Reference Desks

The following libraries and library departments offer walk-in, phone and e-mail reference assistance to help you find answers and direct your research. The hours given are for the academic year. Exam period, intersession, holiday, and summer hours may vary.

Evanston Campus

Reference Department, Main Library

847-491-7656
refdept@northwestern.edu
Chat online with a librarian
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - midnight

Africana Collection - Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies

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

Art Collection, Eloise W. Martin Reading Room

847-491-7484
r-clement@northwestern.edu
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 Department

847-491-3130
govinfo@northwestern.edu
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mathematics Library - Boas Mathematics Library

847-491-7627
c-buys@northwestern.edu
Reference assistance is available:
Monday-Friday: 9:30am - 6:00pm

Music Library

847-491-3297
musiclibrary@northwestern.edu
Reference assistance is available:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Science & Engineering Library - Seeley G. Mudd Library for Science & Engineering

847-491-3362
sel@northwestern.edu
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

847-491-3635
spec@northwestern.edu
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Transportation Library

847-491-5273
trans@northwestern.edu
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)

847-866-3910
dhimrod@northwestern.edu
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

847-491-3354
archives@northwestern.edu
Reference assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday