Reference Point

Libraries help faculty advance their scholarly works Among its goals, CMU states it strives to "create and disseminate knowledge through theoretical and applied research … that will contribute to the intellectual, economic, cultural, and social well-being of our state, region and global communities. " For many CMU faculty and scholars beyond the university, their research commences, develops and continues through the resources available within CMU University Libraries. Here's a look at how some faculty are realizing and advancing their academic endeavors with assistance and guidance from University Libraries' extensive on-site and online collections, resourceful reference librarians, connections with other libraries, and more. Reliable research resource Ron Primeau Professor Department of English Language and Literature When the Historical Society of Michigan named "Star by Star: Naomi Long Madgett, Poet and Publisher" the 2011 Documentary of the Year, Ron Primeau was quick to cite his resources. For the fi lm in which he served as associate producer for fi lmmaker David Schock, Primeau says CMU reference librarians were fundamental in confi rming and expanding on facts about the life and career of Detroit's poet laureate and her extraordinary infl uence on American literature. "David Schock and I have now made three movies together, and a fi lmmaker must be a researcher on the spot to get the facts right, to get a visual of a news story or just the right photo from someplace far away, says. "I have been able to count on support from the librarians every time. " Primeau " Ron Primeau teaches a graduate class in literary theory. For nearly four decades at CMU, Primeau has sought and received much-needed assistance from university reference librarians for everything from writing grant proposals to publishing countless journal articles and helping his students gain a deeper understanding of how to conduct meaningful research. "In the early days when I wrote many articles, they would get hard-to-acquire materials for me and even help fi nd the right journals in which to publish," says Primeau, admitting he spends more time in the library than his Anspach Hall offi ce. "An obscure newspaper story, verifi cation of data or keeping the collections current; all this helped my students and me. "Librarians redirect us to the inconvenient and indispensable paths to fi nd more detail, better evidence and a better chance at fi nding answers that are worthy of our intelligence. Librarians consistently bring out the best in the talents of everyone I work with." continued 3

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