Reference Requests

Reference services to those off-site are provided on a first-come, first-served and as-able basis. Recognizing that many users are now physically remote from the Research Center when assistance is needed, it is our goal to provide, as much as possible, full reference service for questions received. In order to do that at a level of excellence, we need as much information as possible, clear questions, and clear deadlines.

​Whenever you receive a request for researched information by email, phone call, social media, etc., follow the below procedure.

1. Go to the Center’s website (www.dixonprc.org)
2. Go to the About tab at the top
3. Click on Reference Services in the dropdown list (here)
4. Fill out the embedded Google form, taking note of the required fields (*) and including your name as the staff member near the bottom of the form. If you have already done work on the request or finished it, write the time spent and any updates in the "Other comments" box. If the request was received without an email address (by Facebook Messenger, for example), then note that in the email address field. If no needed by date was given by the researcher, then create one based on the available knowledge. If taking a request by phone, then ask for these bits of information.
5. Submit the form.

The submitted form automatically creates a task for the archivist in Asana and notifies them so they can determine and assign the course of action.
 
If you are assigned to a reference request, then the subtasks and updates will be tracked in Asana. Be sure to add appropriate comments and mark tasks and sub-tasks completed in the system. If you send the researcher an email in response, paste the content in a comment to the task.

Updated: January 31, 2022