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1. Introduction
Text reference, wherein library users seek help from librarians via texting, is the most recently developed form of reference service. It is rapidly gaining popularity in the library world as texting becomes a significant avenue for communication and social activities in people's daily lives. According to [12] Lenhart (2010a) at the Pew Internet & American Life Project, as of September 2010, about 72 percent of adult cell phone users send and receive text messages, up from 65 percent in September 2009. Among teen cell phone users, 87 percent text at least occasionally ([13] Lenhart, 2010b). Adults who text, send on average ten messages per day and teens 50 ([12] Lenhart, 2010, p. 2).
Currently, the text reference literature primarily encompasses individual libraries' experiences of establishing and managing text reference services, which is helpful for interested libraries to learn about the service from the stand-alone perspective. However, similar to email and chat reference, text reference service can also be provided in a collaborative fashion. Multiple libraries may form a consortium and take turns to answer questions from users of all member libraries. My Info Quest (MIQ) is one such text reference consortium, with participation by twenty-five libraries (as of January 2012) across the country, including both public and academic. More detailed information about participating libraries can be found on the project web site http://myinfoquest.info/. In addition, five individual librarians, not associated with any member library, donate their time to provide services for the consortium. MIQ was initiated by the Alliance Library System in Illinois and launched in July 2009. It is self-organized and managed by volunteering member librarians.
Providing reference service collaboratively is beneficial in many aspects. Usually the driving purpose is to share resources and distribute staffing commitments between libraries. For a comparatively minimal investment, libraries are able to expand the number of service hours and increase the volume of transactions. Reference consortia not only allow libraries to make more efficient use of scarce resources such as materials, time, money, and staff, but also provide benefits from "network effects", in which the value of a consortium increases as the number of members of that consortium increases. In addition, interactions amongst participating librarians can lead to better understanding, closer relationships, and even other opportunities...