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Short Message Service (SMS) is an application which is widely used in mobile telephony. SMS messaging through mobile phones is very popular among young and old. This study aims to look at how SMS technology can be very effectively used in library and information services with a glimpse into a pilot project conducted by University of Swaziland and Emerald Group Publishing Limited and the subsequent need for creating a prototype for the SMS‐based library alert services and marketing of library services.

Following the pilot project conducted by the University of Swaziland and Emerald Group Publishing Limited for a period of two months (March‐April 2009), the findings and the methodology used for the project prompted further research. Data and experience gained during the pilot project is predominantly used in the paper.

This study finds that the library users can be successfully motivated and engaged to use the resources through SMS messaging and have the potential to market library services. It also finds out that there is a need to have a prototype for essential services for the benefit of the users as well as to market the library resources.

The pilot project was a short project with specific user base. This project was not tested on heterogeneous user base. The prototype model also works on certain assumptions and limitations. At the prototype level different files are suggested and they are handled separately because of which an open ended script method is suggested. Longer SMSs, which cannot be sent by the SMS server, need to be either split up into several messages or stored in the server as a webpage and sent as a hyperlink in SMSs.

To implement the prototype, various steps highlighted in the paper are to be followed and since each action needs to be operated separately, it cannot be claimed as a single click SMS‐based alert service.

This study presents a method for implementing SMS‐based alert service in libraries. With the experience gained in a similar practical environment, an attempt has been made to create a prototype. This may serve as an important milestone in integrating such a service into the future integrated library services (ILS).

On average, the National Health Service (NHS) loses annually £360 million in opportunity costs due to non‐attendance of outpatient appointments (Stone et al, 1999). In addition to draining healthcare resources, failure to attend clinical appointments incurs personal costs. Mobile phone technology has been applied successfully to reducing appointment non‐attendance and improving clinical outcomes for patients with physical illnesses. However, it is unclear whether these applications can be extended to patients with severe and enduring mental disorders. We conducted a trust‐wide survey of 141 psychiatric inpatients of the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (82% of the Trust's total inpatient population) to establish how many respondents owned a mobile phone (62%), could use text‐messaging services (62%) and were willing to use the latter as a means of communication with the Trust (80%). Compared to patients with psychotic illnesses, those with non‐psychotic illnesses reported higher rates of mobile phone ownership (78% versus 55%, p=0.01), ability to use text messaging (76% versus 56%, p=0.03) and willingness to receive text messages from the Trust (90% versus 76%, p=0.05). The results of the survey were used to inform the planning of a pilot study aimed at reducing non‐attendance rates of outpatient appointments in Oxleas.

The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations for improving the social performance of warnings using mobile services in flash flood prone communities. A warning cannot be considered effective until it is received, understood and responded to by those at risk. This is defined as the social performance of warning communication techniques. Mobile services offer opportunities for improving this, particularly in Bangladesh, but have been underutilised. In this research, characteristics of the warning, mobile services and community are found to influence the social performance.

A framework on the factors affecting the social performance was developed and applied using data collected through interviews at the national and regional level along with focus-group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews at the local level in the Sunamganj District, Bangladesh.

The study demonstrated that mobile services are the preferred means of warning communication. Communities strongly preferred voice short messaging service (SMS) and interactive voice response (IVR) because of easier accessibility and understanding of the message. Text-based services [SMS and cell broadcasting service (CBS)] were still found to be acceptable. These should be simple, use symbols and refer to additional sources of information. Further recommendations include mixing push (e.g. SMS and CBS) and pull-based (e.g. IVR) mobile services, utilising local social networks, decentralising the dissemination process and raising awareness.

A limited sample of interviews and FGDs were used.

Concrete recommendations are made for overcoming obstacles related to the effective use of mobiles services.

The suggestions made can contribute to improving the social performance of flood early warning communication.

The conceptualisation of mobile services’ contribution to social performance of flood warning and field-level application.

Short Message Service (SMS) is an application that is widely used by all types of mobile telephone users. Integration of these short messages for marketing different products and services has become a common practice in e‐commerce. This study aims to look at how SMS‐based mobile alerts can be effectively implemented in libraries for successfully marketing the library services and providing value‐added services. This study seeks to follow‐up an original pilot project conducted by the University of Swaziland and Emerald Group Publishing on SMS‐based alert services for a smaller group of users on Emerald's Intouch platform. In this new study the authors aim to try the same project with a combination of multiple databases and a heterogeneous user groups on an independent platform.

With the experiences gained from the UNISWA‐Emerald pilot project on SMS alerts a similar project with a wider scope was attempted at Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, India, where an attempt was made to see whether a similar content alert system, based on the prototype suggested in the pilot project, can be effectively implemented using the same technology on an independent platform with a semi‐automated system compared to the manual system of the pilot. The methodology, findings, data and the experience gained during the pilot project as well as the follow‐up project are predominantly used in this paper.

This study confirms that the prototype suggested in the pilot project can be implemented on an independent platform with multiple databases by using the same parameters. It proves that a successful SMS‐based alert service similar to a SDI service can be implemented using the SMS messaging and have the potential to successfully market library services to its patrons.

This project is a second in the sequence where the authors have tried a heterogeneous user group and mobile alerts consists of the different databases subscribed to by the university library. The alerts were dependent on the effective e‐mail‐based alerts provided by the publishers. The keywords used were generalized and the users provided the keyword based on their personal needs. The major limitation was the manual transmission of the SMS, which needs to be automated with a script. Another limitation was the maximum size of SMS texts. Whenever the texts exceeded 140 characters, only hyperlinks were sent with the actual content being kept as a webpage in the server.

