Glossary of Library Terms

ABSTRACT:  This term is used in two different ways.  (1) A short summary of an article in a scholarly journal.  It usually appears at the beginning of the article.  (2) A finding tool, like an index, used to locate articles in journals and magazines.  The abstract will provide you with a citation to the article and give you a brief summary of that article. 

ALMANAC: A publication that contains, usually in one volume, statistical, tabular, or general information.

ANTHOLOGY:  a resource with many parts such as a collection of short stories.

APPENDIX:  section often at the end of a book including maps, charts, etc.

ARTICLE:  An essay or research report on a subject.  Articles appear in magazines, journals, newspapers and other sources such as encyclopedias.

AUTHOR:  Generally, this refers to the writer of a book or an article.  However, author more generally means the "creator" of material, for example the composer of music.  When searching in the library catalog, directors, actors or performers are also considered authors.  Authors can be groups such as government agencies, a symposium, a company, or other organization that may use a group name rather than an individual's name. 

BAR CODE:  Small label of closely spaced bars that can be read by a computer.  Bar codes on books and on your student identification id cards are used to check out books from the library.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD:  The information in an online catalog of books or an index, which describes one resource such as a book or periodical article.  It is comprised of data fields such as author, title, date of publication, place of publication, abstract, and subject headings.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  (1) The list of items gathered together while doing a research paper which will appear at the end of the research paper as a list of works cited.  These materials are usually arranged alphabetically by author's last name.  An annotated bibliography has a paragraph of more about each resource.  (2) A publication, frequently a reference book, that lists sources on a particular subject or person.

BOOK RETURN:  A place to bring books borrowed from the library back to the library.  There is a book return slot on your right as you are entering the library as well as two at the Circulation Desk.

BOOK STACKS:  The areas within a library where books are shelved.

BOOLEAN COMMANDS or BOOLEAN OPERATORS:  the terms "and" "or" "not" used in keyword (GALILEO) or command (GIL) searching to broaden, narrow or limit a search.

BORROWING:  Being able to take books from the library.  It is the same as check out or charge out.

BOUND PERIODICAL:  Several issues, often a year's worth, of journals or magazines that are sewn together  between hard covers which makes them look like books.

CALL NUMBER:  The identifying number given to each book acquired by the library.  Every item in the library, with very few exceptions, has a call number.  Call numbers begin with letters, which stand for a specific subject category and indicate the item's location on the shelf, much like an address identifies a building's location on the street.   Call numbers are found by using the library catalog part of the GALILEO project webpage.

CD-ROM:  This abbreviation stands for Compact Disc Read Only Memory.  CDs, as they are often referred to, are a computer technology storage medium that uses thin disks to hold thousands of pages of information.

CHECKOUT:  To borrow books from the library.  Books can be checked out at the Circulation service desk.   Books can be renewed through email following the appropriate procedure which is described on the library homepage at http://www.gsw.edu/~library.

CIRCULATION:  The service desk located in the library lobby at the entrance.  This is where you check out, or charge-out, books, return books, renew books, pay fines, request searches for missing books and keep your library card up to date.

CITATION:  A reference to, or information about, an item.  Typically citations have three parts:  author, title, and publication information.  A list of citations is often referred to as a bibliography.

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER:  the call number for a government publication.  Also referred to as the SuDocs (Superintendent of Documents) number.

COMMAND SEARCH:  In GIL, a special kind of keyword searching using Boolean operators (and, or, not).

COMMANDS:  symbols and/or terms used to retrieve computer stored information.

CONTROLLED VOCABULARY:  standardized terms used in databases or catalogs as subject headings or descriptors.

COPYRIGHT: Provides creators of original works with legal protection and the right to benefit from their works from the moment of creation.

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

CUMULATION:  an index, which is formed as a result of the combination of various parts of a resource.  Often refers to an index, which combines indexing for a year or several years into one alphabetical arrangement.

DATABASE:  An electronic collection of information.  A database may contain citations to sources.  Some databases have fulltext information.  Others may have citations and fulltext.

DEPOSITORY:  A library which receives the publications of a government or official body.  GSW is a depository for United States government documents. 

DOCUMENTATION: Record of sources used in research. Used to give credit, and to keep track of research.

DUE DATE:  The date a book must be returned to the library.  The due is not stamped in the book anymore, but you may receive a slip with the due date or you can request one.  The due date can also be found on the online catalog record for the book.  If you need to use the book for a longer time, you may renew it.  If a book is returned after its due date, you will have to pay a fine.

ELECTRONIC JOURNAL:  A journal that is published online only and not in paper or microform.

ENCYCLOPEDIA: One or more volumes containing informational articles on subjects in many fields of knowledge or a specific field. Used in research to provide background information.

