Reference Services and Reader's Advisory

Reference Services

Reference Services are all about finding information. Whether you need help finding resources for a research paper, the name of a nearby taxi company, or are just plain curious, the Lake Bluff Library's Reference Services will help you find an answer to your question.

 

Reference at the Library

The Lake Bluff Library staff has a number of trained professionals who can assist you with your reference query. Reference assistance is offered in-person or over the phone. The amount of time that it takes for us to find an answer to your query may vary depending on the amount of information available.

 

Reference Online

The Lake Bluff Library also offers access to online reference databases that offer everything from encyclopedias to newspaper and magazine articles. If you have questions about these databases or would like help learning how to use them, please call the library or ask at the front desk.

Reference databases are accessible using the Library's public access computers or the Library's wireless internet. Please note that you must have a Lake Bluff Library card to access these databases using your internet connection at home. For more information about our reference databases, please visit Research and Homework Help.

Ask a Reference Question

Submit your question to our helpful staff via our online form! Typically you'll hear back from us within one business day. You can also call the Adult Reference Desk at 847-234-2540 and leave a message if you prefer.

Reader's Advisory

Reader's advisory attempts to answer the question "What should I read next?" Our advisors use a variety of methods to search for titles that you might like based on everything from genre and topics to pacing, characters, and tone. Reader's advisory is also offered for non-print materials such as movies, audiobooks, and music. The Lake Bluff Library offers a multiple ways for you to discover what to check out next.

 

Reader's Advisory at the Library

The Lake Bluff Library staff has a number of trained reader's advisors who are available to help you with your query. In a typical reader's advisory interview, a staff member will ask questions about what kind of book you're looking for, what other books you've enjoyed, and your reading likes and dislikes. Library staff will also create displays and bookmark handouts on selected topics or genres in order to highlight titles in different parts of the collection.

 

Reader's Advisory Online

The Library also offers access to Novelist, a reader's advisory online database. Searching for a title on Novelist will give you a list of read-alikes that can be further narrowed by topic, genre, tone, pacing, and a number of other categories. For more information on Novelist, please visit Research and Homework Help.

Take Ten

Don't feel like browsing lists on your own? Take Ten might be for you. Fill out a short form telling us about your preferences and our trained professionals will pull 10 items that we think you might like and set them aside for you.