Library Lingo: Glossary of Terms

This glossary is not a comprehensive list, but is designed to introduce you to words/terminology commonly used in an academic library setting. All definitions are provided by the Association of College and Research Libraries Links to an external site. unless otherwise specified.

[A]

Abstract: A summary or brief description of the content of another longer work. An abstract is often provided along with the citation to a work.

Archives: 1.) A space which houses historical or public records. 2.) The historical or public records themselves, which are generally non-circulating materials such as collections of personal papers, rare books, ephemera, etc.

Article: A brief work—generally between 1 and 35 pages in length—on a topic. Often published as part of a journal, magazine, or newspaper.

 

[B]

Bibliography: A list containing citations to the resources used in writing a research paper or other document.

Boolean operator: A word—such as AND, OR, or NOT—that commands a computer to combine search terms. Helps to narrow (AND, NOT) or broaden (OR) searches.

 

[C]

Call number: A group of letters and/or numbers that identifies a specific item in a library and provides a way for organizing library holdings. Three major types of call numbers are Dewey Decimal, Library of Congress, and Superintendent of Documents.

Catalog: A database (either online or on paper cards) listing and describing the books, journals, government documents, audiovisual and other materials held by a library. Various search terms allow you to look for items in the catalog.

Citation: A reference to a book, magazine or journal article, or other work containing all the information necessary to identify and locate that work. A citation to a book includes its author's name, title, publisher and place of publication, and date of publication.

Controlled vocabulary: Standardized terms used in searching a specific database.

Course reserve: Select books, articles, videotapes, or other materials that instructors want students to read or view for a particular course. These materials are usually kept in one area of the library and circulate for only a short period of time.

     

    [D]

    Database: A collection of information stored in an electronic format that can be searched by a computer.

    Descriptor: A word that describes the subject of an article or book; used in many computer databases.

    DOI: Acronym for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by the publisher to a digital object.

       

      [I]

      Index: 1.) A list of names or topics—usually found at the end of a publication—that directs you to the pages where those names or topics are discussed within the publication. 2.) A printed or electronic publication that provides references to periodical articles or books by their subject, author, or other search terms.

      Interlibrary services/loan: A service that allows you to borrow materials from other libraries through your own library.

       

      [J]

      Journal: A publication, issued on a regular basis, which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports. 

         

        [K]

        Keyword: A significant or memorable word or term in the title, abstract, or text of an information resource that indicates its subject and is often used as a search term.

           

          [L]

          Limits/limiters: Options used in searching that restrict your results to only information resources meeting certain other, non-subject-related, criteria. Limiting options vary by database, but common options include limiting results to materials available full-text in the database, to scholarly publications, to materials written in a particular language, to materials available in a particular location, or to materials published at a specific time.

             

            [P]

            Peer-reviewed journal: Peer review is a process by which editors have experts in a field review books or articles submitted for publication by the experts’ peers. Peer review helps to ensure the quality of an information source. A peer-reviewed journal is also called a refereed journal or scholarly journal.

            Periodical: An information source published in multiple parts at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, biannually). Journals, magazines, and newspapers are all periodicals. 

            Primary source: An original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation.

             

            [R]

            Reference: 1.) A service that helps people find needed information. 2.) Sometimes "reference" refers to reference collections, such as encyclopedias, indexes, handbooks, directories, etc. 3.) A citation to a work is also known as a reference.

             

              [S]

              Secondary sources: Materials such as books and journal articles that analyze primary sources. Secondary sources usually provide evaluation or interpretation of data or evidence found in original research or documents such as historical manuscripts or memoirs.