A
Abstract - A brief summary of the contents of a publication
ACME/ACME File - A paper check-in record on cards used in some library locations to record the receipt of serial issues;
Acme is the brand name of the card manufacturer
Almanac - A publication, usually published annually, that contains useful facts and statistical information
Annual - An item that is published once a year
ASC - Administrative Staff Conference; a group composed of administrative/supervisory personnel from all areas of the Libraries which meets on a regular basis to discuss matters of concern to the effective and efficient operation of the Libraries
ASD - Administrative Services Division; includes the Director, the Assistant Directors, the Preservation Officer, various support services such as Human Resources, the Business
Office, and Friends of the
Libraries/Development
Ask-a-Librarian/Ask-an-Archivist - Automated reference services that receive questions and send answers by e-mail
B
Barcode - Appears on a scannable label on most library materials (back, upper right corner for OSUL volumes) and on some OSU IDs; both
barcodes may be used to check out materials and the one on the item is used to check in material
Bibliographic record/Bib record - An OSCAR record that describes an item in the collection; the bib record includes call
number, author, title, publication information, paging, subject headings, etc.; each OSCAR bib record has its own unique
number in the upper left hand corner of the record (.b########) in a staff display
Bibliography - A list of publications (books, articles, dissertations, etc.) usually on a subject or by a particular author
Bindery Preparation Division/ Bindery Prep - The department located in the Main Library which is responsible for sending
items to be bound into hardcover bindings
Biography/Biographical - A written account of a person's life; biographical sources either contain these accounts or help to
locate them
Book Depository - See Depository
Boolean Searching - Uses three basic Boolean operators (and, or, not) to link concepts in database searching; e.g., "pets NOT
(dogs or cats)" will retrieve records on pets other than dogs or cats; can be used in KeyWORD searches in OSCAR and
OhioLINK
Bound Periodicals - See Serial
C
Call Number - An organizational scheme containing a combination of letters and numbers that is used to locate, request, or
call for the item; items are usually organized by subject matter or by literary author
Catalog - A list of items owned by a library; See also OSCAR
Check in - 1) In circulation: To return borrowed items and record that action in the item and patron records; 2) in the Serials/Electronic Resources Department: To receive an item on continuation (subscription) and update the check-in record to show receipt
CD-ROM - Compact Disk--Read Only Memory; a technology for putting a large amount of information on a small disk that
can be accessed by a computer; CD-ROMs in the Libraries contain periodical indexes, abstracts, statistics, directories, and
other complete texts
Check in record - In OSCAR, a record that keeps track of items on continuation (subscription); the check-in record is
updated to show patrons the latest received issues of a title. See also: ACME
Check out - To borrow library materials for use and record that action in the item and patron records
CIC - Committee on Institutional Cooperation; composed of representatives from the Big Ten Institutions, plus the University
of Chicago and the University of Illinois, Chicago. See also VEL.
Circulation Department/CIRC - The department in each library that is responsible for the checking in and out of library
materials, reshelving items, and finding books; generally oversees the public service areas of the library
Citation - Information such as author, title, pagination, and dates that identifies a book or journal
Closed reserve - See Reserve(s)
Collection - The entire holdings of a library or the works by one author or items on a particular subject
Collection Development/Management - The process of coordinating selection and de-selection activities within the Libraries and with other
libraries and consortia (such as OhioLINK); the Libraries has an administrative officer responsible for this activity in ASD
Collection Maintenance Division - A unit of the Preservation Office housed in the Main Library that is responsible for the
preservation of library materials; activities include labeling (putting the call number on) newly received items, repairing
damaged items, making boxes, etc.
