Libraries have always been a sanctuary for knowledge seekers, a treasure trove of wisdom and imagination. As avid readers and lovers of books, we often find ourselves immersed in the enchanting world of libraries. But beyond the shelves lined with countless volumes, there is a unique vocabulary that exists within these hallowed halls. From terms that describe the organization of books to the various services and resources available, the library vocabulary adds a layer of understanding and appreciation to these literary havens. In this article, we will explore a collection of library vocabulary words and their meanings, unraveling the language that helps us navigate and explore the vast realms of knowledge that libraries offer.
This glossary is a list of words that you will hear in the library including:
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
Allusion: to refer to something casually or informally
Analyze: to think critically about the information you find
Annotation: notes that explain more about a book, article or text
Application: a program that helps you do something
Archive: a place that stores resources such as documents, files, or objects
Articles: a piece of non-fiction text that is published in a periodical
Attachment: a computer file linked to an email message
Attribution: giving credit to someone for their work
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
Carrel: a small desk area for individual study
Catalog: a comprehensive list of library materials that you search when you are looking for information resources
Check-in: to return a resources 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
Collection: a group of items that have something in common
Computer lab: a room with computers available for use
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
Evaluate: to decide if a resource is good or bad
Evidence: information that supports a thesis or argument in a paper
F
Field: an area
Flashdrive: a memory device to save electronic files on
Full-text: the entire contents of an article
G
Google: a popular search engine
H
Help Desk: the place where you can ask librarians questions
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
HTML: the computer language used to create a website
Hyperlink: a website address that you click on to go to that website
Hypertext: a word or phrase that you click on to go to another website
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
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.
Interpret: to make sense of information
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 a 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
Microfiche: a small plastic card that stores text and images from old publications
Microfilm: a small plastic film that stores text and images from old publications
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
Organize: to put in order
Overdue: when a borrowed resource has been returned after the due date
P
Paraphrase: to write the information in your own words
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
Phrase Searching: when you search using a group of words that together have their own idiomatic meaning
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
Quote (direct): to report or copy someone’s exact words; requires quotation marks
Quote (indirect): to report or copy what someone has written or said, but not in their exact words; does not require quotation marks
R
Recall: when the library asks you to return a book that you borrowed before its due date
Record: a written account documenting facts or information
Refereed: an article that is peer-reviewed
Reference Desk: where you can ask a librarian for help finding specific information
Reference Materials: resources that have a lot of information, like an encyclopedia, and cannot be borrowed
Reflect: to think about how the information you’ve read relates to you and your ideas
Relevance: words or ideas that are related
Renew: to get more time borrowing a book from the library from its original due date
Report: a written record usually based on research findings
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
Review: an evaluation of a book or other kind of resource
S
Save: to keep an electronic copy of a document or file
Scholarly: a journal that publishes academic research and reports on studies conducted
Scope: the range of subjects or topics covered in an research
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
Slideshow: a group of PowerPoint slides
Source: the material containing information
Stacks: a group of books on shelves
Statistics: information or data in the form of numbers or percentages
Style Manual: a guide to a set of rules for writing a research paper
Subject: what you are researching
Summary: putting an author’s words in much shorter form
T
Text: a written form
Thesaurus: a book that tells you words that have similar meanings (synonyms)
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
Wikipedia: an online encyclopedia
World Wide Web: a global network of internet servers
Library Vocabulary Words
Following is a list of vocabulary words associated with Library:
- Atlas: collection of maps
- Author: the person who writes the text of the book
- Barcode number: the number identification of the book that is scanned for circulation
- Biography: life stories of famous people
- Borrow (check out): to take home library materials for a short time
- Call number: an alpha-numeric number assigned to a book and printed on the spine, used to help locate the book
- Catalog: the tool that lists and allows you to search the entire collection of the library
- Circulation desk: the place where library materials are checked out to be borrowed
- Database: fee-based online source authored by experts
- Dictionary: provides definitions and meanings of words
- Due date: the date you must return your library materials
- Encyclopedia: book or set of books containing brief, factual articles on topics, event, people, arranged in alphabetical order
- Fiction: stories or novels
- Hyperlink: highlighted text that when clicked, takes the reader to another page
- Index: section at the end of the book that list the topics covered in alphabetical order
- Keyword: a searchable word in an online record or text that allows you to locate materials
- Non-fiction: true stories, facts
- Publisher: the company that prints and distributes the book
- Reference: section in the library for encyclopedias, dictionaries, altases, etc
- Reference book: Books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries that may only be used in the library.
- Reference desk: A desk where someone can help you find information either in the library or online. The circulation desk and the reference desk are sometimes combined into one desk.
- Renew: To extend the loan period on an item; to check an item out again so you can keep it longer.
- Request: To ask the library to hold a book for you when it is checked out by another student. We will email you when the book comes back and is ready for you to check out.
- Search box: tool for finding information on a web site by typing in keywords
- Spine: the back edge of the book that is visible when on the shelf
- Table of contents: Lists the title and page number of all the chapters in a book.
- URL: web address
- Website: free online source authored by anyone
- Librarian A person who works in the library; a specialist in the library and information field. If you are having difficulty finding what you need, you can ask a librarian for help.