient option for getting information on their mobile phone from our helpful librarians.
With Text a Librarian, you will be able to ask questions by sending text messages with a mobile phone and librarians will answer on a web-based interface, keeping a “live archive” of all the questions and answers. The service does not display phone numbers and generates an anonymous ID for each patron in order to reference conversation history.
Text a Librarian was developed by Mosio, an award-winning mobile technology company that enables companies and institutions to harness the power of mobile communications.
“Mobility is a way of life for most students and increasingly for society in general, making the way in which we stay connected a central issue for many libraries,” said Noel Chandler, Mosio CEO. “Text a Librarian makes it possible for students and patrons to tap into the wealth of knowledge of local librarians from their mobile phones, while keeping patron information private and secure.”
1 Oct
Ouachita Parish Public Library (headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana) has been a long time Text a Librarian user/customer and they now even have an iPhone/iPad App!
Here’s the link to their Text a Librarian instructions page or you can keep reading below.
Welcome to Text A Librarian. Please read all of the instructions below. If you have any other questions call 327-1490 ex.3008.
How do I start if I don’t have a question?
How do you ask a question?
You can:
Format to use when asking a question:
Additional Tips:
22 Sep
It’s great to see some creative ways to utilize and promote Text a Librarian and Agnes Scott College’s McCain Library did so with their Golden Ticket Contest. Good stuff!
Details from the contest are pasted below with a link to their original blog post. They also promote the service on their site using a Ask Us Now! dog logo/icon in the upper right side of their contact page. Great call to action with “Save Time” as well. You find find them on Facebook here.
From their page…
September 22, 2010 at 11:36 am (Uncategorized)
Hidden inside a book in the McCain Library is a Golden Ticket. Be the first to find the Golden Ticket and you will win your choice of one of the following fabulous prize packages:
The book containing the golden ticket is located between two of the ten books listed in the display case by the elevator on the 1st floor of the McCain Library. Each day two books will be eliminated from this list. Visit the display case to find out what books have been eliminated.
Between noon and 1pm each day text McCain to 66746 for a clue about the author. If you have never texted the library before, register your phone by texting the word McCain to 66746. This will make sure all messages sent by you to 66746 are routed to us. We won’t see who you are and no one will send you messages unless you text us first.
Don’t want to text? You can also use the Ask-A-Librarian chat box on the library home page to ask for a clue. No clues will be sent to messages received before noon and after 1pm.
After 5pm each day a clue about the book will be posted to the McCain Library Facebook page. To find the McCain Library Facebook Page look for the Facebook link at the bottom of the library homepage.
Students, staff, faculty, Alumnae, and even library student workers are eligible. The only members of the ASC community who are not eligible to win are full-time members of the library staff. This contest is not open to the general public.
The contest will begin the morning of Wednesday, Sept 22 and run until Tuesday, Sept 28th. There will be only one winner so the contest ends when the Golden Ticket is found.
SMS Text Message Reference in Libraries 
