Library

Reference & Instruction

Reference

The Reference Department offers a wide variety of services to assist students, faculty, staff and alumni. Reference service is available for all patrons at the Joliet campus main library facility

Reference staff are available at the reference desk to share their expertise and help researchers:

For in-depth research needs, patrons may schedule a one-on-one session with a reference librarian simply by calling the reference desk (815-740-5041).

Reference service is also available via telephone. Librarians can provide all of the same services over the telephone as they can in-person. Reference librarians at the main library can be reached every hour that the library is open at 815-740-5041 locally and 800-726-6500 outside of the area.

The Reference Department also offers electronic reference in the form of e-mail. Patrons can email the department directly at refdesk@stfrancis.edu or fill out an electronic form (click here). Electronic reference works best for short informational or directional questions. In-depth or complex questions are best handled in-person or over the telephone where librarians can interact directly with the patron. Answers to questions submitted electronically can be expected within 24 hours (longer response times should be expected when the library is closed for holidays, breaks, etc.).

Instruction

The role of the reference department has also expanded into a teaching capacity. Reference librarians choose many ways to share their knowledge in order to help patrons become more self-sufficient information seekers. To this end, the USF reference department offers a variety of methods to share information. Handouts that explain the use of electronic resources including the online databases and the online catalog are available both in the library and online (click here). Resource guides which give researchers ideas for resources that they might consider using are also available on the library web site (click here). Each encounter with a patron is looked upon by reference librarians as a chance to instruct.

More formalized instruction is also offered by the department. Librarians are available to speak to classes or groups about library resources and how they fit into the class or the specific assignment. Librarians will work with faculty members to customize the presentations to the needs of the class. Anything from a simple library tour to an assignment designed collaboratively between the faculty member and the librarian can be arranged. Instruction sessions can be arranged by calling the reference desk (740-5041), filling out a request form at the reference desk or by filling out an online request form (click here). Click here to see some possibilities for instruction sessions, but keep in mind that this service is completely customizable.