Glossary of Library Terms

 

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A

abstract

A brief summary of an article.

 

almanac

A compendium of useful data and statistics relating to countries, personalities, events, and subjects.

 

annotated bibliography

A list of works with a description, brief summary, or critical statement about each item.

 

annotation

A note accompanying an entry in a bibliography, reading list, or catalog intended to describe, explain, or evaluate the item to which it refers.

 

annual

A serial publication, such as a report, yearbook or directory, issued once a year.

 

anthology

A collection of the works of various authors, usually in the same genre or about the same subject, or a collection from the works of an individual author.

 

appendix

Section of a book containing supplementary materials such as tables or maps.

 

archives

Public records or historical documents; also the place where such records and documents are stored. See also Special Collections.

 

article

An item written for publication in a journal, magazine or newspaper.

 

atlas

A volume of maps, plates, engravings, tables, and/or charts that illustrate a subject. (Examples: Rand McNally Road Atlas; The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture.)

 

audio-visual

Information in a non-print format including films, slides, audiotapes, videocassettes, records, Web pages, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs) and floppy disks that present information that is both audible and visual. Also referred to as multimedia.

 

author

Creator of a work including compilers, editors, composers and corporate entities.

 

autobiography

An account of one's life, composed by one's self.

 

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B

barcode number

The 14-digit number appearing beneath the barcode found on the back inside cover of an MSU library book. Barcode numbers are used to charge, discharge, and renew books on the online computer system.

 

bibliographic citations

Also referred to as a citation. A reference to an item such as a book or an article that includes information useful in locating that item. For example, a book citation includes the author, title, publisher, place and year of publication, while an article citation includes the title, author, name of periodical, volume number, page numbers, and date of publication. Each citation style (For example: APA, MLA, Chicago) has it's own set of rules for how to format paper you write and the citations in those papers.

 

bibliographic database

A type of index that contains bibliographic citations.

 

bibliography

A list of citations to books, periodical articles, Web sites or other information sources on a particular topic. Bibliographies can appear at the end of a book, journal or encyclopedia article, or as a separate publication.

 

biography

A book about a person written by another person.

 

blog

Short for Weblog, blogs began as a type of online diary and usually refer to types of Webpages that are updated or posted to on a regular basis, with the posts appearing in reverse chronological order (most recent at the top of the page). Blog for America brought blogs into the spotlight during the build up to the 2004 Preseidential election. For more information on blogs, see this Introduction to Blogs and Blogging.

 

blurb

Advertisement found on the book jacket designed to promote the sale of the book.

 

book review

An evaluation or discussion of a new book usually by an academic, critic or journalist.

 

bookstacks

Also called the stacks, these are the shelves on which the library books are stored.

 

Boolean logic

Refers to logical or algebraic operations formulated by George Boole using operators AND, OR, and NOT, and used to search databases. For a quick explanation as to how these operators work, see Kay Schrock's Boolean Machine.

 

bound volume

A collection of issues of a periodical title that are bound together to form a hardback volume.

 

browser

A software application that allows a user to access and surf the World-Wide Web. Browsers may be graphical (Examples: Mozilla, Netscape, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer) or text-based (Examples: Lynx, Wannabe). Text-based browsers do not display graphics or play sound clips.

 

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C

CAL (Creative Arts Library)

A collection of art and architecture materials, including architectural plans and an extensive slide collection, located Room 207 of Cheever Hall.

 

call number

A combination of numbers and letters assigned to a book or other library material used to identify its contents by subject as well as identify its location on the library shelves. Most libraries use either the Dewey Decimal (DDC) classification system (Example: 855.1EC70i) or the Library of Congress (LCC) classification system (Example: HV8666.F6813) to assign call numbers. Renne Library primarily uses the Library of Congress system, but has some items classified with the Dewey Decimal system. Government documents are assigned call numbers using the SuDoc system.

 

card catalog

A card file, arranged by author, title, and subject, listing all items owned by a library. Most libraries now have electronic versions of the card catalog also know as an OPAC or Online Public Access Catalog.

 

carrel

A study area or hutch for one person located on the second (2nd), third (3rd), and fourth (4th) floors of Renne Library.

