Glossary of Library Terms & Jargon

Abstract:
An abstract is a short summary describing the main idea or content of a work such as an article, book or dissertation.

Almanac:
A publication, usually an annual, containing useful facts and statistical information.

Annex:
This is a compact storage area located in the lower level of the main library. Also known as Compact Storage.

Annotation:
Unlike an abstract, which is an objective description or summary of a work, an annotation is a critical or subjective evaluation of a piece of work, usually included in a bibliography or citation.

Archives:
A special collection or collections that house the records of organizations, governments, universities, etc. An archive can also contain collections of the personal papers of an individual or family, photographs, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, etc. Archives usually house materials of an historic nature. See also University Archives.

Article:
Sometimes referred to as a paper, an article is a brief composition on a subject, usually appearing in a magazine or journal.

Article Index:
See Index

Audio-Visual Materials:
Audio-visual materials convey information mainly via sound and image instead of by text. Although they may have some text, they are not meant to be strictly read.

Authentication:
The process of identifying an individual by a computer, usually based on a username and password.

Barcode Number:
The 14-digit number appearing beneath the barcode found inside the front or back cover of a book.

Bibliographic Record (BibRecord):
A record that describes an item in the collection; the bib record includes call number, author, title, publication information, paging, subject headings, etc.

Bibliography:
A bibliography is a list of citations which appear at the end of a paper, article, chapter or book. There are also books entirely made up of bibliographies. These are usually a compilation of citations on a particular subject or by a particular author.

Book Return:
A place to return books borrowed from the library.

Boolean Operator or Boolean Logic:
Boolean operators, otherwise known as logical operators, are used to construct more complex searches in a database. They help make a search more accurate. There are 3 logical operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

Browser:
Software program used to view web pages. Browsers like Microsoft's Internet Explorer (MSIE) or Netscape Navigator allow you to click on a link to another document, and get information from a different computer where that resource is stored.

Call Number:
A call number is a combination of letters and numbers that is given to each item held in the library. The letters and numbers assigned to the work describe its subject matter and serves as its address on the shelf. Samford uses the Library of Congress Classification system to assign its call numbers.

Catalog:
A catalog is a compilation of records describing the contents of a particular collection or group of collections. For example, the Samford University Libraries Catalog has records for the items held by Samford University Libraries and the OCLC WorldCat catalog lists the holdings of books, journals, and other materials held by OCLC member libraries all over the world.

A catalog can also be a list of items published by a certain body. The GPO Monthly Catalog contains records of reports, studies, fact sheets, maps, handbooks, conference proceedings, etc. issued by all U.S. federal government agencies and the U.S. Congress.

The library also often owns publisher's catalogs and product catalogs that list items available or for sale. For example, Books in Print lists books currently published in the United States along with their prices.

CD-ROM:
A thin disk (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) which holds thousands of pages of information. In the library, some journal indexes and other reference sources are available on CD-ROM. They may be quickly and conveniently searched at computer workstations in the Reference area.

Check out/Charge out:
The process of borrowing materials from the library. In order to charge out materials the user must present a Samford University identification card to a staff person at the circulation desk along with the materials to be charged out.

Circulation Desk:
The circulation desk is the place to check out, return or renew books. The staff can also help you locate items that you cannot find. You pay overdue fines at this desk too.

Citation:
A citation is a reference to a work, such as a book or a journal article. When you look at a bibliography or search an index, print or online, you retrieve citations. They provide the author, title, publication place, and year of a work. Often many other pieces of information, such as journal title and page number, are added in order to make it easier to locate the work.

Compact Storage:
See Annex

Cross-Reference:
Directions that lead you from one subject or name to another in a catalog or index. For example: Groundwater SEE Water, Underground

Database:
A database is an organized collection of computer records. The most common type of database consists of records describing articles in periodicals otherwise known as a periodical index. By entering search terms related to your topic, you will be able to retrieve information about articles of interest from the database.