Continuation - A title which will be published in individual issues/volumes over a span of time or indefinitely. See also
Serial
Copy Number - A number assigned to each item to identify a specific volume if multiple copies are held; if no copy number is
present it is copy one (example: c.4)
CRL - Center for Research Libraries in Chicago; the OhioLINK Central Catalog contains records that represent their
holdings
Current Periodical(s) - Recent, unbound journals or magazines that may be circulated differently than bound serials; See
also: Serial
Cutter Number - A letter/number combination appearing as the second element in a call number, which generally arranges
the items within a subject classification by author and/or title
D
Database - Generally refers to a collection of electronic records having a standardized format and using specific software for
access
Depository/Book Depository - A library location on Kenny Road where little used items (more than 1,000,000 at present)
are stored; also provides housing for University Archives
Descriptor - A standardized term assigned to records in a database to facilitate retrieving records
Dictionary - A reference source that provides meanings of words and often supplies additional information such as
pronunciation and usage; A large number of specialized dictionaries are available
Dissertation - Publication reporting original research that is a requirement for a Ph.D. degree
Download - The act of copying something from an external computer to a disk on a personal computer on the desktop
Due Date - The date when borrowed library materials should be returned or renewed; the due date may change if an item is
recalled
E
E-mail - Electronic mail; Electronic messages sent from a user on one personal computer/workstation to a user on another
computer; E-mail software currently in use at OSU is Eudora
Edition - All copies of a title issued by the same publisher on the same date
Electronic Journal - A scholarly journal available in electronic form. At OSU, the catalog record will display WWW as the
Location Code
Encyclopedia - A reference source containing information on a variety of terms, persons, and events; this information may
include citations to other works; encyclopedias can be general, covering all topics, or specialized, focusing on a particular
subject
Escape key (ESC key) - A key on a computer keyboard commonly used to escape from somewhere in a program or to go back
one screen
Export - An OSCAR function referring to the capture of information from a catalog or database and its transfer to
another computer either directly or via e-mail
F
Felix - The staff version of OSCAR; See also OSCAR
Fine - Money that is owed by a patron if library materials are not returned or when recalled; See also: Lost Book Charges
Footnote - A note of reference or explanation placed at the bottom of a printed page of text, at the end of a chapter, or at the
end of a book
G
Gateway to Information - A computer program developed at OSUL that provides helpful hints on finding and using
information
Government Document - A type of publication that is produced by any government; in some libraries these items are housed
separately and are arranged on the shelves by an identification number assigned by the issuing government agency
H
Hold - An OSCAR function that allows a patron to request library materials to be picked up at a library location or mailed to
a campus office; See also: Page, Recall, Save
Hold Shelf - The shelf in the circulation area where books are placed that are to be picked up by a patron
HomeNet - Communication software available from UTS which provides Internet access via modem from home
I
III - Innovative Interfaces Inc. of California; the supplier for OSCAR software
ILL - Inter-Library Loan; the department responsible for filling patron requests for materials from other non-OSU libraries
Imprint - A field in the bibliographic record that shows the place of publication, publisher, and year of publication
In process - The status of a book that has been cataloged but has not been received by the holding library location (appears as
"p" in the status field of the item record) in staff mode
Index - A list of citations to journal articles and/or books, arranged by subject, author, or title; indexes may be in print and/or
electronic format
Information Screens - A series of screens in OSCAR that give a variety of information about the Libraries and how to search
OSCAR
Internet - An electronic network providing access to millions of resources worldwide
ISBN - International Standard Book Number; a unique ten digit number assigned to every printed book; can be searched in
OSCAR
ISD - Information Services Department; the department responsible for providing general reference service in the Main Library,
including responses to the electronic mail service, Ask-A-Librarian
ISSN - International Standard Serial Number; a unique eight digit number assigned to every serial; can be searched in
OSCAR
Item Record - An item record represents a physical piece in the library; it consists of fixed and variable fields that are used to
describe the item and to record circulation information
J
Journal - See Serial
K
Key Mapping - Identification of substitute keys to be used when the terminal type being used does not support the function
keys being used by vendor software
Key Word Searching - A type of search in OSCAR that looks for words in titles, corporate names, subject headings, and
contents notes; useful search when your information is incomplete or uncertain
L
LCSH - Library of Congress Subject Headings; controlled vocabulary words which are used to describe the contents of works
and are assigned consistently to pull like works together to facilitate retrieval
Library of Congress Classification System - The call number system used at the OSUL; developed by the Library of Congress
to classify works or keep like items together (see call number) by dividing knowledge into subject areas and assigning
corresponding letters and numbers for library materials
Limit - A term/function in OSCAR that allows the results of an OSCAR search to be narrowed further by limiting to specific
criteria such as location or type of material
Location - Where the physical item is housed; in OSCAR, usually a three letter code is used to identify the library; for
example, SEL = Science and Engineering Library; See also: Sublocation
Lost Book Charges - Charges billed to a patron to cover the costs of purchasing and processing a replacement; See also: Fine
M
Magazine - See Serial
Main Entry - The principal author or the title of items not ascribed to specific authorship under which the catalog record will
be arranged in a single alphabetic listing
MARC - Machine Readable Cataloging; an international standard for tagging the various portions of a catalog record with
codes to facilitate their transfer and/or retrieval
MESH - Medical Subject Headings; a controlled vocabulary used to describe works in health-related subject fields and
consistently assigned to pull like items together to facilitate retrieval
Microforms - A generic term for any medium, e.g., film or fiche, that has images that are too small to be read by the human
eye
Modem - A device which allows a connection between two computers via a telephone line
Monograph - A book that is complete in one physical piece
MSET/Monographic Set - A book issued in multiple volumes
N
NewsNotes - The weekly newsletter distributed electronically by the OSUL that lists library news and communications, job
postings, etc.
