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[hidetoc]About a Consultation Service
A consultation meeting with a reference librarian is available to students and staff whenever personalized assistance is needed regarding subject resources, research strategies, or library technology. The meeting typically lasts approximately 30 minutes.
Consultations are offered on an as-needed basis: during semester, summer, and interim periods. You may come in anytime during reference desk hours; however, appointments may be made for evening or weekend hours, and these are encouraged for those whom are off campus during weekdays.
Telephone and email consultations are also available to students and faculty involved in distance learning courses and cannot come to the University Library.
Standard Services
The standard consultation service can be used for research, electronic databases, and resources. Read on to learn how to arrange for a personal consultation.
Prepare Yourself
- Organize your thoughts. Write out your topic need or problem statement.
- Begin a library search from the Library Home Page to become familiar with some of the resources.
- Write down questions and problems encountered during the search.
Sign-up for Consultation
- Appointments for a consultation are made by submitting a consultation request form or by contacting the Reference Desk at least 2 working days in advance.
- Provide a problem statement or detailed description of your consultation need so that a reference librarian can prepare for the meeting.
The Consultation
- Come to the Reference Desk or communicate with the consulting librarian as per arrangements made.
- Bring a list of questions and problems.
- Mention any library resources you have already used.
- The librarian will suggest the most appropriate resources for you, guide you through the research process, and answer your questions.
- Make sure that you understand the librarian. If explanations are not clear, ask for further clarification.
- Ask for the librarian's contact information.
Follow-up
- Review information given at the consultation.
- Begin to use the recommended resources.
- If further help is needed, do not hesitate to contact the Reference Desk or the librarian with whom you met.
Special Needs Services (Assistance for Library Users with Disabilities)
Consultations are also available for students with special needs. The Assistive Technology librarian, provides instruction in using Adaptive Technology equipment including:
- DecTalk Speech Synthesizer
- Scanning/Reading/Voice Recognition
- Kurzweil Reader
This equipment provides audio and visual access to library resources and the World Wide Web through the library home page.
Additional details and contact information is available for library users with disabilities.
Last Updated: 06/13/2008 and Last Revised: 12/19/2005
Contact Jana Reeg-Steidinger for more information or help on this topic.