Glossary of Library Terms

A summary of an article, paper, book, video or other work giving the principal ideas, themes and conclusions. Periodical indexes that include abstracts are often called abstracts (e.g., Psychological Abstracts, Chemistry Abstracts). See also Periodical index.

Annotation.

A brief description of an article, book, or other work, which focuses on the features of the resource. Annotated bibliographies describe the relevant features of each resource in the list and provide more detail than just the title, author, publisher, etc.

Archive(s).

A term for both a collection of records and publications and for the place in which these are kept. The UNH Archives that document the history of this institution are housed in the library. 

Bibliography.

A list of books, articles, and other resources cited or consulted in a paper, chapter, book, or other work. A bibliography may also be a list of recommended readings or an entire book on a particular topic. See also Reference list.

Bibliographic citation.

Also called a reference. The information about a book, article, video, etc. that allows you to identify and obtain the item. For a book this consists of the author, title, place of publication, publisher, and publication date. The elements will vary with different types of publications. There are standardized styles of presenting this information: see Citation style.

Bibliographic record.

The part of a library catalog that contains the bibliographic citation information about a particular item, plus additional descriptive information like physical size, number of pages, etc.

Bibliographic Instruction.

Also called B.I. Classroom or individual instruction on using library resources and doing research.

Book return.

A chute where books may be returned when the library is closed. Our book return is at the back of the library off the parking lot. Fragile materials, such as CDs, should not be returned here.

Boolean logic. Boolean searching.

A logic system using the connectors AND, OR, or NOT to narrow, broaden, or exclude terms you are searching for in a library catalog or electronic database. Refer to the University of Albany's explanation of Boolean searching.

Call number.

A scheme of numbers and letters or both used in a classification system to arrange library materials on the shelf in a meaningful way, usually by subject, and in turn used as a means to find an item on the shelf. Call number labels are on the book's spine. See also Library of Congress (LC) Classification System, Dewey Decimal Classification System and Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification System. 

Catalog.

A device that lists materials in a collection. A library catalog may be in book, card, microfiche, or electronic formats. The catalog usually provides several ways of finding the materials, typically by author, title, subject, or keywords. For more information about our online catalog, consult Using the UNH Library Catalog or our interactive Online Library Catalog Tutorial.

Charged.

This "status" in our catalog means that the item has been borrowed (i.e., checked out to someone). When items are charged, you can look at the catalog record to see the due date. You can place an online hold on items that are charged out or you can call the Circulation Desk to do this.

Circulate.

Library materials that can be borrowed are said to circulate.

Circulation Desk.

Large desk at the entrance to the library. Borrow and return library materials here, ask for items on reserve, pay fines on overdue materials, place holds, look at current newspapers and ask for assistance using microfilm and microfiche.

Circulation Status.

A term used to describe the availability of library materials: Not charged means that the item has not been borrowed by anyone and should be in the library. Come to the Circulation Desk if you are unable to find an item. Charged means that the item is loaned out to someone. You can put a hold on a charged item, which will prevent it from being renewed by the current borrower, and it will be held for you on its return to the library. Overdue means that the item has not been returned by the due date and is accruing fines. Missing designates an item that cannot be found currently and is being searched for. Lost means that the item is unavailable.

Cite.

To provide the bibliographic information or citation for an item referred to in a research paper, both to acknowledge and credit the author as well as to provide the information needed for others to find the source quoted and examine it for themselves. See also Bibliographic citation and Plagiarism.

Citation style.

 A standardized system for citing sources of information in research papers, the best-known of which are American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago, and Turabian. Access some style guides from the link on the library home page. 

Classification scheme. Classification system.

A system of classifying books and other items according to some system, based on a principle such as subject/topic, author's last name, or title. Some classification schemes are more complex than others, and use numbers and letters to create call numbers that are placed along the bottom of a book's spine. We use the Library of Congress Classification system, which arranges items by subject, or topic, and the SuDoc (Superintendent of Documents) system, which arranges items by the department that produces the work. See also Call number.

Course Reserve.

See Reserves.

Cross reference.

That which refers to other sources of information. A See reference takes you from a term you are searching for to the one officially used in the catalog you are using. A See also reference brings you to a list of terms (often broader or narrower) beyond the term you are using.
         
Database.

Organized electronic information, usually with some kind of search capability. Strictly speaking, library catalogs are databases, but the term is usually used to refer to electronic book collections or periodical indexes, which are sold commercially.

Database vendor.

A company that produces and sells databases. Major ones include ThomsonGale, EBSCO, ProQuest, and LexisNexis. Many of these vendors produce several databases, which may use the same interface and allow you to search all their databases simultaneously.

Dewey Decimal Classification System. A numeric system used by school and public libraries. Like the LC system, the Dewey system arranges books by subject.

Electronic resources.

E-books, CDs, DVDs, disks, online databases and other electronic material that is accessed by computer.

Fine.

Monetary penalty payable on overdue, damaged, or lost library materials.

Government documents. The library is a federal documents depository. Items with the U.S. Gov't. Docs. location in the catalog need to be requested at the Information Desk. Many are available online from the Linked Resources tab in our online catalog.

Hold.