Sometimes all the information you need is in a database record and sometimes you will have to take the information from the record and search further. When you are searching a periodical index (or database), you will get a citation giving you such information as title and author of an article as well as which journal it appeared in. In order to locate the journal and to read the article, you might have to search the Full-Text Journal Finder for full text availability or the Samford Libraries Catalog.

Due Date:
The date is stamped on a card that is placed in a pocket located in the back of the book that tells when the book must be returned to the library. If the book is needed longer, a renewal may be requested. If books are returned late, a fine is charged. On occasion, you will be asked to bring back a book earlier than the original due date because it is
needed by someone else. Otherwise, referred to as a recall.

Electronic Journal:
A publication, often scholarly, that is made accessible in a computerized format and distributed over the Internet. An electronic journal or e-journal may have a traditional paper counterpart or historical antecedent.

Encyclopedia:
A reference source containing information on a variety of topics. This information may be supplied in short paragraphs or in lengthy articles that include citations to other works on the same topic. Encyclopedias can be general - covering all topics, or specialized - focusing on a particular discipline such as art or philosophy.

Field:
When looking at a citation from an index or database, each piece of information is a field. For example, many citations are made up of an author field, a title field, a publisher field and a date field. What fields are called and what is in them can vary from database to database.

Full text:
A full text database is a resource that provides access to the complete text of an item. In a full text database, both the bibliographic descriptions and the articles themselves will be available.

Government Documents:
These items are often shelved separately and are arranged by Superintendent of Documents number, based on the agency issuing the document.

Hold:
A library user may place a hold on a book charged out to another person; this ensures that the person placing the hold will be next in line to receive the book when the book is returned. Holds may be placed either by the user in the Samford Libraries Catalog or in person at the Circulation Desk.

HTML:
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is programming language used in the creation of Web pages.

Hypertext:
Transparent linkage of textual documents to other related documents on the World Wide Web.

Index:
An index is a guide to the contents of a file, document, or a group of documents. An index is used to point to the contents of something. For example, there are indexes in the back of books that describe and point to the contents of that book. There are also very large indexes that describe the contents of journals and give you enough information to locate an article in a journal. Indexes are usually arranged by subject, author or keyword. They can come in both paper and electronic form.

Interlibrary Loan:
Interlibrary loan is a mechanism for different libraries to share materials. Despite the size and comprehensiveness of the collections, scholars may require materials that the Samford University Libraries does not own. You may make arrangements to borrow library materials, principally books, from other libraries in North America or to obtain photocopies of journal articles for individual scholarly research. If, in consultation with a reference librarian, you find that you cannot obtain an item you need at Samford, you should discuss the policies and timing of making an interlibrary loan request.

Interlibrary loan request forms can be located at the reference desk in the University Library or by using the Interlibrary Loan forms that can be found in the Interlibrary Loan/Resource Retrieval section of the library's web page.

Internet:
A worldwide network of computers that can be accessed via the campus computer network. The Internet allows local computer users to find and use information resources on computers of other academic institutions, research institutes, private companies and government agencies.

ISBN:
International Standard Book Number. A unique 10 digit code assigned to a specific edition of a book before it is published.

ISSN:
International Standard Serial Number. A unique 8 digit code assigned to the specific title of a serial.

Journal:
Although the terms periodical, journal, serial, and magazine have slightly different definitions, you will likely hear them used interchangeably. These are works that come out on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, annually) and contain articles written by various authors.

A journal contains peer reviewed articles written by scholars while a magazine contains more popular articles often written by journalists. The terms periodical and serial are more generic and refer to all types of these materials.

Keyword Searching:
A keyword search directs the computer to look for a word or a combination of words from the author, title, or subject fields in a record.

Library of Congress Classification:
A classification system developed by the Library of Congress (LC) that is used to organize the collections of many academic and research libraries. This alpha-numeric system arranges materials by subject. Each subject or class is represented by a series of letters and numbers, which are used to create an LC call number. To see the main classes in the LC system, go to the Library of Congress Classification. For a more detailed outline of the LC system, go to the Library of Congress Classification Outline.

