Keep it real. Ask a librarian!
When you’re doing research, you don’t want hallucinations and untrustworthy sources. Reference librarians are here to help! We are human, we are experts, and we’re available to chat with you 24/7. Learn all the ways you can Ask a Librarian for help!
At Purchase College Library, we keep it real!
Reference librarians can help you search, cite, and evaluate sources. Unlike chatbots or AI tools, librarians are research experts who can help you use the most relevant databases for your project and find trusted, scholarly sources.
You can get help from a real (human) librarian by using any of our Ask a Librarian services:
In-person at the Reference Desk
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- Drop by the desk for face-to-face help any time during service hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm
- The reference desk is now located next to Circulation at the combined Service Desk near the library entrance.
Chat with a librarian 24/7
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- Live online chat help from real librarians all day long
- Purchase College librarians monitor the Chat 24/7 service during reference desk hours; after hours, the service is staffed by professional librarians from across the U.S.
Text a librarian at (914) 873-1171
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- Text us your question and we’ll reply within 10 minutes!
- Summon a librarian to help you in the book stacks or computer labs.
- Text service hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-10pm; Friday 10am-5pm; Sunday 6pm-10pm
Make individual appointments on Starfish
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- Sign up for a research consultation on on Starfish
- Librarians can meet with you in-person or virtually
- You can also email the subject liaison librarian for your class, topic, or major to schedule a one-on-one appointment.
Email a librarian
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- If you don’t need immediate assistance, you can always email our reference librarians at ask@purchase.libanswers.com.
- You will receive a response by the next business day.
Credit: Kim Detterbeck