6 Tips to get help from your Librarian for your Research

Librarians can help researchers tremendously. They can provide guidance on the basics of literature or even do it for you. They can provide you with statistics or data points which is learned from their years of experience. So below are 6 tips that you can use to get the much-needed help!

Start at the beginning: Contact your librarians at the beginning of your research so you benefit from their help and they are pleased that you have come to them first. Librarians really like to feel they’re being helpful – this is true for any professional in fact.

Librarians are well informed:  Most of the librarians are highly qualified and are experienced researchers. They know what it is to do research. They are well read and may know the field you are researching. They may be able to provide information about the published researchers in the field.

Ask for Help: Most of the large universities and academic institutions will have a team of trained library staff and they will be happy to help. They will understand just because you are now a researcher, you need not necessarily be self-sufficient. But if you go with absolutely no idea, they may feel that you are not serious.

Make an appointment: Whether you know it or not, Librarians are busy people. Showing respect to their needs and valuing their time, will take you a long way. It is ideal if you ask them for an appointment or at least go at a comparatively quiet time to seek help.

Respect their rules: Show your appreciation by thanking them for their time and guidance. For example, knowing a librarian can allow you a bonus / special loan of a book. Ensure you return it on time. Librarians tend to like people who abide by the rules and have a love for books.

Be Honest, Ask for Help: If you are ignorant about using libraries or any aspect of research, be honest about it and seek help. If a librarian takes you under his/her wings, he may even connect you to someone who could help you with your research.