 

circulate

To allow materials to be charged or checked out. Reference books, journals, and newspapers are non-circulating items (denoted by "nocirc" in the catalog) and may not be checked out.

 

circulation desk

The location in a library where you check out, return or renew items, ask about missing items, inquire about fines or lost and found items. Renne's circulation desk is in the front entrance lobby area.

 

citation

See bibliographic citation.

 

citation index

An index consisting of a list of works that have been cited in other works, and a list of works from which the citations have been collected. Used to identify published works that are related by subject to the cited work. (Example: Science Citation Index.)

 

citation style

Rules for formating papers and bibliographic citations. Each discpline may use a different citation style. For instance, psychology and some of the sciences use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), the humanities tend to use the MLA Style Guide to Scholarly Publishing from the Modern Language Association of America (MLA), and others may use Chicago, Turabian, or additional styles. For guidesheets and more information on the various styles, see our Guide to Style Guides.

 

controlled vocabulary

A standardized list of words used to search a particular index or database. A thesaurus lists these preferred terms. (Example: Library of Congress Subject Headings.)

 

copy card

A small plastic card that can be purchased at the Circulation Desk and used in library photocopiers and laser printers on campus.

 

copyright

The legal right to control the production, use, and sale of copies of a artistic, dramatic, literary or musical work.

 

cross reference

A word or heading that directs you from one part of a book, catalog, or index to another part.

 

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D

database

A structured set of information, stored in a book, on a disk, or on a computer that provides bibiliographic citations, abstracts, and/or fulltext. An index is a type of database.

 

descriptor

A term representing a single concept or subject, listed in thesauri and used to search some databases. See also, subject headings.

 

dictionary

A resource that provides word definitions, correct grammatical usage and, in some cases, word history and origin. Dictionaries may be either general (Example: Webster's) or subject specific (Example: Dictionary of Food Science and Industry.)

 

directory

A list of persons or organizations systematically arranged providing addresses and affiliations for individuals, and address, officers, and functions for organizations (Examples: The Yellow Pages, Who's Who in America, MLA Directory of Periodicals.)

 

dissertation

A thesis or treatise prepared as a condition for the award of a degree or diploma, particulary for a doctoral degree.

 

documents

See government documents.

 

downloading

The transfer of search results into a file on a floppy disc or hard drive.

 

due date

The date by which borrowed books and materials should be returned. To extend the loan period for materials, the item should be renewed before the due date so that fines are not incurred.

 

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E

ejournals

Electronic versions of journals to which Renne Library subscribes. You may access electronic journals through Renne's catalog and JournaList. To find particular articles in ejournals, use the indexes and databases found on the Indexes and Databases Web page.

 

encyclopedia

A general information source that provides articles on various branches of knowledge. Encyclopedias may be general (Example: Encyclopedia Britanica) or subject specific (Example: Cowles Encyclopedia of Science, Industry, and Technology).

 

endnotes

Numbered statements appearing at the end of a work that explain the text or indicate the source of material quoted.

 

essay

A literary composition in which the author analyzes or interprets a subject, often from a personal point of view.

 

evaluation

A critical assessment of an information source including quality and scope of material.

 

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F

federated searching

Searching several databases at once with one search box. Also known as metasearching. An example of a federated search engine for the World-Wide Web is Dogpile.

 

folio

An oversized book measuring 15 inches (38 centimeters) or more in height.

 

footnotes

Numbered statements appearing at the foot (bottom) of a page of text that explain the text or indicate the source of material quoted.

 

format

In the online catalog, this refers to the physical form in which information appears. (Examples: book, VHS video, CD, DVD, electronic resource, microfiche, etc.)

 

full text

Full text databases provide the entire text of an article instead of only a bibliographic citation or an abstract. In HTML format, often no graphics or pictures associated with the article are provided and the original layout has been changed; in PDF format, the document appears as it would in the printed journal, complete with graphics.

 

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G

gazetteer

A geographical dictionary that usually includes longitude and latitude, population, size, and details of a given place.

 

government documents (gov docs)

Information sources printed by or for government agencies on the local, state, national level and usually organized using the SuDoc system.

 

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H

handbooks

General information source providing quick reference on a given subject. Example: MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.)

