We all know someone—in fact, you may be one of these people yourself—who would far rather text than talk. We used to associate texting with young people (and, in fact, teenagers who text average 60 messages a day). But now it seems like everyone is texting, from the bored executive stuck in a meeting to the harried cook who wants his or her spouse to pick up tomato sauce on the way home.

So it’s no surprise that libraries are now offering information services via text—just as back in the day we integrated the telephone and then email.

With nearly 50 percent of U.S. adults now smart phone users, we can expect that more and more people will be seeking information in the palm of their hand. (For mobile users, try out our web site on your smart phone—you should be directed to the mobile version of our site, with our contact information and an easy-to-use catalog interface.)

For texting, the message needs to match the medium. Researching the causes of the first World War? Let’s not try to do that by text (although this isn’t a bad start). But if you want to know if we own the second season of “The Wire” (and is it on the shelf and can we hold it till 6 p.m.?) then text away.

So go ahead. Text WPPL followed by your question to 66746.