Glossary of Library and Internet Terms

Abstract: A summary of the contents covered in a journal or magazine article, book, or other bibliographic material.

Access: a database software program included as part of the Microsoft Office package. It is available for use by the I.D. Weeks community from computers in TLC (Technology Literacy Center) on the 2nd floor.

Almanac: A publication, usually an annual, containing useful facts and statistical information.

Anchor (html term): a section of hyperlinked text or graphic, which appears in a Web document and when clicked, causes the web browser to move to the linked web site.

Archive: repository holding documents or other material, usually those of historical and/or rare value. Also referred to as Special Collections.

Article: A written essay or report on a subject. Articles appear in magazines, journals, newspapers, and in encyclopedias, among others.

ASCII: (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) It is the world wide standard for transferring files between programs. ( Also referred to as "unformatted text".)

Author: The writer of a book or article. The author may be one person, several people, or a "corporate body" such as a government agency, professional association, or company.

Bibliographic Record (Bib Record): A record that describes an item in the library's collection; the bib record includes call number, author, title, publication information, paging, subject headings, etc.

Bibliography: A list of citations ( books, periodical ( journal/magazine ) articles, videos or other materials ) usually on a specific subject or by a particular author.

Biennial: Issued in alternate years. Thus, published once every two years. Compare Semiannual.

Bimonthly: Issued in alternate months. Thus, published six times a year. Compare Semimonthly.

Biweekly: Issued twice a month. Thus, published every two weeks. Compare Semiweekly.

Boolean Operators: Use of the logical operators AND, OR, and NOT to indicate a relationship between search terms. Allow searcher to broaden or narrow search results.

Bound Periodicals: Issues of journals or magazines arranged together inside one hard cover. Located on the 2^nd Floor of I.D. Weeks Library and arranged in alphabetical order by title.

Browser: A World Wide Web program for navigating the Internet. Most browsers display graphics and formatted pages and let you click to hyperlinks to jump form page to another. Netscape and Explorer are browsers.

Call Number: A combination of numbers and letters that fully identifies an item in the library's collection and allows for easy location. I.D. Weeks Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system for most library items.

Case Sensitive: Capital letters ( upper case ) retrieve only upper case. Most search tools are not case sensitive or only respond to initial capitals, as in proper names. It is always safe to key all lower case ( no capitals ), because lower case will always retrieve upper case.

Circulation: A department within the library where items are checked out. The term "circulate" refers to whether of not an item may be checked out from the library, for example Reference Materials do not circulate.

Citation: Information that identifies a publication and includes author, title, name of journal/magazine, date, volume, pages. Provides sufficient information to locate the original item.

Conference report: May include minutes, transcripts, papers, and presentations generated at or for a conference.

Current Periodicals: Recent, unbound issues. Located on the 2^nd Floor of I.D. WeeksLibrary and arranged in alphabetical order by title.

Cursor: the blinking symbol ( often a vertical bar ) that designates the focal point in a document displayed in on computer screen where data is placed or written. In Windows programs, the cursor location can be changed using the arrow keys or the mouse pointer.

Cut, copy, paste: common keyboard functions used to transfer small sections of textual or graphical data within or between documents by first selecting the section and then giving the appropriate command:

Edit: Paste (menu) or Ctrl V (keyboard)- pastes clipboard selection to the current cursor location

Edit: Cut (menu) or Ctrl X (keyboard)- copies selection to the clipboard and removes it from its original location

Database: An organized collection of records presented in a standardized format searched by computers. WebPals, I.D. Weeks Library's Online Catalog, is a database. The periodical indexes available through the library are also databases.

Dewey Decimal Classification System: (also known as Dewey Call Number) A numeric code using decimal places that divided items into subject related groups. This system is used frequently in public and school libraries. I.D. Weeks Library uses the Dewey Decimal Classification system for a small collection of older books located on the 3^{rd floor,
Southeast side. (example: 581.973 G791m Ed. 1857)}

Dialog (or Search) Box: A window on the computer screen that provides a place for you to type search terms.

Dictionary: A reference source that provides meanings of words and other information. Specialized dictionaries ( foreign languages, fields of study ) are also available.

Distance Learning: Any learning where there is a separation of student and instructor by time or distance and technology is used to breach the distance.

