Reference Service

Reference service is defined as answering questions, offering users guidance in the selection of sources, teaching the use of sources, and generally helping students, faculty, staff, and, if time allows, non-university patrons with their research and information needs.

Reference service is provided in a two-tiered system of reference assistants and reference librarians. Assistants provide first-level service including staffing the reference desk, assisting at the computers on the library’s local area network, and answering telephone queries. Reference librarians provide backup to the assistants as well as working directly with students and faculty who have more difficult queries. Reference librarians also perform other library and faculty duties including selection of materials for the collection, administrative tasks, and research and publication.

Reference service is offered during the times that the reference desk is open. Consult the reference desk hours page for a complete listing.

During the hours that the library is open but the reference desk is closed, staff from the Circulation/Reserve Desk may answer questions regarding locations of computers, indexes, books, and other items in the reference room. However, staff should not try to answer reference questions. Patrons should be directed to return during reference desk hours.

Reference Book Use on the First Floor

Reference materials that may not leave the library should be used only on the first floor and not taken to other floors of the library except for photocopying. When photocopying is completed, reference materials should be returned to the reference room for reshelving.

Reference Room Computer Use Policy

Computer Search Policy for On-Campus Users

An on-campus student or faculty member is a person registered for a course or who teaches a course on campus regardless of where he or she lives. On-campus students and faculty members are eligible for searches of databases for which the library has no cd-rom or OhioLINK equivalent.

Requests for computer searches may be taken over the telephone or through campus mail. Students and faculty may be requested to be present for a search if the librarian determines that the search may be difficult. Otherwise, faculty and students may pick up their searches at the circulation/reserve desk at or after a time agreed to by the librarian. This time should be agreed upon when the request is taken. At least one working day should be allowed for the completion of the search.

On-campus students are not charged for regular course-related or thesis-related searches. UD faculty are not charged for regular searches for UD-related work. Normally, only citations from bibliographic databases are provided. If a patron wishes to have abstracts printed, the library reserves the right to charge for the abstract costs. Material from non-bibliographic databases will be printed at the discretion of the librarian, taking costs and relevance of the material into account.

Computer Search Policy for Non-UD Patrons

UD librarians do not perform computer searches for non-UD patrons. Exceptions should be made only with the approval of the Head of Client Services.