- A -
abstract
A brief summary of the points in an article.
A source that compiles, by subject, author or title articles in a selected group of periodicals and
includes a summary of each article.
access
In computer-based information retrieval, the method by which a computer refers to records in a file, dependent upon their arrangement.
In archives, the general ability to make use of the records of a government, government agency, or other corporate body. (ALA Glossary)
access points
Text and/or numeric terms used to search bibliographic records.
acquisitions
Materials which are purchased for library use. Activities related to obtaining library materials by purchase, exchange, or gift, including pre-order bibliographic searching, ordering and receiving materials, processing invoices, and the maintenance of the necessary records related to acquisitions.(ALA Glossary)
almanac
A compendium of useful data and statistics relating to countries, personalities, events, and subjects.
analytic
A bibliographic record for a part of a publication, such as a part of a book, or an individual volume of a multi-volume work, where each volume has its own unique title.
annotated bibliography
A list of works with descriptions and a brief summary or critical statement about each.
annotation
A note accompanying an entry in a bibliography, reading list, or catalog intended to describe, explain, or evaluate the publication referred to.
annual
A serial publication, such as a report, yearbook or directory, issued once a year.
anthology
A collection of extracts from the works of various authors, usually in the same genre or about the same subject. (Example: Norton Anthology of English Literature). Sometimes 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Public records or historical documents, or the place where such records and documents are kept.
arrangement
The order in which information is presented in a book. Dete rmining arrangement contributes to the effective use of that work.
article
A contribution written for publication in a journal, magazine, or newspaper.
atlas
A volume of maps, plates, engravings, tables, etc.
audiovisual
Information in a non-print format. Includes films, slides, audiotapes, videocassettes, records, software. Also referred to as media.
author
Includes compilers, editors, and composers in addition to the main personal and corporate authors who are responsible for a work.
authority file
The computerized list of subject, series, and name headings used in the Online Catalog.
autobiography
An account of one's life, composed by one's self.
- B - barcode number
The 14-digit number appearing beneath the barcode found on the back on a book. Barcode nu mbers are
used to charge, discharge, and renew books on the online computer system.
bibliographic citations
The information which identifies a book or article. Information for a book usually includes the author, title, publisher, and date. The citation for an article includes the author, title of the article, title of the periodical, volume, pages, and date.
bibliographic database
A database which indexes and contains references to the original sources of information. It contains information about the documents in it rather than the documents themselves.
bibliographic record
The unit of information fields (e.g. title, author, publication date, etc.) which describe and identify a specific item in a bibliographic database.
bibliography
A list of citations or references to books or periodical articles on a particular topic. Bibliographies can appear at the end of a book, journal, or encyclopedia article, or in a separate publication.
bindery
Books that need repair and loose issues of journals that are combined o r bound into a single volume are sent out of the library system to a company which binds them. These items are not available to users until they come back to the library system.
bio-bibliography
A list of works by various authors (or, occasionally, one aut hor) which includes brief biographical data.
biography
A book about a person written by some other person.
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 by a critic or journalist.
bookstacks
Often called the Stacks, this multi-story section of the main Library contains approximately 65% of the
Library's collection, or 6 million volumes.
Boolean logic
Referring to logical or algebraic operations, formulated by George Boole, involving variables with two values, such as Value 1 and Value 2; Value 1 or Value 2; and Value 1 but not Value 2.(ALA Glossary)
bound volume
Formed when issues of a periodical title are gathered to form a hardback volume.
browse searching
Browse searching is limited to one field, such as author or subject heading, and the computer matches the search statement exactly, so word order and spacing are important. This is in contrast to keyword
searching which may involve more than one field, and where word order is not important. A browse search
results in a list of entries from the one field, and one may scroll through the list, either forward or backward, as far as one wishes, potentially through all the entries in the list.
- C - call number
A combination of numbers and letters that provide a unique description of each item in a library collection. Items are arranged on the book shelves by call number, so the call number is the "address" of materials on the shelf.
card catalog
A card file, arranged by author, title, and subject, listing all items owned by a library. The Main Card Catalog contains records for every cataloged item in the Library System from 1868 -1975. Each departmental library maintained a separate card catalog of its own collection.
carrel
A study area for one person.
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory)
An information technology which is used to store large databases and provides access to them via computer. These discs look like the compact discs you'd see in a music store. Instead of storing music, they store text. The Library has a limited number of CD-ROM as most materials are now online.
check out or charge
To borrow books or periodicals from the library for a certain period of time.
CIC
CIC is an acronym for the Committee on Institutional Cooperation which is the academic consortium of the
Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago.
circulate
To allow materials to be charged out.
circulation desk
Location in each library where you check out, return or renew items, ask a bout missing items, or inquire about fines.
citation
A citation is a reference or footnote to an item (such as a book or periodical article); a citation contains the author, title, date of publication, and any other information needed to locate the item.
citation index
An index consisting essentially of a list of works which have been cited in other, later works, and a list of works from which the citations have been collected. Used to identify subsequently published works that are related by subject to the cited work.
class number
Top part of a call number which stands for the subject matter of the book.
classification scheme
Classification systems which use numbers and/or letters, to represent the subject content of materials. See also Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme.
commands
Symbols and/or terms used to retrieve computer-stored information.
conference report
Papers generated at or for a conference; may include minutes, transcripts, papers, and/or presentations.
connectors
Words that indicate the relationship between search terms. Also referred to as Boolean Operators. Common connectors are: AND, OR, NOT.
contemporary materials
Information produced during the time an event occurs.
continuation
A serial publication issued less than 3 times a year, i. e. not often enough to be called a "periodical." Usually referred to as a "contin."
controlled vocabulary
The standardization of words which may be used to search an index, abstract or information database. There is usually a published listing or thesaurus of preferred terms identifying the system's vocabulary. See also Thesaurus (Example: Library of Congress Subject Headings).
copy card
A small plastic card that can be purchased and used in library photocopiers and laser printers on campus. (However at this time they do NOT work in Microfiche/film reader/printers). Copies made using the card are less expensive than using cash.