Domain Name: Unique letters (and/or symbols) that identify an Internet site. At present there are six domain names used.

edu	gov	com	org	mil	net
educational	government	commercial	noncommercial or nonprofit	military	network management

EbscoHost: EbscoHost is a gateway ( interface ) to numerous online databases, including Academic Search Elite, Business Source Premier, ERIC and various health and business related databases.

Edition: All copies of a title issued by the same publisher on the same date.

E-learning: Any technologically mediated learning using computers whether from a distance or in face to face classroom setting (computer assisted learning).

Email: Electronic mail. Messages sent and received electronically over a network.

Email Address: The address used to sent and receive email. The email address contains your username, the @ symbol, and the domain name ( example: jdoe@usd.edu ). This is read: jdoe at usd dot edu.

Encyclopedia: A reference source containing information on a variety of topics. This information may be supplied in short paragraphs or in lengthy articles that include citations to other works on the same topic. Encyclopedias can be general - covering all topics, or specialized - focusing on a particular discipline such as art or philosophy.

Excel: a spreadsheet software program included as part of the Microsoft Office package. It is available for use by the I.D. Weeks community from computers on the 1st floor - Computer Workstations and in TLC (Technology Literacy Center) on the 2nd floor.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions. A file containing answers to commonly asked questions that new users to a program have asked.

Fiche: Type of microfilm. Rectangle in shape containing information in very small type that is read when enlarged by a machine called a �microfilm reader.�

Fields: A particular section of a computer record ( author, title, source, date ).

FirstSearch: FirstSearch is a gateway (interface) to numerous online databases, including WorldCat, Humanities Abstracts, Applied Science, and Wilson Select. It is available from the homepage of I.D. Weeks by clicking on Research Databases.

Foreword: Introductory remarks preceding the text of a book that are written by a person other than the author. Compare Preface.

Front Page: a Web editor software program included as part of the Microsoft Office package. It is available for use by the I.D. Weeks community from computers on the 1st floor - Computer Workstations and in TLC (Technology Literacy Center) on the 2nd floor.

FTP: File Transfer Protocol. A method of moving files between two Internet sites.

Full Text Database: Database, such as Academic Search Elite or Proquest, that gives the full text of articles online. The user may sit in front of the computer screen and read the article, print off a copy, or email a copy. Graphics may or may not be included. It is dependent on the publisher of the journal.

GIF: Graphics Interchange Format. One of two common formats ( the other is JPEG ) for image files associated with Web documents. The acronym gif appears at the end of the file name.

Glossary: Short list of words related to a specific topic, with brief definitions, arranged alphabetically and often placed at the end of a book.

Gopher: A program for accessing Internet information through hierarchical menus, gopher will "go for" the information you select and will display it on your screen. The World Wide Web (hypertext) has replaced most gopher navigation.

Hold: A borrower may request that a circulating item be held upon its return. The borrower will be notified when the item becomes available.

Hyperlink (link): Clickable Internet links, often in blue, that enable one to �surf� the WWW. For example, this link to Netscape's homepage: http://www.netscape.com/.

Hypertext Markup Language: (HTML) A computer language widely used on the Internet to create documents. Most documents available on the World Wide Web (WWW) are written in HTML. To see the HTML code for the document you are presently reading, click on "View" in the toolbar of your Web browser and then select "Page Source" from the drop-down menu.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol: (HTTP) Internet address prefix which, when followed by a colon and two slashes, enables one to access information available electronically on the World Wide Web (WWW). Note: a web address is not properly called an �http.� It is called a �URL.� See Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Index: A list of citations to journal/magazine articles and/or books arranged by subject, author, or title. They may be in print or electronic format ( or both ). An index is also a list of subjects covered in a book, usually found at the back of the book.

Information Literacy: The skills necessary to locate, access, and use information in today�s society.

Interlibrary Loan: (ILL) A service which fills the user's request for materials from other lending libraries. I.D. Weeks Library provides paper and electronic Interlibrary Loan access.

Internet: A computer network which connects computers all over the world, enabling computer users to communicate via e-mail, find information on the World Wide Web, and access remote computer systems such as library catalogs. The Internet began as a project of the U.S. Department of Defense and now has millions of users worldwide.

