Librarian research help

The library offers a range of services designed to assist faculty with their research questions.

• This includes a range of reference services:
  
• • In-person research help services at the research or reference desks in Scott, Steacie Science & Engineering, Bronfman Business, Frost and Osgoode Law Libraries during Reference hours.
  • E-mail reference services
    
    
  • Online chat with a librarian

Research Services Tailored to Faculty

In addition to reference services, faculty should be aware of some specific services available to help them with the kinds of specialized or advanced research queries they are likely to have as follows:

• A liaison librarian works with an academic unit (e.g., a department or faculty) to ensure that the library-related needs (around research, teaching, and collections) of the unit’s faculty members and graduate students are addressed. Units differ in their cultures and traditions, so the details of a library liaison relationship will vary, but please feel free to contact your liaison librarian with any library-related question or concern.
• Subject librarians are available by appointment to assist graduate students with their research.

Requests for Library Statements and Reports

Your liaison librarian will be pleased to provide reports and memoranda to support program reviews or proposals for new courses and programs. To help us to provide the documentation that you need, we offer the following recommendations:

• A librarian will need some time to consider how well the Libraries¿ collections can support a new course or program, especially when, as with program proposals, it may be necessary to consult or involve other librarians. We recommend 2 weeks notice for a course proposal library statement and a month for a library statement for a program proposal.
  
• Library reports to accompany self-study reports for program reviews or accreditation processes often require the assembling of a significant amount of information on York (and even other) library collections that may in itself require the contributions of various people in the Libraries. We recommend that, whenever possible, 2 months¿ notice be given your liaison librarian.
  
• Please be sure, in all cases, to note the date by which you need to have the library statement or report.
  
• In your request for a library statement or report, please indicate to whom a copy of the statement or report should be sent.
  
• It is very helpful for librarians to receive course and program proposals by e-mail rather than in hardcopy. This is because they can more easily be shared with any other library staff who may need to be involved. As well, this can facilitate the reviewing of a reading list that may be a part of the proposal.
  
• It is very helpful for librarians to be able to send their statements supporting course and program proposals by e-mail as an attached memorandum. This will facilitate a more rapid turnaround time for a library statement.