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1700 E. Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21251
Phone: 443-885-3450
E-Mail: lib.ref@morgan.edu; First Floor: Room 119
Charlotte Sloan, Documents Librarian
Thomas Skelding, Assistant Reference/Documents Librarian
Elaine Tsubota, Part-time Reference Librarian
Other staff and contractual librarians provide service at the Reference Desk:
Strephon Johnson, Associate Director, Public Services
Sharon, Mollock, Multimedia Librarian
Edith Murungi, Asst. Special Collections Librarian
Vera Fattah, Contractual Librarian
Deena Smith, Contractual Librarian
Introduction
The primary purposes of the Reference Department are to assist patrons in finding
information, to make information referrals, and to instruct patrons in the use of various
library research resources. Referrals can be to other libraries or sources of
information or to other departments within the Library. Instruction is both by one-on-one
encounters with a Reference Librarian and through formal library instruction classes.
Two service areas are covered by the Reference Department. These are the Reference Room and
the Government Documents Room.
Since the Library serves a teaching institution, the service emphasis is
on instructing patrons to become independent and skilled researchers for life-long learning.
Consequently, much instruction, direction, and guidance are given at the two Reference service
desks, located in the Reference Room and in the Government Documents Room. With its emphasis on
instruction and its limited staff, the Department does not engage in individual research for patrons.
Exceptions are made, on a case by case basis, for university administrators and faculty.
As an aid to patrons in finding information and in using some of the electronic resources,
the Reference Department makes available bibliographies and other handouts. These are kept primarily
on literature stands just inside the two doors to the Reference Room.
Reference Desk
The Reference Desk is located within the Reference Room, which is behind the elevators on the First
Floor. Corridors on either side of the elevators lead to the Reference Room. The Room is open during
all hours that the Library is open. The Reference Desk is staffed by a professional librarian; this is
where a patron may seek help in finding or using information resources, including the Library's online catalog. The Reference Desk is left
unattended at times-most likely when instructional classes or tours are being conducted in the evenings and during the
weekends.
The occasions when the Reference Desk is unattended are usually no longer than one-half to one hour
at a time.
Telephone Reference
Telephone reference service (443-885-3450) is intended for brief and readily answered inquiries or
referrals. The librarian on duty will check up to five titles for availability, as time permits.
However, the Library's collections are on a first-come, first-served basis. In general, books,
periodicals, and other materials are not pulled for patrons. Generally, subject searches are not
done, other than to confirm whether the Library has any titles under a given subject or to
suggest available databases or other reference sources the patron may check.
Tours & Information Literacy Instruction
Faculty members may request library tours and instructional sessions for their
classes by calling the Reference Librarian (x3450). Two weeks notice is requested
and classes are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Both orientation and subject-specific
classes are conducted. Most of the orientation sessions are scheduled as part of the
regular freshman orientation classes in the different schools and colleges. Most
instructional classes are conducted in the Parren J. Mitchell Seminar Room, Room 218.
Tours are often limited to the beginning of each semester, when groups of students being
conducted through the Library are least likely to disturb others involved in study and research.
Reference Room materials consist of general and specialized dictionaries and
encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks, bibliographies, directories, indexes, statistical
sources, biographical sources, guides to the literature, and other materials generally
referred to for facts, background information, or directions to other sources of
information. These materials are, for the most part, on open shelves in call number
order. Several categories of materials are housed separately (out of call number
sequence) within the room. Their separate locations are noted in the online catalog. These separate
categories are:
- Ready Reference Materials
Some of the more frequently used titles are kept
at the Reference Desk. These include literary, medical, name, and mythology
dictionaries; style manuals; resume guides; and some African-American biographical
and literary sources. Other Ready Reference sources include copies of Morgan's
latest graduate and undergraduate catalogs and copies of catalogs of some Maryland and historically black colleges and universities.
- Biographical Sources
Some of the more-used biographical sources are shelved
together on the bookcases between the two Reference Room doors. These include
Who's Who in America, Who's Who Among African Americans, Dictionary of Literary
Biography, and Contemporary Authors.
- Atlases
Most of the larger atlases are kept in the four atlas stands. Three are against the
windowed wall and the fourth is by the north door to the room.
- Indexes
Some of the more popular indexes are kept on the index table in the middle
of the room. These include Index to Black Periodicals, Biography Index, and
Essay and General Literature Index.
- English Language Dictionaries & Thesauri
These are kept on a table in the middle of the room, next of the index table. The Oxford English
Dictionary is kept in two carrels against the windowed wall.
- Law Books (LC Class K)
Reference Room law books are housed in the small annex off the northeast corner of
the room.
Reference Room materials must be used in the Reference Room; no Reference materials
are circulated for use outside of the Reference Room.
A patron must present a valid photo identification card in order to remove material
from the room for photocopying. A valid photo ID is also needed for use of the Ready
Reference materials and for use of vertical file materials housed in the large filing cabinets.
The file materials consist of unclassified (i.e., without call numbers) materials, such as
street maps, corporation annual reports, newspaper clippings, and pamphlets.
The Reference Librarian on duty retrieves such file materials for a patron.
Materials signed for upon presentation of a valid photo ID at the Reference
Desk that are not returned to the Reference Desk that day are deemed overdue.
In addition to regular library overdue fines, a patron may be subject to additional
fines and penalties, including loss of library privileges. There is no grace
period for overdue Reference materials.
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