Ask by Text Message

Ask by Instant Message
(AskUs Live)

Ask by Telephone
(Telephone Reference)

Ask by E-Mail
(AskUs@)

Ask by U.S. Mail

Ask in Person

Who can use the Reference Service?

Do your librarians do research? Is it free?

Genealogy

Ask a Librarian

The Flint Public Library is a research library, and we pride ourselves on being able to answer most questions. If we cannot answer a question, we can direct you to someone who can!

Need to know the value of your car? Need a phone number or address? The demographics of Flint? We have all these and more. We are accessible by Instant Messaging, phone, e-mail, regular mail, and in person. So when you have a question, think "Flint Public Library!"

Instant Message Reference

Already online? Ask us a question by Instant Message (IM). Our Reference staff is available Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

For more information on IM Reference, please see the Patron Guidelines for Instant Messaging Reference.

Text Message Reference

On the go? Ask us a question by Text Message (SMS).Our Reference staff is available Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. How to text us:

• Text "send fplaskus" and your question to 246246.
• Example: if you type "send fplaskus what time do u close today?" your message looks like this:
  

An expert librarian will reply to your question, also by text message. If the conversation continues, you can reply by text without typing the "send fplaskus" each time.

Telephone Reference - (810) 249-2569

When the Main Library is open (*see below), our phones are open. All reference questions by phone start here. If you have a question that we can answer quickly, the answer will be given right then and there. However, if your question requires more in-depth research, we will take your name and number and give you a call back.

AskUs@ - Reference by E-mail at

The AskUs@ service is also manned by reference staff. If you wish to ask a question by e-mail, be sure to include your e-mail address for response purposes. AskUs answers only brief, factual questions, and by law we cannot answer tax, medical, or legal questions. It is also helpful to include your name, phone number and mailing address in case we need to contact you.

Research Request Form ($ Fee-Based)

Regular Mail

If you wish to submit a question to us by U.S. Mail, please address the letter to:

Reference Department
Flint Public Library
1026 E. Kearsley St.
Flint, MI 48502

Be sure to include your return address.

Research Request Form ($ Fee-Based)

Reference in Person - Main Library and Branches

Someone is waiting to answer your question at all locations whenever the Library is open. Link here to a full schedule of branches and hours.

Who can use the Library's Reference Service?

The Flint Public Library is the region's research library and is open to all.

Do your librarians do research? Is it free?

The staff at Flint Public Library will gladly assist you in finding materials and helping to answer reference queries. However, the librarians cannot take the place of other professionals, such as lawyers, doctors, or accountants. We will help you locate the information, but we cannot interpret it.

Also, from time to time, we may need to limit the frequency of questions we receive from one person. This is especially true with Genealogical and research requests.

There are some questions that require more in-depth research than we can provide, and we will direct you to a fee-based service for those questions.

Research Request Form ($ Fee-Based)

*HOURS: The Main Library is open 9 AM - 8 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Link here to a full schedule of branches and hours.

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