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503.988.5234
Call Reference Line during Central Library's operating hours to get answers on the phone.
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E-mail your question using our Ask the Librarian service.
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Chat with an online tutor, daily from 2 p.m.–10 p.m. For more help, check out the Homework Center.
Text a librarian 24/7
Send your question to the library via text message. We collaborate with other libraries to welcome your questions on any topic, 24 hours a day.
Here's how it works:
Text the word multcolib and your question to 66746. We usually answer within 10 minutes (though it can take longer).
Text messages are an especially convenient way get quick facts like these:
what elevation is roseburg oregon?
how many hitchhiker's guide books were written?
what is the number for hillsdale library?
There is no charge to text a librarian, other than your normal text message rate. We do our best to answer each question with a single message, but sometimes it is necessary to ask a follow-up question or two in order to give you the best answer possible.
We're happy to answer questions about your library account. At times when this service is staffed by librarians from another library, they will refer account-related question to us, and we will respond at our earliest opportunity.
We respect your privacy
We won't keep your phone number, but Mosio, the company that helps us provide this service, keeps it for a year as required by mobile service carriers. We may keep the text of your questions and our answers for the purposes of statistical reporting, research and training indefinitely, but we will never relate it to any personal information about you. Neither we nor Mosio will ever send you unsolicited messages.