This project can be implemented as it is since it generalizes the process of implementing a result‐oriented SMS‐based alert service.

This study presents a method for implementing an SMS‐based alert service in libraries. With the experiences gained in a series of practical environments the authors have attempted to document the practical experience, which can be implemented in its present form. With mobile alerts gaining prominence in library services and very little material are available on SMS‐based alert services in libraries this may serve as an important milestone in integrating such a service into the future integrated library services.

The short message service (SMS) has been available in Hong Kong and China since the late 1990s. However, the user acceptance patterns for this service have been evidently different in these two regions. Based on fieldwork in Hong Kong and China, this study attempts to explain these differences.

The paper uses the information technology acceptance framework, which posits that various external factors impact on a person's perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and subjective norms, leading to user acceptance of the SMS.

This study contributes to telecommunications research by delineating the various stimuli to consider for successful technology acceptance in a global setting, which can account for differential impacts across regions. These stimuli include the economic development level, cultural differences, political censorship, business models, market competition, and input language.

More rigorous statistical analysis will further enhance this paper.

The findings of this study can assist telecommunications operators in formulating an effective region‐specific strategy when launching a wireless data service in a particular environment.

This paper is of use in that it studies telecommunications issues with reference to the theories of information systems.

A questionnaire was used to collect data from 1676 undergraduate and postgraduate students randomly selected from three major Nigerian universities to understand how media gratification and constraints motivated their use of text messaging to meet educational needs. Sixty‐five (65 per cent) and 63 per cent of the respondents reported using the technology for contacting peers and lecturers for educational matters while less than 40 per cent have used technology to contact lecturers and others respectively. Generally, closeness to mothers and education of parents influence use of the technology for educational contact. The instrumental gratifications of SMS capability to enable students escape face to face communication, convenience and low cost also explain use of SMS to make educational contact although this activity is constrained by the difficulty to decipher the intention of the messages and by the confusion that often arises due mainly to unclear acronyms.

To critically examine the current definitions of key constructs of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in a consumer technology‐based service.

Two qualitative research studies were undertaken that encouraged consumers to reflect upon their text message (short message service – SMS) behaviour.

The research highlights the inadequacy of a concentration on simple acceptance of technology where technology is embedded in a consumer community of practice. The existence of counter‐intuitive behaviours, technology paradoxes and intense social and emotional elements in actual text message usage all point to the need for a review of the definition of the key TAM constructs.

There is a need to re‐examine the construct of use behaviour in the context of the practice of technology‐based services that owe much to consumer creativity. Theory development of the constructs of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment should not be constrained by adherence to the existing (well developed) quantitative models of technology acceptance. There is a methodological potential of employing consumers as practical authors.

Where there is evidence of counter‐intuitive consumer behaviour in the marketplace for technology‐based products or services, a study of practice, with a view to the subsequent derivation of adapted theory constitutes worthwhile research. This may be of special importance to cell phone operators promoting SMS to US consumers.

The approach offers a method of complementing the dominant quantitative modelling research on technology acceptance. The findings are relevant to an era where consumer co‐creation of value is of increasing interest.

In an attempt to meet evolving client needs, Southbank Library needed to become more flexible in the way services were delivered. The paper investigates whether providing a short message service (SMS) for students to text the library for information would offer a readily accessible alternative to e‐mail and live chat services.

SMS reference services where thoroughly researched in Australia and overseas to gage their usefulness for Southbank Institute libraries. Demographic statistics of the student population allowed researchers to determine how appropriate SMS reference technology would prove to be for library clients.

The paper finds that implementing SMS reference allowed the library the opportunity to access students via a familiar accessible service. SMS a Librarian has become part of the Southbank Institute Library Ask a Librarian service, which includes e‐mail, phone and live chat access for students and staff. By adding this new technology to the reference services, users are now able to send questions and receive answers from Southbank librarians by using the text messaging facility on their mobile phones.

SMS has become a popular way of communicating particularly among the younger generation. However, it is important that individual libraries evaluate the appropriateness of this technology for their clientele. For Southbank library it was a suitable technology as so many of the students use text messaging. It was felt that a large number of international students would benefit from this service. Often students with English as a second language feel more comfortable texting a question then using more conventional methods of communication. The success of the SMS reference service at Southbank Institute library revolves around three key points: SMS meets our clients' needs instantly; SMS is a relevant form of communication for students; and finally, the ease of providing SMS technology. Originality/value – When researching other educational institutions using SMS reference technology it became clear that universities were leading the field. Southbank Institute of Technology was the first vocational education institute to implement SMS reference and its experience should benefit similar skilled‐based training institutes.

A recent thread in the DIG_REF listserv addressed the integration of text messaging into mainstream reference service. The purpose of this paper is to expand upon that discussion, pointing out the predominant software used by libraries to handle text message reference questions and the volume of reference traffic generated by text messaging queries.

The paper also addresses the ramifications on staffing of the added traffic in text messaging and how libraries might market text messaging reference services to their patrons.

The paper further discusses the unique nature of text messaging queries and how this affects the reference interview.

The paper is intended for the reference services manager looking to incorporate text messaging into a library's repertoire of reference services.

The purpose of this paper is to review the usefulness of short message service (SMS) or text‐messaging for library reference service.

The different technological approaches to SMS reference service are described and compared.

The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are provided.

Because these technologies are still evolving, this report is merely a first effort at describing the different service methods in a single review.

This paper is intended to be helpful to any library considering providing a text message reference service. It should help the library identify which approach will best suit the culture of that library.

This is an overall look at different available technologies, which will be helpful to any library contemplating adding an SMS reference service.