Carey Hagan has functioned as a Reference Librarian at several institutions, including the Library of Congress, as well as at public and college libraries in the Washington, D.C. area. In her capacity, Carey Hagan employs major research databases which help the public find the data they need in the following areas: consumer, medical, scientific, health-related, humanities, genealogical, and news-based.

In general terms, a Reference Librarian assists library patrons to conduct research using specialized databases. In order to fulfill this role, the Reference Librarian must commit to ongoing learning, demonstrate a creative approach to research, and maintain a broad knowledge base. The Reference Librarian should be adept at developing customized research strategies to meet the needs of individuals in any field. In addition, the individual must maintain ties with external libraries and staff at outside research facilities.

Technology has dramatically transformed the role of the Reference Librarian over the past few decades. In the past, Reference Librarians worked with specialized indexes and reference texts to assist individuals in finding materials. Today, Reference Librarians work primarily with digital catalogs. There are hundreds of specialized research catalogs, which are tailored to the needs of individual disciplines. In addition, the many search tools can conduct queries in several catalogs at once.

Some examples of research librarian databases include ALB 1876 (American Libraries Before 1875), a project of Princeton University, which provides information on the history of American libraries; Science.gov, a database of science information provided by the federal government; and LexisNexis, which offers legal information.

When a library patron approaches a Reference Librarian with a question, the Reference Librarian will usually conduct a reference interview. The purpose of such an interview focuses on creating an overview of the patron’s needs in order to provide the correct information. Specialized techniques and procedures have been developed to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of these interviews.