Glossary of Library Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Abstract: A brief summary of the contents of a publication
Almanac: A publication, usually published annually, that contains useful facts and statistical information
Annual: An item that is published once a year
Ask-a-Librarian/Ask-an-Archivist: Automated reference services that receive questions and send answers by e-mail
Barcode: Appears on a scannable label on most library materials (back, upper right corner) 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
Biography/Biographical: A written account of a person's life; biographical sources either contain these accounts or help to locate them
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: Back issues of serials, such as magazines or journals, that are bound and shelved in the library stacks; See also Serials
CIC: Committee on Institutional Cooperation; composed of representatives from the Big Ten Institutions, plus the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois, Chicago.
CRL: Center for Research Libraries in Chicago; the OhioLINK Central Catalog contains records that represent their holdings
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. See Library of Congress Classification System
Carmen: A course management system accessed via the Internet
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 Serials/Electronic Resources: To receive an item on continuation (subscription) and update the check; in record to show receipt
Checkin record: In OSCAR, a record attached to a serials bibliographic record which contains information about the library's holdings of that title
Checkin card: Attached to a checkin record, the card is used to record the status of individual issues of a serial, including supplements and indexes.
Check out: To borrow library materials for use and record that action in the item and patron records
Citation: Information such as author, title, pagination, and dates that identifies a book or journal
Closed reserve: Materials that are loaned for shorter than usual periods due to high demand. There are several different types of reserves: Class/Course and Permanent. Sometimes equipment lending is also managed in the reserve area
Collection: The entire holdings of a library or the works by one author or items on a particular subject
Collection Development: The process of coordinating selection and de-selection activities within the Libraries and with other libraries and consortia (such as OhioLINK)
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 (example: c.4); if no copy number is present it is copy one
Courtesy Card: A card that extends library borrowing privileges to persons not affiliated with OSU
Current Periodical(s): Recent, unbound journals or magazines that may circulate differently from 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
Database: Generally refers to a collection of electronic records having a standardized format
Depository: A library location on Kenny Road where little used items are stored; also provides housing for University Archives; also called Book Depository
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 in the OSU Libraries
Dissertation: Publication reporting original research that is a requirement for a Ph.D. degree
Download: To transfer data from one device to another
Due Date: The date when borrowed library materials should be returned or renewed; the due date may change if an item is recalled
Edition: All copies of a title issued by the same publisher on the same date
Electronic Journal: A scholarly journal available in electronic form. The catalog record will display WWJ as the Location Code
Electronic Reserves (eReserves): an online service that provides web access to supplementary readings for students via the electronic catalog
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
Export: To capture information from a catalog or database and transfer it to another computer either directly or via e-mail
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
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
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
Hold Shelf: The shelf in the circulation area where books are placed that are to be picked up by a patron
III (“Triple I”): Innovative Interfaces Inc. of California; the supplier for OSCAR software
ISBN: International Standard Book Number; a unique number assigned to a book title; can be searched in OSCAR
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number; a unique number assigned to a serial title; can be searched in OSCAR
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
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
Journal: A scholarly publication that is issued in parts indefinitely over time in print or electronic format; See also Serial
Keyword Searching: A type of search in a database that uses a significant word, or set of words, from titles, authors, subject headings, and contents notes; a useful search when your information is incomplete or uncertain
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 for easier access
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 that allows the results of a 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
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 for easier access
Magazine: A non-scholarly publication that is issued in parts indefinitely over time in print or electronic format; See also 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
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
Millennium: A graphical user interface used by staff to access OSCAR
Monograph: A book that is complete in one physical piece
MSET/Monoset: A monographic set of books issued in multiple volumes with a clearly defined beginning and ending volume
NewsNotes: The newsletter distributed electronically by the OSUL that lists library news and communications, job postings, etc.
Non-Circulating: An item that cannot be checked out of the library
OCLC: Online Computer Library Center; a non-profit organization that offers services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, and preserve library materials
OPAC: Online Public Access Catalog; OSCAR is the OSU OPAC
OSCAR: Ohio State Catalog for Automated Retrieval; the online catalog for the Ohio State University Libraries
OSUL: The Ohio State University Libraries
OhioLINK: The statewide network of universities, colleges, and the State Library of Ohio providing access to a variety of research databases and library catalogs; patrons at any of the member libraries can borrow materials from each other
Order Record: A record that identifies items that are on order and indicates when or if they have been received
Oversize: Large volumes that are generally housed in separate areas in each library
PCIRC: Online borrowing from or lending of items to another library in the OhioLINK system
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
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
Periodical Index: An alphabetical list of citations to articles in different serial publications; can be arranged by author/title/subject
Periodical(s): A publication that comes out in parts indefinitely over time
Permanent Reserve: Materials always on reserve; See also Reserves
Primary Source: Original manuscripts, contemporary records, or documents associated with an event
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) Library services provided to help patrons retrieve information and use information resources. Reference services are provided in person, by phone, by e-mail ("Ask-a-Librarian"/QuestionPoint) and by live chat. Other methods--for instance, instance messaging--soon may be available. 2) Information such as author, title, pagination, and dates that identifies a book or journal.
Reinstate/Reinstatement: The process of re-adding an item to the collection after it has been withdrawn
Renew: To extend the due date of checked out items
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, Open, Permanent, Quarterly. Sometimes equipment lending is also managed in the reserve area
Sanction: The suspension of borrowing privileges when a patron owes more than $75 in fines and lost book charges
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
Stacks: The area in the library where library materials are shelved
Status: A field in the item record that identifies the availability of an item
Subject Headings: Controlled vocabulary words which are used to describe the contents of works and are assigned consistently to pull like works together for easier access; See also 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 bibliographic or item record that will cause records to be hidden from public view
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 is being sent from one library location to another
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 the OSU catalog, this is accomplished by using the asterisk (*); 2) In title searching: entering only the first few words rather than the entire title; the OSU catalog automatically assumes truncation
Use In Library: The status display indicating that the item cannot be checked out of the library
Uniform Title: An access point or title established to keep multiple editions or translations of a work together in the catalog; label in the OSU catalog, UNIF:
Volume: One physical piece, usually bound with hard covers
VT100: A terminal type that serves as the lowest common denominator and allows access for a wide range of computers to OSCAR, MAGNUS, and many other systems by emulating this terminal type
Verso: The back side of a title page
Web OSCAR: World Wide Web version of the OSU catalog

Libraries' Training Advisory Council

June 2007

Send comments or questions to Henry Griffy

The Ohio State University

www.osu.edu

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