Text a Librarian FAQ

Text a Librarian is a service which enables you to use the text message feature of your mobile phone to send questions to and receive answers from University Library reference librarians

Text questions to us Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. We will respond as soon as possible during those hours. Questions not answered by 5:00 PM will be answered after 10:00 AM the next service day (M-F). Questions sent outside of service hours receive an automated response and are answered the next service day.

Please be aware that some text messages can be delayed or even fail due to problems with the connections between different telephone carriers.

Use Text a Librarian to ask simple, quick questions (up to 160 characters) that can be answered in brief responses (up to 320 characters). If our responses exceed 160 characters, they appear as 2 messages.

To ask questions requiring lengthy, detailed, or immediate responses, please use one of the other options listed on our Ask a Librarian page.

To use the service, you need a mobile phone which is enabled to send and receive text messages.

The Library does not charge for this service, but charges from your cell phone provider may apply. These charges vary among plans and among telephone providers.

The Library does not take any responsibility for any charges your mobile phone provider may assess you for sending or receiving messages while using this service.

Text a Librarian is private and secure:

• Our text-to-chat service (LibAnswers) assigns a random User ID number to each patron.
• Your phone number is never visible to us at any time.
• Your phone number is not accessible by us.

Exception:

• Texts that are harassing, libelous, threatening, harmful, or obscene, or violate any applicable laws will be reported to the California State University, Northridge Police Department, and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.