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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1981)
The Reference Department The new Reference Department brings together the collections and the librarians from the three previous subject divisions (Education-Psychology, Social Science, Humanities) and the Catalog Information Service. This eliminates the duplication of many materials and services. The following services are offered by the new Reference Department: Reference Assistance Surrounding the reference desk is a collection of more than 20,000 reference books. These include dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, periodical indexes, bibliographies, and other resources. The librarians can show you which materials to use to answer your specific questions. They can also help you choose and use periodical indexes that cover the subjects on which you are working. Though any librarian at the desk has the background to help you with general questions, most librarians also have advanced knowledge and experience in special subject areas, such as psychology or business. If you are doing detailed or advanced work, you may want to ask for an appointment with the subject specialist in your area. Sometimes it gets pretty hectic around the reference desk—especially around term paper time. To make sure you get the help you need, the reference staff offers a term paper advisory service. Sign up at the reference desk for an appointment with one of the reference librarians. You and the librarian will discuss your topic and which subject headings, reference books, and indexes will be most helpful to you. You are responsible for doing the research yourself, but this service will get you started. Catalog Assistance Questions you used to ask at the Catalog Information Service Desk should now be taken to the reference desk. Reference librarians will explain how to use the card and microfiche catalogs, suggest subject headings to use, and tell you how to locate books you find listed in the catalogs. Card Catalogs ho Inter-Library Loan T1 3 Catalog Department 1 r 6 Computer Search 11 Juvenile Collection 7 Curriculum Collection r C 13 Circulation /Information 1 Acquisitions t i i rd | 13 Newspaper Reading Room P 8 ERIC Clearinghouse I 12 Library Administration <—- i I LJJ Library Main Entrance Computer Searches Do you have many indexes to search, or is your topic a complicated one which is hard to find in printed indexes? If so, you might consider requesting a computer search on your topic. The computer can search many of the indexes in the Library. By combining search terms, it can often help you use these indexes more efficiently. To schedule a computer search, go to the reference desk. Request a search form, fill it out, and make an appointment with a subject specialist to run the search. The average cost for a search is $5-$25. The cost depends on which indexes you search, the complexity of your search strategy, and the number of references you have printed. Reference librarians can provide more information on computer searching. Government Documents Though the Government Documents Section is still in its old location on the second floor, it is now a part of the Reference Department. This section contains publications of the United States government, the United Nations, various state and foreign governments, and international organizations. Special indexes to these materials are available in this section, and librarians and staff who specialize in government documents are available to help you. Bibliographic Instruction The Library sponsors several courses which carry University credit. The most popular is LIB 127, Use of the Library, a three-credit general course which helps students in any field learn to use the Library effectively. LIB 199, Use of Business and Economics Library Resources, is a three-credit course which teaches basic library skills but takes all of its examples from the fields of business and economics. LIB 407g, Teaching with Audio-Visual Media, is taught by the Instructional Media Center staff. For more information on Library-sponsored courses, consult the Time Schedule of Classes or the reference staff. Interlibrary Loan if the Library doesn’t have a book or journal you need, you may be able to borrow it from another library. The reference or interlibrary loan staff can help you fill out request forms. Be sure to plan ahead, though, for materials may take two weeks or longer to arrive.
