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

phone: (847) 491-7487
email: s-stigberg@northwestern.edu
Ask a librarian
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

phone: (847) 467-3084
email: 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

phone: (847) 491-7484
email: 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

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

Mathematics Library - Boas Mathematics Library

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

Music Library

phone: (847) 491-3434
email: musiclibrary@northwestern.edu
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

phone: (847) 491-3362
email: 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

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

Transportation Library

phone: (847) 491-5273
email: 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)

phone: (847) 866-3870
email: k-kordesh@Garrett.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

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

Ask a Librarian