Some of the the most commonly used library terms in the University of Maryland Libraries are listed below.
- abstract
- A brief summary of the content of a book, article, speech, report, or dissertation.
- academic library
- A library of a college, university, or other post-secondary educational instution, administered to meet the information and research needs of its students, faculty, and staff.
- access point
- A name, term, heading, or code in a bibliographic record under which library materials may be searched, identified, and retrieved.
- accession number
- Identifying number for a document in a database.
- almanac
- An annual compendium of facts and statistics, current and retrospective, of practical use to readers.
- annotation
- A critical or explanatory note, sometimes included in a bibliography or citation.
- anthology
- A collection of stories, plays, or poems, selected by an editor.
- appendix
- A part of a written work, not essential to the completeness of the text, which contains complementary information such as statistical tables or explanatory material.
- archive
- An organized collection of the documents and records of an institution, government, organization, or corporate body, or the personal papers of an individual, family, or group, preserved in a repository for their historical value.
- atlas
- A book of maps.
- author
- A writer of a book, essay, story, play, poem or other work. Some works have two or more co-authors. In the libraries' catalog, authorship is sometimes attributed to an organization, conference symposium, or institution. Other individuals such as an editor, playwright, director, composer, performer, or other, may also be considered an author.
- autobiography
- An account of one's life written by oneself. See also biography.
- barcode
- A printed label containing machine-readable data in the form of vertical lines or bars. Used to identify books and other materials in the library, and read by a scanner when an item is checked out.
- bibliographic record
- The description of a specific document, consisting of the title, statement of responsibility (author, editor, etc.), edition, type of publication, publisher, date and place of publication, physical description, series, notes, and standard numbers (ISBN, ISSN). A library's catalog record is a bibliographic description.
- bibliography
- A list of references used in a book or article. Long bibliographies may be published separately in book form or online.
- biography
- An account of a person's life, written by another. The person who writes a biography is the biographer. The person written about is known as the biographee.
- book return
- A place to return books borrowed from the library. The book return may be located outside the library or near the Circulation Desk in the library.
- Boolean searching
- Using special commands (operators) to tell a database system how words being searched relate to one another. The three basic Boolean operators are AND, OR, and NOT. AND will narrow a search. OR will broaden a search. NOT will remove a concept from a search.
- borrow
- To check out or charge out library materials.
- bound periodical
- Older issues of periodicals that have been bound together as a book. This is done to preserve them and to make storage easier.
- call number
- A unique location code that appears on the spine of a book or bound periodical and tells you where the book should be found on the shelves. (e.g. Library of Congress call numbers).
- catalog
- A catalog contains records, with detailed descriptions and location information, of the materials in a library collection. Catalog records for the UM Libraries are accessible online.
- chat reference
- A service provided by librarians over the Internet that allows you to ask reference questions from anywhere. You and the librarian will communicate with one another in "real time." The University of Maryland offers two chat reference services: "Ask Us!" (through the UM Libraries) and "Ask Us Now!" (a Maryland-wide service available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week).
- check out, charge out
- To borrow materials from a library for a fixed period of time. The maximum check out period varies among the UM Libraries and depends also on the status of the borrower (faculty, graduate student, undergraduate).
- circulate
- To loan library materials to users. A large portion of the materials in the UM Libraries may be circulated, or checked out.
- circulation desk
- The area where you can check out, return, or renew library materials.
- citation
- A brief description of a text (book, article, report, World Wide Web page, or other) that has been quoted, or used as a source. The exact arrangement and formatting of a citation is dictated by a style manual. The choice of style manual depends on the discipline or subject matter. Examples:
MLA style:
Burns, Tom, and Sandra Sinfield. Essential Study Skills: The complete guide to success at university. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2003.
