Reference Service Policy

While the staff of the Augusta Memorial Public Library is here to provide information and guidance to patrons that need it, the use of the following guidelines allow us to better serve the whole of the population.

Library staff:

• Will provide information in the form of short answers to specific questions and guidance in locating material for patrons who appear in person, call on the telephone, or request information through correspondence;
• Will assist patrons in the use of the Library and teach basic research methodology, when appropriate. This includes providing help in developing a research strategy and advice on whether a trip to the Library would be worthwhile for individuals whose requests are not made in person;
• Will provide bibliographic verification of items both in the library and not owned by the Library and will assist patrons in obtaining materials through interlibrary loan, when appropriate;
• May refer library users to other agencies and libraries in pursuit of needed information;
• May use not only the Library’s resources in printed form, but consult appropriate digital resources as well as the regional resource library (LEPMPL) and other agencies in pursuit of “ready reference” information;
• Will assist patrons to the best of staff’s ability/knowledge—not to exceed 10 consecutive minutes of a staff person’s time;
• May ask patron to allow extra time for staff to locate answer with assurance that staff will return to patron with information/progress;
• Will provide reference assistance—will not do homework;
• Will provide guidance to a preferred set of search engines/computer programs. Staff time may not allow for “walking” through the process step-by-step;
• Must obey all copyright laws and reserves the right not to copy materials that would be in violation of these laws;

Additional service will be available through the use of a photocopy machine as well as a microfilm reader/scanner.  Photocopies will be made by staff at a cost of $.10 per page, restrictions may apply.  A tutorial on using the microfilm machine will be given if necessary and as time allows.  There is no charge for this use; however, any prints made are $.10 per copy.  Library staff is available for general assistance in using the microfilm reader.

Revised:  July 8, 2013