Government Information Department Reference Services

Reference

Reference assistance for government publications, maps, data, and other collections in the department is primarily provided at the reference desk in the department. The Government Information reference desk is staffed at all times the department is open. The staff also provides assistance via phone and email. It is also possible to make appointments with librarians for in-depth research consultation.

Gov Info staff can guide you to the book, periodical, or map you may need, or help you get started on searching NUCat for a publication, the right Internet resource, or CD-ROM. They can offer suggestions on gathering materials for a specific topic and can assist you with the use of materials.

Instruction

As a part of reference service, members of the department instruct individuals on how to best identify, access, and evaluate relevant information resources. In addition to this one-on-one instruction, the department’s librarians are available to provide instruction sessions about collection resources to classes or other subject or discipline-oriented groups. Content of these sessions can range from general overviews to in-depth explorations of resources available in a particular discipline or on a specific subject. For information about this service, contact the Gov Info.

Tours and Information Sessions

Wondering what government information is about? Curious about what types of publications and documents that we have to offer? So why not set up an individual or group tour of the U.S. Federal Documents Collection or a information session on a particular subject area of the Collection. Sessions are no more than an hour and are by appointment Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

*Please note Tours and Information Sessions are limited to the Northwestern University Community members and should be scheduled a minimum of 3 days in advance.