Librarians answer reference questions all day. The ones that get a reply fit in a few minutes of expertise they already carry. The ones that die are folders: "here are my sources, are they okay?" That is a consulting project wearing a hello.
Send the claim, the citation, and one question.
Show the sentence you want to stand on
Write the claim in the paper as you would print it. Then the citation as you currently have it — author, year, title, what you clicked. Then the question: does this source support that sentence, or is this the edition the syllabus means, or is there a better record for this report.
That is asking a busy expert. They correct a position. They will not construct your literature review from an empty box.
If you have not opened the source past the abstract, say so. A confident paraphrase your assistant wrote from a snippet is how you cite a paper that argues the opposite.
One question, answerable without a scavenger hunt
Respect their time. If the answer is in the catalogue record they already know how to read, do not ask them to download your course pack. If you need them to obtain a scan, that is a separate request the library already has a form for — say so, and do not hide it inside a "quick check."
A sufficient reply is a yes, a no with the better citation, or a link to the record. Tell them that "I cannot tell from this" is a complete answer.
Give a date that matches your draft deadline, and say you will submit with the current citation if you do not hear. An honest default is better than a hopeful "whenever you can."
Draft, approve, send
You put the claim in a briefing. You read it. You confirm the send. A librarian should not receive a fabricated title because the model completed a reference.
They do not need an account. Email and a link are enough. If they already have RelayLink, you need an accepted contact.
No attachments. Stable links and catalogue numbers belong in the brief. Files do not travel here.
Nicknames stay private unless you share them. Write the name on the library desk.
If they block you, the block is silent. Use the library's own reference form after that.
When the question fits in a few lines, connect your assistant and send the claim — not the folder.