The reference staff consists of eight librarians (all of whom staff our daily reference service) and seven upperclass students. The students are carefully chosen from a large pool of applicants to work with their peers at the Research Desk (2nd floor). They answer questions by phone, chat, text, and face-to-face. Since early October 2016 the reference staff logged more than 1500 questions ranging in difficulty from questions like "How do I scan something?" and "Do you have this book?" to much more complex questions, such as "Can you help me find four sources on Jonathan Edwards and his view of God's glory?" We can never tell what the question might be, but we have to be ready to help each person.

Pictured here are five of the seven RDAs (Research Desk Assistants). Only one of these students is not graduating. It will be hard to "fill the shoes" of (back row, left to right): Brandt Bruxvoort, Carolyn Muyskens, Sam Titus; (front row) and Fe Setiadi (front row, right). Jesse Brink, pictured in the front row, is returning.