Reference

Policies

Who may use this service?

This service is intended for the students, faculty, and staff of Mississippi State University; University affiliates; and residents of the state of Mississippi. If you are not affiliated with Mississippi State University or the state of Mississippi, we regret that we cannot reply to your inquiry unless it concerns Mississippi State University or a unique resource of the Mississippi State University Libraries. We encourage you to contact your local university, college, or public library.

Who will receive the question?

Your question will go to the Reference Department and will be handled by librarians and full-time staff, Monday through Friday. If it is best answered by another library department, your question will be forwarded to that department.

What kinds of questions may be asked?

You can ask any brief, factual questions you might ask at a reference desk, such as the following:

• Where should I begin to look for information on the topic of __________? (especially if your needs are pertinent to the Libraries' holdings or networked resources, or if relevant information is available on the Internet)
• I have looked in all the usual places; where else might I look?
• Can you supply me with __________? (an address, a quotation source, a correct citation, an historical fact, a biographical fact, etc.)
• Does the library have a specialist in this (field, language, subject area, service area, etc.) who might be able to help me with __________?

Additionally, you can ask just about anything of a purely factual nature, insofar as it supports research and instruction. We will respond to your question as quickly as possible, resources permitting.

What kinds of requests can not be fulfilled?

• We cannot fulfill any requests that could be copyright infringements (for example, requests for photographs, long sections of text, and so on, to be e-mailed, mailed, or faxed to you). For needs like these, you must come to the library. We will be glad to assist you.
• We cannot fulfill requests requiring an opinion based on the data, such as legal interpretations, medical diagnoses, the financial significance of stock quotes, etc.

You should receive confirmation of your request within 24 hours (Monday-Friday) after submitting the form. If you do not, please contact the Reference Desk at 662-325-7667, or by e-mail at reference@library.msstate.edu.