Reference Desk: Foreign Language Translation Services
Reference Desk
I had a community patron inquiring about translation assistance for a newspaper article written in German. While I directed him to the Modern Languages department here, in a subsequent telephone conversation with Fred Yaniga, he said that they are not always able to directly help with such requests – due to the time it takes to properly translate materials. Also, students usually don’t have the proficiency needed to do an adequate translation. So, while it is okay to occasionally direct such patrons to their department, they may only be able to recommend local translation services – which we, at the desk, can help the patron to locate as well.