Welcome to the library: reference department

Myshara Whittington

Anchor Contributor

Have you ever needed help with a research project and not known who to go to? James Adams Library’s reference department is your go-to for finding resources. 

The reference department helps you with research. There are different levels of reference. Are you looking for a book? Or do you need to know where something is in the library or on campus? The reference department has you covered. Students at the main desk can assist you. They can even help you find some sources for your paper. 

Do you have more in-depth questions such as needing a specific type of source for a project or needing to know how to limit your search results to find exactly what you need? Find a reference librarian in the Reference Workroom Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. If one is not available, you can schedule a research appointment. 

Image by Anchor Staff

Our reference librarians are also liaison librarians, meaning they have expertise in certain subjects. The following reference librarians specialize in the specified subjects. 

• Dragan Gill: Africana studies, anthropology and justice studies 

• Charlie Fitzpatrick: Biology, nursing and chemistry 

• Todd Seguin: Art, communications, english and theater 

All reference librarians can help you with your projects, but if you study these subjects and need specific help in these areas, these are the subject librarians for you. Check out the subject librarian page to see what other subjects the librarians focus on. 

Reference Librarians are also in charge of making library guides or LibGuides for short. Many types of LibGuides can be found under Guides on the Student tab. There are course guides, subject guides and more. There are twenty-seven subject guides. These guides include recommended research databases for different subjects. Check out the subject guide list and you may find your subject there. You can also see the library’s A-Z database list to see those sources and more.

 We hope to see you soon!