Glossary of Library Terms
from: http://lu.com/odlis/odlis_a.cfm

Abstract

A brief, objective representation of the essential content of a book, article, report, or other work. It presents the main points in the same order as the original. A well-prepared abstract enables the reader to 1) quickly identify the basic content of the document, 2) determine its relevance to their interests, and 3) decide whether it is worth their time to read the entire document. An abstract can be informative, critical or written from a particular point of view (slanted). Abstracts are no longer than 250 words.

Annotation

A brief note, usually no longer than two or three sentences, added after a citation in a bibliography to describe or explain the content or message of the work cited or to comment on it.

APA style

A guide for typing research papers in the social sciences, developed by the American Psychological Association, which includes the proper format for typing notes and bibliographic citations.

Appendix

A part of a written work, not essential to the completeness of the text, containing complementary information such as statistical tables or explanatory material too long to be included in the text or in footnotes or endnotes. Appendices usually appear in the back, following the text and preceding the bibliography.

Bibliography SEE ALSO Works Cited

In the context of scholarly publication, a list of references to sources cited in the text of an article or book, or suggested by the author for further reading, usually appears at the end of the work.

Boolean

A system of logic developed by the English mathematician George Boole (1815-64) that allows the user to combine words or phrases representing significant concepts when searching an online catalog or database by keywords. Three logical commands (sometimes called "operators") are available in most search software:

The OR command is used to expand retrieval by including synonyms and related terms in your query.

The AND command is used to narrowsearch results. Each time another concept is added using "and," the search becomes more specific. In some online catalogs and databases, the "and" command is implicit (no need to type it between terms or is set as the default). In some internet search engines, keywords will be searched as a phrase if not separated by "and."

The NOT command is used to excludeunwanted records from search results.

Call Number

A unique label affixed to the outside of an item in a library collection, usually to the lower spine of a book or DVD. The call number provides the location of the item on the shelf. Each call number is unique.

Colleges and Universities use Library of Congress Classification (LCC). The notation begins with letters of the English alphabet ( example:PN 2035.H336 1991).

Most School Libraries, RHS included, use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC). This notation consists of numerals ( i.e:365.09 followed by 3 letters, usually the first three letters of the author’s last name).

Catalog

A comprehensive list of books, periodicals, DVD’s, and other materials in a given collection, arranged in order to facilitate retrieval (usually by subject). In most libraries, the card catalog is available online. The catalog offers you a variety of search approaches to retrieve information contained in the collection.

Catalog record

In the online catalog, this screen display includes a description of the item, the main entry, any added entries and subject headings, notes, and the call number and any access points, as well as information about the holdings of the local library or library system (copies, location, call number, status, etc.).

Citation

A written reference to a specific work or portion of a work (book, article, dissertation, report, musical composition, etc.) produced by a particular author, editor, etc. The citation should clearly identify the document in which the work is to be found.

Controlled Vocabulary

An established list of preferred terms from which a cataloger or indexer must select when assigning subject headings or descriptors to a book or journal article. This term indicates the content of the work. SEE ALSO Descriptor or Subject heading

Cross-reference

A reference from one subject heading to one or more other subject headings in the same catalog, index or reference work . The most common are SEE references, instructing the user to look elsewhere for the preferred term, and SEE ALSO references, directing the user to related subject headings under which additional information may be found.

Database

A large, regularly updated file of digitized information (bibliographic records, abstracts, full-text documents, images, statistics, etc.) related to a specific subject or field, organized for ease and speed of search and retrieval. Content is created by a publisher (Sage, Macmillan, etc), which usually publishes a print version and leases the content to one or more database vendors (EBSCO, Gale, etc.) that provide electronic access to the data in machine-readable form ( Expanded Academic ASAP, Global Issues in Context, etc.), via a research database on the Internet, using proprietary search software.

Most databases require an annual lease or subscription fee from a public, school or academic library that limits access to registered borrowers, students or staff.

Descriptor SEE: Controlled Vocabulary or Subject Heading

Electronic Book or e-book

A digital version of a traditional print book designed to be read on a personal computer or an e-book reader or some other reading device.

Federated Search

A search for information using software designed to query multiple networked information resources via a single interface. The new generation of federated search engines are designed to search local and remote library catalogs, and research databases, such as Academic Search Premier or Expanded Academic ASAP. Some federated search systems rank results by relevance or allow sorting by other criteria. Some databases are not accessible to federated search services.

