Request a Personalized Research Assistance (PRA) session

What is Personalized Research Assistance (PRA)?

It’s a chance to meet with a librarian and get help with library research. The librarian will talk with you about your assignment and the type of information you need, guide you to the databases and other library resources that will be most fruitful for your research, and show you how to use them. We can also help you acquire hard-to-find materials, give you ideas for locating primary sources, and show you how to evaluate information on the Web.

How is it different from assistance at the Research Help Desk?

This service allows you to meet with a librarian without interruption for an extended period of time. It also gives the librarian a chance to prepare for the meeting and get a better idea of the types of resources available on your topic.

Who can make an appointment?

PRA appointments are a service for Lafayette students. Faculty, staff, and students of Lafayette College may all use our research question form or contact a research librarian directly for assistance. If you are not affiliated with Lafayette, we ask that you use the research question form only if your question concerns Lafayette or some unique resource of the Lafayette College Libraries. Assistance is available to everyone at our research help desk.

When are appointments available?

Appointments usually last 30 to 45 minutes and may be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

How can I make my session most productive?

Schedule your appointment early in the research process. If possible, drop off a copy of the assignment before your appointment, and let us know what aspect of your research is likely to cause you the most trouble. Finally, bring a copy of your assignment and any sources you may have already located with you to your session.

Request an appointment

Where can I see all the cool PRA postcards?

We’ve been amusing ourselves (and hopefully some students) by creating postcards to advertise our PRAs since 2001. You can see them all in our PRA Gallery.