Getting an early start on your research allows time for you to refine your topic, consult your professor for help or clarification, obtain materials from other libraries if necessary, or find the needed materials in the UMD Library before they are checked out by other students. Electronic resources, which are prevalent in the library, at times can be unavailable due to telecommunication problems, equipment breakdowns, network traffic, or system upgrades. Avoid the last-minute rush and frustration by doing your research early. Everyone who works in the library is a reference librarian. Just as not everyone who works at a hospital is a doctor, not everyone who works in the library is a reference librarian.
Reference librarians are professionals who assist library users with their research.
The reference librarians at UMD all have Master's degrees in library science, and their training and experience qualifies them as the source for help with your research. When you need help with research, go to the Reference Desk. ANY five sources Professors will often require a minimum number of sources for a paper, but you should not think of your research materials simply by quantity. Because there is so much information available, it is important to take the time and effort needed to select those sources that are most appropriate for your project. Usually, you need to check the library's catalog to see if indeed the library owns the item for which you are looking.