 

hits

Refers to items retrieved from a database matching criteria you determine. For example, you can do a keyword search in the online catalog for "science fiction" and retrieve 475 items or 'hits.'

 

holdings

The materials owned or held by a library.

 

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

A language used to structure text and multimedia documents and to set up hypertext links between documents, used extensively on the World-Wide Web. For more information, see the World-Wide Web Consortium's HTML primer.

 

hypertext

A term coined by Ted Nelson around 1965 for a collection of documents containing cross-references or "links" which, with the aid of a browser, allow the reader to move easily from one document to another or to links within one document, as within this glossary.

 

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I

imprint

The name of the publisher, distributor, manufacturer, etc., and the place and date of publication, distribution, manufacture, etc., of a bibliographic item.

 

index

Tools in print and electronic format that point to where information can be found. For example, indexes can be lists at the end of books, encyclopedias, and other information sources that indicate by author, title and/or subject the location of information within the book, encyclopedia, or information source. Another type of index is an electronic database that arranges citations to articles from a selected group of periodicals by author, title, or subject.

 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

An exchange of books or periodical articles between libraries for a brief period. You can use Renne's ILL to borrow from other libraries materials not owned by MSU.

 

Internet

The global network of computers linked together, accessible mainly via the World Wide Web.

 

ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)

The international numerical code that identifies concisely, uniquely, and unambiguously a serial publication. For example, the ISSN for the print version of Science is 0036-8075.

 

issue

A single, uniquely numbered or dated installment of a periodical or newspaper.

 

ITC lab

Open access computing workstations located on the second 2nd and third 3rd floors of Renne Library and operated by ITC (Information Technology Center) that provide word processing, spread sheet, database management, courseware, Internet access, and printing. For more information and other locations of ITC Labs, see the ITC Student Labs homepage.

 

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J

journal

A type of periodical, usually published by academic or association presses, which contains signed scholarly articles with bibliographies.

 

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K

keyword

Terms you choose from a text or of your own making ("natural language") and used instead of a controlled vocabulary to perform a search.

 

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L

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

A controlled vocabulary of subject headings created by the Library of Congress and used to search some databases, including library catalogs. These terms are listed in big red books (thesauri) located on the Reference Table near the Reference Desk.

 

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M

magazine

A type of periodical containing popular articles which are usually shorter and less authoritative than journal articles on the same subject.

 

manual

A book of rules or guidelines; a handbook. (Example: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.)

 

manuscript

A handwritten or typed document. Theses and dissertations, because they are typed and not commercially printed, are considered manuscripts.

 

MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging)

An international standard format for the arrangement of cataloging information so that it can be stored and retrieved using computers.

 

media

Films, tapes, and other audio-visual materials that require the use of special listening or viewing equipment. See also multimedia.

 

microfiche

A type of microform in which images of materials are photographically reduced and reproduced on 4 x 6 inch sheets of film and read using a microfiche reader. Often used to preserve and store periodicals.

 

microfilm

A type of microform in which photographically reduced images of printed pages are reproduced on 35mm film and read using a microfilm reader. Often used to preserve and store newspapers.

 

microform

Formats for storing photographically reduced images onto plastic film. Microfiche and microfilm are two types of microforms. A microform reader/printer is required to read or copy microforms. In Renne, most microforms and readers are located in the Spain-Sedivy Resource Center, basement level.

 

monograph

A book or separate treatise on a single subject or class of subjects, or on one person, usually detailed in treatment but not extensive in scope, and often containing bibliographies.

 

monographic series

A monographic series is a set of books that have a number of volumes with a definite end. (Example: An encyclopedia.)

 

multimedia

Applications using several media forms including text, graphics, audio and video. See audiovisual.

 

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N

newsletter

A serial in print or electronic format consisting of only a few pages and used to disseminate news or information to a particular group.

 

newspaper

A serial issued at regular, frequent intervals (daily, weekly, or semi-weekly) and containing news, opinions, advertisements, and other current items of interest.

 

NOCIRC (non-circulating)

Items in the catalog with NOCIRC listed after their location do not circulate outside the library. Examples of non-circulating matierials include reference works and items in Special Collections.

 

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O

online catalog

See OPAC, Online Public Access Catalog.

