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  • LISWire: Text a Librarian Makes it Easy For Libraries and Schools to Create Their Own Mobile Messaging Reference Services

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    October 15th, 2008LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    Live, mobile Q&A system to power top universities, including UC Berkeley and the University of Kansas

    San Francisco, CA–October 8, 2008—Every year, libraries answer more than 374 million reference questions, according to the American Library Association. Mosio, the award-winning mobile Q&A community, today announced the launch of Text a Librarian (www.textalibrarian.com), a new service that helps libraries set up mobile Q&A systems so they may answer students and patrons’ questions instantly via text message to any mobile phone.

    On average, Americans text almost twice as much as they talk on mobile phones, according to a recent Nielsen Mobile Survey, making it a preferred means of communication while on-the-go. However, setting up a mobile text communications network for a library or school can be a daunting process: negotiations with cell carriers, complicated software and extensive training—costing tens of thousands of dollars and months of setup.

    Now, with Text a Librarian, any library or school can create their own secure, live mobile Q&A SMS reference service in just minutes, with packages starting at just $99/month + set up fees per library/branch. Text a Librarian works across all major carriers, mobile phones and devices, and works seamlessly with existing email and IM systems. Students and users simply text (or email) their question and it shows up live on the library or school’s own private and secure Web dashboard for them to answer back instantly.

    For more information and a free online demo, visit: http://www.textalibrarian.com

    “Mobility is a way of life for most students and increasingly for society in general, making the way in which we stay connected a central issue for many schools and libraries,” said Noel Chandler, Mosio CEO and founder. “Text a Librarian leverages Mosio’s award-winning Q&A platform to make it possible for students and patrons to tap into the wealth of knowledge of local librarians from their mobile phones, keeping patron information private and secure.”

    Beta test clients include public libraries, schools and top Universities, including UC Berkeley and the University of Kansas.

    "Mosio's service opens up a whole new world for us. Text a Librarian gives us an easy-to-use texting component, increasing student access to KU Info,” said Curtis Marsh, KU Info Program Director. "We need to communicate with students the way they communicate with each other. It is about time we began offering our service through text messaging."

    Mosio has received numerous accolades for its mobile Q&A technology, including the prestigious SXSW Interactive Award for Mobile.

    About Mosio (www.mosio.com)

    Mosio.com is the award-winning mobile Q&A community that provides quick and fun answers to life’s questions on-the-go. Mosio’s latest innovation, Text a Librarian (www.textalibrarian.com), empowers libraries and schools to connect with students via mobile phone. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. More information is available at http://www.mosio.com.

    Media contact:

    Vincent Chang

    (415) 806-1769

    vincent@mosioproject.com

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