Ask for Assignment Help
Need help finding sources for your next paper? Hoping to find some excellent media or art to make your next presentation shine? Visit us and we’ll get you started with reliable resources, engaging titles, and works both in print and online.
Ask us your questions!
Drop by for help with your research. We are here to answer your questions, no matter how broad or specific, and we are waiting for you to walk up an ask for our help.
Teens (6th – 12th Grade):
- via email at teen@joplinpubliclibrary.org
- via phone at 417-623-7953 X-1027
Beth Snow is the Teen Librarian and is in the Teen Room every weekday. If you head to the Teen Room and can’t find her, please check in with the librarian at the Information Desk and they’ll track her down.
Children (Kindergarten – 5th Grade):
- via email at childrens@joplinpubliclibrary.org
- via phone at 417-623-7953 X-1035
Christina Matekel is the Children’s Librarian and is in the Children’s Room every weekday. If you head to the Children’s Room and can’t find her, please check in with the librarian at the Information Desk and they’ll track her down.
If you are representing a group or class who needs help with an assignment, please fill out our class visit request form here.
A few tips to remember when digging into your next assignment:
How much time do you have?
When you’re starting a project, you’ll usually have time to order titles from other libraries in our network and consider multiple sources for information. If your work is due in a few days, you may not have as many options. Whatever your deadline, let us know and we can help you find the information you need. Consider starting early. Many of the libraries we are connected to, both in the network and across the country, will send the perfect book to us for you to use. We just need to know far enough in advance, around a week, to find the right title and send in your request.
Look in all three collections
The majority of our nonfiction collection in the Teen Room is aimed at true stories and information we want to read for fun rather than strictly for research. There are many excellent, engaging titles on these shelves, but if you’re looking for more academic information, you will do best exploring those same sections in the Children’s and adult collections. Every section contains valid and reliable information on all kinds of subjects, from history to science to political debates, but you may have to look in all three places to find the best fit for your project.
Don’t forget digital
Many of you may have restrictions on which sources you need, from primary source documents to in-print only. Remember, though, we do have a wide range of digital titles, articles, and essays that originated in print and are both reliable and rich in up to date information.