Glossary of Terms

The glossary contains many terms that you may encounter in a library or online. Quickly find definitions by using the letters below to jump to the terms for which you are looking:  

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M 
N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 

A
APA Style	The method of formatting research papers and citing sources advocated by the American Psychological Association for use by researchers in the sciences.
Abstract	A summary.
Almanac	An annual publication containing statistical and general information.
Anthology	A collection of literary works.
Atlas	A bound collection of maps.
Audio-Visual	Learning aids using hearing and/or sight, including videotapes, audio cassettes, slides, etc.
Author	The writer of a work/book.
Autobiography	A non-fiction work detailing the life of a person and written by that person.
B
Bibliography	A list of works referred to by an author when writing a book.
Biography	A non-fiction work detailing the life of a person.
Book Review	A critical evaluation of a book.
C
Call Number	A combination of letters and numbers assigned to a library book to indicate its place on the shelf.
Catalog	A database of information about items housed in a library.  The database is made up of item records.
Circulation	Practice of lending books and other materials for a specified period of time.
Citation
Concordance	An alphabetical index of the main words/ideas used in a book.
Consumer Information	Resources that help a consumer make decisions about a purchase.
Copyright	Exclusive legal rights to publish and sell a book or other artistic work.
D
Database	A collection of data organized for computer use.
Directory	An alphabetical list; or collection of rules or ordinances.
E
Editorial	A newspaper or magazine article expressing the opinions of the editors or other individual writers.
Encyclopedia	A book, alphabetically arranged by subject, that contains information on virtually all branches of knowledge or coverage of a specific branch of knowledge (ex. Nursing Encyclopedia).
Endnotes	A list of sources used in writing a paper/book.  Endnotes are placed at the end of the paper or at the end of each chapter in a book.
Essay	A work analyzing a subject from the author's personal point of view.
F
Fiction	An invented, non-factual work of literature.
Footnotes	A list of sources used in writing a paper/book.  Footnotes are placed at the bottom of each page of the work.
G
Government Documents	Information published by a government body.
H
I
Index	A list of items (topics, names, etc.) discussed in a book, giving the page number where each item may be found.  The index is usually found at the end of the book.
Interlibrary Loans	The lending of books between different libraries for the patrons' use.
Internet	A network which connects computers around the world and includes the World Wide Web, e-mail, etc.
J
Journal	A periodical publication dealing with topics or current or specialized interest.
K
L
Library of Congress System	One type of standardized system of classifying books. The Library of Congress System is widely used by college libraries.
Listserv
Literary Criticism	A critical analysis of a work/book.
M
MLA Style	The method of formatting research papers and citing sources advocated by the Modern Language Association for use by researchers in the humanities.
Microfilm	A type of microform.  A small-scale film housing images of printed material.  Oftentimes, newspapers or magazines may be viewed on microfilm.
Microform	Printed material reproduced on film in greatly reduced size.
N
Non-Fiction	Literature that is factual and informative. Non-fiction is the opposite of fiction.
O
P
Periodical	A publication, usually a a magazine or journal, that is published on fixed dates (weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.).
Plagiarism	To use the ideas/words of another person as one's own without crediting the source.
Primary Source	A source which contains information that has not been interpreted by another writer (ex. historical document, work of literature).
Publisher	A business that prints and release books or other printed material.
Q
R
Reference	Library materials that contain information to which a user might wish to quickly "refer."  These items provide basic research information and are housed in the special "Reference" section of the library. Examples of reference works include: encyclopedia, almanacs, guides, manuals, dictionaries, thesauri, directories, etc.
Renew	Process of a patron extending the loan period for a borrowed item.
Reserve	1.  A library item that is set aside for use only in the library. 2.  To place a hold on a checked out item so that you will be notified on its arrival and given the opportunity to check it out.
S
Secondary Source	A source which contains other writers' interpretations of a literary work, historical event, or issue.
Serial	1.  A work appearing in installments in a magazine or other publication.   2.  A publication (newspaper, journal, etc.) issued as a numbered, continuing series.
Stacks	The area of the library where the circulating books are shelved.
Subject Headings	Standardized names for information topics. Subject headings are used to classify library items and to assign call numbers.
T
Table of Contents	A list of the chapters/contents of a publication. The Table of Contents is typically found at the beginning of a book, magazine or journal.
Thesaurus	A book of synonyms, or words having the same meaning.
Title	The name of a book/work.
Title Page	The page in a book that contains the official title and other publishing information relating to the book.
U
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)	Also known as a URL, this is the unique address that each web page possesses.  PTC’s URL is http://www.ptc.edu.
V
W
Work Cited
World Wide Web	A collection of computer files, or Web pages, that are linked to each other. The World Wide Web is part of the Internet and may be viewed on a computer screen using a Web browser.
X
Y
Yearbook	A book published yearly, containing information about the preceding year (Example: The Guinness Book of World Records).
Z