WR 121 Erwert Fall 2025: Librarian conference

Your assignment requires you to confer with a librarian.  We hope that this will be a productive (and even fun!) part of your assignment!.

When should you schedule the conference? Some steps in the process of your assignment:

• Refining your topic:  a librarian can help you brainstorm the scope of your topic for a research project, and suggest strategies for beginning your research.
• Finding text and image sources: a librarian can suggest search strategies for researching your topic on the web, and let you know about some excellent sources for college assignments available through the library website that won't be found on the open web.
• Finding specific statistics or facts:  if you are searching for specific data to help make your case and you are striking out, perhaps a librarian can help.  A rule of thumb:  if you can't find what you are looking for after 10 minutes, it's time to contact the library. 
• Evaluating sources:  a librarian can provide insights on the credibility of sources, which you are required to write about in your research focus document.
• Using AI appropriately: librarians are working hard to keep up with the rapidly changing AI (artificial intelligence) landscape, and can offer advice about appropriate and inappropriate uses of generative AI tools.
• Alternative genres:  librarians have experience with a wide range of technologies for presenting information.
• Citations:  librarians answer LOTS of questions about citing different types of information in different citation styles.

While you are required to have one conference with a librarian for this assignment, feel free to contact librarians as often as you like!

PCC students can

• Schedule a Zoom Research Help appointment with a PCC librarian
  • Monday. - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Schedule an in-person Research Help appointment
  • Southeast Library
  • Cascade Library
  • Rock Creek Library
  • Sylvania Library 
• Schedule a consultation with Roberta Richards, your class librarian
  • Online Monday afternoons
  • At the Southeast Library, Wednesdays and Thursdays
  • Or email Roberta to find another time: rrichard@pcc.edu

For quick, less complicated questions, students can

• chat with a PCC librarian during library hours
• chat with an after hours librarian 24/7 (PCC chat rolls over to this service after hours.  You may be chatting with a librarian from Great Britain and Australia!)
• email a librarian

How should I prepare for the consultation?

No preparation is necessary, but the session will be most productive if you come with specific questions.  When you schedule an appointment, you will be asked what you would like to work on.  Giving a librarian advanced notice about your questions will help her or him to be prepared for the session.

Need help from a librarian? Use our chat system. Click the button to open the chat window.

Chat with a Librarian!

Schedule an appointment with a librarian to get help finding and citing information. Learn more about Library Research Help Appointments.