feb09b.indd Laura Kohl and Maura Keating A phone of one’s own Texting at the Bryant University reference desk More than 2.3 trillion text messages were anticipated to be sent worldwide in 2008, an increase of almost 20% from 2007.1 Shouldn’t some of those be sent to your li­ brary? While there are 1.244 billion users on the Internet and about 1 billion PCs, there are 3 billion mobile phones in use today.2 Your students have cell phones and are us­ ing them every day. Are you? Is your library? On an average day, young adults ages 18–29 send text messages (60%) almost as much as they send or receive email (62%). Only 26% of these same young adults have ever used instant messaging, while a whopping 85% have sent or received a text message.3 Where is your library at the point of need? Students have questions and require answers at all times, not just when they are in the library or sitting behind a computer. How will you be there for them? Libraries have always been at the forefront of finding ways to connect to students. As the student population has evolved, so have the ways in which libraries communicate with them. From the face­to­face reference inter­ view to telephone, e­mail, instant messenger, and now Web 2.0 technologies, librarians take strides to be accessible to our patrons. Meghan Fox, a librarian at Simmons Col­ lege, introduced the idea of text messaging or SMS (Short Message Service) in a library setting to Bryant University library staff at the Rhode Island Library Association An­ nual Conference. In her presentation, Fox discussed the “Text a Librarian” service at Southeastern Louisiana University (SELU), which uses Altarama’s SMS reference product to convert text messages that patrons send from their cell phones into e­mails received by SELU librarians, then reverses the process for return messages. Altarama sounded ideal, but it came with a high cost for a service that had not been tested at Bryant. In a brainstorming session, the Bryant reference staff discussed possible solutions that would work for our students. Some libraries, such as those at American University and Wake For­ est University, use an AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) hack to enable patrons to use a special number and code to send text messages from their phone to a librarian using AIM. The price for this service was right, but we worried that the extra steps involved in this workaround solution would deter some users, especially a tired student needing help at midnight. The “eureka moment” came when we realized we could simply buy a cell phone and a texting service subscription for the reference desk. If it works for our students, why wouldn’t it work for us? Innovation at Bryant University Bryant University serves about 3,200 full­ and part­time undergraduate students and more than 400 graduate students, the majority of whom earn a degree in business. In 2004, the Princeton Review listed Bryant as the second most connected campus in the country. In­ novation, and its importance in daily profes­ sional life, is at the heart of the university. Laura Kohl is head of reference ser vices, e -mail: lkohl@bryant.edu, and Maura Keating is reference librarian at Bryant University, e-mail: mkeating@bryant. edu © 2009 Laura Kohl and Maura Keating C&RL News February 2009 104 mailto:lkohl@bryant.edu The Douglas and Judith Krupp Library at Bryant University fosters a dynamic atmo­ sphere that encourages staff to share new ideas. With a reference staff of seven full­ and part­time employees, our size and our commitment to the advancement of new ideas enable us to implement new services easily and effi ciently. Purchasing the phone and service It was easy to purchase the telephone and corresponding calling plan. Bryant Univer­ sity has a pre­established relationship with a telecommunications carrier that provided us with an inexpensive cellular phone with a QWERTY keyboard that was perfect for our needs. We chose a plan with the lowest monthly calling minutes possible and about 200 text messages per month. The service costs about $240 per year. Our total expense to implement the texting service was $340. A few Bryant reference librarians har­ bored texting phobias, but with minimal staff training we were able to banish their fears. Most of our apprehension centered on the actual process of sending or return­ ing a text message to a patron. Some avid texters use their cell phone with a traditional telephone keypad to “write” a sentence or paragraph. By selecting a cell phone with a full QWERTY keyboard, librarians were able to “type” entire messages with their thumbs—a fast and user­friendly approach that made everyone comfortable. Frequent texters often use a shorthand lingo that includes acronyms like TTYL (talk to you later) or LOL (laughing out loud) in their communication to their friends. Our librar­ ians worried that incoming messages would be unintelligible without learning this new language. We didn’t have to worry—it quickly became clear that students