For many people, the idea of doing historical research conjures up memories of slaving away in the library over a term paper.

But Heather Halpin Pérez, a university alumna, carries just that task, earning herself a spot in the credits of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

Pérez, who graduated from this university’s library science program, is a historical consultant for the show. She has earned the nickname “Boardwalk Empire’s Librarian” by being able to answer questions about the tiniest of details in mere minutes. Originally from Lynchburg, Va., Pérez said she had always enjoyed research and picked this university for its strength in the field and its proximity to the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives.

In 2006, as she prepared to graduate, Pérez heard about a job opening in New Jersey for an archivist at the Atlantic City Free Public Library. She had never been to Atlantic City and knew little about its history, but she borrowed a book about one of the city’s infamous nightclubs from McKeldin Library and read it on the way to her interview.

To her surprise, she got the job. But she never would have guessed working in the archives of a small library in the casino capital of the East Coast would lead her to a show that has won 33 awards and secured 54 nominations to date.

Tucked away in the Atlantic City Free Public Library lies the Alfred M. Heston Collection, the definitive source on the history of the city. Here, curious area residents and aficionados have access to a vast array of photographs, newspaper clippings, maps, charts, music, contracts, books, postcards and menus, some as old as Atlantic City itself.

These artifacts paint a vivid picture of a region known for big business, big personalities and big-time power and greed, and it is here where Pérez quietly shows off her prowess, answering questions for anyone who asks.

There has always been a certain allure about the seaside city. It was the inspiration for the modern Monopoly board and the origin of the Miss America pageant. But in the 1920s, it was the place to be. Historians refer to the Prohibition era, from 1920 to 1933, as “Atlantic City’s Golden Age.” Tourism was at a peak as Americans flocked to the boardwalk to gamble and drink smuggled liquor. Under the influence of organized crime boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the city became a playground for racketeering and a major hub for the bootleg alcohol trade.

This was the inspiration for Nelson Johnson’s book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City and its 2010 TV incarnation, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. Created by Terence Winters, directed by Martin Scorsese and produced by Mark Wahlberg, the show follows a racketeer modeled on Nucky Johnson, named Nucky Thompson and played by Steve Buscemi, and his cohorts as they run the boardwalk.

“Research on a period TV show or movie is extensive and crucial to give it a historic authenticity,” head researcher Ed McGinty wrote in an email. “It needs to make it believable to the viewers. Everything from writing, to costumes & sets, to music is all meticulously researched.”

McGinty, who is originally from the Atlantic City area, met Pérez when he went to the library for research in preparation for the show’s production. He was searching for the Atlantic City American Legion hall number and a list of people who ran against Johnson in a 1920 local election.

Pérez found the original ticket, and after spending three days perusing the archives and working with McGinty at the library, she told him he could call the Heston Collection staff if he had any further questions as the show developed.

That’s how it began — any time a historical question came up, McGinty called the library to ask Pérez.

“My role is basically fact-checking,” she said. “If they have a question about something, or if they want a detail, their researchers will contact us, and we’ll look it up for them — like if they want to know what the menu was for a special dinner for Nucky Johnson, we’ll look it up and see if we can find whatever was served at the meal.”

Pérez’s work is so thorough and speedy that she earned herself a spot in the credits.

“I didn’t know I was going to be; they just put it there and somebody said to me, ‘Oh, your name’s in the credits,’ and I said, ‘Oh, really?’” she said.

Her involvement with the show also landed the mother of two and Latter-day Saints volunteer a spot in Atlantic City Weekly’s 2012 Top 40 Under 40.

“She’s invaluable to the show,” McGinty said. “Whenever I have a question or the show has a question, we always go directly to her.”

Pérez’s work was most instrumental during the first couple of seasons of the show, when the writers and actors were setting the scene and building characters. She said because the show is in its third season now, she gets fewer calls.

Pérez is not paid by HBO — all of the work she does is just part of her duties at the library or its small Atlantic City Historical Museum.

“It’s just the same kinds of questions I answer for John Smith in North Carolina about his grandmother’s honeymoon photo,” she said.

And even though her research on the history is vital to the show’s success, she doesn’t watch it religiously.

“I don’t have HBO, actually. That’s not one of the perks they offer,” she joked. “But I’ve seen a couple episodes from the past seasons, and I do watch the recaps each week.”

Pérez said her work as an opportunity to get more people to learn about the city’s wealth of history.

“We’ve had so many more requests for information about the city, and it’s really been a great benefit for the city itself,” she said. “There’s a lot of historical tourism now. People are coming to see the places they see in the show.”