GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY USED LIBRARY TERMS

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AACR2 rev.

Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition, revised. These are the cataloging rules currently in use in the Online Catalog. They were compiled by representatives of the American Library Association, the Library Association [of Great Britain], and the Canadian Library Association. The current version is the 2002 revision.

AAMG

Academic and Administrative Managers Group: composed of Princeton office heads, individuals serving as administrative deputies to office heads or who have broad administrative responsibilities and influence, and excluding members of the Cabinet or Faculty. Includes 22 librarians.

ACRL

Association of College and Research Libraries, division of the American Library Association.

ALA

American Library Association.

ARL

Association of Research Libraries. organization comprising the leading research libraries in North America.

AUL

Associate University Librarian. Each AUL is responsible for a broad area of PUL's operations: Technical Services, Research & Instructional Services, Collection Development, Special Libraries, Administrative Services, and Rare Books and Special Collections.

Annexes

Storage locations for low use library materials, and library materials requiring enhanced security. See also ReCAP

Approval Plan

Method of acquiring library materials in which a supplier is given a subject profile outlining what types of books and other materials are to be supplied. The library retains the option of returning unwanted items. Most approval plans include a notification service for items not supplied on approval but which the library may want to order.

Archive(s)

Collection(s) of permanently valuable historical records documenting a particular subject or activity or transaction. Also the repository where such a collection is kept. (at Princeton University this is the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections)

Authority Record

Record containing the authorized form of a personal name, corporate name, meeting name, name of a jurisdiction, uniform title (including series title), name/title combination, subject heading, or subject subdivision to be used in constructing access points in MARC bibliographic records. It may also contain the forms of these names, titles, and subjects that should be used as references to the authorized form, and information about the interrelationships among the forms and the sources where the forms were found.

Bibliography

A list of resources used in writing a research paper or other document that appears at the end of the document. See also: Citation, Reference.

BIS

Binding Information System. Computerized binding preparation software developed by Wert Bookbinding, Inc. for libraries to provide them with binding information for both monographs and serial volumes. The Windows version is known as WinBIS.

Boolean operator(s)

When searching a database, search terms or keywords can be combined to form a search statement using Boolean (or logical) operators AND, OR, NOT. Also referred to as operator(s).

Borrow Direct

A unit within the Circulation Division, Technical Services Department that allows users to borrow books from a small number of partner libraries.

BSA

The Bibliographical Society of America, based in the United States, sister-society to England's Bibliographical Society.

CaMS

Cataloging and Metadata Services. Part of Technical Services.

Card Catalog

File of over six million cards on the first floor of Firestone, representing items cataloged for any location in the Princeton University Library system through the end of 1980. Most items included are books and serials, but the Card Catalog also contains records for some, though by no means all, government documents, microforms, and other types of material. In general, each item is represented by several cards to provide approaches by author, title, and subject. Cards are filed in a single alphabet, following complex filing rules. The previous term used for the Card Catalog was "Public Catalog 1" or "PC1". This is now in computerized image form, and called the Supplementary Catalog (q.v.). The card catalog is no longer kept up to date, and may be removed at some time in the future (Cf. Online Catalog).

Carter

ABC for Book Collectors, originally written by John Carter and later updated by Nicolas Barker, a guide to terminology connected with rare books, printing, and publishing.

CD

Department of Collection Development, one of the seven departments of the Princeton University Library.

Charged/Not Charged

Status of an item displayed in the Main Catalog. "Charged" means the item is checked out to a user; "Not charged" means the item is on shelf and available.

Circulation

The circulation desk is the place in the library where you check out, renew, and return library materials. You may also place a hold, or report an item missing from the shelves.

Citation

A reference or footnote to a book, a magazine or journal article, or another source. It contains all the information necessary to identify and locate the work, including author, title(s), publisher, date, volume, issue number, and pages.

CJK

Abbreviation for the Chinese, Japanese and Korean writing systems.

Classification

System for assigning certain letters or numbers to books in order to group them in different subject areas. PUL uses two classification systems, but other more specialized systems also exist:

LC - Library of Congress classification system developed at the largest library in the country, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Richardson - a classification system developed at the turn of the century by Ernest Richardson, a Princeton University Librarian.

Harvard-Yenching – a classification system used in East Asian libraries throughout the country, also at Princeton University.

Client/server

Implementation of computer technology, in contrast to mainframe or "host" based systems, which distribute computing activity over several machines. Typically, but not exclusively, client/server architecture involves having the principal database stored on a high powered machine that acts as a "server" while the application or end-user interface runs on a workstation with computing power of its own, like a pc. This pc would be called the client. Client software typically is written to query the server, retrieve large amounts of data from it, and perform data manipulation and presentation on the client machine. In host/mainframe architecture, the data storage and manipulation all takes place on the central computer.

Controlled Vocabulary

Standardized terms used in searching a specific database. These terms differ for each database.

CPANDA

Cultural Policy & the Arts National Data Archive

Database or Electronic Resource

A collection of information stored in an electronic format that can be searched.

DCRM(B)

Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books), the updated "successor" to DCRB (Descriptive Cataloging of Books), meant to update the older guide and bring it into accord with international standards; also the first in an ongoing series of cataloging guides for special collection items covering maps, serials, graphic materials, and other special collections items beyond books alone.

DNB

Dictionary of National (English) Biography.

