Research Services

The Reference Department answers questions, helps patrons locate library materials, assists patrons in planning research and preparing projects, and provides information about resources beyond the Library’s collection.

People come to the reference desk to find specific answers--names, phone numbers, addresses, dates, quotations, government representatives, stock prices, manufacturers, local services, organizations, and lists of businesses.

The Reference Department can also help with broader questions and research.

We work with students doing reports, people starting career exploration or beginning job searches, entrepreneurs developing business plans, residents learning the history of their houses, visitors looking for family roots, do-it-yourselfers working on projects, tenants and landlords looking up laws, and investors seeking financial information.

Reference can also help find organizations, associations, and government agencies, as well as resources in other libraries.

Available Materials

• books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories
• newspapers, including dailies, weeklies, and older papers on microfilm
• magazines (almost 400 subscriptions), many in hard copy, microfilm, and microfiche
• financial, travel, and health newsletters
• phone directories in hard copy, microfiche, and CD-ROM
• maps and atlases
• N. H. state laws and Portsmouth city ordinances
• pamphlets, clippings, and articles in the vertical file
• investment, financial, and business information
• print and computer-based indexes to magazines and newspapers
• microfilm reader-printers
• CD-ROM readers
• public access computers with word processing, spread sheet, data base, and graphics capabilities.
• photocopier
• electric typewriter
• tax forms (current and past years’)
• electronic magnifier for the visually impaired
• reading area for current magazines and newspapers
• community bulletin board for local events

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