 

online database

Electronic bibliographic databases providing access by author, title, and subject to a group of periodicals, books, or proceedings. (Example: InfoTrac Onefile.)

 

OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)

An electronic catalog of library materials, such as Renne's catalog used in place of or in addition to the card catalog.

 

operators

Words such as AND, OR, and NOT that are used to combine search terms to broaden or narrow the results of a search in an online database. See also Boolean Logic.

 

overdue

Material that is not returned to the library by its due date is considered "overdue" and is subject to fines.

 

oversize

Books that are too large for normal shelves and usually designated with a Q (quarto) or F (folio) before the call number. In Renne, such books are shelved in Room 18, basement level.

 

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P

periodical

Materials published at regular intervals (at least 3 times a year) and intended to be continued indefinitely. Examples of periodicals include magazines, journals, and newsletters.

 

PDF (Portable Document Format)

A file format created by Adobe Systems for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. Because of this, PDF documents can be read on any computer with the use of a free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Unlike html-based fulltext documents, PDFs in article databases look exactly as they would in print form.

 

podcasting

A means of distributing online audio content and video via an RSS or Atom feed for listening or watching on a computer or handheld device such as an MP3 player, the most famous of which is the iPod. For information on how to receive podcasts or make them, see engadget's tutorial. For more on the history of podcasting and the creation of the term, see the Wikipedia entry entitled Podcasting.

 

portal

A Website considered as an entry point to other Websites that often provides access to a search engine. (Examples: Eatonweb Portal, ACM Portal, Yahoo!.)

 

primary sources

Fundamental, authoritative documents relating to a subject, used in the preparation of a later work. Also known as "original sources" and "source materials."

 

proxy server

A proxy server is a kind of buffer between your computer and the Internet resources you are accessing that can impose some restrictions on your ability to access those resources. For example, many of MSU's electronic journals are available only to people affiliated with MSU, so if you are attempting to access one of these journals from off campus, you will have to go through a proxy server that will verify your affiliation with MSU using your Banner ID. For more information on proxy service at MSU, see our Proxy Service FAQ page.

 

publication

A book, periodical, musical score, etc. that has been "brought before the public" by printing and distributing it.

 

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Q

quarto

An oversized book, being over 11.5" (29 cm.) in height or width.

 

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R

recall

A request by a library to a borrower for the return of a borrowed item before the due date.

 

record

A single document in a database. In an electronic index, a record consists of a cite (with or without an abstract) for a single periodical article.

 

refereed publication

An article in a periodical or other serial that is evaluated by the editor of the periodical and at least one other person knowledgeable in the subject being examined before being accepted for publication.

 

reference desk

A location in a library where you can gain assitance in using the library and receive answers to your questions. Renne's Reference Desk is located in the center of the first floor.

 

reference librarians

Specialist in the field of information retrieval who usually have a Masters degree in library and information science and who are available at the reference desk to help you find the information.

 

reference materials

A selection of non-circulating library materials used to help people find information that include, but are not limited to dictionaries, directories, almanacs, encyclopedias, atlases, statistical compilations, bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts.

 

renewal

An extension of the loan period for charged library materials that may be handled in person at a circulation desk.

 

reprint

A separately issued article, chapter, or other portion of a previously published work.

 

research strategy

The methodology or plan followed to find information on a subject or research topic.

 

reserve desk

A place where you can check out items reserved for use in a particular course. Renne's Reserve Desk is located in the first floor lobby.

 

reserves

A selection of specific books, periodical articles and other materials that faculty have set aside for use in a particular course. These materials are kept at the Reserve Desk and circulate for two hours. Electronic Reserves may be accessed from Renne's catalog with a password supplied by the course instructor. For more information on how to locate reserve items, both in print and electronic format, see our Library Reserves page.

 

RSS

Usually understood to stand for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary, it is a format for syndicating/distributin news and the content of news-like sites, including blogs. A news aggregator such as bloglines collects RSS feeds and displays new items from each of them. For more background on RSS, see this Introduction to RSS.

 

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S

scope

Refers to the type, breadth, and depth of information in a work.

 

secondary sources

Books or articles that explain or analyze primary sources. (Example: A book review.)

