 How
to Understand Library Jargon
Baffled by Boolean? Confused about
call numbers?
Every field has its jargon. Here is library jargon defined. Still have
questions after
reading this guide?
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A-F | G-L | N-S | T-Z
A-F
abstract
A summary of an article, generally a sentence to a paragraph in length.
authoritative
The more authoritative a resource is, the more you can trust
that the information is likely to be accurate. Things that make a source
more authoritative include: listing of the author's name; author's credentials;
listing of the sources the author used; and peer review.
The more of these things that included, the more authoritative the resource
is. Authoritative resources can be in any format, such as books, journals,
or Internet sources.
Boolean operators
Boolean operators describe a conceptual relationship
between search terms and include: "and," "or," and "not." These
may be used in the search box of most online databases and Internet search
engines.
 And
Using "and" indicates
that both
terms must be present to be retrieved. In an "and" search,
only the point where the two circles overlap--the green portion---would
be retrieved. "And" should be chosen to narrow
the search statement. |
 Or
Using "or" indicates that either
term may be present to be retrieved. An "or" search
would retrieve a set that looks like the entire image-- the yellow
circle, the blue circle and the green portion in between would
all be retrieved. "Or" should be chosen when using several
terms to describe the same or a similar concept, which will broaden
the search. |
 Not
Using "not" indicates
that one
term is present and the other must not be present to
be retrieved. The "not" search would look like the yellow
circle with the overlapping green portion of that circle gone. Use "not" cautiously--frequently
more is eliminated than is intended. "Not" should
be chosen to eliminate instances of a term from a search statement. |
call number
Example: Walt Whitman: The Song of Himself
PS 3231 L68 1999
To locate this book, go to the shelves that have the "PS's" in
their range.
All COM Library book shelves have the range of call numbers
shelved there posted on the end of the book shelves:
citation
A citation lists all the information you would need to find an
article in a print periodical: the periodical in which it was published,
the date of that periodical, the page numbers on which it appeared, the
title of the article and the author. Example:
Kerr, Barbara A. "When Dreams Differ: Male-Female
Relations on Campuses." The Chronicle of Higher Education.
5 March 1999: B7-8.
To find the article above, you would need to find the journal, The
Chronicle of Higher Education, the March 5th issue, page B7-8.
credentials
An author's credentials include things like degrees, achievements, awards,
honors, experience, occupation, position, and other publications.
database
Generally, data or information that is entered into a computer program and
organized by fields. Microsoft Access is an example of database software. In
COM Library databases refer to online databases that list articles and may
include abstracts or full text articles. Find out more
about Online Databases, or access our online databases (if you are on
campus): Databases.
directory
Internet directories are sites that maintain an index of other
Internet sites. The data in these directories has generally been input
by people. Since the Internet is growing every day, it is not currently
possible to have a comprehensive directory to the Internet. Most directories
can be browsed by subject, or searched. See search engine and meta
search engine.
embargo
When publishers impose a full text delay to their journals in databases.
The length of time varies by publisher. For instance, Consumer Reports embargos
its' articles for three months, so even though EBSCO's database, MasterFILE
Premier has Consumer Reports available in full text, they
will not be available for 3 months after they are actually published.
FAQs
FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions.
field
A database is a collection of records, and records
are composed of a series of fields. These fields contain very specific
information. For instance, in COM Library's Catalog, every item has a record.
Each record includes fields such as author, title, subject, publisher, and
call number.
G-L
hits
The results retrieved from a search in an online database or Internet search
engine.
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language. Code that is transparent to the user
that allows the user of a Web page to click on a link and jump to another
page.
index
In COM Library, this refers to a print listing of article citations,
usually accessible by title, author and subject. Find out more
about print indexes, or access a list of our print
indexes.
information literacy
The ability to locate, evaluate, and use information to become an
independent life-long learner. The Research Tutorial is designed
to introduce COM students to the process of becoming information literate.
interface
An interface allows a user to interact with computer programs. In the case
of an online database, it allows a user to retrieve the data or information
in the database.
Internet
A global network connecting millions of computers. This includes
but is not limited to the Web.
Invisible Web
The Invisible Web refers to content that many
directories and search engines can't index. It's not a new problem, but some
sites have come up with new solutions. In order to access this information
you will generally not be performing a direct search for content but
for the resources that may access the content--and you can expect to spend
more time doing it. The advantage? You may not be able to access this content
any other way.
Access COM Library's collection of Invisible
Web search tools on the Search page.
ISBN
International Standard Book Number. A 10-digit number that uniquely identifies
books and book-like products published internationally.
ISSN
International Standard Serial Number.
journal
A collection of articles generally written by scholars or experts
in their fields. Articles tend to be detailed with references listed
and credentials of the author given. Some journals are peer
reviewed. Examples: Journal of Applied Psychology, JAMA, Modern
Fiction Studies.
Library Catalog
College of the Mainland Library's Catalog is
a Web based searchable catalog of COM Library's books, pamphlets and
audio-visual materials. The Library Catalog may be searched anywhere on campus,
or at home. In the library, the catalog terminals are located in the center
of the main floor, in front of the Circulation Desk. To find out more about
searching the catalog, go to COM Library's Guide Find
Books.
