By Lookout Staff
September 3, 2009 -- Libraries are depositories of texts, so its only fitting the Santa Monica Public Library has begun responding to text messages.
Have a question for a librarian? Now you can just text it to 309.222.7740, and a librarian will respond within minutes.
Named Text 4 Answers, the groundbreaking service -- which is staffed by librarians from across the country -- is free, although standard text messaging rates apply. Santa Monica customers should include the code SMP in their text messages.
The service is the first collaborative text messaging reference service operated by libraries and is led by the Alliance Library System of Illinois.
California partners include Santa Monica Public Library, Buena Park Library District, Contra Costa County Public Library, Sacramento Public Library and San Jose State University’s Graduate School of Library.
With people now generating more text messages than cell phone calls, the service is being touted as "the next big thing to hit libraries.”
“It is important because it augments traditional core reference services and meets library customers where they live,” said Kitty Pope, executive director of the Alliance Library System.
The hours of service for the pilot project are Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more about the collaborative project, visit http://www.myinfoquest.info
