You can ask that?

“Is the tree octopus a real thing?” That was a question asked via the CMU Libraries’ chat reference service earlier this year. Not once, but twice! Somehow, patrons came across a website that the librarians use to teach students about online hoaxes. The site is real, but the creature is not. 

The Libraries’ chat reference service is available 24/7 to students, staff, faculty, and members of the public. While CMU librarians cover some of those hours, librarians around the world cover the remaining hours, including overnights and Saturdays. As you might imagine, the first question we often receive via chat is, “Are you a real person or a bot?” Trust me, we’re real people. Chat is helpful to use when you have quick questions about locating or citing sources. If you have difficulty accessing a library resource, chat is the best way to share that information. Chat is also helpful if you are studying in the library and want to report an issue like stuck compact shelving or an overly loud group near you. Librarians will relay your concerns to Access Services staff members. Similarly, if you pose questions about genealogical research or collections in the Clarke Historical Library, we can turn the chat transcript into an email and direct it to our colleagues in the Clarke.  

You are welcome to pose any kind of research question to CMU librarians (or our 24/7 chat co-op). Most questions subject librarians receive are sent to our inboxes from students and faculty in the departments to which we liaise. Jennifer Rundels, our Business librarian, has received questions about Gen Z and podcasting and food trucks and street vendors from entrepreneurship students. She has also been asked about consumption of bottled water versus tap water in the United States. Once she helped a student prepare for a job interview by researching salary ranges and cost of living; the student reported back that not only did he receive a job offer, but it also had a higher salary than he anticipated! 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We regularly receive inquiries about the Libraries’ hours, bathroom locations, and printing instructions. More importantly, don’t waste time struggling to find sources for a paper or project. You might be surprised to know that we often hear, “I don’t know how to do X, and at this point, I’m embarrassed to ask.” Maybe you begin by asking if we own a certain book, but what you really want to know is if you can have the book pulled from the shelf for you or you want a staff member to accompany you to the stacks and show you how to read Library of Congress call numbers. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you really need. We are here to help. 

Lastly, librarians love to solve mysteries and find random information. On occasion, a faculty member might need an article they previously read a long time ago, and all they remember is the topic and publication timeframe. We have tools at our disposal to track that article down! Maybe you need information that doesn’t have anything to do with library resources—say, for example, contacting a former Cabinet Secretary who has returned to private life or finding the acquisitions editor at a major publishing company. We can do that: Just ask us!