There are sources in the Reference Department that will help you choose and understand a topic, narrow it down, and provide you with the terms you need to look up more information. Concept Define relevant terms. Find key words used in that discipline. Check subject encyclopedias, news summaries, textbooks, vertical file pamphlets. Ask a librarian.
Determine information needs.
The Reference Department is a good place to start your search for information. The librarians there can suggest sources of information and research strategies which may help you in your work. The reference librarians will assist you in using the library's computerized and card catalogs , show you relevant publications in the Reference Department, and suggest other areas of the library that are likely to contain resources useful to you. The Reference Department houses many different types of publications, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs, directories, atlases, statistical compilations, and bibliographies. The department also contains a large collection of pamphlets and graduate school catalogs.