Users will approach Student Assistants with a wide range of questions. It is important that you know how to answer them accurately, direct users to the correct location, and refer users to the appropriate person or office.

Using library search tools to answer questions

Watch these quick videos for an introduction to our most frequently used search tools and strategies:

• Library Research 101: Search strategies
• Library Research 101: Source types
• Library Research 101: Expanding your search results
• Library Research 101: Narrowing your search results
• Start searching in EDS
• Search for books and more in IUCAT
• Databases A to Z
• Searching for scholarly articles

Remember: all research questions must be referred to a librarian, either at the Research Help Desk, via chat on Teams, or through the Contact Request Form. If the question is relevant to your major and you feel confident in how you would start to search, you can show them some quick tips to get started. However, you must always follow that up with a referral to a librarian.

More sources for FAQs

Remember that the library website is a great tool for finding answers to user questions. Here are some helpful starting points for FAQs:

• Library hours
• Library policies
• Research guides: created by IU Kokomo librarians to help users start their research for specific topics or courses
• Faculty resources: links, forms, and information most frequently used by faculty (for these questions, you must also make a referral to a librarian)

Referrals

Many of the questions you are asked at the desk will need to be referred to someone from the library faculty or staff. In order to provide friendly and accurate referrals, you will complete this Contact Request Form in Qualtrics.

To complete this form, you will need to:

• Ask for the user’s name and email address
• Ask (if necessary) if the user is a student, faculty/staff, or community user
• Use the provided information to determine to whom you should refer the user
• Provide a brief description of the user’s question

The results of this form will be emailed to both the user and the faculty or staff to whom the question was referred.

Do not hesitate to fill out this form, even if you think that you have provided the user with a satisfactory response. Try asking the user, “Would you like someone from the library to follow up with you on this?”

Remember to still record the question in LibInsight when you are done working with the user.

Questions about Archives & Special Collections

The IU Kokomo Library is home to the Campus Archives and Special Collections. These are closed, non-circulating collections maintained by the Information Services Librarian & Archivist. Please follow the steps below for these referrals:

• If an IU Kokomo employee wants to drop off something for the Archives:
  • Ask them to complete the archives deposit form (located in the desk drawers)
  • Leave the completed form and materials in the Information Services Librarian & Archivist’s mailbox or on the table in KA 140
• If any user wants to access an item in the Special Collections Room:
  • If the Information Services Librarian & Archivist is available on-site, call their office.
  • If the Information Services Librarian & Archivist is not available on-site, explain that this is a closed collection and complete the Contact Request Form.
• If a user has questions about the Archives or Special Collections:
  • If the Information Services Librarian & Archivist is available on-site, call their office.
  • If the Information Services Librarian & Archivist is not available on-site, provide the archives info sheet (located in the desk drawers) and complete the Contact Request Form.