Welcome to the Reference Department

The Billerica Public Library offers reference and information services to every segment of the community.

The Flaherty Reference Room is located on the second floor of the building and is open during regular library hours.

Our Reference staff is available to help you answer your questions and to use our print and electronic resources to find the information you need.

Librarians can assist you in person, on the phone, through email and through online chat.

Online Databases

Our new online database pages are being developed by the Reference Committee. In the meantime, here are some links to popular resources:

If you're outside the library, use these links. (You'll need your library card number to log in.)

Accessing Gale's Biography Resource Center from home:

Click Here(Opens a new window.)
Enter your library card number in the space provided.
Once you're logged in, click on Databases by Title in the right hand box.
Scroll down to find Biography Resource Center and click on it.
You're in!

If you're in the library, use these links:

Other Online Databases
eLibrary \| InfoTrac \| Informe \| Grolier Online \| OCLC WorldCat \| ProQuest \| Mass. Special Collections Directory

	http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/
	http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=el When prompted, input your 14-digit public library patron barcode (without spaces)

Information from books, magazines, and newspapers. Includes maps, pictures and transcripts from TV and radio.

Database funded by NMRLS

	http://go.grolier.com
	http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=grolier When prompted, input your 14-digit public library patron barcode (without spaces)

NMRLS members have access to two new resources with this license:

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia: 36,000 entries intended for students in middle school and up and as a quick reference look-up tool for public library patrons of all ages.
New Book of Knowledge: 9,000 articles suitable for grade 3 and up as well as ESL. Provides description of complex subjects in an easy-to-understand manner.

Database funded by NMRLS

	http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb **
	http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=infotrac When prompted, input your 14-digit public library patron barcode (without spaces)

The following databases from the Gale Group are available in all NMRLS member libraries:

Academic OneFile
Biography Resource Center
Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
Educator's Reference Complete
Expanded Academic ASAP
General BusinessFile ASAP
General Reference Center Gold
Health Reference Center Academic
InfoTrac K-12 Junior Edition
InfoTrac K-12 Student Edition
InfoTrac OneFile
Kids InfoBits
Massachusetts History Online
Gale Virtual Reference Library
The New York Times (1995-)
InfoTrac Power Packs
Informe! *

For more information, please visit http://mblc.state.ma.us/books/magazine/gale.php

Databases funded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

*Informe! is now included in the InfoTrac menu of databases, above.

Informe is the first reference database to provide indexing, full text, and images of the most popular Hispanic magazines. It also includes full text pamphlets on a variety of topics, such as health care.

Database funded by NMRLS

	http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org/FSIP/
	http://mblc.state.ma.us/cgi-bin/remote.pl?db=worldcat When prompted, input your 14-digit public library patron barcode (without spaces)
	http://worldcat.org New PATRON FRIENDLY interface. NO password required. Note: Less sophisticated searching than FirstSearch.

OCLC® WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog) offers more than 67 million bibliographic records--representing 400 languages--and holdings information vital for collection development, cataloging, authority control, and retrospective conversion services.

Database funded by NMRLS

http://proquest.umi.com/login
If your library has been set up for IP or cookie autentication, you can access by this link.

http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/licenses/proquest.php
Click here to find your library's URLs for accessing the complete set of newspapers in the Massachusetts Newsstand. Different types of URLs are provided to support static IP and non-static IP (cookie) access.

You will be prompted for a password. Your password is your library's LIBKEY. To find you LIBKEY:

Go to: http://mblc.state.ma.us/libraries/directory/index.php
Click on "Librarian�s View" (this is to the right in the side bar under Related Resources)
Your Username for Librarian�s View is "librarian" (Please contact NMRLS for the password). When you find your library page, the LIBKEY code is at the lower left bottom of the screen.

http://mblc.state.ma.us/books/magazine/newspapers.php

Massachusetts Newsstand offers full-text coverage of the 12 Massachusetts newspapers listed below.

Berkshire Eagle 2005 to current
Boston Globe 1980 to current
Boston Herald 1991 to current
BusinessWest (Chicopee) 1992 to current>
North Adams Transcript 2005 to current
Patriot Ledger (Quincy) 1991 to current
Plymouth County Business Review 1991 to current
Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg) 2005 to current
Sun, The (Lowell) 2004 to current
Telegram & Gazette (Worcester) 1989 to current
Gazette (Haverhill, Mass.) 12-31-92 to 8-9-97
Standard Times (New Bedford) 1-4-92 to 8-19-97

Database funded by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Directory
http://mblc.state.ma.us/spec_coll.html

The Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Directory is a guide and locator of collections residing in Massachusetts libraries, archives, historical societies and town clerk's offices. This directory provides access in one location to the holdings in more than 650 repositories in the Commonwealth. Often such holdings are not fully cataloged or known outside the library yet are of great potential research value. The holdings are available by town/location, institution, repository, collection description, special collection and through name and/or subject searches. In addition, the directory provides information about the institution, contacts, services available and volume of material, as well as directions to the repository.

Contact the Reference Department

In Person: Second floor of the building
Phone: 978-671-0948x4
Email: pvaughn@mvlc.org

If you need assistance at any point, you can chat with a reference librarian who is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

24/7 Chat Reference

Ask a Librarian - Four different and convenient ways to get answers to questions.

Computers

Twenty-two public access computers on the second floor with a networked printer and access to the library catalog, the Internet and Microsoft Office are available for public use in the reference area.

Be sure to read our Internet Policy.

Scanner

A scanner is available for public use on the second floor. In order to use the scanner, patrons must have their own removable storage (a USB thumb drive). Only scanning is available on the scanner machine. There are no network services. If a patron wishes to scan and email something, the object must be scanned to a USB thumb drive and taken to one of the public computers which is connected to the network. No printing service is available from the scanner machine. No other software is available for public use on the scanner machine other than the scanner software.

Photocopiers

On the each of the three floors of the library, there is a black and white photocopier. Per page price is $.15 for an 8 1/2 by 11 or 8 � by 14 copy.

Printers

One black and white and one color printer are networked to the public access computers on the 2nd floor. Prints cost $.15 per page for black and white and $.25 per page for color.

Study Rooms

The library has three study rooms, with a 4 person capacity, on the 2nd floor. These rooms are available on a first come first served basis.

Be sure to read our Quiet Study Room Policy.

Meeting Rooms

The library has two meeting rooms, the Conference Room, with a 10-15 person capacity, on the 2nd floor and the Program Room, with a 50-75 person capacity, on the lower level. These rooms are available for use by nonprofit groups free of charge. To reserve a room, please call 978-671-0948x4. To use either room, a Meeting Room Application must be filled out.

Be sure to read our Meeting Room Policy and get a copy of the Meeting Room Application.

Wireless Network

The library has wireless "WiFi" available for users with properly equipped laptops.

Be sure to read our Internet Policy.

Interlibrary Loan

If the library does not have the item that you are looking for, we can, in most cases, find another library that does and have it sent to our Library for you to borrow. This service is free for all library card holders in our library consortium.

VIRTUAL REFERENCE CENTER

The Library Reference Department is available in person or by telephone.
Our Reference staff answers over 38,000 questions each year!
Call 978-671-0948 x 4 for Reference Assistance during normal business hours