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):
The multi-volume set, Library of Congress Subject Headings, is an alphabetic guide to and list of the official subject headings used for searching in the Libraries Catalog. This set is located in the Reference Department.

Loan Period:
The amount of time you may borrow a book or other item from the library. The time varies depending on the type of material borrowed and the status of the borrower.

Location:
A field found in the online catalog on the bibliographic record that is used to denote the location of an item. Some locations are Reference, Special Collection, Microfiche, Law Library, DIC (Drug Information Center), and Periodicals.

Magazine:
Although the terms periodical, journal, serial and magazine have slightly different definitions, you will likely hear them used interchangeably. These are works that come out on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, annually) and contain articles written by various authors.

A journal contains peer reviewed articles written by scholars while a magazine contains more popular articles often written by journalists. The terms periodical and serial are more generic and refer to all types of these materials.

Manuscripts:
Documents or written compositions, such as letters or diaries, which have not been printed. Often, an author's written (or typed) original "copy" as distinguished from a printed or published version of the same material.

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

Microforms:
A term used to describe documents which have been photographed or filmed. Microforms require you to use special reader machines. Common formats for microforms are microfilm and microfiche.

OCLC WorldCat:
This database is an online catalog of the holdings of books, journals, and other materials held by thousands of OCLC member libraries. (OCLC is Online Computer Library Center.)

OPAC:
Acronym for Online Public Access Catalog. See Online Catalog.

Online Catalog:
An electronic or digitized version of a library's card catalog. It is the database that contains records that refer to the many materials held by the Samford University Libraries.

Online Database:
An electronic database of either full-text documents or citations and abstracts which can be searched by an Internet connection using a browser.

Periodical:
Although the terms periodical, journal, serial and magazine have slightly different definitions, you will likely hear them used interchangeably. These are works that come out on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, annually) and contain articles written by various authors.

A journal contains peer-reviewed articles written by scholars while a magazine contains more popular articles often written by journalists. The terms periodical and serial are more generic and refer to all types of these materials.

Periodical Index:
A periodical index is a guide to the contents of periodicals. Some periodical indexes are general in coverage while others focus on a particular subject like psychology, economics, or history. Periodical indexes can be arranged in numerous ways: by author, title of the article or subject. You would use a periodical index to find if there are articles about a certain topic or by a certain author. You would then have to go to the periodical itself to find the full article. Examples of periodical indexes are PsycINFO, EconLit, and America, History and Life.

Peer-reviewed Article:
The article has been reviewed by other scholars before publication.

Popular Source:
Information, especially articles, written to entertain or inform the general public. Some examples of popular magazines include Time, Newsweek, and People Weekly.

Primary Source:
Original works in various media formats such as original manuscripts or reprints of original manuscripts, letters, diaries, documents, books, films, posters, play scripts, speeches, songs, sheet music, photographs, drawings, and first-person accounts that are created at the time an event occurred.

Recall:
To recall a library item means to ask for it to be returned from a patron who currently has it checked out. Go to the Circulation for more information about recalls.

Record:
A record is what you retrieve when you search a database. It can be made up of various pieces of information. These pieces of information can be separated into fields. In a periodical index, which is a database of article citations, each citation is also called a record.

Refereed Journal:
A publication, usually scholarly, in which articles are reviewed by a panel before being accepted for publication.

Reference Desk/Reference Collection:
The reference desk is the place where librarians answer questions, give directions, and guide patrons through their research. Often, there is a reference collection of books, computers, and other resources located near the reference desk. Librarians and patrons use these print and electronic materials to help find answers to questions and to help in the research process. A few examples of items found in a reference collection are dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, and almanacs.

Reference Librarian:
Reference librarians are specialists in the field of information retrieval. They have a Masters degree in library science, and many have other graduate degrees as well. They are available at reference desks to help you find the information you are looking for.

Renewal:
An extension of the loan period for checked out library materials. Renewals may be handled in person at the circulation desk or by phone.

