REFERENCE SERVICES IN ELLIS LIBRARY

Description of reference services

Ellis Library offers reference services in the social sciences, sciences, humanities, and Special Collections. Research librarians staff the main reference desk (573-882-4581) on weekdays, plus evening and weekend hours during the semester. Hours sometimes vary from semester to semester. Faculty may refer students to the reference desk for consultation with subject librarians on specific topics.

Description of the reference area

The bulk of the reference book collection is located in the central area of Ellis Library's first floor. A selection of the most frequently-used reference books are kept in Ready Reference counter-high shelving units located behind the Reference Desk in 1 South. The MERLIN Catalog tells whether any reference book is located in the regular reference stacks or in Ready Reference. The reference collection includes standard sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks as well as specialized sources such as telephone directories and college catalogs on microfiche. Reference materials do not circulate.

The reference collection also includes CD-ROM databases installed on computers in the far southeast corner of the first floor.

Contact a specific research librarian

If you would like to contact a specific research librarian to ask a question, request the purchase of a book, or for some other reason, here is a list of research librarians.