Reference by SMS

Reference by SMS

"Reference by SMS" is an exciting new service designed specifically to allow libraries to expand their reference delivery methods to include SMS, the mobile/cell phone text messaging system so popular with the youth of today. Your clients can use this service to contact the library no matter where they are - for example they can use it to ask for assistance at a library computer carousel, without having to relinquish the computer, or leave all their belongings unattended whilst they visit a reference desk.

The service is simple to use, highly effective, and can be implemented by any library anywhere in the world where SMS (mobile/cell phone Short Message Service) services are available.

The "Reference by SMS" service provides a mobile/cell phone number, unique to your library that you can advertise as the number for SMSing your library. SMS's received by that number are automatically delivered to an email address that your library specifies. The librarian monitoring that email address creates responses in email using their usual "Reply" facility. Your responses are automatically delivered to the client's mobile phone by SMS.

An optional "Send by SMS" tool fully integrates with common email client's, to provide a shorter signoff, optional conversion to normal SMS phonetic shortcuts, and a character count to assist with minimisation of character usage, for outgoing messages, and for replies it can provide a visual check.

Many other powerful features are provided to assist with implementation, usage, management and marketing of this service. Don't limit your imagination to reference. This service can also be used for any library correspondence by SMS, for example, contacting staff about meetings, or sending any sort of notices to clients. If you are contemplating SMS for contacting patrons about overdue items, be sure to consider "Reference by SMS" which adds the incoming SMS, and powerful management features, that will make the service a much more powerful tool for your library.

Why choose "Reference by SMS" from Altarama?
"Reference by SMS" is a collection of telecommunications products - it cannot be purchased off the shelf from any telecommunications supplier. Altarama has created a solution that allows SMS questions to be handled as part of the everyday workflow of your library. No additional or new library procedures are required. With no new procedures to develop, and the cost of "Reference by SMS" being so small, there is no barrier to giving it a try!

Send an SMS announcing your service to a selected group of users and see how fast they spread the message to their friends, at no cost to your library!!!!

Try "Reference by SMS" for the first three months for only A$895!!!
After that, ongoing usage is usually less than A$100 per month.
Pricing is also available in US Dollars, UK Pounds and Euros.

Click here to request further information about Reference by SMS!

Customer experience
Reference service by SMS is still new so you might be interested the experiences of a customer.
Click the following link for a report on usage of "RefxSMS" at South Eastern Louisiana University
http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2005/11/text_a_libraria.html
Click the following link to see a summary of SELU's latest presentaton about their experience with their Reference by SMS based reference service.
http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2007/06/can-u-txt-the-lbry.html

Considering using SMS in your library?
If you are planning to use SMS in your library, you may find it useful to know how it has been used in other libraries. You may find the information provided in the following transcript of a presentation made by staff of Curtin University at the Online 2005 Conference in Sydney Australia, useful.
http://conferences.alia.org.au/online2005/papers/a12.pdf for the text, and
http://conferences.alia.org.au/online2005/pres/a12.pps for the Powerpoint presentation (takes a while to load).