Internet Explorer: A widely used browser used to search and view information files on the World Wide Web (WWW). Another popular browser is Netscape Navigator.

Internet Service Provider: (ISP) A person or company providing access to the Internet.

ISBN: International Standard Book Number. A unique ten digit number assigned to every printed book.

ISSN: International Standard Serial Number. A unique eight digit number assigned to every serial publication.

Item Record: Represents the physical item in the library. It contains a description of the item.

Journal: A type of periodical, often published by an organization, association, or society. It is more scholarly in nature providing news, proceedings, transactions, and articles about the work carried out in a particular field of study. These are often refereed by a committee of peers.

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group. One of two common formats ( the other is GIF ) for image files associated with Web documents. In file names the acronym appears as jpeg or jpg.

Keyword: A significant word ( or combination of words ) in the abstract, title, subject headings, or text of an entry in an electronic resource ( online catalog, database ) used as a search term.

LCSH: Library of Congress Subject Headings. The primary classification system used by I.D. Weeks Library. This is the classification system used by most academic and research libraries in the United States. It keeps items together by subject (see Call Number) by dividing knowledge into subject areas and assigning letters and numbers for library materials.

Legend: Found on a map, in an atlas, and in some databases (i.e. Proquest). It is an explanation of the symbols used, to aid the user.

Library Catalog: USD�s library catalog is a computerized catalog called WebPals.

Library of Congress Classification System: (also known as the LCSH) A system created by the Library of Congress, which is used to identify an item within a library collection by dividing information into subject related groups. A unique number/letter code (call number) is assigned each item in the collection. I.D. Weeks Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system for most library items. (example: PR4553 .M57 1944)

Liner note: explanations, historical descriptions, and interpretive essays found with sound recordings.

Literary Criticism: The interpretation (What does the text mean?) and/or evaluation (Is the work good or bad?) of literature.

Listserv: An electronic discussion group based on common interests that uses a mailing list to distribute messages to all members' electronic mail boxes.

Location: Where the item is housed. In WebPals, the location is given on the second line of the item record.

Magazine: A periodical publication intended for a general reading audience. Contains articles, stories, etc. of popular interest usually including photographs, illustrations, and advertisements.

Menu: Options displayed on a computer screen and selected by the user to navigate the database.

MeSH: Medical Subject Headings. Controlled vocabulary designed by the National Library of Medicine to search MEDLINE and other health sciences databases.

Microfiche: Rectangle of plastic film containing information in very small type that is read when enlarged by a machine called a �microfilm reader/printer.� Located on the 2^nd floor of I.D. Weeks Library.

Microfilm: Reel of plastic film containing information in very small type that is read when enlarged by a machine called a �microfilm reader/printer.� Located on the 2^nd floor of I.D. Weeks Library.

Natural Language Search: Search in which one can ask a question in natural English ( such as �Where can I find information on William Shakespeare?� ) as opposed to formulating a search statement ( such as �su:Shakespeare, William�). On the Internet, a good natural-language search engine to use is Ask Jeeves, at http://www.askjeeves.com/

Nesting: The use of parentheses in a search statement to separate elements of the statement. An example is

Netscape: A widely used browser used to search and view information files on the World Wide Web (WWW). Another popular browser is Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Non-Circulating: An item that is not allowed to be checked out of the Library. Reference materials are non-circulating.

Online Catalog: Computer database that lists the holdings of a library. Sometimes referred to as an �online public access catalog� or �OPAC.� At USD's I.D.Weeks Library, the online catalog is called "WebPals."

Online: A general term for when one computer is interacting directly with another computer. Many sources of information are available online.

Online learning: Any learning experience or environment that relies upon the Internet/WWW as the primary delivery mode of communication and presentation.

Oversize: Large volumes that are shelved apart from the regular sized books but continue to use the call number for the appropriate subject. In I.D. Weeks Library the oversized books are located on the third floor near the library.

Pagination: Page numbering. Usually, the front matter of a book is paginated using Roman numerals, and the main text is paginated using Arabic numerals.

Peer-reviewed: A journal is peer-reviewed when an article is published in it only after receiving approval by a board of experts (the author�s �peers�). Synonymous with �refereed.�

Periodicals: Publications issued on a regular or periodic basis. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, scholarly, professional, trade, and popular journals are examples of periodicals. ( Also known as a serial because it is published on an ongoing basis.)