You can place a hold on a book that is charged out to someone else so that person will not be able to renew it and you will be the next person to borrow the book. This can be done online under your patron account or at at the Circulation Desk.

Index.

An alphabetical list of names and topics within a publication or publications. Book indexes are usually found at the back of the book. See also Periodical index.

Information Desk.

The desk diagonally to the left as you enter the library, across from the Circulation Desk. Ask for research assistance, government documents help, and ILL request forms here.

Information literacy.

The ability to understand how to evaluate and use information resources. See the Library Guides on our home page to see how to use resources in this library, especially Finding Articles, Introductory Research and Almanacs, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works. The State of Kentucky has an information literacy tutorial. 

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

A system that enables you to request from other libraries materials your academic or public library does not own. ILL forms are available at the Information Desk and online via the link on the library home page. This service is available to currently registered students, faculty and staff of UNH. ILL service is also available at your local library.

Journal.

A publication containing scholarly content, produced in an academic environment that emphasizes research. Articles in academic journals are usually reviewed by a panel of experts in a field; this expert reviewing ensures the quality of the work published. Such journals are called "peer reviewed" or "refereed." See also Periodical.

Journals at the MKP Library
This link on our home page is an index of most of our journals in physical (paper, microfiche, microfilm) or electronic formats (available in a database or from a link in the library catalog). Publication date ranges are given for online holdings. Click on UNH Holdings to see what is actually in the library.

Juvenile Literature Collection.

Special collection on the third floor, at the end of the Z call numbers. 

Keyword.

An important word relating to your topic, which can be used as a search term in the library catalog and electronic databases.

Library of Congress Classification System.

A system of numbers and letters used to form call numbers, which thereby denote the subject matter of library materials, arrange them on the shelves in sequential order, and allow you to find them.

Loan period.

The period of time that a library item may be borrowed. Loan periods vary, depending on the type of material. Reference materials and periodicals do not have a loan period, as they can only be used in the library.

Microfiche.

Plastic 4x6-inch film cards on which micro-images of periodicals are printed. The images on these cards can be read and reproduced using a machine called a reader/printer.

Microfilm.

Plastic 1/2-inch-wide film on reels, similar in function to microfiche.

Monograph.

A book, normally a one-time publication. Books can be in paper, microform or electronic formats.

OPAC.

Acronym for Online Public Access Catalog, meaning an electronic catalog. OPACs also allow you to hyperlink from subject, author, and call number to other related items. See Catalog.

Periodical.

A term used to refer to journals, magazines and newspapers and some other publications that are published "periodically," usually at regular intervals. Most of the periodicals in this library are kept in the lower level stacks. Microfilm and microfiche periodicals are in the room at the far end of the lower level.

Periodical index.

A publication that facilitates searching for articles from many periodicals by listing article authors, article subjects, and other data elements. Many online databases are periodical indexes with electronic search capabilities and full-text article contents that make them far superior to older print indexes like Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.

Permanent Reserve.

See Reserves.

Plagiarism.

Failing to credit an author or source -- either intentionally or through carelessness -- for statements in your research papers, thereby making someone else's work look like your own. For more on this subject, see Indiana University's plagiarism guide.

Proxy Connection.

The mechanism that protects access to subscription electronic resources by requiring that you log in with your UNH ID number. ID cards are available from the Information Services Department.

Reference.

Another term used for a citation in a research paper (refers to the authors and ideas presented in the source material being cited).

Reference collection. The repository of essential library resources, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, statistical sources, etc., which are used frequently and therefore do not circulate.

Reference list.

In APA citation style, this is the term used for the list of sources at the end of a research paper. It is equivalent to the term bibliography in other citation systems like MLA.

Reference service. Assistance in locating and using information resources. Reference librarians, stationed at the Information Desk, are trained to provide this type of assistance.

Renew.

To borrow for another loan period. Use the patron login in the library catalog, type in your UNH ID number and your last name, and follow the instructions on the screen. Online renewal is not allowed for items on their due date, items that are overdue, or items against which a hold has been placed by someone else.

Reserves.

Items that must be requested at the Circulation Desk. Course Reserve items are placed on reserve for a specific period of time by a professor; loan periods vary. Permanent Reserve items may circulate or may be restricted to use in the library.

Serial.

A publication produced in a series, though not at regular intervals.

Stacks.

The part of the library where books are shelved. In some libraries these are closed to the public and items must be requested. Our stacks are open on all levels, with the exception of the  government documents area on the lower level.

Subject heading.

Preferred words and phrases used to describe the subjects covered in a book (or other library resource). These preferred terms help create standardized searches. The Library of Congress subject headings in our catalog are best used by clicking on the Bibliographic tab for a catalog item and then on the blue subject hyperlinks to go to other items.

Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification System. A system developed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) that arranges federal documents by the department or agency that produces the work. The items designated "U.S. Gov't Docs" in the catalog use SuDoc call numbers.
 
UNH ID number.

The 16-digit number on your UNH photo ID. This is the number you use to renew books online and to access library resources via the proxy connection when you are outside the library.

Vendor.

See Database vendor.
 

Any Questions? Ask at the Information Desk, call us at (203) 932-7189, or e-mail us.

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rev 11/07