Email Research Assistance is available to students, staff and faculty of SF State with valid email accounts provided by the University.
If you are not affiliated with SF State, we are sorry that we can only reply to inquiries if they are about SF State history, library services, or unique materials from one of our special collections: de Bellis Collection, Labor Archives, or Special Collections/Archives. You may want to submit your general question via the San Francisco Public Library's Ask a Librarian Service or by utilizing another online research resource.
Service Guidelines
Email Research Assistance is provided to help users become self-sufficient in their research endeavors.
- The Library provides advice on how to begin research with suggestions of possible print or electronic resources, search strategies, and other non-SF State libraries/resources, etc.
- Whenever possible, users will be referred to electronic resources that may provide them with the information requested.
- Questions you would normally ask at a research help desk, you may ask through the email reference service, such as:
- Where would I begin to look for information on a topic?
- I have looked in all the usual places, but where else might I look?
- Does the Library have a subject librarian who could help me with this topic?
- Citations to the source of information will be given whenever possible.
- Interpretations of information will not be given.
- Email Research Assistance does NOT provide information searches for users, create or check lists (e.g., bibliographies), or answer questions about medical or legal advice, citation form, statistics or class assignments.
Turnaround Time
Your question will be forwarded to the Email Research Assistance Coordinator in the Library. Program-related and subject-related inquiries will be forwarded to the appropriate individual.
The Library aims for a 48-hour turnaround time, but response time may vary depending upon the nature of the inquiry. Most questions are answered the same day.
Submitting a Research Question
To submit a research question, please fill out the Email Question Form.
Other Research Resources
"Ready reference" refers to general, commonly used material such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, directories and atlases that for the most part provide basic, factual information on a given topic. The sources listed below can be accessed by anyone with access to the Internet.
- Census.gov Data. Includes 2010 and 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the Economic Census, and the American Community Survey.
- CIA World Factbook. Profiles and maps of all countries and territories from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
J. Paul Leonard Library Research Assistance Philosophy
Librarians providing research assistance at the J. Paul Leonard Library are committed to user-centered and approachable reference services. Our purpose is to provide relevant point-of-need services, resources, and information that support the education and research activities of University students, faculty, staff and members of the community. Our goal is to teach and enhance information skills that are necessary for academic success and in life-long learning. We proactively respond to users' changing needs by continually evaluating their expectations and realigning services to better meet those needs.