We'll leave the light on for you

Have you ever pondered a library-related question while at home on Sunday? Or needed to obtain older city data on microfilm for a course but will be out of town for the week? Perhaps you just realized that it’s 8pm on Wednesday and you have forgotten about the new hours at the Main Library? No matter - patrons can submit their queries at any time to the Main branch by using the Reference Cyberlibrarian.

The Reference Cyberlibrarian is an online feature that lets you submit your library questions via email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Submitted questions are checked daily during library hours by a real live reference librarian, who will respond to your questions accordingly and, depending on the nature of your request, respond to you with an answer within 24 hours.

You can access the Reference Cyberlibrarian at cyberlibrarian@richmondgov.com or by going to the Richmond Public Library main page, clicking "Contact" in the top right corner, and clicking on the "Send email" link next to the Reference Cyberlibrarian.





As the Main Library is responsible for the care of written public records for the City of Richmond, many current requests pertain to subjects such as city directory requests or copies of records currently on microfilm. In these cases, it is important to note that (with a go-ahead from the patron to complete the copies), the library does charge a $5.00 fee for postage and photocopying. However, the Reference Cyberlibrarian is designed to be a gateway for library requests, and all questions are welcome. Better yet, your questions will be answered and sent to you in the comfort of your own home!

So go ahead and contact us. You’ll never know how much we can do for you if you don’t ask.