Reference librarians are available to assist library users
in finding and evaluating information.
Reference & Research Help Desks
Help in using the Libraries and their resources, print and
electronic, is offered at the Info & Research Help Desk in the Robert L. Carothers Library & Learning Commons in Kingston, the URI
Providence Campus Library, and the Pell Marine Science Library.
Answers to specific questions which can be found in
standard reference sources are also provided.
Reference librarians
also provide assistance through two major instant messaging programs. On AIM and Yahoo!, the screen name is URILibrarian.
Reference & Research Help Phone
Numbers
Robert L. Carothers Library & Learning Commons, Kingston • (401) 874-2653 •
Hours |
CCE Library, Providence • (401) 277-5130 •
Hours |
Pell Library, Narragansett • (401) 874-6161 •
Hours |
Hearing-impaired users may reach any
Reference Desk through the Rhode Island Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711 or
1-800-745-5555 (TTY).
Library orientations and instruction
Reference librarians offer library
orientations and “bibliographic instruction” — sessions on methods of
research, sources of information, and the evaluation of information. For more information, please
see the Instruction Services page.
Library User Guides
Reference librarians also create User Guides to electronic databases and other Library
materials.
Access to other libraries and their collections
If a library user needs a resource not owned by the URI
Libraries or other libraries in the HELIN Consortium, a reference
librarian can assist the user in determining which libraries have the resource.
When appropriate, the reference librarian will give the
library user a letter of introduction to the other library. (Many libraries require such a
letter for access, for example Brown University libraries or Roger Williams Law Library.)
Alternately, a reference librarian will instruct the
library user in requesting the material through the Library’s Interlibrary Loan service.
Faculty and professional staff on
continuing appointment may apply for a Consortium of Rhode Island Academic and Research Libraries (CRIARL)
borrowing card. Please see the CRIARL Borrowing Card Policy for
details.
Reference Student Assistants
Each semester the Reference Unit in the University Library,
Kingston, employs a number of graduate students from the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies.
Reference Student Assistants assist in providing reference services, in teaching library
instruction and information literacy, and with other projects as assigned. Students who
are interested in employment as a Graduate Student Assistant should contact Robin
Devin at rdevin@uri.edu or (401) 874-2128.
Contact information
The Head of Reference in Kingston is Robin Devin. She can
be reached by e-mail at rdevin@uri.edu or by
telephone at (401) 874-2128. For more information about reference services at CCE, please
contact Joanna Burkhardt at (401) 277-5133 or jburkhardt@uri.edu.
For reference services at the Pell Library, call (401) 874-6161.
