How do I send my question to Mabee Library staff?

To use the service, start the body of the text with the keyword AskMabee, followed by a space, and then followed by your question. (For example, AskMabee what are five great books on world war II?).
Send your text to 66746. (Please make sure in AskMabee there is no space between Ask and Mabee)

When should I use the "Text a Librarian" service?

The service is good for quick, simple questions that can be answered with short responses (160 characters or less). More involved questions should be directed to one of our other Ask a Librarian services or via phone 785-670-1483.

What do I need to use this service?

A cell phone enabled to send and receive text messages.

Is "Text a Librarian" free?

Although the Mabee does not charge for this service, you may see a charge for incoming text messages at a rate determined by your cell phone carrier. In many cases, there is a character limit on text messages (typically 140-160 characters, including spaces). Each carrier handles this situation differently. Some customers with character limits will not see the full text of the response to their question. Other providers will break the response up into separate text messages.

How long does it take to receive a reply?

This service is provided during the library hours of operation. We will attempt to respond to your question promptly. Questions received after hours will be answered when service hours resume. If you do not receive a response to your question within 48 hours, it may be due to a telecommunications problem, so you may want to resubmit your question to one of our other Ask a Librarian services or via phone 785-670-1483. The library is not responsible for text messages that are not received by the library or delays due to telecommunications carrier or Internet connectivity delays or failures.

Anything else I should know?

By sending a text message to our "Text a Librarian" service, you give Mabee Library permission to reply to your text message. Responses will be sent to the phone used to ask the question.