6 things you should consider asking a librarian
When it comes to class assignments and research, asking a librarian is the ultimate hack. They can help you at all phases of the process. Librarians are available in-person at the Ask a Librarian desk in Norlin Library, virtually via chat, email or phone, or through one-on-one, pre-scheduled consultations.
Here are six things you should consider asking a librarian while working on your next assignment.
1. How do I get started with finding resources for my assignments?
Research is a skill and it is OK and normal to not know where to begin. Librarians are here to help you throughout the full process—from choosing your topic, developing your search terms, using search tools, finding relevant items and more.
2. Can you help me find a specific item?
If you are looking for a particular book or article and not having any luck with our databases or catalog, librarians can help you track it down, whether it is accessible in our collections or through other libraries. Services like Interlibrary Loan and Prospector allow us to ask partner libraries to send us physical or digital materials. We may even purchase the item for you and add it to our collection.
3. How do I ensure my sources are relevant and trustworthy?
Teaching information literacy is a core commitment of libraries. Librarians can give you the toolset to make sure you are using accurate, reliable and timely information in your research.
4. What is the right way to cite my sources?
Citing your sources is an important part of any research paper or presentation. For many it can be confusing or complex due to various citation styles. Librarians can advise on and suggest tools for doing this correctly.
5. How do I manage and understand all the data I collected?
Librarians in the Center for Research Data and Digital Scholarship (CRDDS) can help you with research data management, an important component involved in each step of the research process. They also offer support for digital scholarship—such as data analysis and visualization—through their many workshops and open consultation hours.
6. Where can I find videos and images?
Whether you are assigned to watch a video for your class or you need to use visual media for your assignments, librarians can help you find and access this content in our various databases as well as point you toward fair use and copyright guidelines.
