REFERENCE

Welcome To The Reference Department

Who are we?

Head Reference Librarian, Will Stein wstein@wcpl.net

Reference Specialist, Lisa Jett ljett@wcpl.net

Part-Time Reference Librarian, Ann Mathews amathews@wcpl.net

Ready Reference for quick answers by telephone (276-676-6298) and e-mail refdesk@wcpl.net. TTY phones – all libraries 276-676-6303.

What we do...

The Reference Department at WCPL is dedicated to providing current, accurate and complete information in a variety of formats. We appreciate the unique quality of the people we serve and we are committed to offering a variety of services aimed at satisfying the special needs of our community. For example:

Historical

Washington County was founded in 1776 and it has historical significance to researchers and genealogists around the country. We have a special collection of historical books and documents housed in the Virginia Room at the Main Library and smaller collections housed at each of the four branches. In addition we offer our patrons access to Heritage Quest. A valid WCPL card number is required to access this resource outside the Library.

Grants

Due to the ecological sensitivity of our region and as a result of the evolving economic climate in Washington and contiguous counties as Southwest Virginians move from tobacco and coal and agriculture as their primary means of sustenance, individuals and organizations are on the lookout for grants and other sources of funding for preservation and retraining. Washington County PL is one of only a handful of libraries in the Southeast that provides access to Foundation Center Cooperating Collection The Cooperating Collection consists of a core collection of Foundation Center directories (updated annually), an online database, and other resources pertaining to foundation and corporate giving and philanthropy in general.

Research and Document Delivery

Students and researchers who seek resources unavailable in the print collection at Washington County PL have a variety of other options available to them. As a member of the Holston Associated Libraries (HAL) consortium WCPL shares cataloging and lending agreements with member libraries that make it possible for our patrons to access holdings and borrow materials from area colleges such as Emory and Henry, King, Milligan, Bluefield, VIC and the Appalachian School of Law. Books and other documents that are not available locally may be procured through Interlibrary Loan. "e-Books" offer yet another option for students and researchers. Patrons inside the library or those who have registered inside the library for remote access have a virtual library of over 23,000 books at their disposal through Net Library. e-Books are digital, full-text versions of books such as Reference works, scholarly monographs, literature and fiction in a wide range of subject areas. We also offer access to a number of excellent electronic databases both independently and through the auspices of the Virginia State Library Find It Virginia.

Business

WCPL is partnering with the Virginia Dept. Of Business Assistance to provide information to local entrepreneurs and small business owners in starting up and managing their business concerns. The Virginia Business Information Center (VBIC) is the "one stop" gateway for answers to your questions and information on how to obtain assistance and action from state government agencies and their programs. For a complete listing of local business resources see the WCPL Business Pathfinder