The instruction is provided by a professional librarian on the Library faculty. It is a normal part of all English 101 and 102 classes and a number of other courses. The instruction can be tailored to meet the needs and requirements of individual instructors. Normally an instruction session will include a lecture supplemented by a detailed booklet made available to each student that outlines basic research strategy. A tour of the library that highlights specific items individual classes will need is also included.
Great emphasis is given to familiarizing students with methods of electronic data retrieval.
Following formal instruction sessions, one on one assistance is available to those students who require additional assistance in completing their assignments. Faculty members or others wishing to arrange a bibliographical instruction session may call the Director or the Assistant Librarian of Public Services. The collection consists of both print and non-print materials that are housed in various locations to how they are most frequently used. Inclusion of items in the basic core collection is based on the Library's Collection Development Policy. The Reference Collection, housed on the main floor, contains items that most likely would be referred to quickly in order to access general information, such as general and specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, manuals, and directories.