         At I.D. Weeks Library:

Current periodicals are shelved in alphabetical order ( northwest side - 2^nd floor ).
Bound periodicals are shelved in alphabetical order by title
                     ( northeast side - 2^nd floor ).
Retained as microfilm/microfiche ( In LRL � Learning Resources Lab �
                       in metal   cabinets on the 2^nd floor ).
Full-text electronic version is available through various databases
                     ( go to � Research Databases ).

If the I.D. Weeks Library does not hold the periodical you need, you may place a request through Interlibrary Loan.

PowerPoint: a presentation software program included as part of the Microsoft Office package. It is available for use by the I.D. Weeks community from computers in TLC (Technology Literacy Center) on the 2^nd floor.

Preface: Preliminary statement, usually written by the author of a work, which states its origin, scope, purpose, plan, and intended audience, and which sometimes includes afterthoughts and acknowledgments of assistance. When written by a person other than the author, it is called a foreword. The preface or foreword is distinct from the introduction, which deals with the subject of the work.

Primary Source: Original manuscripts, contemporary records, or documents (speeches, letters, interviews, diaries ) created at the time an event occurred. Compare Secondary Source; Tertiary Source.

Proceedings: The published record of the meetings of a society or other formal organization, usually but not necessarily including abstracts or reports of the papers presented. When the actual text of papers presented is included, the results are more appropriately termed �transactions.�

Protocol: A set of commands computers use to exchange information. Common protocols include FTP, Gopher, HTTP, and Telnet.

Public Domain: A work is said to be in the public domain if it is not protected by copyright, or if the copyright for it has expired.

Publisher: Person or corporate body that prepares and issues printed or nonprint material for public distribution or sale in the marketplace.

Rare Book: Book, or edition of a book, of which very few copies still exist. In I.D.Weeks Library rare books (items) are located in the Special Collections or Archives on the 3^rd floor.

Record: Descriptive data relating to a specific item ( book, article, video, etc. ). Each record includes fields that describe the publication.

Reference: A service provided by the library to assist users in the retrieval of information and the use of information resources and technologies.

Reference Book: Book you may use to find factual information on a subject. Because most people consult these books briefly, but do not need to read them from beginning to end, these books do not circulate. You can tell a reference book by its call number, which will start with "REF." Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and almanacs are all reference books. In I.D.Weeks Library, all Reference Books are located on the first floor behind the Reference Desk.

Remote Access: Communication by a user with a distant computer system or computer network. May require the user to enter their USD user name and password. Remote access to the University of South Dakota�s Library resources is possible from home or office.

Renew: To renew a library item is to get an extension on the borrowing period. At I.D. Weeks Library, borrowers wishing to renew items may do so online through the library's homepage or bring the item into the library. Items may not be renewed over the telephone.

Request: Recall. When an item has been checked out, another user may request that item. The current borrower will be notified by mail and must return the item by the 'Recall' date.

Reserve: A selection of specific items ( books, periodical articles, audio and video tapes, and multimedia ) which faculty have indicated that students must have access to for a particular class. Paper items are housed in the Reserve Area of I.D.Weeks Library ( at the Circulation Desk ) and circulate for a limited period of time. Multimedia items ( videos, CDs, and Special Collections (Newbery & Caldecott) etc.) are housed in the LRL (Learning Resources Lab) on the 2^nd floor of I.D. Weeks Library.

Restricted Access: In archives and special collections, limitations placed on the use of resources such as rare books and manuscripts. Use of such materials may be restricted to a special room or a certain method, and may even be by appointment only.

Review: Short article containing both descriptive and evaluative comments on a work, usually published in a journal, newspaper, or magazine. To locate book reviews, use Book Review Digest ( available at I.D. Weeks Library � Research Databases- Book Review Digest (via FirstSearch) ). To locate film reviews, look under the heading "Motion picture reviews--Single works" in the paper Reader�s Guide Abstracts ( also available at Wallace Library - Electronic Resources - Reader's Guide Abstracts ).

Scholarly Article: Reports on original research or experimentation. It is written by and for experts in a particular field of study.

Search: Words that are input to a computer program to match against information in a database.