Library of Congress Classification System
The Library of Congress Classification System is the system COM Library uses
to organize its books and other materials. All cataloged materials are assigned
title, author and Library of Congress subject headings so they can be retrieved
in a search of COM's Library Catalog and organized
on the library's shelves in a consistent manner. To see an outline of the
system, go to the Library
of Congress Classification Outline.
Library of Congress Subject Heading
All COM Library materials that have been cataloged have been assigned
subject headings from the Library of Congress
Classification System. The Library of Congress Classification
System assigns all materials cataloged subject headings so that they
can be retrieved using that subject. To see more on the subject headings,
see the four volume Library of Congress Subject Heading books next to
the COM Library Catalog terminals in COM Library.
magazine
A collection of articles generally written by staff or freelance
writers and aimed at the general public. Articles tend to be brief with
no references listed or credentials of the author given. Examples: Fortune,
Reader's Digest, Time.
meta search engine
Meta search engines (also known as All-in-One search pages) allow the
user to search multiple engines from one location. Since no search
engine or directory
of the Internet is comprehensive, you may have to use more than one to find the
information you want. Disadvantages? Most meta search engines do not allow the
user to take advantage of a search engine's options, which can make a search
much more effective; some also require that a search term be entered repeatedly
for each engine it searches. See directory and search
engine.
N-S
online databases
In COM Library online databases list articles and may include abstracts or
full text articles. Find out more about Online
Databases, or access our online databases (if you are on campus): Databases.
Online Library (OL)
This term is specific to COM Library. The Online Library is where library patrons
may do research on computers in the library. This includes access to the
Internet as well as databases that COM Library pays to access.
Online Library Classroom (OLC)
This term is specific to COM Library. The Online Library Classroom is where
the library provides instruction in how to do research and use library resources,
including the Library Catalog, databases, the Internet and more.
patron
In a library setting, a patron is someone who uses the library, such
as COM students, faculty, staff and community members.
peer reviewed
Scholars and experts review articles for accuracy and significance before it
is published in a journal.
periodical
A periodical is a publication which is issued periodically, such
as a magazine, journal or newspaper.
popular magazines
Magazines whose content has been written by staff or freelance writers, although
occasionally some popular magazines have contributors who are more authoritative. See a chart to
compare scholarly journals and popular magazines, with examples listed below.
primary sources
Primary sources are records recorded at the time such as letters, diaries,
government documents, photographs, oral histories, artifacts. For more
information on primary sources, go to: Historical
Primary Sources: A Guide.
reference
Books in the reference section tend to be frequently used fact based resources
such as almanacs, dictionaries and encyclopedias.
reserve
In COM Library these are frequently used materials placed by instructors. Check
out is usually for brief periods of time and sometimes items cannot leave
the library. Go to the circulation desk to obtain these materials.
scholarly journals
Journals whose content has been written by scholars or experts in their field.
The most authoritative scholarly journals are peer
reviewed. See a chart to
compare scholarly journals and popular magazines, with examples listed below.
search engine
Internet search engines are sites that maintain an index of
other web sites, as directories do, but the index is obtained in a different
manner: search engines have robots or spiders (computer
programs) that search other sites on the Internet. Some robots only index
the main page of an Internet site, and others index every page of every site
they encounter. Search engines are not always as easy to use as directories,
but sometimes they can find sites that have not been indexed in a directory. Even
search engines cannot keep up with the explosive growth of the Internet,
however, so more than one might have to be used to find specific information.
Many of these search engines maintain separate pages for simple and advanced
searches. Don't be afraid of the advanced searches--usually it just means
there are more options to use--so results are frequently better. Most search
engines use pull-down
or pop-up menus for their search options. Click on them to see what options
exist. Most search engines now also include their own browsable directories
that are easier to use, but like other directories, do not keep track of
as many sites. Google is currently the most popular search engine
and is probably the quickest and easiest to use and still get good results.
Google search is available from the bottom of every COM Library page.
secondary sources
Secondary sources are accounts of the past written after events have taken
place. They generally give overviews or interpret the events.
special collection
Special collections are collections of books by subjects of special interest
to library patrons. COM Library has the following special collections: Baker & Taylor,
Juvenile, Reference and Texana.
stack
The stacks are the main part of a library's book collection.
T-Z
text box
On a Web page, an area in which a user can input text or terms, as in a a search
on a search engine page.
URL
Uniform (or Universal) Resource Locator, or Web address. Example, COM Library's
URL is: http://library.com.edu.
vendor
Vendors create interfaces to databases and sell access to the information
in the database. They may or may not also be the creators of the database.
Many databases are available through multiple vendors.
Web
A portion of the Internet that uses HTML and
can include other types of files such as graphic, audio and video files
Questions?
If you still have questions after reading this guide,
try some of COM Library's FAQs, or you may
ask the Reference Librarian for assistance. The Reference Office is located
on the ground floor of the library near the Online Library.
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