Basic Library Terms

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ENGLISH 109 - Library Terms

Abstract	A brief summary of a book, an article, or other publication.
Appendix	A part of a written text that contains supplementary information such as statistical tables or other explanatory material.
Audiovisual	See Multimedia
Bibliography	A list of references cited by an author at the end of a book, an article, or other publication. Also known as bibliographical references and works cited.
Biography	A book or an article written about an individual.
Bookmarks/ Favorites	An easy way to store direct links to web sites you wish to return to in your computer. Internet Explorer calls these “Favorites,” other browsers call them “Bookmarks.”
Boolean Connectors	Also called Boolean operators. The words AND, OR & NOT are three Boolean connectors used in most databases or catalogs to combine search terms to broaden or narrow a search.
Browser	See Web Browser.
Call number	A unique combination of letters and numbers given to each item in the library. The call number groups books together according to subject. If you find a book on your subject on the shelf, there will be other books on the same subject near it. The BCC Library uses the Library of Congress classification system to shelve materials by call number.
Case Sensitive	Case sensitive means that capital letters (upper case) and lower case letters must match exactly, when typing a string of letters.
Catalog	A list of the books, videos, periodicals and other materials that the library owns.
Check In	To return borrowed library materials to the library.
Check Out	To borrow library materials under your student ID number and name. In order to take materials out of the library you must first check them out at the Circulation Desk.
Check Out Period	The length of time library materials may be checked out. The length of time depends on the type of library material you are checking out and the due date is when they must be returned.
Circulating	An item that can be checked out.
Circulation Desk	The service desk where you check out library materials and return library materials. The Library Media Center has two circulation desks. The first one is to check out print materials such as books and magazines. The second one is in the Media Center where you can check out multimedia materials.
Citation	A short note recognizing a source of information that includes the important elements needed to find a book, an article or a Web document. For example, a citation for a book would include the author, title, publisher, place of publication and the date. Citing an information source is also called a bibliographic citation.
Classification System	A system that organizes materials (books, articles) by subject content. The Library of Congress (LC) classification system is the one that determines the call numbers used by the BCC Library Media Center.
Controlled Vocabulary	A list of carefully selected terms used in searching. LCSH is an example of controlled vocabulary.
Database	An organized collection of information that can be searched by a computer.
Deep Web	Also known as Invisible Web. The Deep Web is information accessible on the Web but is not found via search engines. Information stored in Web databases is part of the Deep Web.
Domain Name	A unique name for a computer on a network which corresponds to an IP address. It is also a unique name that identifies a web site or Internet location.
Due Date	The date when borrowed library materials should be returned or renewed.
Edition	All copies of a book printed from one typesetting without substantial change.
Editor	The person responsible for compiling and organizing of a periodical or a book written by several authors.
Fair Use	Fair use grants particular types of users (in many cases educators and students) conditional rights to use or reproduce certain copyrighted materials, if meets specific guidelines.
FAQ	FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions.
Field	The different elements in a record in a database or catalog. The various parts of a record include fields such as author, title, subject, date and call number.
Fine	Money that is owed if you do not return you library materials by the due date. The amount of the fine varies depends on the type of library material that was late. If you do not pay your fine, you may not be able to register for classes next quarter.
Format	A particular physical presentation of an item. For example, book, map, video-recording, computer file, etc.
Full Text	The entire article. Some contains charts, graphs, and pictures.
Home page	Usually the starting point or main page for a Web site. The home page organizes the other web pages that are part of the web site
HTML	Stands for Hypertext Markup Language. This code is used to create and display documents on the Web.
HTTP	Stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is a set of rules controlling communication between computers on the Web.
Hypertext	On the World Wide Web, this feature, built into HTML, allows text, image, or other object to become a “link” or “hyperlink.”
Index	An alphabetical list of names or topics. An index is typically found in the back of a book.
ILL	ILL stands for Interlibrary Loan.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)	If there is a book or article that you need and it is not available at the BCC library, the BCC library may be able to get it for you from another library. This is called Interlibrary Loan. Ask at thereference desk for this service.
Internet	An international network of computer networks connecting computers ranging from individual personal computers to supercomputers.
In-text References	When quoting information within a paper, the in-text reference lists information about the book, article, or website it comes from and directs you to the complete citation in the paper’s bibliography. Also called parenthetical references.
IP Address	IP stands for Internet Protocol. It is a numeric, unique name for a computer on a network. See also Domain name.
Journal	A periodical, often published by a professional association or institution. The articles are analytical and specialized and have usually gone through the peer review process. Based on academic research in a particular subject, they are generally considered more scholarly than magazines.
Keyword	Important words that represent a subject of a document, used to search databases or catalogs. Keywords can be topics, people or places or any significant word in a title.
Keyword Search	Searching databases using keywords or non-standard subject headings.
LCSH	LCSH stands for the Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Library of Congress Subject Headings	A list of accepted subject headings developed by the Library of Congress for use in the Library’s catalog. Often referred to as LCSH.
Links	A clickable item on a web page that will automatically load information to your computer or take you to another location.
Loan Period:	The length of time library materials may be checked out. The length of time depends on the type library material you are checking out.
Magazine	A publication issued on a regular basis that contains articles, news and stories of a popular nature. Examples: Time, Newsweek
Menu	A list of commands displayed on the computer screen. The user can select from the list of commands to perform different actions.
Microfilm	A roll of film used to store images of newspapers, magazines, and other documents. In the BCC Library, old issues of some magazines and newspapers are on microfilm. Microfilms are read using a microfilm reader/printer on the first floor of the library.
MLA Style	Documentation adopted by the Modern Language Association (MLA). MLA Style provides a format for citing an information source or writing a bibliography for a research project.
Multimedia	Information in a form other than words printed on paper. CDs, audio cassettes, DVDs, videotapes and software are some examples.
Nesting	Nesting refers to enclosing search terms within parentheses. Nesting is most commonly used with the Boolean connector OR. Example: (gun* or firearm) and (law or legislation)
Online Catalog	A computerized list of all the items in the library.
OPAC	Online Public Access Catalog
Overdue	The library materials checked out have not been returned to the library by the due date. If your library materials are overdue, you will be charged a fine.