Search Engine: Computer software program designed to help users of the Internet locate information on the World Wide Web. It collects and indexes Internet resources ( Web pages, Usenet Newsgroups, programs, images, etc. ) and provides a keyword search system allowing the user to identify and retrieve resources. There are many search engines available and each is different in their scope, search protocols, and appearance. Some common search engines are: Alta Vista, Google, Yahoo, Excite, Lycos, and HotBot.

Secondary Source: Interprets and analyses primary sources. Works that are not contemporary records or documents associated with the event but provide background necessary to understand the primary sources. Secondary sources include: encyclopedias, textbooks, histories, criticisms, commentaries, and journal articles. Compare Primary Source; Tertiary Source.

Semiannual: Issued twice a year. Thus, published once every six months. Compare Biennial.

Semimonthly: Issued twice a month. Thus, published once every two weeks. Compare Bimonthly.

Serial: A publication that is issued in parts indefinitely over time. Serials include: journals, periodicals, magazines, almanacs, annual reports, etc.

Server: A computer that handles requests from the user's computer for data, email, file transfer, and other network services.

SGML: Standard Generalized Markup Language; a standard set of conventions used to define the format and display of electronic text which is independent of specific hardware, systems and software applications.

Source document: the text document that contains the html code and text for a web document. Usually contained in a text editor or html editor.

Stacks: The area of the library where items are shelved. They are arranged by call number or in alphabetical order by journal title for current periodicals.

Subject Heading: A controlled vocabulary assigned by an indexer. Subject headings are used in catalogs and indexes to group together items by subject. They are used to organize the library's collection.

Telnet: An Internet protocol that lets the user log onto a remote computer using a username and password.

Tertiary Source: Document which is based on the study and analysis of primary sources and/or secondary sources. A bibliography, for example, would be called a tertiary source. Compare Primary Source; Secondary Source.

Trade Journal: A periodical focusing on information and news regarding a particular industry or group of industries ( Examples: Publisher's Weekly or Women's Wear Daily ). Not always scholarly.

Transcript: The written record of words spoken in court proceedings, or in a speech, sound recording, or broadcast.

Truncation: Typing a specific symbol at the end of a word to retrieve all possible endings of that word. Different databases have different truncation symbols. This also includes shortening or cutting off part of a keyword ( the root word ) so that it will match with all terms starting with the same root (or stem). ( Example: comput* will match with computer, computers, computerize, computing, etc. ) Frequently used symbols for truncation include the asterisk (*), the pound sign (#), or the questions mark (?). Check the HELP section in the database for specific guidelines.

Tutorial: Computer-assisted instruction, usually divided into sections, on how to use a certain kind of software. When you have never used a software before, or when clicking on �Help� is not answering your question(s), see if there is a tutorial you can take. I.D. Weeks Library provides access to some tutorials covering a wide variety of software applications.

URL: (Uniform Resource Locator) An Internet address representing a site or file on the World Wide Web (WWW). If you know the URL of a web site, you can go to that web page. An example of a URL is http://www.usd.edu. The structure of the URL is as follows:

Username: The information that, combined with a password, gives the user access to their computer account.

WebPals: The online catalog I.D. Weeks Library � University of South Dakota. WebPals may be searched from outside the library by going to: http://www.usd.edu/library/idweeks.html and clicking on "PALS Library Catalog.�

Word: a word processing software program included as part of the Microsoft Office package. It is available for use by the I.D. Weeks community from computers in TLC (Technology Literacy Center) on the 2nd floor.

World Wide Web: (WWW) An Internet service connecting hypertext data and resources. It organizes information by pages that are accessible by using a browser such as Netscape or Explorer.

WYSIWYG: "What You See Is What You Get" - this refers to the way that a document is presented on a viewing monitor. For instance, when you see the source code for a web document in a text editor ( such as Notepad ), you also see the tag code which gives instruction about how that document should appear on a web browser. A view of the same document on the web browser will reveal only the results of the html coding. In a WYSIWIG editing environment ( such as the Netscape Editor ), the code is not visible during the editing process. Instead, the document appears, more or less, as it will appear in its final presentation; thus "what you see is what you get."

Yearbook: Documentary, historical, or memorial record of facts and information about the preceding year, often limited to a specific country or subject. Also written �year book.