 

search engine

A software program that enables you to perform keyword searches for information on the Internet or in databases. (Examples: Google, Yahoo!)

 

see

A reference from a subject heading that is not used to one or more headings that are used. For example, the Library of Congress Subject Headings does not use the heading Native Americans, but there is a directive to see Indians of North America.

 

see also (SA)

A reference from one heading to one or more related headings. For example, in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, under the heading Indians, Land Transfer there is a see also reference directing the user to look at then entry Land Tenure under indivdual tribal names (e.g. Cherokee Indians - Land Tenure).

 

serial

Materials issued at regular or irregular intervals and intended to continue indefinitely. Includes periodicals, magazines, journals, and yearbooks.

 

series

A group of bibliographic items related to one another through a collective title. The individual items may or may not be given individual series or volume numbers. For example, Biomedical Ethics is an unnumbered book in the Opposing Viewpoints series, and Molecular Basis of Virology is #164 in the ACS Monograph Series.

 

set

A group of related items. When conducting a search in a database, the results of a search form a set.

 

Special Collections

A separate collection of materials in Renne Library that deal with Montana history, Yellowstone National Park, agriculture and ranching, fish and fishing, and other subjects. Special Collections is located in the southeast corner of the second (2nd) floor of Renne Library.

 

stacks

Rows of shelves where library books and journals are stored. Also called bookstacks.

 

stopword

Very common words such as a, an, for, the, to, etc. that are not indexed in databases and should not be used as search terms. Each database may have a unique set of stopwords. See Thomas, an online source of Federal legislative information, for a list of stopwords used in that database.

 

subheading

A subdivision of a subject heading. For example, in the Library of Congress Subject Headings, for the listing Indians of North America - Folklore, Folklore is a subheading of Indians of North America.

 

subject heading

A term or phrase used in indexes and library catalogs to describe the content of library materials in a standardized way. For example, Indians of North America is the subject heading used in the online catalog to describe materials about Native Americans. See also thesaurus, keywords, descriptor, and controlled vocabulary.

 

SuDocs (Superintendent of Documents)

The classification scheme used by the U.S. Superintendent of Documents to create call numbers for most U.S. government documents (Example: C 3.223/7-6:C 2 KPROF/00-US.) For more information, try this tutorial on the SuDoc system developed by Becky Fox at Michigan State University.

 

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T

table of contents

A list of parts of a book or periodical, such as chapter titles or articles titles, with references by page number or other location symbol to the place they begin, and in the sequence in which they appear.

 

tertiary sources

Reference works that identify or summarize information provided in primary and secondary sources. (Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks.)

 

thesaurus

A list of all the subject headings or descriptors or controlled vocabulary used in a particular database, catalog, or index. The thesaurus for the online catalog is the Library of Congress Subject Headings. (Other Examples: Eric Thesaurus of Descriptors and BDC/GFT Newspaper Index Subject Heading List (Thesaurus).) See also controlled vocabulary.

 

thesis

The main idea or argument of a paper. Also a document prepared as a condition for the award of a degree or diploma, such as a Masters thesis.

 

truncation

In database searching, the addition of a special symbol (*, #, ?, etc.) to the root of a word that tells the databases's search engine to match any record in the database that begins with the letters to the left of the symbol. For example, typing politic* into a searchbox would find records containing the words politic, politics, political, politician, etc. so that you do not have to perform each search separately.

 

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U

unbound volumes

Current, individual issues of a periodical title that are not yet gathered together and bound as a hardback volume.

 

URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

Represents a unique location or "address" of a resource located on the World-Wide Web that usually begins with "http://".

 

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vertical file

A file cabinet or file box containing a collection of pamphlets, newspaper clippings, or other small published items.

 

volume

A collection of all issues of a periodical or newspaper over a given time period that may be bound and numbered.

 

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W

withdrawn

Items that are no longer in the library collection.

 

World-Wide Web (WWW)

A client-server information system that uses the Internet to access computers containing millions of hypertext documents or Webpages. For more background, see the World-Wide Web Consortium's brief on Web history.

 

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X

 

 

 

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Y

yearbook

An annual compendium of facts and statistics on a particular subject for the preceding year.

 

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Z