rockpaperink

July 6, 2012

Tips for Working with a Research Librarian

Research Methology

Author: Jenn + Ken Visocky O'Grady

Academic librarians typically have subject specialties and professional experience that can be beneficial to students of all levels. Many librarians hold advanced degrees in their field of specialty. The following tips can help you use librarians as resources:

  • Don't hesitate to ask a question. A librarian's job is to connect you with the information that you need. They work to select books, magazines, journals, and databases to match the curriculum. Answering your questions is part of a librarian's daily routine.
  • Questions (called reference interviews) are considered confidential. The librarian will not share the details of your question or the reasons for asking it with anyone else.
  • If you pay college tuition, you owe it to yourself not to "Google" your degree. Do not cheapen your education. Libraries have access to expensive and legitimate scholarly resources that are not available elsewhere.
  • An academic librarian is like a tour guide for a hike in the jungle. He or she can walk you through thousands of journals and millions of bits of information until you find exactly what you need.
  • If you are working on an assignment, there is a good chance that you are not alone. Save yourself (and the librarian) a lot of time by asking where to begin or continue your research. Chances are one of your classmates just asked the same question.
  • Libraries use many of the same information sources as major businesses, law firms, governments, journalists, and other professionals. A librarian can teach you how to get the most from these tools and provide you with a skill that will impress future employers.

Source: A Designer's Research Manual

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