Email librefAbout
Services | Spaces | Collections
Services
The Reference Services Department office is located on the first floor in the east tower of the Herman B Wells Library, on the southwest corner of Tenth Street and Jordan Avenue.
Reference Services staff include librarians, professional staff, support staff and graduate student hourly staff.We work together, consult with librarian subject specialists, library administrators as well as with other IU offices and with experts in the community.If we cannot provide an answer to a question, we will always try to refer you to the resource or individual we think may be able to provide the needed information.
The reference desk is staffed during regular library hours.
Ask
In Person: at the Wells Library east tower reference desk, at the Wells Library Information Commons, or at a branch/subject library
Telephone: 812-855-8028
E-mail: libref@indiana.edu
IM/Chat: Ask a Librarian
Text: 812-671-0275
The Reference Services Department offers library services in the Wells Library Information Commons.The IC is open 24/7 with only 3 exceptions (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day).
Spaces
Reference Area
The Reference area just in front of the east tower Reference Desk is a limited talking area. Use of library resources may require library staff assistance, instruction and/or consultation. Personal conversations and extended talking are not appropriate.
A few print indexes such as the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature, the New York Times index as well as a set of the LOEB classics are shelved in this area.
Equipment located in this area for patron use: Library workstations with internet access and the Microsoft office suite; scanners for digitization; printers.
Covered drinks are allowed. Food of any kind is prohibited. Recycle bins and trash bins are conveniently located.
Reference Reading Room
The Reference Reading Room in the east tower is a quiet area. Use is reserved for individual research and study with library materials. No study groups.
Covered drinks are allowed. Food of any kind is prohibited. Recycle bins and trash bins are conveniently located in the reference area just outside the reading room.
Information Commons
The Information Commons, located in the west tower of the Wells Library, houses a variety of study space.
The first, fourth and fifth floors are group study areas. Talking in normal conversational tones is permitted as appropriate for collaboration and small group (2-8) discussion. Large groups (more than 8), loud talking and other disruptive behavior is not appropriate. Work on class projects, tutoring and joint use of library materials is encouraged.
The second and third floors of the west tower are quiet areas. Use is reserved for individual research and study. No study groups.
Covered drinks are allowed. Recycle bins and trash bins are conveniently located on all floors in the IC.
Collections
Reference Collection
The Reference Collection is shelved in the Reference Reading Room (Wells east tower) next to the reference desk. A small part of this collection is shelved behind the reference desk. Standard reference works such as dictionaries, general and specialized encyclopedias, atlases and more are shelved here. These books cannot be checked out.
Electronic Books and Resources are mostly integrated into our collections. You can search IUCat, the Libraries’ catalog for titles. The Virtual Reference Room is a good place to start exploring e-resources.
Wells Library Current Periodicals Collection
The Current Periodicals Collection is located in the Reference Reading Room (Wells east tower). It is to the right as you enter the Reading Room. Current issues of periodicals and newspapers on subscription for the Wells Library are shelved alphabetically by title. Periodicals are grouped by Roman alphabet, Cyrillic (Slavic/East European), C/J/K (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), and Arabic, Persian, Hebrew alphabets. Some major newspapers from the United States and around the world are also available. These materials cannot be checked out.
See the Current Periodicals Frequently Asked Questions for more information about this collection’s holdings and policies.
IU Collection
The IU Collection contains an almost complete run of the IU yearbook (the Arbutus) as well as some histories of IU and other books related to the university. Note that the University Archives is located on the Wells Library 4th floor and provides access to a wealth of information about IU. These books cannot be checked out.
Core Collection
The Core Collection is shelved on the 2nd & 3rd floors of the IC (Wells west tower). These books can be checked out for two weeks.
Career Collection
The Career Collection contains books with information about careers, graduate school, standardized tests (MCAT, LSAT, etc.) and is located on the 1st floor of the IC (Wells west tower). Consult the Libraries’ Career Information Web page for more career-related resources. These books can be checked out for three days.
Browsing Collection
The Browsing Collection of paperback books for recreational reading is shelved on the 1st floor of the IC (Wells west tower). These books can be checked out for two weeks.
