First Year Studies Course Guide
Library Lingo
You'll find it useful to be familiar with these terms as you work in the library.
- Abstract
- Bibliography
- Book truck
- Boolean operators
- Bound periodical
- Call number
- Circulate
- Citation
- Database
- Descriptor
- Hold
- Index
- Journal
- Microform
- Online catalog
- Open stacks
- Periodical
- Recall
- Record
- Reference
- Reserve
- Retention Shelves
- Stacks
- Truncation
A brief summary of an article, book, or other work. A source, either in book form or electronic, which contains abstracts.
A list of sources cited in a research paper or publication. A list of sources on a particular subject or for a particular field of study, such as the MLA International Bibliography for Literature.
Rolling carts used for transporting books that need to be reshelved.
Words used for more specific searching in your research. They can be used to narrow (AND), broaden (OR), or restrict (NOT) a database search; named for George Boole, who developed the concept of "Boolean" logic. For a more in-depth explanation of Boolean operators and how to use them in search strategies, go here.
Issues of a particular volume of a journal or magazine that have been sent to a bindery to be "bound" together in book form.
The number used to locate a particular book or other library item. UTK uses the Library of Congress system, for instance, PS1422.A43.
Materials that circulate may be borrowed from the library for a specified period of time. You may also hear the terms check out or charge out.
In a research paper, the citation provides the information needed to locate a specific item, such as author, title, journal name, volume, issue number, date, and page numbers. In databases, this information is called a record.
For research purposes, a computerized version of an index. A computerized collection of listings of articles or other materials on specific topics from a selected list of sources, usually journals.
Subject heading. Indexes and databases assign to each article a specific word or words "describing" the content of that article.
If there is a book you need that is currently checked out, you can place a hold on it so that when the patron returns it, you will be notified that it is back in the library. It is different from a recall. You have seven days to retrieve an item once it is on hold for you. After that, it will go back in the stacks, or be held for a different patron if they have also requested it.
An alphabetical list of articles or other materials, arranged by subject and often by author, from a selected group of sources, usually journals.
A scholarly publication issued periodically, such as once a month or quarterly. Articles are written by professionals for a journal in a particular field and for an audience with a knowledge of and interest in the specific subject matter.
A copy of a book or other library material preserved in reduced size on film. Microformats include microfilm (a reel of film), microfiche (a transparent card), and microcard (an opaque card) and require specialized equipment for reading and printing.
A computerized "catalog" or list of library materials that may be searched in a variety of ways, for instance, by author, title, or subject.
In libraries that have open stacks, people may browse the shelves and select books to check out. Hodges Library has open stacks on floors 3-6, and in the Reference Room, Periodicals, Government Documents, and Reserve. Examples of closed stacks at UT are the Storage area and parts of Special Collections.
A publication issued periodically, for instance, daily, weekly, monthly, or annually.
If you need a particular book which is currently checked out to someone else, the library will recall the book and hold it for you at the circulation desk. How a recall differs from a "hold" is that, with a hold, the first patron gets to keep their original due date. With a recall, their due date is shortened so that the book comes back to the library sooner.
In databases, citations are called records.
A place in the library to "refer" to sources for quick background information, to begin locating materials that might be useful, and to ask for help.
A place in the library where professors may put books on "reserve" for a class. Items on reserve circulate for brief amounts of time, such as a week, three days, two hours, or not at all. The Reserve department is also responsible for the Online Reserve portion of the catalog, which allows access to digital copies of materials that professors have put on reserve.
Shelves on floors 3 through 6 where books are kept in call number order while waiting to be returned to their proper places on the shelves. They are usually the shelves closest to the work areas (where the computers and copy machine are).
The rows of shelves that house books and other library materials. The area of the library where the books are shelved.
In computer searches, you may use a symbol (often an asterisk) to shorten or "truncate" a word to retrieve a root word and any ending; for instance, truncat* will retrieve truncate, truncated, truncation, etc. Choose carefully which words to truncate.