REFERENCE DEPARTMENT INFORMATION AND SERVICES

Information service is available at the Reference Desk whenever the Library is open. Reference Librarians respond to information requests from patrons who visit the Library as well as patrons who telephone. Telephone reference service provides information that can be found quickly. For assistance with more involved research, patrons should visit the Reference Desk in person.

AUDIO, VIDEO and DVD RECORDINGS

The Audiovisual collection reflects the informational needs and entertainment values of the public. Items are chosen in the public interest by professional evaluation and represent a diversity of views and expressions of artistic taste. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with, or approval of, the content.

BUSINESS REFERENCE

The Business Reference collection includes sources for in-library use with information on companies, products and industries, starting a small business, investing, and taxation.

The Business Reference File includes pamphlets, articles, and other pertinent material, as well as a collection of selected Annual Reports.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION SERVICES

The Library maintains an extensive catalog of services available to residents that includes type of service, location, personnel, and cost, if any. The catalog and a large selection of other service directories are located in the Reference Room at the Library.

The Library maintains a clipping file of news articles pertinent to Mount Vernon from The New York Times, Mount Vernon Independent, and the Gannett Suburban newspapers, as well as many documents, include annual reports, pertaining to local government and schools.

INTERNET PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS

The Mount Vernon Public Library has Internet access for the public in Cyber Corner. Both Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers are available. Currently, patron access permits searching the Internet as well as accessing web-based E-mail. The internet accessible computers are connected to a printer and downloading data to floppy disks is permitted. Public access computers feature the MS OFFICE 2000 suite of applications.

JOB INFORMATION CENTER (JIC)

The JIC functions as a Job Information Center as well as a center for educational information. The fields covered include employment, career exploration, small business start-ups and higher education. Employment information includes posting of state, county and city (Mount Vernon) civil service openings. Extensive information on resumes, cover letters, civil service exams, and changing careers is available. General information on starting a small business can be checked out from the circulating JIC collection, along with materials on specific businesses.

Career information is available in both pamphlet and book form. Class visits can be arranged upon teachers request. Educational materials include college and trade school directories, college catalogues on microfiche, high school equivalency study books, scholarships, majors etc.

MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS

Access to the Library's periodicals collection is obtained at the Periodicals Desk, located in the Reference Room. The holdings include approximately 600 current magazines, journals and newspapers. The Periodicals Desk maintains a collection of over 22,000 magazines and newspapers, as well as 8,400 microfilms of magazines, government documents and newspapers. In addition to various periodical indexes in print and CD-ROM formats, patrons may access many periodical indexes, including Ebsco Host, Dialog@CARL, and InfoTrac SearchBank (in English or Spanish.) The Library indexed The Daily Argus (now the Journal News) from 1985 through August 15, 1998. This index is located near the Periodicals Desk in the Reference Room.

METRO REFERRAL CARDS

Many academic and special libraries in the New York City metropolitan area, including medical and legal libraries, limit admission to their own members. Thanks to a cooperative program run by the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), access is available to Mount Vernon Public Library patrons to resources in participating libraries that are not available in Mount Vernon or other public libraries in Westchester. Students and researchers can obtain a yellow METRO Title Referral Card for access to a particular title, or a blue METRO Subject Referral Card for access to a wide range of resources on a particular subject.
There are limitations. METRO Cards are issued for limited periods of time, and do not give borrowing rights. METRO Card holders have no rights to special assistance, or even the level of assistance that the host library may give to its own members. Access to databases at participating libraries might or might not be available depending on contractual limitations. METRO Cards do not bestow a right to access, and although it happens infrequently, host libraries can refuse or withdraw access for any reason they think is appropriate.
Patrons interested in obtaining a METRO Referral Card should apply in person to the Reference Desk.

MULTICULTURAL REFERENCE

The Multicultural Reference collection includes reference sources that are concerned with various cultures and ethnicities, and which organize information based on ethnicity. All ethnicities are covered, with special attention given to the particular interests of Library users.
The Multicultural Reference Collection recognizes and responds to the large and ongoing interest in Mount Vernon in multicultural studies and a multicultural approach to learning. The collection brings together materials from a wide range of subjects in which information is organized from an ethnic and/or racial perspective, particularly but not exclusively biographical, social, cultural, historical and geographical information on American ethnic groups in the United States and their lands of origin. Although the Multicultural Reference Collection cannot contain all potential sources, it does encompass the full range of ethnic and racial diversity, with special attention to the ethnic and racial interests of Mount Vernon library users, and the curriculum requirements of Mount Vernon schools.

ON-LINE & DATABASE SERVICES

Because of the library's extensive collection, it serves as the library of last resort for locating materials and information which other public libraries do not own.

Our reference librarians are able and willing to assist patrons and other county public libraries in locating information; however, for those difficult and time consuming questions, the librarians may refer you to the on-line and database searching department, also located at the library. This service is for Westchester county residents or those who work in Westchester county. Using on-line/proprietary databases, the staff of the on-line and database department will conduct searches.

For patrons of Mt. Vernon, simply speak with a reference librarian at Mt. Vernon Public Library, and if your question requires a database search, the necessary information will be forwarded to that department. For patrons from other Westchester public libraries, please contact your own public library, and the staff will forward requests to our searching department.

PAMPHLETS AND MAPS

The vertical file is a substantial collection of pamphlets, maps and other fileable formats containing information on a broad range of subjects. The holdings on health topics are particularly extensive.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Special collections available through the Reference Department include the Haynes Collection, New York State Government Documents, Federal Government Documents and the Mills Law Collection.

YOUNG ADULTS (YA)

The Young Adult section has the most extensive book collection, hard cover and paperback, non-fiction and fiction, in Westchester County for teenagers and tweens.

Information for young adults is disseminated through book displays and a large bulletin board. Introductory library orientation sessions for school classes are conducted upon request, in addition to YA class visits, based on specific assignments involving research techniques.