Evanston and Chicago Reference Desks

Northwestern University libraries and collections offer walk-in, phone and e-mail reference assistance to help you find answers and direct your research.

All hours given are for the academic year. Exam periods, intersession, holiday, and summer hours may vary. For more information on hours you can check the library's hours page, contact the appropriate reference desk, or call the Main Library at 847-491-7658.

Evanston Campus Reference Desks

Reference, Main Library [1]

phone: (847) 491-7656
email: refdept@northwestern.edu
[2]Ask a librarian [3]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 11:00a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Africana Collection - Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies [4]

phone: (847) 467-3084
email: africana@northwestern.edu [5]
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Art Collection, Eloise W. Martin Reading Room [6]

phone: (847) 491-7484
email: r-clement@northwestern.edu [7]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Government and Geographic Information and Data Services
[8]

phone: (847) 491-3130
email: govinfo@northwestern.edu [9]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mathematics Library - Boas Mathematics Library [10]

phone: (847) 491-7627
email: c-buys@northwestern.edu [11]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday-Friday: 9:30am - 6:00pm

Music Library [12]

phone: (847) 491-3434
email: musiclibrary@northwestern.edu [13]
Reference assistance is available all hours the library is open. The reference desk is located in the Music Library Reading Room.

Science & Engineering Library - Seeley G. Mudd Library for Science & Engineering [14]

phone: (847) 491-3362
email: sel@northwestern.edu [15]
Reference librarians are available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Special Collections - Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections [16]

phone: (847) 491-3635
email: spec@northwestern.edu [17]
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Transportation Library [18]

phone: (847) 491-5273
email: trans@northwestern.edu [19]
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

United Library of the Garrett-Evangelical and Seabury-Western Theological Seminaries (Affiliated library) [20]

phone: (847) 866-3870
email: k-kordesh@Garrett.edu
[21]Reference assistance is available from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (hours may vary)

University Archives [22]

phone: (847) 491-3354
email: archives@northwestern.edu [23]
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

 

Chicago Campus Reference Desks

Health Sciences Library - Galter Health Sciences Library [24]

phone:(312) 503-8109
email: ghsl-ref@northwestern.edu [25]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Law Library - Pritzker Legal Research Center [26]

phone: (312) 503-8451
email: lawlib@northwestern.edu [15]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 midnight
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight

Schaffner Library [27]

phone:(312) 503-8422
email: schaffner-reference@northwestern.edu [28]
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m.
Friday, 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.