• Instant Message
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/askalibrarian/refchat.php
  For immediate online help from a librarian, you can use the instant message service. The instant message service is not available in the summer.
• Facebook®

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buffalo-NY/University-at-Buffalo-Libraries/6629876727
You can contact the UB Librarians and receive updated information about events and resources through our official page on Facebook®. Messages and wall post will be answered as soon as possible during the weekday working hours.                                             

• Email
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/askalibrarian/email.php
  You can submit a question via email at any time to our virtual reference service and a librarian will get back to you within 24 hours.
• In person:
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/askalibrarian/inperson/
  You can stop by the reference desk during reference hours to speak to the librarian on duty.

Librarians for International students

Ligaya Ganster and Dorothy Tao are the liaisons for international students. *Please note,* however, that all of the librarians in the University Libraries are here to help you and answer your questions. Feel free to stop by any of the reference desks to speak to the librarian on duty during reference hours. For a full list of librarians by subject specialty, go to Subject Specialists.

These glossaries (lists of definitions) have been provided by the American Library Association (ALA) to clarify some of the vocabulary used to describe services and materials found in the library.

• Translations of English library terms into multiple languages
  http://www.ala.org/ala/acrlbucket/is/publicationsacrl/Languagetable.pdf
  
• Definitions in English
  http://www.ala.org/ala/acrlbucket/is/publicationsacrl/Definitions.pdf

The collections in the University at Buffalo’s Libraries include materials in many formats, such as books, journals, videos, DVD’s, reports, dissertations, and archival materials. The University at Buffalo’s Libraries are an open stack library system, which means that after you find an item's call number in the BISON Catalog, you must go into the stacks (or aisles where the books are shelved) to get the book yourself.

The University at Buffalo uses the Library of Congress Classification System to organize its collection. The first letter of a book's call number tells you on which floor the book is located. The books are organized by their subject matter, so if you find one book on your research topic, others should be nearby.

• BISON Catalog
  http://bison.buffalo.edu
  
• Library of Congress Classification System
  http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/
  

For library basics, such as how to find a book, how to search databases for journal articles, and how to get started in research, check Research Tips. This page offers links to online tutorials that explain how to perform these basic library tasks. If you need additional help, you can ask a librarian using one of the Ask a Librarian services.

• Research Tips
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/tutorials/
  
  
• Ask a Librarian
  http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/askalibrarian/
  

If you need an item that isn’t in the University Libraries and doesn't appear in the catalog, you can request the book through InterLibrary Loan. If the book or article does appear in the catalog or database, but is not located on your campus (either north or south campuses) you can request that the book be sent to your campus by Document Express where you can arrange to pick it up at the circulation desk. Both of Interlibrary Loan and Document Express are available when you register for ILLiad. Be sure to select type of service you need, either interlibrary loan (for materials not at UB); or document express (for materials at another UB Campus).

• ILLiad
  http://ulilliad.lib.buffalo.edu/illiad/
  

• General ESL materials (including Grammar, Reading & Writing): do a Subject Search using the subject phrase:
  
  English language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers

• Listening & Speaking: do a Subject Search using the subject phrase:
  
  English language -- Conversation and phrase books

• Pronunciation: do a Keyword Search using the words:
  
  English AND pronunciation AND textbooks

• Links of Interest to Students & Teachers of ESL
  http://iteslj.org/links/
  Maintained by The Internet TESL Journal

• Resources for English Language Learners
  http://www.ohiou.edu/linguistics/esl/
  Provides links to Web directories, guides, and collections for ESL learners. Maintained by Ohio University.

• Dave Sperling's ESL Cafe
  http://www.eslcafe.com/search/
  Well-annotated and maintained, containing links to all kinds of useful sites for ESL learners.

How to find Multi-Language Books in the catalog

Books and materials in any one language will not be found in one spot in the libraries. For example, all books of fiction in Chinese or Spanish will not be found in the same place. So, if you are looking for a specific book, use the BISON Catalog to perform a title search for the title (in any language). If the title appears in a language other than English, the book is in that language, unless the word "English" appears directly after the title. You can also search for items in other languages by performing an advanced title search in the BISON Catalog and limiting your search to the specific language desired. If you have trouble finding a book in your language, please ask a librarian.

• BISON Catalog
  http://bison.buffalo.edu
  

Periodicals (newspapers, journals, and magazines), like books, are organized by call number according to their subject matter. Most current periodicals (usually the last several issues) can be found on the 3rd Floor of Lockwood Library in the “Current Periodicals" section. Science and Engineering periodicals are kept on the 2nd Floor of the Capen Libraries. Periodicals that are no longer current may be bound by year. To find periodicals/newspapers in the Library, use the Basic Search of the full BISON Catalog and limit your search to journals by clicking on the gray “Journals” tab above search box:

• Select “title begins with” from the menu and enter the exact title in the search box.
• To find foreign language newspapers online try accessing them through Lexis Nexis Academic and using the “Source” tab to search for newspapers from a specific country.

Also try the following links for online newspapers for the country/language of your choice:

• Foreign Language News Guide
  http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/flnews/
  
• The MIT Libraries
  http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/types/flnews/index.html
  Offer many links to electronic journals, newspapers and magazines available in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
  
• Internet Public Library
  http://www.ipl.org/div/news/
  C contains links to online newspapers from around the world.

UB Resources: How to find Language Dictionaries in our catalog

• For a dictionary with entries and definitions in the same language, do a Subject search using the subject phrase below and inserting the language of your choice:
  
  Language X language – Dictionaries
  Example: Spanish language – Dictionaries

OR

Chinese language -- Dictionaries

• For a dictionary with entries and definitions in two different languages, do a Subject Search for the subject phrase:

Language X language -- Dictionaries -- Language Y

Examples: Spanish language -- Dictionaries – English

OR

Chinese language -- Dictionaries --English

• World Lingo Online Language Dictionaries
  http://www.worldlingo.com/en/resources/online_language_dictionaries.html
  Offers links to dictionaries for a multitude of languages.

• Online Picture Dictionary
  http://www.pdictionary.com/
  An illustrated online dictionary in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Useful for students of all ages.

• Longman Web Dictionary
  http://www.logosdictionary.org/pls/dictionary/new_dictionary.index_p
  Includes contextual quotations, multilingual e-translation portal, crossword puzzles, and more.

Lockwood Library Audio Tour

Japanese

• MP3
• M4A

Mandarin

• MP3
• M4A

English

• MP3
• M4A