Research services

About Us

The Reference Department:

• introduces you to the information resources available through the Curtis Laws Wilson Library
• helps you develop effective search strategies
• explains search tools such as the catalog and database
• presents classroom instruction for interested faculty

What We Offer

Personalized Assistance

Our research librarians are glad to help with any of your queries, from showing you how to find a book to helping you set up search strategies for your doctoral dissertation. During regular business hours, a librarian is available to help anyone with whatever they need.

Research Consultations

The research librarians offer research consultations, where you can schedule an appointment with a librarian for a session of in-depth, one-on-one assistance in developing and executing research for a project or assignment. These sessions are free of charge and can be scheduled for any time during regular business hours, and they are available both to individuals and to small groups. To set up one of these sessions, use our online form.

Book Requests

The research librarians are also responsible for selecting new materials for the library's collection. If you know of a book we need to have, or if you find an area where our resources are too limited, let us know and we'll see what we can do.

Instruction Sessions

For faculty, staff, and student organizations, the research services department is happy to organize sessions promoting awareness of library resources and providing instruction on optimal use of those tools. These sessions can be scheduled at any time during the library's hours of operation and are free of charge to the department or group requesting them. To set up a library instruction session, contact your librarian liaison.

Library Assignment Preparation

If you would like your students to become more familiar with the library and its resources, we can help you design an effective assignment that will expose them to what we have to offer and give them valuable experience in using the tools needed to access information. For help with this, please contact your liaison librarian.