Reference & Research Services

The Reference and Research Services Department is the public face of the Somali National Library, providing expert assistance to students, researchers, professionals, and the general public. Our knowledgeable staff help users navigate our collections and find the information they need.

Research Support

We offer comprehensive research support including:

• Reference Consultations: One-on-one sessions with subject specialists
• Research Guides: Curated resource lists by subject area
• Literature Searches: Comprehensive searches of our collections
• Citation Assistance: Help with proper citation formats
• Document Delivery: Providing copies of materials

Information Literacy

We conduct regular workshops on research skills, database searching, and information evaluation. These programs are designed for students at all levels and are essential for developing critical thinking and research abilities.

Special Collections Access

The department manages access to our rare and special collections, providing supervised viewing of manuscripts, historical documents, and other unique materials in our secure reading room.