St. Lawrence University Libraries
Research Consultations Overview
Research Consultations are not new. We have, for a number of years, encouraged students to make appointments with librarians to discuss their research. There are a number of reasons for this—foremost among them, Research Consultations provide a forum that lifts research offline long enough to discuss the mechanics of academic discourse rather than the expediency of computer-mediated research. Work in junior and senior level courses is about recognizing and mastering a specific disciplinary literature, Reference Consultations are our opportunity to explain what that means.
Research Consultations in practice work along two lines: acquainting students with print and electronic resources best suited for a specific research project, and explaining how those resources interact. This is key: Research Consultations are not simply “mini-lectures” about the library web site, they are discussions of process and the specifics of evaluating sources. In a Research Consultations we can engage students on the differences among bibliographic resources, we can discuss distinctions in academic literature, and we can explicate bibliography. Ultimately, the difference between an exchange at the Reference Desk and a Research Consultations is that in the later we can put things in context.
Library Faculty are available for consultations any time of the year during the work week. There is a form on the web site where students can arrange for consultations (http://www.stlawu.edu/library/consultations.html). Faculty and students can also contact librarians directly. In a modern university librarians are generalist; students and faculty should feel free to contact any member of the Research Consultation team to assist them with any project in any discipline.
