Reference and Instruction

Reference and Research Services

The Library reference collections include dictionaries and encyclopedias, handbooks and indexes, bibliographies, directories and atlases. Most of the reference collection is found in the Smith Library, while reference materials in nursing, pharmacy and biomedical sciences are found in the Health Sciences Library. In addition to print-based reference materials, the Library provides links to a growing number proprietary databases and electronic journal collections, plus subject-based Web sites and online reference works under the heading Internet Resources. The reference staff has developed a series of Style Guides, which provide information on managing footnotes and bibliographies.

The principal contacts for reference service in Smith Library are David McKinney, Rosemary Green and Cindy Thomas. Denise Blake provides reference assistance in the Health Sciences Library. However, all professional librarians and other senior library staff share coverage of evening and weekend hours and are prepared to help students and faculty with research during those times. The demand for assistance can be intense at times during the semester, so you may wish to make an appointment with one of above-mentioned librarians if you have consultation needs that are extensive.

Bibliographic and Information Literacy Instruction

The Reference staff will provide library instructional sessions for class groups in all subject areas, graduate and undergraduate, upon the request of the faculty member. Sessions can be conducted in either of the library facilities or in classrooms on campus. David McKinney, x5444, handles library instruction for undergraduate courses at Smith Library. Rosemary Green, x4634, is responsible for the library instruction needs of graduate programs, both on and off-campus, while Denise Blake, x4350, provides instruction services in the Health Sciences Library. The Reference staff has designed a collection of Course Guides for a number of professors and their individual courses. Each guide is designed to identify Library resources supporting the objectives of the course. For more information, contact David McKinney at Smith Library, x5444.