THE REFERENCE DESK

What Are Reference Services?

Not everyone knows how to use the library. The many materials (books, magazines, newspapers, videos, etc.) in a library can be confusing. To help our customers (we often call them patrons), we have set up a Reference Desk to help answer questions about what is in the library and how to find information. The librarian there is called the Reference Librarian, and it is his/her job to help you learn how to use the library.

Why Is It Called A “Reference Desk?”

• Every library has a Reference Collection.”
• That is where the library keeps its encyclopedias, dictionaries, and books with short, but useful, bits of information.
• The “Reference Collection” has many specialized encyclopedias with in-depth information on special subjects. Some popular examples are: The International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports; The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology; Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary.
• One duty of the Reference Librarian is to help customers find information in the “Reference Collection.”

What Else Does The Reference Librarian Help With?

• The Reference Librarian also helps students look for books and magazine articles.
• The library’s online catalog is called Voyager. The Reference Librarian helps customers find books by teaching them to use Voyager.>
• The library also subscribes to online collections of articles from newspapers, magazines, and journals. These collections are called “online databases.” The Reference Librarian helps customers use these online databases.