APA style:
Burns, Tom, & Sinfield, Sandra. (2003). Essential Study Skills: The complete guide to success at university. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. |
- citation index
- A special type of index which lists works cited in later works, with a list of the sources from which the citations were gathered. Used by researchers to locate sources related by subject to a previously published work (e.g., Science Citation Index).
- classification
- A method of arranging materials like books or journals, often by topic. UM Libraries use Library of Congress (LC) Classification for most materials. The use of classification allows library users to browse shelves to find additional items on the same or related subjects.
- collected work
- A book of works by different authors (essays, stories, poems, plays) selected for publication by an editor.
- compact shelving
- A type of library shelving that uses movable shelves to maximize the storage capacity of a given space.
- copyright
- The legal right granted to an author, editor, composer, playwright, publisher, or distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.
- Course Reserves
- A service in which, upon request by faculty, certain library materials are temporarily assigned a much shorter loan period. The purpose of reserves is to ensure that all students taking a course will be able to share materials. Restrictions on the use of reserve materials may vary.
- cross reference
- In a catalog or index, a direction that leads a user from one entry or subject heading to another.
- current periodicals
- The most recent issues of a journal or magazine that a library has received.
- database
- A comprehensive collection of related data (articles or other materials) organized for convenient access, usually through a computer.
- default
- An option, value, or action which is automatically taken by a hardware or software system if the user does not specify otherwise when prompted to do so. (e.g., The default font in Microsoft Word is Times New Roman).
- depository library
- A library which is legally designated to receive free of charge all or a portion of the government publications provided by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and other federal agencies. (See also government documents).
- descriptors
- Subject terms, usually from a thesaurus, used in a database to describe the content of a book or article.
- Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC)
- Melvil Dewey's system of classifying library material. The classification system uses a numeric system to designate ten basic subject categories.
- dictionary
- An alphabetical list of words and generally accepted definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, and other information. Some dictionaries are specialized (e.g., Dictionary of American Slang, Dictionary of Literary Terms).
- digital library
- A collection of electronic resources, accessible through the World Wide Web. Digital libraries often contain electronic versions of books, photographs, videos that are owned by a "physical" library. For an example, go to the University of Maryland's Digital Collections.
- digital reference
- A service provided by librarians over the Internet that allows you to ask reference questions from anywhere. Digital reference includes chat reference and e-mail reference.
- directory
- A list of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of a specific group of persons, companies, organizations, or publications.
- dissertation
- A formal and lengthy written discourse or treatise, required by universities in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Ph.D.
- due date
- The date on which materials must be returned to the library.
- edition
- Some books are revised and republished. The new version may be called a "revised" or "second" edition. Later editions are numbered sequentially.
- editor
- A person who selects, prepares, and compiles the works of other writers for publication.
- electronic information resources
- Any of several different categories of databases and machine-readable files, including electronic journals, online databases, World Wide Web sites, and CD-ROM databases.
- electronic journal (e-journal)
- A Web site graphically modeled on an existing print journal, or which provides access to an online journal for which there is no print counterpart.
- e-mail reference
- A service provided by librarians over the Internet that allows you to ask reference questions from anywhere. You may send a librarian an e-mail with your question directly or fill out a form. Librarians typically try to answer within 24 hours.
- encyclopedia
- A reference book (sometimes in more than one volume) containing information on all subjects, or limited to a special field or subject. Many encyclopedias are also available online.
- field
- A category of information, such as title, author, abstract or subject. A user can specify a field or fields in which the system should search for keywords or other terms.
- fine
- A fee charged for keeping library materials past their due date, or for lost and damaged items.
- folio
- A designation after the call number of a book that indicates that the item is large or oversize. Folios are shelved separately in some of the UM Libraries.
- full-text
- Refers to a database or other electronic resource which provides the entire text of the works it contains (e.g., journal articles), in addition to the citation and abstract of each work.
- gazetteer
- A dictionary or index of geographical names with locations.