Reserve:
A selection of specific books, periodical articles and other materials which faculty have indicated students must read for a particular course. These materials are usually kept together in one area of the library and circulate for a short period of time only. Each library has its own reserve system. Reserves are located at the Circulation Desk in the main library.

Scholarly Article:
An article that has been peer-reviewed.

Search Strategy:
A systematic process used to find the most relevant information on a topic. During this process, one considers all potentially useful reference sources, selects works appropriate for the research need, locates information, and evaluates the information found.

Secondary Source:
Works that are not original manuscripts or contemporary records or documents associated with an event, but which critique, comment on, or build upon these primary sources.

See Also:
A referral to an additional source of information often found in catalogs or glossaries. For example: Dog: See also Canine.

Serial:
Although the terms periodical, journal, serial and magazine have slightly different definitions, they are often used interchangeably. These are works that come out on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, annually) and contain articles written by various authors.

A journal contains peer reviewed articles written by scholars while a magazine contains more popular articles often written by journalists. The terms periodical and serial are more generic and refer to all types of these materials.

Special Collection:
The Special Collection department is located on the lower level of the library and houses original as well as secondary materials. The collection focuses primarily on Alabama and the Southeastern United States, including a large resource for Alabama Baptist materials. The department also maintains the Albert Casey Collection, an Irish Historical Collection, primarily focusing on the counties Cork and Kerry. Other materials housed in the collection include church materials, congregational and regional records, maps, local historical and genealogical periodicals, newspapers, census records, family histories, and various audiovisuals. The Special Collection also serves as the archive for Samford University and Howard College. A brief overview of the collection can be viewed on the Special Collection Holdings page.

Stacks:
Stacks or stack area refer to the space in a library where the majority of library materials are shelved. Often the stacks are made up of multiple floors and contain many rows of shelving units.

Subject Headings:
Words or phrases assigned to books and articles which are used to index these items by topic. The Samford University Libraries use the Library of Congress subject headings.

Thesaurus:
A list of all the subject headings or descriptors used in a particular database, catalog, or index.

Truncation:
Truncation is a symbol put at the end or in the middle of a word in order to catch all variant endings or spellings of that word when searching a database. If you wanted to do research on computers, but also wanted to make sure you picked up any records with the word computer or computing or computerized, you would put a truncation symbol at the point in the word where various endings can begin to occur. (e.g. comput?)

Databases use various symbols to represent truncation such as $, #, +, *, !, ?, or - . Some databases truncate automatically. You should check the "Help" of each database to see what symbol to use. In some databases, you should add a number to tell the database how many letters you will allow the truncation symbol to represents. For example, if you wanted to do research using the word cat, but also wanted to retrieve the word cats, you would type cat?1 allowing only one letter more than cat. If you do not do this and just type cat?, you will retrieve catalog, catatonic, catastrophe, etc.

Some databases allow for truncation symbols in the middle of the word to pick up variant spellings. For instance entering behavio?r would retrieve behavior and behaviour. Always check the "Help" for exact information on truncation.

URL:
Uniform Resource Locator, or web address. Usually in the form of http://host.subdomain. Example: http://library.samford.edu

University Archives:
University Archives, located in the Special Collection in the main library, collects and preserves records of historical, legal, fiscal, or administrative value to Howard College and Samford University. Holdings include official records and reports of the university, its officers, and component parts; private papers of faculty, students, staff, and alumni; official and student publications; maps and architectural records; audiovisual materials including still photographs and negatives, motion picture film, oral history interviews, and audio and video tapes; and artifacts and ephemera documenting Samford's history. See Special Collection.

Vertical File:
A collection of materials such as pamphlets, newspaper clippings, brochures, or pictures, which because of their shape and often their ephemeral nature, are filed in drawers or cabinets for easy reference.

Web Browser:
See Browser

World Wide Web:
A graphical client-server information system that uses the Internet to access computers containing millions of hypertext documents.