Texting-based Reference Service:
Best Practices Suggestions
Lili Luo
School of Library and Information Science
San Jose State University
The 4th International m-Libraries conference
Do you own a cell phone?
Do you text on a regular basis?
According to the Pew Internet & American
Life Project:
•In 2011, 83% of American adults own mobile
phones and 73% send and receive text
messages.
•Young adults are the most frequent texters –
mobile phone owners between the ages of 18
and 24 exchange a daily average of 109.5
messages
Text A Librarian – how text reference works
A study to examine the practice of text reference
(based on My Info Quest) -- Funded by IMLS
•A collaborative text
reference service
•Launched in July 2009
•Participated by over 20
libraries, including both
public and academic
libraries
Ready reference questions –
close to 70%
 A sample of questions.
 What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen european swallow?
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How do i get from the intersection austin st and pecan st to 1634
chestnut st in denton, TX?
wut does comme d'habitude mean in French
what is the weather forecast for portland, oregon?
What is the recipe for coca cola cake?
What is the reason for each country having its own currency?
What is a good book about 17th century warships?
Why are so manny players in the world
Top Ten Essential Text Reference Competencies
Ability to compose answers to patrons' questions concisely, quickly, and accurately
Ability to construct effective search strategies and skillfully search online information
sources
Ability to quickly evaluate information and determine the validity, credibility, and
authoritativeness of sources
Knowledge of information resources, especially online information resources
Ability to interpret patrons' information needs with limited context in text messages
Good communication skills, such as maintaining a friendly, respectful, helpful, and
pleasant tone.
Familiarity with the software/platform used to provide text reference service
Understanding of text reference service policies
Customer service skills
Ability to answer questions politely, intelligently, and professionally, even questions
that might be judged inappropriate due to language or content
Library User Perceptions I.
Key reasons for non-use:
Lack of awareness
Not texters
Information needs adequately met by receiving assistance from
librarians via other venues like telephone, email reference or
coming to the reference desk
Self-sufficient information seekers who are able to use library
resources and other information resources independently
Lack of the knowledge of how to appropriately use the service
Privacy concerns
Library User Perceptions II.
Users discover their library’s text reference service
mostly from :
the library Website
a library staff member.
Users like the following aspects of text reference
service:
It’s easy to use.
It’s convenient.
It’s fast to get an answer.
It’s a comfortable communication venue.
Implications for Best Practices
Marketing
User Satisfaction
Training
Questions/Comments?
Lili.luo@sjsu.edu
Image credits:
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http://tinyurl.com/7pw7vpf
http://tinyurl.com/7gvzy6v
The 4th International m-Libraries conference