UCB Libraries

Ask an Expert!

  • Ask Colorado is a free online information service provided by Colorado libraries. Real people in real time answer your questions, help you find information, or point you in the right direction to get what you need. Whether you need the names of Colorado's Fourteeners, an article from last week's newspaper, a hint on how to start your homework, directions to Calgary, or help on remembering the star of that Broadway show you saw in 1954, AskColorado can help.
  • Ask Census Experts offers name, phone number and e-mail address of experts in the U.S. Census Bureau in general and 30 specific fields.
  • Ask an Earth-Scientist A service developed by the University of Hawaii. Questions are answered by experts in the areas of natural hazards, the environment and geology. Answers to previous questions are archived under subject headings and can be viewed before asking a question. Note that it may take a few weeks to get a reply if you send a request on-line.
  • Ask the Economist Each week the Mackinac Center for Public Policy features an on-line economist to answer questions about economic principles and their real-world implementation. The Economist has also compiled a "Best of Ask the Economist" questions and their answers. Please visit the Ask the Economist Archives before asking a question.
  • Ask an Energy Expert A service provided by U.S. Department of Energy, this site offers answers to frequently asked questions through an on-line energy portal, Consumer Energy Information Web Site and a search of the DOE website. New questions can be posted to energy experts on-line by filling out a form.
  • Ask a Geologist A service provided by the earth scientists at USGS (US Geological Survey). If you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers, seach the USGS Frequently Asked Questions page first. You can also email earth science questions to: Ask-A-Geologist@usgs.gov.
  • Ask Dr. Global Change "Dr. Global Change" is a reference service that assists researchers, students, educators, decision makers and the general public in finding information and data relevant to global environmental change. Answers are prepared by GCRIO (US Global Change Research Information Office) staff along with U.S. Government agencies. Before asking a question, check the Question & Answer Archives first. It's the fastest way to get an answer.
  • Ask an Astrophysicist This site specializes "in cosmic-ray, gamma-ray, and X-ray astrophysics, and other satellite based astronomical observations. Our research subjects are often exotic, like black holes, quasars and dark matter." Experts in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have developed this site. Search the topics listed in the main page first before sending new questions.
  • Ask a Historian A service developed by The National Park Service. For questions about the national parks, the National Park Service or American history, ask one of the historians listed in the site.
  • Ask Dr. Internet Answers to previous questions have been compiled in newletters. Questions range from "What is the World Wide Web" to "WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property in Respect of Databases." New questions can be posted to Dr. Internet on-line.
  • Ask a Librarian in the Library of Congress The Library of Congress is now open for live chat reference service. The 11 LC reading rooms featuring chat are : Geography and Maps, Motion Pictures, Manuscripts, Recorded Sound, Science, Local History and Genealogy, American Memory, Business, Prints and Photographs, Humanities and Social Sciences, Serials and Newspapers and Periodicals. Chat rooms open from 2pm to 3 pm EST Monday to Friday.
  • Ask a Paleoanthropology Expert from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History a searchable Q&A page with the ability to submit your own question.
  • Ask a Scientist - Archive Compiled by the Argonne National Laboratory, this site archives questions and answers from 1991 in the areas of biology, computer, physics and other scientific subjects. Users can search the database by using Newton's Search Engine, or by selecting a subject. After searching, you can also submit a question.