- government documents
- Publication created by a government, including hearings, reports, treaties, periodicals, and statistics. UM Libraries has a collection of U.S. Federal Government Documents in McKeldin Library.
- handbook
- A reference book that provides concise data and other information on a specific subject.
- hardcopy
- Printed material, as opposed to information in microform or digital (electronic) format.
- hold
- A service of the Libraries by which a user may request to be notified as soon as a book that has been checked out becomes available. The book is kept at the circulation desk for a limited period of time.
- holdings
- All the materials (print, nonprint, and electronic) owned by a library.
- index
- An alphabetical list of the names, places, and subjects discussed in a book and the page number(s) on which each subject is discussed.
- interlibrary loan
- A library service whereby students, faculty, and staff may request to borrow materials from another library if the item is not owned by the UM libraries.
- ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
- A unique 10-digit number that is given to every book or edition of a book before publication to identify the publisher, the title, the edition, and volume number.
- ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
- A unique 8-digit number that identifies a specific periodical title.
- issue
- All the copies of a specific periodical title published on the same date.
- journal
- A publication distributed periodically (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.), devoted to a specific field or subfield of knowledge. Journals usually contain scholarly articles written by professors, researchers, or experts in a subject area. Articles usually contain an abstract and a bibliography showing cited resources.
- keyword
- A word used in searching catalogs and databases to describe a topic subject in a document.
- librarian
- A person responsible for the care of a library and its contents, including the selection and processing of materials, the delivery of information, instruction, and loan services.
- Library of Congress (LC) Classification
- The classification system used in the Library of Congress, and used for arranging most of the collections in the UM Libraries.
- Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
- A standard list of words or groups of words under which books and other material on a subject are entered in a catalog. These subject headings are helpful to use when searching the online catalog and are included in catalog records.
- loan period
- The amount of time library materials may be borrowed; varies depending on: (1) the type of material to be borrowed; (2) the borrower's status (student, faculty, staff).
- magazine
- A periodical intended for the general public rather than for scholars (e.g., Newsweek, Time, Business Week).
- media
- Nonprint materials such as films, filmstrips, videocassettes, audio compact disks, audiocasettes, and vinyl LPs. The Nonprint Media Services department of UM Libraries is located on the fourth floor of Hornbake Library.
- microfiche
- A 4x6 inch sheet of film, used for storage of miniaturized text. Microfiche and reader/printers are often found near the Periodicals Department.
- microfilm
- A continuous roll of film, used for storage of miniaturized text (usually journals or magazines). Microfilms and reader/printers are stored in the Periodicals Department of McKeldin Library.
- microform
- Film medium for storage of miniaturized text. Includes both microfiche and microfilm.
- monograph
- A publication that appears one time only. Books or reports are usually monographs; periodicals are not.
- multi-functional device (MFD) or multifunction peripheral (MFP)
- An office all-in-one device (copier, printer, scanner, fax machine)
- newspaper
- A serial publication printed and distributed daily or weekly containing news, opinions, advertising, and other items of general interest. UM Libraries subscribe to newspapers, including the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal.
- non-circulating
- Library materials that may not be checked out; they may only be used on-site in the library where they are housed.
- nonprint
- Materials published in a format other than print on paper. In the UM Libraries, the Nonprint Media Services department (fourth floor of Hornbake Library) provides material in audio cassettes, compact disks, films, videocasettes, and vinyl LPs. Other nonprint materials are stored elsewhere; e.g., microforms are in the Periodicals Department; electronic information resources are available via the Internet.
- online
- Accessible via a computer or computer network. Generally synonymous with the words "automated," "computerized," or "electronic."
- online catalog
- A computer database that lists most books, serials, and nonprint items owned by a library.
- overdue
- An item checked out that the borrower has kept past its due date. A library will usually charge a fine for overdue items.
- patron record
- The data kept by a library's electronic system, containing information about a borrower's account (address, telephone number, items checked out, holds, unpaid fines, etc.).
