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Reference

Information about the J. W. Martin Library.

The Reference Department is on hand to direct you to what you need in the library, answer questions of fact, or assist with research.

The Reference Collection

The reference collection contains compendia such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauri, and atlases.

Reference area on the west side of the library.
The reference section of the J. W. Martin Library.

Unlike other books in the library, reference books do not circulate (that means they can’t be checked out).

The reference books are grouped together in the J. W. Martin Library’s west wing and arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System. Every reference book has Ref. in front of its call number.

Close-up of call numbers and blue reference stickers.
Call numbers on the spines of reference books.

The Reference Librarian

The Research and Instructional Services Librarian is in charge of the Reference Department.

The current research librarian is Douglas Davidson. You can contact him by phone or email:

Office Hours

The research librarian is typically in his office on the ground floor of the J. W. Martin Library from to

Contact Form

Fill out this form to send a question to the Reference Department. Remember, the more details you provide, the more quickly our librarians can help you.