FIELD:  the individual parts of a bibliographic record such as author, title, abstract, date, and subject headings.

FORMAT:  The physical form in which information appears.  (bound, microfilm, microfiche, audio, video, etc.)

FULL-TEXT:  Includes all of the text of a piece of information (i.e., article, definition, explanation) in an electronic database.

GALILEO:  is (1) the name of the virtual library of Georgia.  It allows library users to access dozens of periodical indexes and fulltext databases.  Librarians have also created lists of World Wide Web sites that are potentially useful for academic (and other) research.  You can find information on getting the password at the Circulation desk if you want to use the indexes from your home computer.  (2)  While GALILEO is the entire statewide consortium, the term is also applied to the collection of online indexes and fulltext databases. 

GIL:  is the GALILEO Interconnected Libraries system.  It is our online catalog of library holdings.  Since most University System of Georgia institutes have the same system, their catalogs are also called GIL.

GLOSSARY:  a list with definitions of technical or unusual terms used in the text.

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS or PUBLICATIONS:  are resources produced by the U.S. government.  They may be books, periodicals, CD-ROMs, videos, maps or posters.  Books and pamphlets are shelved by Superintendent of Documents classification number on the first floor.  Periodicals are shelved in title order behind the regular government documents stacks.  Other resources are shelved in special cabinets in the Government Documents area of the library.  Videos are shelved in the Audiovisual room on the second floor of the library.

HARDCOPY:  is another way of indicating that something is available printed on paper.

HOLD:  Holds and recalls may be placed on currently checked out books at the Circulation service desk.

HOLDINGS:  items, resources, or material owned by the library.  For example "periodical holdings" refers to which volumes, or issues, of a particular magazine or journal is held or owned by the Carter Library.

INDEX:  In libraries, indexes are (1) finding tools.  They help you find articles or books on a particular subject or person.  GSW library users have access to over 150 indexes through GALILEO which is the virtual library of the state of Georgia.  Indexes list citations.  (2) An index is also a list of words or subjects in the back of a book.

INTERLIBRARY LOAN:  If we don't own material you need, you can ask us to get it for you through another library.  There are seldom any charges for the service and material usually arrives within a few days.  However, although most ILL departments get material to the borrowing library pretty quickly, we are at the mercy of their workload.  Also referred to by the initials ILL.

INTERNET: The world wide "network of networks" connected to each other.

ITEM:  A single piece, such as one book, one magazine, one reel of microfilm.

JOURNAL:  Scholarly journals contain articles considered to have a higher academic content or value for research purposes than magazines such as Time and Newsweek. 

KEYWORD SEARCH:  database searching using non-standardized search terms.  In most databases a BASIC keyword search will search all fields.  Advanced or expert search screens will allow you to search particular fields such as author, title, or subject.

LIBRARY CATALOG:  Remember the old card catalog?  You'll seldom see them anymore.  They have been replaced with online catalogs.  Ours is called GIL (GALILEO Library Interconnected Libraries).  It is a database of everything the library owns including books, government documents, titles of periodicals, audiovisual material, etc.  Titles of periodical articles are not in the library catalog.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS:  These are the words and phrases to use when searching the library catalog by subject.  These terms were devised by the Library of Congress and are used to divide knowledge into related subject areas.  These terms are published in five large red volumes, often called LCSH.  We have a set on the Reference Desk.

LIBRARY WEBSITE:  http://www.gsw.edu/~library  This is the place to find information about the library's policies and personnel.

LOAN PERIOD:  The length of time library materials may be borrowed.  The time period varies depending on the borrower's status (faculty, student, etc.).

LOCATION:  Where an item is kept in the library or where an item is kept at another library or branch.  Location information is provided by the library catalog.  Library maps with location information are available in the lobby.  Both location and call number are necessary to find an item in the library.

MAGAZINE:  An ongoing publication (often weekly or monthly) that contains articles written by journalists or freelance writers.  These publications tend to be of general interest and will cover a variety of topics.  Covers usually are glossy and the articles will rarely have footnotes, etc.

MICROFORM:  This word refers to different technologies used to film or copy a printed work in a much smaller size.  Examples of microforms are microfilm and microfiche.  Microfilm is a roll of film while microfiche is a 4"x6" sheet of film.  The library has periodical backfields in both formats on the 2^nd floor.  The library owns several thousand government documents on microfiche as well as the ERIC collection (education documents).  Both of these collections are shelved on the 1^st floor of the library.

MONOGRAPH:  a book. A 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.

