Instruction: Reference Services and Sources

Most libraries have a place (online or virtual) where you can get help with using library resources.

There are three main types of reference assistance:

• Assistance or instruction with using the library, including locating materials, using the library catalog, using computers to access information, and using basic reference sources.
• Assistance identifying library materials needed to answer a question.
• Providing brief, factual answers to questions, such as addresses, statistics, phone numbers, etc. that can be quickly located.

We're here to help! Ask your question today.

• Phone: 907-474-7482
• Text: 907-341-4404
• Email: AskRasmusonLibrary@uaf.libanswers.com
• Stop by in person! Come to the Circulation desk on the main level of Rasmuson Library. Check our hours before stopping by.
• View our How Do I pages. 
• Chat! (see below)

• For larger research projects, schedule a research consultation appointment with a librarian. Research consultations are available to UAF students, faculty, researchers, and staff.

Reference sources:

• provide brief facts, statistics, technical instructions, or background information;
• are not scholarly (peer-reviewed).

Although there are thousands of reference resources available, they can be categorized into a handful of groups.

Below is a quick guide for selecting the right type of reference source (Collins, 151):

Reference materials may be general or subject specific. 

• General reference sources include all subjects and present overviews of topics. 
• Subjects specific reference sources provide in-depth coverage on specialized topics.

At Rasmuson Library a majority of our reference resources are online! Use Credo Reference to search hundreds of reference sources at once.

Some of Rasmuson Library's reference books are available in print, but many are available online.

Rasmuson Library subscribes to Credo Reference and Oxford Premium Reference Collection. These databases contain both general and subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, and other reference material. 

Collins, Donald, Diane Catlett, and Bobbie Collins. Libraries and Research: A Practical Approach, 3rd ed. Dubuque. IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1994.

AskRasmusonLibrary@uaf.libanswers.com
Phone: 907-474-7482
Text: 907-341-4404