The primary mission of Reference & Information Services is to support undergraduate and graduate academic programs through library instruction and to promote information literacy.

Each Reference Librarian is a liaison to an academic department at Bowie State.  Liaisons and faculty work together to develop support materials and build the library's collection.

Faculty can arrange in-class or in-library instruction sessions by filling out a request form which is available at the Reference desk and online for printing [click here].  Submission of forms is desirable at least 2 weeks prior to the requested session date.

CatalogUSMAI  is where you go to find information on print materials owned by libraries throughout the system.  Information includes citations of every book, periodical, microfilm/fiche, e-book, and more.

WorldCat: Bowie State University Library is similar to CatalogUSMAI, but you can expand your search to include articles, papers, etc. from other libraries worldwide.  

Research Port is where you can access online databases to search for journals, articles, e-books, and more.

The Reference Collection is housed on the library's 1st floor.  Here, students can access encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, indexes, and other multi-volume reference works.  Reference materials do not circulate but may be used inside the library.

Special Service:  We offer one-on-one reference appointments, walk-in clinics, classroom visits, and more.  Please call or visit us at the Reference desk for more information.  We are happy to help you.

Reference librarians are on the desk to help you during the following hours:

Please contact any of the Reference librarians for reference assistance: