Email and Instant Messaging Reference Services

During regular reference hours you may click the "Live Chat" link above or, our email address is: mlic@utulsa.edu, and our instant messaging info is: AIM: MLICReference, Yahoo: MLICReference, ICQ: 331404674. Please read the policies below before using.

Who may use

Email reference is intended primarily for the students, faculty, and staff at the University of Tulsa. Instant messaging reference is intended for the University of Tulsa College of Law students, faculty, and staff.

Questions that may be answered

Email and instant messaging reference are designed to answer short, primarily factual questions. Examples of questions might include:

• What title of the Oklahoma Statutes concerns Landlord/Tenant relations?
• To what does the "Clean Hands Doctrine" refer?
• What is the address for the 10th Circuit website?

What is not available

Email and instant messaging are not amenable to long, involved research situations. The librarian on duty may refer a patron to either a specific librarian, or ask the patron to come to the reference desk in person. We are unable to answer questions that apply the law to facts, recommend specific actions, or recommend specific forms.

Turnaround time

Emailed reference questions will be answered within two business days. The MLIC reference address responds only when the University of Tulsa is open; no service is offered on holidays or during other times when the campus or MLIC may be closed. Instant messages will be answered as soon as possible, within regular reference hours. In-person patrons and phone calls will be answered before instant messages.

Privacy

The Mabee Legal Information Center respects users' privacy, but we cannot guarantee the privacy of files, email or other information stored or transmitted electronically. Please do not submit sensitive factual information to the library through either email or instant messaging. When providing chat reference, the MLIC will only collect the minimum personally identifiable information necessary for providing effective services and resources to our users.

Rules for Conduct

Please be patient while waiting for a response from the reference librarian. If the librarian is assisting another patron it may take a few moments before he or she may respond to your question. Please inform the librarian if you have time constraints. Rudeness and harassment of library staff will not be tolerated, and may be an Honor Code violation.

Addresses

The Reference Librarians may be emailed at mlic@utulsa.edu. Instant messaging may be directed to MLICReference on AIM and Yahoo, and 331404674 on ICQ.