[Web4lib] Libraries Invited to Join My Info Quest Collaborative SMS Text messaging Project

[Lori Bell]

Libraries Invited to Join My Info Quest Collaborative SMS Text Messaging Project 

 
Libraries of all types and sizes are invited to join the My Info 
Quest(http://www.myinfoquest.info) collaborative SMS text messaging project, 
which kicked off on July 20, 2009 and continues its growth into 2011.  My Info 
Quest, the first collaborative text message reference service, will use Mosio’s 
Text A Librarian (http://www.textalibrarian.com) program to provide the service 
as of January 2011.   Over 60 libraries of all types from across the United 
States participated in the program’s pilot phase, during which Altarama and 
Gmail were used through December 2010.  My Info Quest won the Illinois Library 
Association Reference Service Award in Fall 2010.
Participation requirements are minimal. A library need only staff the desk at 
least two hours per week, attend online meetings and training, and participate 
in evaluation activities.  The  cost to join this innovative service at this 
time is $399 annually. My Info Quest is coordinated by Lori Bell, administered 
by Mary-Carol Lindbloom, Executive Director of  the South Central Regional 
Library Council in New York State, and evaluated by Dr. Lili Luo of the School 
of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University.  

An informational session about the My Info Quest collaborative SMS-based 
reference service (http://www.myinfoquest.info/) will be held during ALA 
Midwinter on Friday, January 7, 2011 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. PST.  Meet in the 
lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt 
(http://manchestergrand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?null), which is located 
at One Market Place near the San Diego Convention Center.  If the wifi in the 
lobby is good, we'll also offer the informational meeting online in the OPAL My 
Info Quest online room 
(http://www.conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs2ed9c201df78).  The 
start time in other times zones is 5:30 p.m. Mountain, 6:30 p.m. Central, and 
7:30 p.m. Eastern.  For more information, please contact Tom Peters 
(tpeters at tapinformation.com or 816.616.6746).    
If you would like to join, please contact Project Coordinator Lori Bell at 
lbell927 at gmail.comor Project Administrator Mary-Carol Lindbloom at 
mclindbloom at scrlc.org.   You will receive informational documents and an 
agreement form to complete that includes your preferred hours of coverage. If 
you would like to join the program’s discussion and communication group, visit 
http://groups.google.com/group/InfoQuest. Visit the project’s website at 
http://www.myinfoquest.info.
 
 Lori Bell
Lecturer
School of Library and Information Science
San Jose State University
(309)338-5115
lbell927 at gmail.com
lbell927 at yahoo.com