Most people avoid it like the plague, but Founders Memorial Library can be a useful tool for students. With librarians readily available around just about every corner, Founders has some secrets many students may not know about.

What students have to say

“I’ve only used the library for the Internet,” said Shureice Kornegay, a junior anthropology major. “Everybody has computers at home now so you can always get info off the net. It’s kind of hard to get to the library sometimes.”

While it is true that most students have personal computers and Internet access, researching at the library has clear advantages. Not only is the information more reliable than the notoriously sketchy Net, the library also staffs around 30 librarians who are ready and willing to assist students in their researching needs.

“I have had pretty good experiences with the services at the library,” said Nathan Zastoupil, a senior art major. “People were more than willing to help me out. The library employees are very friendly people to work with when you need help in a research project.”

What librarians have to say

Librarians are not just shrewish bookworms whose lives revolve around due dates and hushing students. In fact, they are some serious smarties.

“Many students are not aware that librarians are tenure-tracked faculty members,” said Byron Anderson, head of Reference. “Librarians are in the ‘publish or perish’ category required for tenure and promotion. The education required is a minimum of two master’s degrees, one being mandatory ­— a Master’s in Library Science — and a second Master’s degree in any subject. These must be from an accredited university. A number of librarians have a Ph.D.”

It’s not too difficult to find someone for help either. Library staffs at the information desk are employed to assist students and can easily point them in the right direction. Librarians at the reference desk can answer more in-depth questions.

“Our primary duty is to do our best to meet the information needs of any and all who need assistance either in person, online or by telephone,” Anderson said. “Anyone with an information need can make use of the library’s services.”

Along with general help, many of the university’s librarians are experts in their chosen fields. A list of all the librarians and their fields of expertise can be found online at the library’s Web site.

Students also can e-mail their questions through the site and have them answered by selecting the “Ask-a-Librarian” option.

“The home page has an Ask-a-Librarian e-mail service and responses are within 48 hours,” Anderson said. “We will soon initiate a new instant messaging service for those needing or wanting a fast response.”

Special Features

For those who don’t want to brave the elements and make the trip to the library, many of its resources care viewable online through the library’s Internet database.

“That’s actually easier to use than actually going to the library” Kornegay said. “They have these online articles that you can go and check out. I probably use it once or twice a month.”