Reference & Instructional Services
The Research Desk in the Public Services Department plays an active role in the intellectual life of the campus by facilitating the research process. We believe in the importance of developing critical thinking skills and mastering the research process as integral parts of the educational experience, and assist users in developing these skills.
- Assist users in learning how to effectively use the Cofrin Library Catalog, print collections, and electronic resources to conduct research.
- Assist in verifying whether the library owns a particular item.
- Assist users in identifying appropriate search terms.
- Assist users in developing a research strategy.
- Assist users in choosing the most useful databases for their research
- Assist users in evaluating search results.
- Assist users in refining their research strategy.
- Make referrals to other libraries and organizations for materials not owned by the Cofrin Library.
- Assist users with our specialized collections, including our federal documents depository collection , State of Wisconsin documents collections, and map collection.
Assistance is provided to individuals through one-on-one research desk service. The library instruction program provides assistance to groups through presentations and hands-on exercises. Consultation services are also available for the faculty in developing effective library assignments for their classes.