The following is a list of words that you may hear in the library:
A
Abstract: a paragraph that tells you briefly what an article will talk about
Access: to be able to get to a resource
Account: your personal record through the library
Annotation: notes that explain more about a book, article or text
Articles: a piece of non-fiction text that is published in a periodical
Audio: something that you listen to; sound
Author: the creator of an information resource
B
Bibliography: a list of information resources used to write a research paper
Boolean Searching: words or symbols used to make a search more efficient
Borrow: to take a resource out of the library
Broad: a search that has a large number of hits; more general
Browse: to look around without knowing exactly what you want
C
Call Number: a code that labels a resource to make it easier to find
Catalog: a comprehensive list of library materials that you search when you are looking for information resources
Check-in: to return a resource you borrowed from the library
Check-out: to take out or borrow a resource from the library
Circulation Desk: where you borrow and return library resources
Citation: a reference to a particular resource
Copy: to duplicate an information resource exactly often using a machine
Copyright: the legal rights granted to create and distribute information resources
Course Reserve: resources your teacher puts in the library or you to access temporarily
D
Database: an online search application that allows you to find periodical articles
Dictionary: a reference tool that explains the meanings of words, terms, and topics
Digital: an electronic resource format
Document: a recorded work or file
Download: to transfer a file onto a computer
Due Date: the deadline for returning a resource to the library
E
eBook: a book in digital or electronic form
Email: electronic mail; messages sent through the Internet
Encyclopedia: a reference tool containing brief articles on a variety of topics
F
Flashdrive: a memory device to save electronic files on
Full-text: the entire contents of an article
G
Google: a popular search engine
H
Hits: the number of times a search term appears in database or on the web after you do a search
Homepage: the first or default web site when you open your internet browser
I
Index: an alphabetical list of topics or subjects that refers you to a page or site
Information: the data being communicated by a resource
Information Desk: the place where you can ask reference librarians questions
Interlibrary Loan: a system of borrowing resources from other libraries
Internet: the network that interconnects computers to networks around the world; it is used to send email or look at web sites.
J
Journal: a periodical that gives you information from research or a study in a particular field
K
Keyword Search: to use a specific term to conduct a search in a database on the web
L
Late Fees/Fine: money you owe the library when you return a book after its due date
Lend: to let someone borrow materials or resources
Librarian: the trained professional who works in the library
Library of Congress Classification System: a system of organizing books originally established by the US Congress in 1800
Link: a word, phrase or picture that connects you to another web site or page when you click on it
Loan Period: the length of time you are allowed to borrow resources
Log in: to gain access to a computer through a username and password
M
Magazine: a popular interest periodical containing articles on many different topics; not scholarly
N
Narrow: a search that has a smaller number of hits; more specific
Newspaper: a regularly published printed daily or weekly; not scholarly
O
Off-Campus Access: a way to use the school library website from a computer that is not on campus
Online: on the Internet
Overdue: when a borrowed resource has been returned after the due date
P
Password: your secret combination of numbers and letters that allows you to log-in
PDF: portable document format; the full-text of an article is often this type of digital file
Peer-Reviewed: a scholarly article that was evaluated when submitted for publication in a journal
Periodicals: publications such as journals, magazines, and newspapers
Plagiarism: when the work and ideas of another writer are used or copied as if it were your own; stealing
Primary Source: an original, firsthand document or record
Print: to put a copy of the digital document or file onto paper
Printer: the machine you use to print out documents and files
Q
Query: a request for information submitted as a search
R
Reference Materials: resources that have a lot of information, like an encyclopedia, and cannot be borrowed
Relevance: words or ideas that are related
Remote Access: the use of online services from a remote computer. When working from home or other remote location you may need access to our electronic resources.
Renew: to get more time borrowing a book from the library from its original due date
Research: an investigation of a topic or field of study
Research Question: the question you want to answer with the information you find while doing research
Resource: books, periodicals, files, and other materials found in a library
S
Scholarly: a journal that publishes academic research and reports on studies conducted
Search: a systematic way of looking for information
Search Engine: a device on the Internet that helps you search for a key word or phrase
Select: to choose
Source: the material containing information
Stacks: a group of books on shelves (need a call number from library catalog to find)
Style Manual: a guide to a set of rules for writing a research paper
Subject: what you are researching
T
Title: the name given to a book or article
Topic: the subject you are talking about in your research
Tutorial: a printed or online instructional tool
U
URL: the location or address of an online resource
Username: the code you use to log in
V
Video: an electronic medium that shows images and usually has sound
Volume: a source of information that is part of a series such as a journal or magazine
W
World Wide Web: a global network of internet servers