Peer Review	When books or scholarly articles in journals are reviewed by experts in a particular subject area prior to publication. These are also called refereed or scholarly articles.
Periodical	A publication that comes out on a regular schedule such as once a week, once a month, or four times a year. Newspapers, magazines, and journals are types of periodicals. Magazines contain popular, less technical articles. Journals contain scholarly or research articles.
Periodical Index	A research tool or database that helps you find articles on a subject published in magazines, journals, and newspapers. A periodical index can be online or in print.
Plagiarism	The act of copying or paraphrasing someone else’s text, information or ideas without giving the credit to the creator.
Preface	A section of a book that describe the purpose, scope, intended audience, or organization of the book.
Record	An individual entry in a database or catalog. It describes a document found in a search and usually includes the title, author, date and other fields.
Reference book	A book that contains background information, specific facts, data or definitions. Dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks and directories are a few of the kinds of reference books available. Reference books are located in the library on the first floor beyond the computers. Reference books CANNOT be checked out. They are for library use only!
Reference Desk	The desk where the reference librarian sits. The reference desk is located in front of you as you enter the BCC Library Media Center.
Reference Librarian	The librarian who can give you directions, answer your questions, and show you how to use and find library materials. The reference librarian is there to help you, so ask for help if you need it!
Renew	To extend the due date of the library materials you have already checked out.
Reserve	Course related materials brought to the library by class instructors. Reserve materials are placed in a collection at the BCC Library’s circulation desk. Most reserve items have short check-out times so many students can use them.
Search Engine	A search engine is a navigational tool that lets you search the Web. Two examples are Google and Yahoo.
Search Statement	A group of keywords linked together that are used to locate relevant information. In databases, Boolean connectors are often used in developing search statements.
Subject Heading	A word or phrase describing a topic under which everything dealing with that subject is entered in a catalog or bibliography. The BCC Library uses Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Many databases also use specialized subject headings.
Subject Search	Searching a database or library catalog using subject headings or controlled vocabulary such as LCSH.
Subtitle	Second part of a title, often separated from the main title by a colon.
Synonyms	Different words with the same or very similar meaning. For example, female and woman are synonyms.
Table of Contents	A listing at the beginning of a book that tells you the chapters of a book and indicates the page number where each chapter starts.
Thesis statement	A statement of purpose in a research paper.
Title Page	Typically the first page in a book that contains the author, title, publisher, etc.
Truncation:	A special symbol (often an asterisk * ) at the end of a word to retrieve all possible endings of that word.
URL	Uniform Resource Locator. The address of a web site that identifies its location. Most URLs begin with http://
Verso Page	The page on the reverse side of the title page that includes information about copyright date, publisher, place of publication, edition and other publishing information.
Web	See World Wide Web.
Web Browser	An application used to retrieve and display World Wide Web pages. There are many browsers available; two examples are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Web Page	A file with text, images, sound and/or video which is created with HTML and accessed via the World Wide Web.
Web Site	Several web pages that are usually linked together. Most web sites have a home page that organizes the other web pages within the web site.
Wildcard	A search technique that uses a symbol (often question mark ?) in place of a letter in a word.
World Wide Web (WWW)	The World Wide Web is an interconnected set of documents linked together and viewed using a web browser. Referred to as “the web” and part of the Internet.