Noting that information retrieval in the library is a task that is ubiquitous and easily overlooked in colleges, this paper discusses the importance of possessing effective library research skills. The speaker recounts his experiences with conducting library research as a doctoral student and describes how this problem eventually evolved into a library skills course offered at Fordham University (New York). The course, "Advanced Library Methods," was a free, non-credit experimental course targeted specifically for first-year students interested in social science. Seven students participated in this course, and all indicated that they found the course to be valuable. It is noted that Fordham plans to expand and institutionalize this course in 1992. Concluding the paper are a table listing the seven students' self-reported problems in the library, an annotated list of major sources of access to the social science literature, and instructions for searching the literature. (12 references) (MAB)