Referral Guidelines

  • Refer subject questions that are beyond the baseline expertise training provided at the desk and not related to your desk's subject areas to the appropriate reference desk.  
  • The baseline level of support (and training) for subjects is determined by the reference desk staff within each area so refer subject specific questions to Wilson, Sci/Eng, Magrath, and HSL and let them answer and/or refer questions that require deeper subject expertise to specialized e-mails (busref or mapref,  for example) or individuals.
  • Tricky questions (those that don't clearly fit into a particular desks purview) are referred to Wilson Reference.  
    • Procedures for some historically complicated questions (salary questions, for example -check the libraries FAQ for the step-by-step procedures) are or will be documented and any regular reference staff member should answer these questions.
    • All regular reference staff will get MKeys and will be provided with the procedures for reviewing permission flags....another typically tricky question.  Staff who only work one or two reference shifts may not receive MKeys and will need to consult with other staff at their desk for assistance with these questions or leave them for another desk to claim.
  • We typically answer questions that can be answered in MNCAT, WorldCat, verify citations, or suggest library services. Staff can use their specialized knowledge, template answers, phone contacts in the libraries, or information from previous answers to answer general questions and should refer those that require more specialized expertise.

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