OCLC (ONLINE COMPUTER LIBRARY CENTER):  a bibliographic network based on an online database of approximately 28 million cataloging records from it's 5500.  It now serves more than 18,000 libraries in 52 countries. The OCLC database is used for cataloging, for reference work, and for interlibrary loan.  It is the world's largest and most comprehensive database of bibliographic information.  (See WorldCat in GALILEO)

ONLINE CATALOG:  An database that has records for the holdings of a library.  Our site is referred to as GIL.

ONLINE RENEWAL:  Books can be renewed by email at libcirc@canes.gsw.edu.  You must include your name and user id / bar code.  In addition, you should include author, title, call number and bar code information for each item that you are renewing.  Please be aware that bringing the books to the library to renew them is the safest way to insure that they are properly renewed.

OPAC (ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG):  a computerized catalog of books and other items in the library.  Also called the online catalog.  We call ours GIL as do many other libraries in Georgia.

OVER DUE:  An item that has not been returned by the due date.

PEER-REVIEWED: Refers to periodical publications which subject submitted articles to a review by other professionals in a particular field.

PERIODICALS:  A publication that appears on a regular basis more than once a year.  Newspapers, magazines, and journals are examples of periodicals.  Periodicals are shelved alphabetically on the 2^nd floor.  The most recent issues of a title are shelved with bound volumes.  Microfilm and microfiche are shelved in an area adjacent to the stacks area.

PLAGIARISM:  appropriation of ideas or the copying of the language of another writer without formal acknowledgment

PRIMARY SOURCES:  fundamental, authoritative documents relating to a subject, used in the preparation of a later work, e.g., original record, contemporary documents, etc. Synonymous with original sources and source material.

PUBLIC DOMAIN: Works which are no longer owned by anyone because the creator has been dead a certain amount of time and, therefore, the work is no longer protected by copyright law.

RARE BOOK ROOM:  is a room on the 1^st floor of the library which has a collection of old gift books as well as many books on Georgia History.  The vertical file for GSW and University System of Georgia material is also located in the Rare Book Room.

REFEREED: Refers to periodical publications which subject all submitted articles to a group to scrutinize or evaluate the material before it is accepted for publication.

REFERENCE:  This word refers to a location in the library and also to the services and books available at that location.  At the Reference Desk there are librarians to help you with your research and with using the library.  The library keeps reference materials apart from the regular collection.  Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and indexes are examples of reference materials.  Reference items do not usually check out.

RENEW:  To extend the due date for a book.  This is done at the Circulation service desk.

RESERVES:  are library material set aside for a particular class so that everyone can have access to the same items.  They may be books, photocopies, or other resources.  They are shelved at the Circulation service desk.  You can look up reserves on the top menu of GIL are in a card file at the Circulation desk.  You will need to provide your ID card to check them out and you may have to use the material in the library.

SEARCH ENGINE:  A computer program on the Internet that searches the World Wide Web using the terms the user enters.  Examples are Google, Altavista, and AskJeeves.  Search Engines often have human-built SEARCH DIRECTORIES.

SEARCH STRATEGY:  the terms used in an online database to identify resources matching certain criteria.

SECONDARY SOURCES:  books or articles that explain or analyze primary sources, events, issues, etc. For example, criticism of a literary work, a history of a time period.

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

STACKS:  refers to the shelves that hold books, periodicals, or government documents

STATUS:(1) This message appears on an item's GIL screen and indicates whether  it is available for check out.  If the screen indicates "Not Checked Out," the book should be on the shelf. If you cannot find a book, go to the Circulation Desk or the Reference Desk to ask for assistance.  (2) Status also refers to a person's standing as a library borrower, for example; student, staff, faculty, and community patron.

STYLE MANUAL:  A guide that shows you how to correctly format the information and document  sources used in research. Different disciplines use various style manuals.

SUDOC NUMBER:  The Superintendent of Documents number is the call number for a government publication.

THESAURUS:  a list of all the subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index. The thesaurus for the online catalog is the Library of Congress Subject Headings.  See also controlled vocabulary.

TRUNCATION:  in database searching, the addition of a special symbol (*, #, ?, etc.) to the root of a word in a database that begins with the letters to the left of the symbol.  NOTE:  This varies from database to database so check the help screens to find the appropriate symbol for the database.

VERTICAL FILE:  a file cabinet or file box containing a collection of pamphlets, newspaper clippings, or other print items that the library may not want to catalog for some reason.  Often contains local area information.

VOLUMES:  Usually, one book is one volume.  Several issues of a journal or a magazine are sewn together as a bound periodical and are considered one volume.  The term volume is frequently used when speaking of one volume of a multi-volume set.

WILDCARD: A symbol used in electronic searching to represent any character. Wildcards can usually be used at the end of a word or within a word to search for all forms of the word. Check the help screens of a particular database to determine the appropriate symbol to use.

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Many of these definitions are taken from the Online Learning Library Center Glossary at http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/ollc_glossary.html.