Reference services are available to help direct patrons to information and resources that may answer their questions or aid in their research. Be advised that library policy prohibits reference employees from doing research for patrons or answering specific legal questions; however, they can direct patrons to relevant sources and give instruction on their use.
The physical Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the Library, and reference services are also offered virtually. Reference services are provided by both full-time law library faculty members and part-time law student reference assistants. If you need a full-time library faculty member’s assistance, you should make an appointment to guarantee their availability by emailing reference@law.byu.edu. Simply state in the email that you would like an appointment with a librarian, what your research question is, what your research question is for (which class, internship, job, etc.), and a few times (between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday) that would work for you to have the appointment.
Research consultations are recommended for BYU faculty and students who are doing academic legal research. A consultation consists of an appointment with a full-time librarian where your research question is submitted to them in advance so they can prepare resources that may be good for your research. To request a research consultation for academic legal research, email reference@law.byu.edu.
For reference hours, see here.
The following are methods for contacting the reference employees virtually:
You may email us your reference question or schedule an appointment at reference@law.byu.edu. For public patrons, we will attempt to answer reference questions within two business days, and we remind you that we cannot offer legal advice; we can provide answers to brief, factual research questions and resource inquiries. For example, we can help identify and locate legal materials or provide guidance in using legal resources or tools.
Call
To receive reference services by talking with a reference employee over the phone, call 801-422-6658. If a reference employee does not answer, feel free to leave a voicemail because it is checked regularly.