Peer Reference Assistants Training Guide

Ready Reference contains print books that you might need to answer some common questions. These books live on the shelves inside the Research Help Desk, where you can reach them quickly if you need them.

Expect to find the manual for major citation styles here, as well as the latest version of the DSM (which Psych students use to look up the official classification of mental disorders), plus a handful of other things.

Ready-reference books: These books are available for in-library use only. 

While the book is in use, the card (indicating the date and time borrowed) should be kept at the desk in the wooden basket. 

1. Have the borrower fill out a Ready Reference Check-Out slip, which should be paper clipped to the card while the book is away from the desk.
2. When the book is returned, return the card to the book and re-shelve in Ready Reference. 
3. The Ready Reference Check-Out slip should be destroyed once the book is returned to protect patron privacy. 

If a book is not returned, the date and other information on the Ready Reference Check-Out slip will be important in determining whether the book is missing or in use and who needs to be contacted if the item is not returned. 

Out-of-library use: Ready Reference materials do not circulate outside the library except with permission from the Assistant Library Director. When permission is granted, materials are generally signed out for overnight or weekend use.