- periodical
- A publication distributed on a regular schedule (e.g., weekly or monthly). Popular periodicals are called magazines and scholarly periodicals are called journals. Newspapers are also periodicals.
- preservation
- The process of maintaining library and archival materials in condition suitable for use, either in their original form or in some other, usually more durable, form.
- primary source
- A source which provides first-hand knowledge used in the preparation of a later, derivative work. Primary sources include correspondence, diaries and other personal papers, photographs, interviews and transcripts, government documents, historical records, and newspaper clippings. (See also secondary and tertiary sources).
- Quick Reference/ Ready Reference
- A collection of frequently used reference materials such as telephone directories, schedules of classes, campus maps, etc.
- rare book
- A valuable book which is so difficult to find that it seldom appears in the antiquarian market. Most libraries keep their rare books in special collections to which access is restricted.
- recall notice
- All borrowers of materials from the UM Libraries are entitled to use the materials for a minimum of two weeks. After that, however, if another user makes a recall/hold, library staff will request that the borrower return the material, by sending a notice via regular mail.
- record
- Each item or document in a database. A record could be a citation, a table, or a complete full text document.
- reference material
- A document such as a dictionary, encyclopedia, or directory, that contains specific facts, data, or other brief bits of information.
- Reference (or Service) Desk
- The place in the library where reference librarians and assistants give you directions, answer your questions, and show you how to find and use library materials. The desk is usually located near reference materials.
- reference librarian
- Reference librarians have a master's degree in library science and usually other graduate degrees also. They can help you find materials needed for research, show you how to use online databases, and teach you about the research process.
- renew
- To extend the loan period of library material. Generally this is permitted in the UM Libraries unless another user has requested the item.
- repository
- The location, usually within a library or archive, where manuscripts, rare books, papers, photographs, government documents, and other records of historical interest are usually stored. Digital repositories are accessible electronically.
- request
- A service that allows you to ask for a library book that is currently checked out. If librarians cannot obtain a copy from a different location, the person who has the book will be asked to return it before the due date. You will then be able to check out the book.
- secondary source
- Secondary sources are interpretations and commentary on primary sources. Secondary sources may include biographies, dissertations, journal articles, and indexes or bibliographies used to locate primary & secondary sources. (See also primary sources, tertiary sources).
- serial
- A term that describes a wide range of publications that are issued in successive parts with no predictable end in sight. Magazines, journals, newspapers, annual reports, some conference proceedings, and annual reviews are all examples of serials.
- stacks
- Areas of a library where books and periodicals are shelved. The location of a particular item in the UM Libraries can be determined from the call number.
- style manual
- A guide that provides rules and formats for arranging footnotes, citations, and bibliographies (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.). The choice of style manual depends on the discipline or subject matter. Professors will provide guidance to students as to which style manual to use.
- subtitle
- The portion of a work's title following the semicolon or colon.
- SuDocs number
- A classification number assigned to U.S. Federal government documents, used to arrange materials on library shelves.
- tertiary source
- Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. Tertiary sources may include almanacs, encyclopedias, and fact books.
- thesaurus
- (1) a book of synonyms and sometimes antonyms.
(2) An alphabetical list of terms and concepts representing the specialized vocabulary of a particular field. One example is Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. Thesauri are used by librarians and others to conduct focused searches of online databases.
- truncation
- A search technique in which you use a symbol to search for variations on a word:
| Symbol |
Example |
Retrieves |
| Use ? or * at the left, right, or middle of a word. Never use more than once in a text string. |
furni?, furni*
cardio*y
?pane |
furniture, furnishings
cardiology, cardiopulmonary
windowpane, counterpane |
| Use # to find words with alternative spellings. |
arch#eology |
archeology, archaeology |
| Use ! to find single-letter spelling variations. |
wom!n |
woman, women |
- yearbook
- An annual documentary, historical, or memorial publication containing information about the previous year.