knew that they were talking to librarians. They spell out words in text messages and use punctuation. We were impressed. Concerns involved in purchasing a small stand­alone piece of technology focused on security. We keep the texting phone at the reference desk to make it easily available to reference staff, but we stash the phone away when it is not in use. Remembering to remove the texting phone from its hide­ away every morning has become part of our opening procedure. We set the phone to a low volume alert tone after we discov­ ered that the phone danced across the ref­ erence desk if we used the vibrate setting, disturbing nearby students and staff. Getting the word out We launched the “Text a Librarian” service at Krupp Library at the end of July 2007. We had the month of August to work on an advertising campaign before the start of the fall semester. We included the following promotional efforts: • Incorporated information about the “Text a Librarian” service to the Bryant library Web site, under the “Ask a Librar­ ian” link umbrella • Added information about the service to our e­mail signatures • Advertised the service via fl yers at the reference desk, as well as on bulletin boards across campus (Thanks to a sug­ gestion from the SUNY Purchase Library MySpace page, we added tear­off slips at the bottom of each flyer with the “Text a Librarian” telephone number.) • Promoted the service through Bryant’s digital bulletin board, a system that dis­ plays electronic advertisements throughout campus • Plugged the texting service in library tours and information literacy instruction sessions • Mentioned the “Text a Librarian” service in one­on­one sessions at the refer­ ence desk, especially if a student arrived with a phone in hand • Revised our MySpace and Facebook profiles to feature the texting telephone number • Posted entries on the Bryant library’s official blog that extol the virtues of texting a librarian Publicity is an ongoing effort. We are always looking for new ways to market the February 2009 105 C&RL News “Text a Librarian” service, while promoting the mission and the goals of the library. What are students asking? Most questions that we received were academ­ ic or ready reference questions: “I’m looking for the case “Brady v. Brown, 51F. 3d 810” can you help me find it?” or, “I’m writing a paper on Congress. Could you please tell me the percentage of the Senate that needs to vote yes for a bill to get passed?” or even, “I have to write a paper on phytoremediation. Where is a good place to start looking. I want to prove or disprove that with phytoremediation we can remove toxins from soil to have a positive impact on the surrounding ecosystems.” Other text messages had questionable motives: “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop?” When intermittent joke questions appeared, we responded with hu­ mor and grace, but these questions became low priority if the reference desk was busy. Guidelines and policies As the “Text a Librarian” service gained popularity at Bryant, we developed policies to address recurring issues. When we promoted the service, we encouraged students to “text a librarian from Trivia Night” to support the idea that librarians are approachable, and questions don’t have to be school­related. Our objective was to gain students’ trust, establishing the “Text a Librarian” service as a vital number to add to their speed dial. Our openness may have prompted prank questions, revealing the need to create a library policy to handle dubious inquiries. We now will ask a patron for his or her name and library barcode whenever multiple suspicious messages are received from one individual phone number. The hijinks died down after a few weeks, and we have not needed to ask for personal infor­ mation. We believe that students were testing the boundaries of the service while exploring its effectiveness. As messages to the texting services increase in number and quality, we are confident that we passed the test. We make every attempt to answer all text messages in a timely manner. The “Text a Librarian” service is available all hours that a reference librarian or reference assistant is available. If a question requires lengthy research, we send a text message to inform the user that we’ve received their inquiry. A librarian would never ignore a patron sitting at the reference desk without an explanation. It is important to keep the user updated in a search, whatever the venue, assuring the pa­ tron that the message has been received and will be answered. When the reference desk is very busy, we have an information hierarchy of importance. There are times when we have a line of students waiting at the desk with ques­ tions, a row of unanswered e­mails, a fl ashing instant messenger screen, and a ringing phone. An incoming text message can be enough to send a busy librarian over the edge. At these times, we prioritize by responding to in­person communications first, followed by telephone reference, instant messenger, text