From the Steve Krug’s new book, Rocket Surgery Made Easy

We’ve added a simple, but very effective feature we call “Text for Instructions.”

Simply stated, it means your patrons only have to text your keyword to 66746 for instructions on how to use your service.

What happens next?
1. Your patrons get an auto-responder with instructions on saving your keyword and the number 66746 to their contacts for when they need to ask you a question. The instructions include a link to a mobile web page with detailed instructions in case they need them.

It acts like a registration system that gets them started with your service without having to have a pressing question or message on-the-spot. They save your info in their phones for later when they do.

2. The Mosio system assigns the phone number a PatronID associated with your account, so after that all they need to do is text their question to 66746.

That’s it!

Note: The old way of texting your keyword + their message to 66746 still works, no problem. But this way patrons can see your poster (example below) or promotional materials, text for instructions, then save everything in their contacts when they need it later.

If you’re a Mosio / Text a Librarian customer and want more specific information about it, like how you can customize/edit the instructions, it’s listed in the New Features section inside your account.

A Year of Mobile Reference Simplified

The past year has been an incredible one for Text a Librarian and all of us at Mosio are excited for what’s on the horizon for the year ahead.

What a year it’s been?!

When we launched Text a Librarian at ALA Midwinter in Denver last January, we set out to provide libraries with a new, socially-relevant communication tool to reach more patrons, keep the user interface clean and easy-to-use and encourage ongoing feedback to make Text a Librarian the most useful mobile reference technology in the industry.

We continue to challenge ourselves each day to meet and exceed these goals by designing new features and functionalities (like RefStart) to increase efficiencies and improve user/patron experiences, and by showing how Text a Librarian can be used beyond questions and answers to add value to the service by presenting opportunities to utilize text messaging as a way to gather feedback, collect data, market libraries and engage patrons on a mobile technology that most of them own.

What we never expected?

Mosio was built on the notion of “helpful people helping people” via mobile questions and answers. We felt that Text a Librarian would be a welcomed service in the library industry. What we never expected was that the library community is one that encourages the open-flow sharing of information, ideas and technology that serve for the betterment of the whole. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense.

It is refreshing and inspiring to be a part of this community. It motivates us to listen, learn and want to contribute more.

What’s next? More Mobile Technologies for Libraries

It is now very clear that mobile accessibility and services are must-have components of every library to accommodate on-the-go patrons with on-the-go technologies. Text messaging use continues to explode at a massive rate, and the mobile web is also sharply on the rise. These two mobile technologies individually provide efficient access to information and resources, and when offered in combination, ensure that every patron with a mobile phone has mobile access to your library.

We are dedicated to help you reach your mobile goals in 2010 and beyond by extending all of Mosio’s mobile solutions and services to libraries.

• Mobile websites
• Mobile systems integrations
• Mobile marketing (text message announcements, notifications, alerts, newsletters)
• Mobile web development

If your library is considering ways to mobilize beyond text message reference services let us know how we can make your mobile goals a reality.

Thank YOU!

We want to send a big THANK YOU to everyone who continues to support Text a Librarian in various ways. We greatly appreciate your ideas, suggestions and feedback.

All of our best in the year ahead!

Sincerely,

The Text a Librarian Team

Questions, comments, feedback? Text us!
Text asktal + your message to 66746.