Kelvin Smith Library
This Multilingual Glossary is designed to assist ESL (English as a second-language) speakers, as well as the librarians who work with them. It consists of commonly used terms in academic libraries today.
The Glossary is divided into two parts: (1) the Language Table, which presents a list of these terms in seven languages, and (2) the Definitions, which give explanations in English for each of the terms.
Credit: The Instruction Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
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Abstract |
Summary of a larger work, such as an article, book, or dissertation. |
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Boolean Searching |
Method of searching in electronic databases by combining words or concepts together. Three basic Boolean operators - AND, OR, and NOT - can be used to broaden or narrow keyword searches. |
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Call Number |
Unique alphanumeric code assigned to each item in the library. Most university libraries use Library of Congress call numbers. |
| Catalog | Inventory of all items found within the library, either physically or electronically. The online catalog is organized and indexed so you can search by a variety of index fields, such as keywords, author name, or subject. |
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Circulation |
Library department responsible for checking out and reshelving books, maintaining user accounts, and locating lost items. At KSL, we refer to this as our Access & Delivery team. |
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Citation |
Information that allows someone to identify and locate a publication. Citations for books usually contain the author's name, title, place and date of publication. Citations for journal articles usually include, author, article title, journal title, volume number, page numbers, and date of publication. |
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Controlled Vocabulary |
Set of official descriptors assigned to a particular entry in a database, illustrating the relationship between synonyms and preferred usage terms, and can provide more focused search results. Examples include Library of Congress Subject Headings and MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) terms. |
| Database | Collection of related digital records that can be searched in a variety of ways, such as title, author, subject, and keyword. Common examples include the library catalog and citation indexes. |
| Digital Case | Case Western Reserve University's digital repository. It archives, preserves, and disseminates the intellectual output of research at CWRU, as well as digitized historical materials. |
| Dissertation | Written study of a specialized subject, specifically submitted for a doctorate degree. |
| E-Journals | Online database that displays full-text journals to which KSL subscribes. |
| Freedman Center | Center on KSL's first floor consisting primarily of three service areas: Digital Scholarship, Multimedia & Digitization, and Collaboration Commons. |
| Government Document | Any publication produced by a federal, state, or local government agency. Federal documents may be arranged and classified by their SuDoc number, or by the identification number assigned by the publishing agency. Most government documents are located on the second floor of Kelvin Smith Library. |
| Index | List of citations to journal articles and/or books arranged by subject, author, or title. Indexes may be in print format, electronic format, or both. |
| Journal | Periodical that publishes articles on a particular subject. |
| Keyword | Any word in an item's record. In an electronic index or database, keywords can be combined together using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. |
| Keyword Searching | Method to search an index or database by searching for particular words in titles, names, subject headings, abstracts and any other information available in publication records. This kind of searching allows you to combine keywords by using the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT. Keyword searching is more flexible than subject searching because it allows the searcher to select his or her own words or phrases for the search. |
| Manuscript | Unpublished written documents, such as diaries or letters, or an author's original copy of a work. |
| Media | Materials such as VHS, DVDs, films, audiotapes and CDs, that require special equipment in order to use. |
| MeSH | Acronym for "medical subject headings." This controlled vocabulary system is determined by the National Library of Medicine, and is used for indexing articles, cataloging materials, and searching MeSH-indexed databases. |
| Microforms | Documents that are reduced in size and available in either microfiche or microfilm. KSL's microform collection is located on the first floor. |
| Monograph | Scholarly writing, usually of essay or book length on a narrow subject. |
| Nesting | In boolean searching, a set of search terms arranged sequentially within a larger set that often indicates hierarchical order; the order in which terms are set may determine the nature of the retrieved results. An example of nesting is: (humans and (genetic engineering or cloning)). |
| Online Catalog | An online database containing records of physical items owned by the libraries, as well as links to digital items the library may subscribe to. KSL's online catalog lists both print and electronic books (eBooks). |
| Peer Review | Process by which articles are selected for publication within a refereed journal. An editorial board consisting of experts in the same field as the author review the article and decide if it is authoritative enough for publication. |
| Periodical | Magazine, journal, newsletter, or newspaper produced on a regular basis. This term may be used interchangeably with "serial." |
| PDF (Portable Document Format) | File format that has captured all the elements of a printed document as an electronic image that you can view, navigate, print, or forward to someone else. PDFs can be read by any computer (Macintosh, Windows or UNIX) without platform conflicts. |
| Popular Magazines | Serials that target general audiences with popular or current news stories. Authors usually are not scholars in a specific discipline and do not conduct original research. These articles are not peer-reviewed. |
| Primary Sources | Records of events described or recorded by someone who either participated in or witnessed an event, or who received their information from others who did. Examples include newspaper accounts, letters, diaries, notebooks, and interviews. |
| Proximity | Term related to searching an electronic database. By designating proximity between two terms, you are commanding the system to retrieve documents which contain the terms close to each other. For example, if you search for "cancer(3n)treatment," cancer and treatment must be within 3 words of each other. |
| Recall Notice | Request to return an item to the library. CWRU libraries may recall an item when another user needs it. Borrowers will receive an email notice from the library when this occurs. Return the item immediately to avoid fines. |
| Record | Collection of related data, arranged in fields and treated as a unit. The complete information for each item in the Online Catalog is considered a record. |
| Reference | Library department that helps users with research questions and assists in locating information. |
| Scholarly/Professional Journal | Journals that present in-depth, original research in a specific field. These articles have been reviewed by other scholars in the field for scholastic standards and validity. Professional journals may also contain profession or industry related news. |
| Secondary Sources | Sources that record the words of someone who didn't actually witness or participate in an event, but rather investigated the primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include books and journal articles. |
| Serials | Publication issued in parts on a scheduled basis. Serials include journals, periodicals, magazines, almanacs, annual reports, numbered monographs, and other materials. This term is sometimes used interchangeably with "periodical." |
| Stacks | Area of the library where books and bound periodicals are shelved. |
| Subject Headings | Terms, names, or phrases assigned to a publication (book, journal article, video, etc.) and used to describe the contents of that publication. They form a standardized set of terms used consistently to group materials together. |
| Tertiary Sources | Sources that rely on secondary sources rather than primary sources. |
| Thesaurus | Book of concepts and terms with their synonyms, often restricted to a specialized field or subject. |
| Thesis | Written paper elaborating on original research, arguing a specific view. Theses are often written for the completion of an academic degree, usually a Master's degree. |
| Truncation | Symbol included in the middle or at the end of a word to include possible variations in spelling and alternative endings when searching an electronic database. For example, if searching for information on society, you could enter the phrase "societ?" to search society, society's, societies, and societal. Common truncation symbols include *, ?, and #. It is best to consult the help guide for each database to confirm truncation symbols to use when searching. |
| VPN (Virtual Private Networking) | Software program that will allow off-campus computer users to access resources available on campus. CWRU uses two-step authentication with Duo and Forticlient to enable VPN. These programs are available through UTech. |