TECHNOLOGY

Check It Out!

A new 24/7 service from ChaCha allows cell phone users to ask a wide range of reference questions in conversational English and get answers free of charge. Each question is routed to a live person who searches the web for the information and within minutes returns the answer in a text message with a web reference link.
The online and mobile search company announced the new voice service in April at CTIA: The Wireless Association's 2008 convention in LasVegas. At 800-2-ChaCha (800-224-2242), the service works on any mobile phone that supports normal SMS text and voice capability.

Asked if ChaCha represents competition for reference librarians, David Tyckoson, president of ALA's reference and User Services Association, told American Libraries that people already rely on librarians less for help with finding short, factual results that they can obtain on their own. "What they need a librarian's help with are the more complex searches," he said.

"People can pick up that same cell phone," Tykoson added, :and use it to call their local local library, where they can talk to a professional librarian who can help with any type of question, from the simple to the complex. Both services are free, but the library will not limit you to 160 characters."
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