You may have heard about the Ebook Detective Agency – a team of librarians who are eager to help connect you with the title you’re seeking. They’ll navigate the often complex landscape of available resources to find exactly what you need.

How it works:

– Submit a request through this form. Let us know which book you’re looking for! 

– Detective Team reviews your request, begins the search. [Possible search locations: HathiTrust, Open Library, JSTOR Ebooks, Scribd, Ebook Central, Project Muse, and more] 

– You’ll receive an email with an update about the search, whether there is an electronic copy, and what other options might be (InterLibrary Loan, or a print copy at a public library). 

And without further ado: Meet the Ebook Detective Team! 

Kate Angell is an Adjunct Reference Librarian at the Mina Rees Library, and also Associate Professor and Coordinator of Library Instruction at LIU Brooklyn. In August, Kate presented at the Medical Library Association Conference with Robin O’Hanlon and Samantha Walsh on the topic: “Moral Distress Related to Ethical Dilemmas Among Consumer Health Information Librarians.” Much of her research is in the field of Library & Information Science, with a focus on student engagement and support, such as an ALA Midwinter talk about “Cross-Campus Partnerships to Help Students Fund Their College Education.”

Donna Davey is an Adjunct Reference Librarian. She has a background in special collections and has worked with manuscripts and archives in research libraries around New York. She has experience in a variety of subject areas, including a special focus on Archival Materials (which you can see in her extensive Research Guide on that topic). 

Katherine Pradt is an Adjunct Reference & Digital Outreach Librarian, and has a strong background in editorial work. With 16 years in Sports Illustrated’s editorial department, an  MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and an MLIS from Pratt Institute, Katherine is our on-site expert in the Scrivener writing software, and much more.  She also does reference work and teaches library skills at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology.

The Ebook Detectives, in addition to their shared expertise in various subject areas, also provide robust reference support to Graduate Center students and faculty through our popular Ask a Librarian service. They’re also often joined by Jill Cirasella (Associate Librarian for Scholarly Communication and Digital Scholarship), and Elvis Bakaitis (Interim Head of Reference), in the quest for Ebooks. Along with E-Resources Librarian Adriana Palmer, a few of the Detectives presented about their work – as an adaptive Library service during the COVID-19 closures – in a workshop hosted by the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO).

As always, the Mina Rees Library is available anytime for questions, consultations, and more. Feel free to submit an Ebook request today!

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