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EnglishHow to Contact or Get Help from the NC State University Libraries
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The fastest way to reach the NC State University Libraries is the Ask Us service on lib.ncsu.edu, which offers email, chat, phone, and in-person help. For subject-specific needs, the site also routes you to Assignment Help, Research Support, and Teaching Support pages. Use Ask Us for general or urgent questions; use the specialized pages when you need sustained help with a project, a course, or a research workflow.
Start with Ask Us for General Questions
Ask Us is the library's front door for help. According to the library homepage, the service lets you "Email, chat, call, or visit" — so you can pick the channel that fits your situation.
| Channel | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Quick questions while you're working | Real-time text help during service hours |
| Detailed questions, follow-ups, sending citations or screenshots | A written reply you can keep | |
| Phone | Time-sensitive questions, renewals, directions | A staff member walks you through it |
| Visit | Complex questions, using materials on site, printer trouble | Face-to-face help at a service point |
The homepage does not publish specific hours, phone numbers, or response-time commitments for each channel, so check the Ask Us page itself before relying on a channel at an unusual hour.
Match Your Question to the Right Service
The homepage organizes help into several labeled areas. Choosing the right one saves a round trip.
Assignment Help
Use this when you need to "find sources, cite sources, and use amenities like printers." It is the right entry point for coursework questions — locating articles for a paper, formatting citations, or getting a printer working.
Research Support
This covers "the whole research process, from data management to impact metrics." Choose it if you are planning a project, organizing data, or trying to measure the reach of your work. It is a better fit than Ask Us for questions that will take more than one exchange.
Teaching Support
Instructors can "request library instruction, find tutorials, and get help with OER, copyright, and more." If you are building a course, start here rather than with general Ask Us.
Specialized Spaces and Technology
The homepage also links to Data & Visualization, Digital Media Production, Makerspace, and Gaming & VR support. These are the right contacts for help with 3D printers, prototyping kits, audio and video production, or virtual reality equipment.
Before You Ask: Check the Common Tasks
The homepage lists a short set of Common Tasks that answer many questions without any contact at all:
- Find a Space — pick a study spot or get directions
- Reserve a Room — book space for study sessions or meetings
- Borrow a Device — laptops, gaming consoles, and more
- Ask Us — the contact hub described above
If your question is "where can I study," "how do I book a group room," or "can I borrow a laptop," those pages will likely resolve it faster than a message. Real-time occupancy data for the Hill Library and Hunt Library is also published on the homepage, which helps you decide whether to travel before you go.
A Practical Example
Suppose you are writing a term paper and cannot access a database from off campus. Start with Assignment Help, since the issue is finding sources. If the problem turns out to be a login or access issue rather than a search strategy question, move to Ask Us and use chat or email so you can describe the error. If the paper grows into a longer research project involving data, switch to Research Support. This progression — task page first, Ask Us for blockers, specialized support for depth — matches how the site is structured.
What to Include in Your Message
The homepage does not prescribe a contact form, but a useful message to Ask Us or a subject team typically states:
- Your affiliation (student, faculty, staff, or partner) and department.
- What you are trying to do, in one sentence.
- What you have already tried, including the exact error text or the database name.
- Your deadline, if any.
- How you prefer to be reached.
Including these details reduces back-and-forth, especially over email.
Common Sticking Points
- Assuming one channel covers everything. Ask Us handles general questions; research design, instruction requests, and makerspace equipment go to their own teams.
- Contacting support before checking Common Tasks. Room reservations and device borrowing are self-service pages.
- Expecting instant answers by email. The homepage does not state response times; use chat or phone when timing matters.
- Forgetting to check hours. In-person visits depend on building hours, which are not listed on the homepage excerpt — confirm before traveling.
For anything not covered by the task pages, Ask Us remains the correct starting point, and staff can forward you to the right specialist.