messages, and, fi nally, e­mails. Text messaging can be perceived as more personal than other methods of communi­ cation. We respect our users’ privacy and respect their communication preference. We will respond using another method only after asking permission to do so. Some questions that are easy to type may have complicated or long answers that do not complement the texting medium. If a question requires an in­ depth response, our policy is to ask for the user’s e­mail address, or to ask the user to come in or call the reference desk for a com­ plete explanation. It is important to explain to the patron that the answer requires a depth that is beyond the capabilities of texting (or the librarian’s thumbs). Texting success Between the “Text a Librarian” service’s of­ ficial kick­off in September 2007 and the end of the fall semester in December 2008, the library received 420 text messages. The months with the highest number of messages were those that tend to be busiest among all reference services—October and November in the fall semester and March and April in (continues on page 118) C&RL News February 2009 106 that take the well­being of both consumer and consumed into consideration. Access: http://www.ciwf.org.uk. • Fa r m A n i m a l R i g h t s M ove m e n t (FARM). FARM is an organization that ad­ vocates for the vegan lifestyle. Among its promotions is the “Great American Meatout” —a day to try only plant­based food. Access: www.farmusa.org. • Farm Sanctuary. Farm Sanctuary dis­ covers and exposes the horrifi c conditions found in some factory farm situations. They rescue abused animals, advocate for protec­ tion and regulation laws, and offer educational programs. Access: http://www.farmsanctuary. org. Wildlife • National Audubon Society. Mission statement: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. The Na­ tional Audubon Society has been supporting conservation efforts for more than 100 years. It continues to work to protect wildlife and its habitats by educational programs, lobbying for protective legislation, and funding projects. Access: http://www.audubon.org. • World Wildlife Fund (WWF). WWF is the world’s largest conservation group with almost 5 million members. Its focus is on pro­ tecting the earth’s resources, including animals and habitats, as well as to promote pollution reduction and renewable energy creation. Ac­ cess: http://www.worldwildlife.org. Domesticated animals • American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS). Founded in 1883, AAVS works toward ending experimen­ tation on animals in research through the development of alternative methods as well as public education and general animal welfare advocacy. Access: http://www.aavs.org. • Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends began as a program to reduce the staggering number of cats and dogs that were euthanized in shelters in the 1980s. Through rehabilitation programs, spay and neuter campaigns, and public education, they have succeeded in helping decrease that number. Best Friends teams up with local communities and humane groups to continue spay/neuter programs as well as fostering and adoption opportunities. Best Friends also sponsors a large animal sanctuary in Utah and provides disaster recovery for pets. Access: www.best­ friends.org. • Dogs Deserve Better. Dogs Deserve Better is an organization dedicated to helping chained and tethered dogs through education, outreach, and rescue. Access: http://www. dogsdeservebetter.org/home.html. April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. In addition to the above resources, contact these organizations’ local chapters, and check out your local shelter for additional information. (“A phone of one’s own,” cont. from p. 106) the spring semester. The Krupp Library staff and its patrons have contributed to the success of the “Text a Librarian” service. We hope to see it grow in upcoming semesters while we explore complementary services via text mes­ saging, such as circulation notifi cations, book requests, and more. Text messaging enhances the quality of our outreach to our students. The “Text a Librarian” service at Bryant is not a replacement for face­ to­face reference services, or even telephone, e­mail, instant messenger, or chat reference. Text messaging cannot replicate the rich dynam­ ics that an in­person reference interview can provide. Different mediums work for different people, different questions, and in different situ­ ations. By offering another method of contact, we reach out to our users, affirming that we are where they are, and that we are there when they need us. By choosing to text message with our users, we offer further proof that librarians are current, relevant, indispensable—and it doesn’t hurt if they think we’re hip, too. C&RL News February 2009 118 http://www http:friends.org www.best http:http://www.aavs.org http:http://www.worldwildlife.org http:http://www.audubon.org http://www.farmsanctuary http:www.farmusa.org http://www.ciwf.org.uk