Newspaper - See Serial
Non-Circulating - See Use in Library
O
OhioLINK - The statewide network providing access to a variety of research databases plus the library catalogs of over 70 libraries in Ohio including universities, free-standing medical schools, community colleges, and the State Library of Ohio; patrons at any of the libraries can borrow materials from each other
OIT/Office of Information Technology - The University organizational unit responsible for academic and administrative computing, as well as maintenance of the campus network (formerly UTS/University Technology Services)
OPAC - Online Public Access Catalog; OSCAR is the OSU OPAC
Order Record - A record that identifies items that are on order and indicates when or if they have been received
OSCAR - Ohio State Catalog for Automated Retrieval; the current online system for the Ohio State University Libraries; see also Felix
OSUL - The Ohio State University Libraries
Oversize - Large volumes that are generally housed in special areas in each library
P
Page - Requesting that an available item be pulled from a collection and held for pick-up or mailed to a campus office
address; See also: Hold, Recall, Save
Patron Record - A record that contains information about the students, staff, faculty, and courtesy card holders who may borrow materials from the Ohio State University Libraries
PCIRC - Online borrowing from or lending of items to another library in the OhioLINK system
Periodical Index - An alphabetical list of citations to articles in different serial publications; can be arranged by
author/title/subject
Periodical(s) - See Serial
Permanent Reserve - See Reserve(s)
Preservation Office - The department in the library responsible for preserving library materials; it has two major divisions
which are Collection Maintenance and Bindery Preparation
Primary Source - Original manuscripts, contemporary records, or documents associated with an event
Public Display - The version of OSCAR that will be seen by the public
R
Recall - When a hold is placed on an item that has been checked out to another patron, a recall notice is sent to the patron. The
due date will be changed, and fines will begin to accrue if the material is not returned by the new due date
Reference - 1) A service provided by the libraries to assist patrons in the retrieval of information and the use of information
resources; 2) see Citation
Reinstate/Reinstatement - The process of re-adding an item to the collection after it has been withdrawn
Renew - An OSCAR command issued to extend the due date of the item(s) patrons have checked out
Research Databases - A descriptive phrase used by OhioLINK to identify a wide variety of databases being made available to
the OhioLINK community
Research Guide - A reference source that surveys the important reference works in a field or on a topic; research guides help
to locate the most appropriate information sources quickly
Reserve(s) -Materials that are loaned for shorter than usual periods due to high demand. There are several different types of
reserves: Class/Course, Closed, Permanent. Sometimes equipment lending is also managed in the reserve area
S
Sanction - Patrons are sanctioned when they owe more than $75.00 in fines and lost book charges; their borrowing privileges
are suspended until monies owed to the libraries have been paid
Save - See: Page, Recall, Hold
Scanner - Electronic device for reading bar codes
Search - Words that are input to a computer program to match against information in a database or catalog
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 relevance of 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
Serial - A publication that comes out in parts indefinitely over time; includes journals, periodicals, magazines, almanacs,
annual reports, etc. See also: Continuation
Series - A common title assigned by a publisher to a group of monographs having the same subject or theme
SONNET - The electronic network managed and maintained by the Office of Information Technology; includes main campus and
all regional campuses; it is the OSU node on the Internet
Stacks - The area in the library where library materials are shelved
Staff Display - The version of OSCAR that will be seen by library staff; See Felix
Statistics - This term most often refers to numerical data; statistics on various topics can be located by using reference sources
Status - A field in the item record that identifies the availability of an item
Subject Headings - See: LCSH, Descriptor, MESH
Sublocation - The code that identifies the specific location of an item within a library, e.g. Reference Collection
Suppression Code - A field in the item record that will cause records to be suppressed from public view in OSCAR and not
sent to OhioLINK Central Catalog
T
Thesaurus - A list of words that are applicable to a specific subject area; usually is a controlled vocabulary list
Thesis/Theses - Publication(s) reporting original research that are a requirement for a Masters degree
Title Page - Generally, the page at the beginning of a publication that includes the title and author of the item and sometimes
the publisher, place of publication, and year of publication
Transfer - A change in the shelving location of an item from one library to another library or from one location to another
location within the same library
Transit - The status when an item has been checked in at one location and then sent to the owning library
Truncation - A conscious shortening of the search string, e.g., 1) In keyword searching: the shortening of a word or phrase in
an online search in order to retrieve variant forms of that word; in OSCAR this is accomplished by using the asterisk (*); 2)
In title searching: entering only the first few words rather than the entire title; OSCAR automatically assumes truncation
U
Use In Library - The status display indicating that the item cannot be checked out of the library
User Education Office - The department responsible for coordinating library instruction, preparing materials that provide
information or instruction, holding workshops, and overseeing the development of The Gateway to Information
Uniform Title - An access point or title established to keep multiple editions or translations of a work together in the catalog;
label in OSCAR, UNIF:
UTS/University Technology Services - See OIT/Office of Information Technology
V
VEL - Virtual Electronic Library; usually referred to as the CIC VEL. Will provide OhioLINK-like access to the library
collections of all of the CIC institutions. See also CIC
Volume - One physical piece, usually bound with hard covers
Verso - The back side of a sheet of paper
VT100 - A terminal type that serves as the lowest common denominator and allows access for a wide range of computers to
OSCAR and many other systems by emulating this terminal type
W
WebPAC - World Wide Web version of OSCAR
Withdrawn/Withdrawal - The process of removing items from the collection because they are outdated, duplicates, or in very
poor condition; also the process of updating the record status to let patrons know the item is missing or being removed from
the collection; Research libraries (like OSUL) rarely withdraw unique items from their collections
WWW/World Wide Web - A specific piece of client/server software that is widely used to access information worldwide. The information can be presented in text, graphics, video, or audio format, and is viewed/heard by using a browser such as Netscape.