For the answer to that nagging trivia question or a good book recommendation, Dakota County residents need look no further than their cell phones.

Starting Tuesday, librarians at Dakota County libraries will start answering questions via text message.

To get an answer, first text AskDCL to 66746. After that, queries can be sent directly to that same number.

"We already have several online options. People can e-mail us questions. People can chat with a librarian live, instant message," said Maureen Gormley, information services manager for Dakota County libraries. "Texting was the last piece we didn't have."

The librarians don't have to punch the tiny buttons on a mobile device to answer. They will respond from a computer. But they will be bound by a 160-character limit that will take some getting used to.

"Librarians always feel that more is better," Gorman said.

The library system already receives a couple thousand digital inquiries each year via e-mail or instant message. She said most librarians spend about 60 percent of their time at the reference desk, answering questions in person, directing people to resources or responding to the remote inquiries.

"I would say the things that we get more often than not are reader advisory questions: I want a good book, can you recommend something to read?" Gorman said.

Seems simple enough, but it's hard to answer if the person asking doesn't give enough clues as to likes and dislikes, she said. "You don't have the person standing in front of you."

Other common queries involve library accounts, renewing checked-out materials and homework help.

Audra Caplan, president of the Public Library Association and director of the Harford County Public Library in Maryland, said text messaging is a way for libraries to stay relevant as communication habits change.

"We are experiencing a time in technology when people are very used to using devices, their PDAs and their Blackberries and iPhones and all of those things to communicate," Caplan said. "We also have a population that wants everything immediately. If we're going to stay viable as information services, which we certainly intend to do, we have to keep up with those trends."

Katie Humphrey • 952-882-9056