Library Terms Translated

Abstract:

A brief summary of a book or article.

Almanac:

A yearly publication often containing statistics and data of all kinds and information on the events of the previous year.

Archives:

An organized collection of papers or records preserved for research and reference.

Atlas:

A book of maps.

Bibliographic Citation:

A list of citations at the end of a paper, chapter or book. There are also books entirely made up of bibliographies. These are usually about a particular subject or by a particular author.

Boolean Logic/Boolean Operators:

A system of linking terms using the Boolean Operators AND, OR and NOT. Can be used in paper research but is most beneficial in computer searching whether on a search engine or a specific database.

Bound Periodical/Bound Volume:

Several issues of a journal placed together between a hard cover.

Browse:

(In computer searching) To look through various items to make a selection, such as a list of titles, authors, subjects, hypertext links, etc.

Call Number:

A code of letters and numbers that describes the subject of a book and assigns it to a location on the shelves.

Check out/Check in:

To borrow materials, such as books, CDs, or DVDs, from the library/To return materials to the library.

Circulate/Noncirculating:

Materials that can be borrowed from the library circulate. Books/periodicals identified as "reference" or "building only" are noncirculating and usually do not leave the building.

Citation:

A complete reference to a book or article that has all the information necessary to identify it and find it. Book citations usually include the author, title, journal name, date, volume, issues and pages.

Cite:

To give a citation, or reference, to something. (Do not confuse with: Site.)

Controlled Vocabulary:

A list of standardized words or phrases used in a particular database for computer searching. Descriptors and Library of Congress Subject Headings are controlled vocabularies.

Cumulate:

To gather together. Printed indexes to journals are often published each month; at the end of the year they may be cumulated - combined in one volume.

Current Periodicals:

Recent issues (the current year) of magazines or journals. These can be found, in paper format, in the Periodicals.

Database:

A collection of information in electronic form, organized for rapid computer searching. In the library, frequently used research databases can be found in different forms from the library's homepage.

Descriptor:

In certain databases, a standardized term used to describe the subject of a journal article.

Document:

An original or official paper or publication.

Due Date:

The date by which borrowed library materials must be returned.

End-User:

Any computer search service which can be accessed by the user independently.

Field:

A specific area in a database record that a computer can be made to search. Author, title, descriptor, and document type are examples of fields.

Full Text:

Entire, or nearly entire, articles in journals, newspapers, etc., that you can access directly on the computer. Graphics may not be included in HTML full-text, but will be in PDF versions.

Government Publications:

Documents published by the U.S. Government.

Holdings:

The books or years of a journal title a library owns. Although a journal may have begun in 1896, the library's HOLDINGS begin with the year it first purchased a subscription.

Homepage:

The first page, which is usually a welcoming or organizing page, on an Internet site.

Hyperlink or Link:

Words or images that a computer user can click on or select to be linked to more information.

Hypertext:

The organizing principle of the World Wide Web that joins related concepts together through links within and between documents.

IMC:

Instructional Materials Center. Located on the Ground Floor of the library, the IMC supports the needs of Education majors. Located here are tools to use for the creation of multimedia projects and teaching preparation/practice.

Index:

An alphabetical list of topics and their page numbers found in the back of a book.
An alphabetical list in electronic form of the authors, titles or topics that appear in a particular database.
A reference book, Web database or online service that refers you to books, articles or other works.

Internet:

A worldwide network of computer networks that is rich in information. The Internet includes electronic mail (e-mail), file transfer (FTP), remote login (telnet) and World Wide Web (WWW).

Journal:

More scholarly than magazines, journals print articles on academic subjects and are often published by professional groups or institutions.

Keyword Searching:

A method of computer searching based on natural language rather than a controlled vocabulary list. Important "key" words that might appear in titles, abstracts, or in full-text articles are chosen for search terms.

Library of Congress Classification system:

This is the official classification system used by most larger English language libraries to assign a specific location for each tool (book, CD, atlas, encyclopedia ?). This is the system used by the Drain-Jordan Library.

Library of Congress Subject Headings:

Official list of words and phrases used to describe what books and other items are about. These expressions are be used for subject heading searches in the library's catalog that uses the Library of Congress classification system.

Magazine:

A publication with articles often intended for recreational reading. Magazines are usually aimed at a more general audience than journals.

Microform / Microfilm /Microfiche:

Microform is a general term for microfiche and microfilm. These are photographic media used to access journals, newspapers, etc., in miniature form. Microfiche (or fiche) comes on sheets of film; microfilm comes on rolls. You must use special machines to read, enlarge and photocopy microforms.

Network:

A group of computers that share information.

Online:

Connected to a computer network.

Online Catalog:

Database on which you can check by author, title, and subject to see what the library owns and where it is located.

OPAC:

Online Public Access Catalog, the same as online catalog.

Overdue:

Materials that have not been returned by their due date are considered overdue.

Periodical:

Any publication which appears at regular intervals and contains separate articles. A general term applied to newspapers, magazines and journals.

Periodical Index:

An index that refers you to articles in periodicals, including newspapers. On the library's homepage they are listed as DATABASES.

Periodicals Room:

Section of the main floor of the library where periodicals are shelved alphabetically by title.

Primary Source:

Original document, such as a manuscript or a typed or handwritten text. Contains firsthand information about a topic.

Ready Reference Area:

The set of shelves near the Reference Desk where the most frequently used reference books are kept.

Record:

The basic unit of information in a database. Most of the library's databases have bibliographic records. Records often include the title, author, journal name, year, other public information and a summary or content note to help the patron know more about the item before they go to the shelf.

Reference Department:

Section on the main floor with books in which you look up information. Some examples are dictionaries, encyclopedias, and atlases. Since many people need to use them often, they do not circulate.

Remote Access:

The ability to connect to a computer from a distant place. Students and faculty have remote access to the library's catalog and other research databases.

Renew:

To extend the due date on a book or other library material.

Reserve:

A book or an article set aside, at the request of a faculty member so that many students in a class can use it. Sometimes these items are the library's and sometimes they belong to the faculty member. Reserve materials are available at the Circulation Desk.

Retrieve:

(In computer searching) To get or access data.

Search Statement / Search Query:

The terms and operators you type into the computer when conducting a search

Site:

A place on the Internet, such as a company?s World Wide Web page. (Do not confuse with: Cite.)

Stacks:

Library shelves. In the Drain-Jordan Library usually refers to the circulating stacks.

Subject Heading:

See: Library of Congress Subject Headings

Terminal:

A computer workstation.

Thesaurus:

A book of synonyms and antonyms.
A book or electronic resource that accompanies a particular database or field of study and lists the standardized, controlled vocabulary, such as descriptors, that can be used for search terms.

Truncation:

(In computer searching) The technique of using a symbol with a word stem to make the computer retrieve various forms of the word. Example: In the library's catalog using the keyword search violin* will retrieve violin, violins, and violinist.

URL:

Uniform Resource Locator. A World Wide Web address. Example: http://library.wvstateu.edu/

World Wide Web / WWW:

The part of the Internet based on hypertext. When you use the browsers Firefox or Internet Explorer, you are viewing the WWW.

Library Terms Translated list used with full permission of University of Albany and Carol Anne Germain. The University of Albany page is maintained by Carol Anne Germain at cgermain@uamail.albany.edu
Copyright 2011 University at Albany. All rights reserved. Last updated October 2011. Terms updated with local data July 2012. (jmf)