Information Literacy

Skill in finding the information one needs, including an understanding of how libraries are organized, familiarity with the resources they provide (including information formats and automated search tools), and knowledge of commonly used research techniques. The concept also includes the skills required to critically evaluate information content and employ it effectively, as well as an understanding of the technological infrastructure on which information transmission is based, including its social, political, and cultural context and impact. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and The American Association of School Librarians maintain homepages on Information Literacy.

InterLibrary Loan (ILL)

When a book or article needed by a patron is checked out, unavailable or not owned by the library, a patron may request that it be borrowed from another library. RHS uses a service provided by the University of Minnesota, entitled Minitex. Interlibrary loan is a form of resource sharing that depends on the maintenance of union catalogs.

Journal

A periodical devoted to original research and commentary on current developments in a specific discipline or field of study ( example: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology), usually published in quarterly, bimonthly, or monthly issues. Journal articles are usually written by the person (or persons) who conducted the research, and almost always includes a bibliography or list of works cited at the end. An abstract usually precedes the text of the article. Most scholarly journals are peer-reviewed .

Keyword or Search Term

A word or phrase representing one of the main concepts in a research topic. Used alone or in combination with other terms in a search statement, to query an online catalog, database or search engine and retrieve relevant information. A search term can be a keyword or phrase supplied by the user, i.e. an authorized subject heading or descriptor.

Literature Review

A comprehensive survey of the works published in a particular field of study or line of research, usually over a specific period of time, in the form of an in-depth, critical bibliographic essay in which attention is drawn to the most significant works. Scholarly journals, particularly those publishing original research in the physical and social sciences, includes a lit review in the first section of each article.

MLA Style

A format for typing research papers and citing sources in the humanities developed by the Modern Language Association of America and published in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, available in the reference section of most academic libraries. See also: APA style and electronic style.

Natural Language

The user may enter the query in the same form in which it would be spoken or written ("Where can I find information about Frederick Douglass?" as opposed to the search statement "frederick douglass" or "su:douglass"). Ask is an example of a natural-language Internet search engine as compared to using a controlled vocabulary.

Paraphrase

A rewording of the thought expressed in a previously spoken statement or written work, usually to make the meaning clearer by substituting shorter, simpler words for difficult vocabulary. Also, the use of rewording as a literary device or educational technique. Compare with quotation. See also: plagiarism.

Peer-reviewed

A scholarly journal requires an article to be subjected to a process of critical evaluation by one or more experts on the subject, known as referees, responsible for determining if the subject of the article falls within the scope of the publication and for evaluating originality, quality of research, clarity of presentation, etc. Changes may be suggested to the author(s) before an article is finally accepted for publication. Some bibliographic databases allow search results to be limited to peer-reviewed journals. Synonymous with juried and refereed.

Plagiarism

Copying or closely imitating the work of another writer, composer , etc., without permission and with the intention of passing the results off as original work. At most colleges and universities, plagiarism is considered a moral and ethical issue, and instructors impose penalties on students who engage in it. Plagiarism can be avoided by expressing a thought, idea, or concept in one's own words. When it is necessary to paraphrase closely, the source should be documented in a footnote or endnote, in the same manner as a direct quotation.

Primary Source

A document or record containing firsthand information or original data on a topic , used in preparing a derivative work . Primary sources include original manuscripts, periodical articles reporting original research or thought, diaries, memoirs, letters, journals, photographs, drawings, posters, film footage, sheet music, songs, interviews, government documents, public records, eyewitness accounts, newspaper clippings, etc.

Refereed See: peer-reviewed

Reference Book

A book designed to be consulted when authoritative information is needed, rather than read cover to cover. Reference books often consist of a series of signed or unsigned "entries" listed alphabetically under headwords or headings, or in some other arrangement (classified, numeric, etc.). The category includes almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographical sources, catalogs, concordances, dictionaries, directories, discographies and filmographies, encyclopedias, glossaries, handbooks, indexes, manuals, research guides, union lists, yearbooks, etc., whether published commercially or as government documents. Long reference works may be issued in multivolume sets, with any indexes in the last volume. Reference works that require continuous updating may be published serially, sometimes as loose-leaf services.

Research

Systematic, painstaking investigation of a topic, or in a field of study, often employing hypothesis and experimentation, undertaken by a person intent on revealing new facts, theories, or principles, or determining the current state of knowledge of the subject . The results are usually reported in a primary journal, in conference proceedings, or in a monograph by the researcher(s) who conducted the study. In the sciences, methodology is also reported to allow the results to be verified. In academic libraries, instruction is designed to teach research skills. for The Researching Librarian..

Research Guide

A printed or online resource that provides detailed information, instructions, and advice concerning the best strategies , techniques, and resources for research in a subject or field of study. Book-length research guides are usually shelved in the reference section of a library ( example: Shakespeare: A Study and Research Guide by David M. Bergeron and Geraldo U. de Sousa). Many academic libraries provide brief handouts on a display rack near the reference desk, explaining research techniques and listing finding tools appropriate to each discipline.

Research Paper

A written composition, usually five or more pages in length, assigned as an exercise in a formal course of study. The writer is expected to state a thesis and advance a logical argument based on supporting information found in a systematic investigation of the topic. The source of quotations, facts, and ideas not those of the author must be documented in footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography.

Search Engine

Computer software designed to help the user locate information available at sites on the World Wide Web by selecting categories from a hierarchical directory of subjects (Yahoo!) or by entering appropriate keywords or phrases (Google, Hotbot , etc.). Most Web search engines allow the searcher to use Boolean logic and truncation in search statements. Results may be ranked by relevance or some other criterion.

Subheading

A secondary heading added to a main subject heading or descriptor in an indexing system, usually following a dash or other mark of punctuation, to allow documents to be indexed more specifically. Subheadings may be further subdivided; for example, in the Library of Congress subject heading United States--History--Civil War 1861-1864, United States is the main heading, and History and Civil War 1861-1864 are subheadings. In a printed list of indexing terms, subheadings are indented to visually represent hierarchic relations between terms.

Subject Encyclopedia

An encyclopedia in one or more volumes devoted to a specific subject, field of study, or academic discipline, as opposed to a general encyclopedia containing information on a broad range of subjects. Entries in a subject encyclopedia are usually written and signed by an expert on the topic and may include a brief bibliography or list of suggested reading. Examples: Encyclopedia of Psychology,Encyclopedia of the Holocaust, or International Encyclopedia of Linguistics

Subject Heading

The most specific word or phrase that describes the subject, or one of the subjects, of a work, selected from a list of preferred terms (controlled vocabulary) and assigned as an added entry in the bibliographic record to serve as an access point in the library catalog. A subject heading may be subdivided by the addition of subheadings ( example: Libraries--History--20th century) or include a parenthetical qualifier for semantic clarification, as in Mice (Computers). In the United States, most libraries use Library of Congress subject headings (LCSH), but small libraries may use Sears subject headings. Cross references (SEE or SEE ALSO) are used to direct you to the appropriate Subject Heading to use.

Trade Journal

A periodical devoted to disseminating news and information of interest to a specific category of business or industry, often published by a trade association. Some trade journals are available in an online version, as well as in print ( example: Publishers Weekly).

Truncation

The dropping of characters and the addition of a symbol at the end, beginning, or within a word in a keywords search to retrieve variant forms. Truncation is particularly useful in retrieving the singular and plural forms of a word in the same search.

Example : *librar* to retrieve records containing "interlibrary," "intralibrary," "librarian," "librariana," "librarianship," "libraries," "library," etc.

Union Catalog

A list of the holdings of all the libraries in a library system, or of all or a portion of the collections of a group of independent libraries, indicating by name and/or location symbol which libraries own at least one copy of each item. The arrangement of a union catalog is normally alphabetical by author or title. Examples of Union Catalogs: District196-Destiny.

Venn diagram

A graphical device in which closed circles (or ovals) are used to illustrate the logical relationship between sets of data: nonintersecting circles for sets with no elements in common; overlapping circles for sets with some but not all elements in common; and a circle within a circle for a set that is a subset of another. Invented by Johann Sturm in 1661 and named after the English logician John Venn (1834-1923) who used them from 1880 on, Venn diagrams are used in bibliographic instruction to help students visualize the results of Boolean logic in keyword searching.