DR

Location designation for the General and Humanities Reference Room, now known as the Trustee Reading Room, located on the first floor of Firestone. Other location designations appear on an information sheet available near the Information Center on the 1st floor of Firestone and are also available on the Library’s web site.

Department

Within the library, there are at present 7 departments: Administration, Administrative Services, Collection Development, Rare Books and Special Collections, Research & Instructional Services (RIS), Special Libraries, and Technical Services. The organization chart shows these and the units which make up each department.

Dixon Collection

Housed in the Firestone Library, Main Floor, DeLong Room (1-7-J), this collection contains the newest fiction and current popular nonfiction for six months. Dixon books circulate for one month. More information: http://firestone.princeton.edu/dixon/

Download

To transfer information from a computer to a computer storage device or to transfer information from one computer to another.

DSS

Data and Statistical Services Unit. Part of Firestone Library's Social Science Reference Center. DSS maintains the University Data Library and provides reference and consulting support to users of electronic data.

EAD

Encoded Archival Description

Electronic Card Catalog

see Supplementary Catalog

Electronic Reserves (E-reserves)

Electronic Course Reserve Service. Provides access to course (E-Reserves)materials online. Access is restricted to students currently enrolled in the courses. (see also Reserves)

Entry

Refers to the data in a catalog record by which it is retrieved, for example, an author entry. Also called a “heading.” Standardized forms of author names and subjects are used in catalog records to facilitate sorting and retrieval.

Ethernet

Local area network architecture in use at Princeton University.

Fascicle section

A location designated for housing alphabetical sections of encyclopedias. When all sections are received they are sent for bounding. Presently located in Order division on the first floor. (near circulation, next to sink/water fountain)

Finding Aid

A tool that helps researchers find information in archival collections. Typically includes a description of the papers in the collection, explains how they are organized, and provides information about the creator of the collection.

GEAC

The Library’s first successful automated circulation system (1979). It followed a brief unsuccessful earlier attempt at automating circulation with a system developed by the 3M Corporation. In 1984, the Geac acquisitions module was implemented to provide the Library’s first automated acquisitions system.

Government Document

Any publication issued at government expense or published under the authority of a governmental body. Included are official papers that record the actions or deliberations of government (such as the Congressional Record), informational publications (like the many statistical compilations of the Bureau of the Census), and reports of research done under government contract.

HaRMS

Holdings and Record Management Section. Part of Technical Services

Hold

A "hold" guarantees that a book checked out to another person will be saved for you when it is returned. Place a "hold" on any circulating library materials through the Circulation or check-out desk. You can also place a “hold” from the Main Catalog.

Holdings

The materials owned by a library.

HR

Princeton University’s Office of Human Resources, located on the first floor of New South Hall, or, Library Human Resources Office, or its staff, located in room 2-16-E, Firestone Library.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

A service that allows you to borrow materials (books, theses, articles) from other libraries through your own library. At Princeton the service is called Interlibrary Services (ILS) and is a unit within the Research and Instructional Services Department.

Index

1. A list of names or topics usually found at the end of a publication, which directs you to the pages where the names or topics are discussed. 2. A printed or electronic publication which lists references to periodical articles or books by subject and/or author.

ISBN

International Standard Book Number. The ISBN is a unique machine-readable identification number, which marks any book unmistakably. First implemented in the U.K. in 1967, the ISBN is now used in 159 countries and territories.

ISSN

International Standard Serial Number. Eight-digit number which identifies periodical publications, including electronic serials. Created in the 1970’s, the ISSN Network has assigned more than one million ISSN numbers. There are 75 national ISSN centers coordinated by an international center based in Paris; the U.S. center is managed by the National Serials Data Program at the Library of Congress.

Internet

Network of networks that includes local area, regional, and national backbone networks and spans many countries and continents. Networks on the Internet use the same telecommunications protocol (TCP/IP) and provide many services and protocols such as electronic mail, remote login, and file transfer.

Journal

A publication, issued on a regular basis, which contains scholarly research published as articles, papers, research reports, or technical reports. (See also Periodicals)

Keyword

Any searchable word in the Online Catalog and in many databases. For example, authors’ first and last names, words in titles or subject headings, and words in contents notes or abstracts are keywords. Searching by keyword(s) is an effective way to find relevant records and documents.

LAN (Local Area Network)

Computer network limited to locally defined area, frequently a building or building complex belonging to a single organization or institution such as a university.

LC

Library of Congress.

Library Location

Physical location where items owned by the Library are stored or where services are available. A list of locations and their shorthand symbols is available on the Library Web and in the Online Catalog.

Library Web

Portal to all the electronic resources of the Library, including the Online Catalog, other Princeton catalogs, many databases and reference tools, and information about the many library collections and services available to users. The home page of the Library is found at http://libweb.princeton.edu

LISSC

The Library Integrated Systems Steering Committee. The group that reviews policies and procedures that relate to the Integrated Library System.

Listserv Lists

Electronic mailing lists which facilitate discussion via e-mail on any (or Listservs) number of topics. They can be moderated or unmoderated, public or private, local or national/international. There are several listservs in use in the Library to facilitate collaboration and communication among library staff.

Magazine

A publication, issued on a regular basis, containing popular articles, written and illustrated in a less technical manner than articles found in a journal.

Main Catalog

see Online Catalog

Manuscripts

Handwritten or unpublished documents, such as correspondence, notes, and drafts of articles or books.

MARC Record

MARC - MAchine-Readable Cataloging. Standard format for machine-readable bibliographic records.

MARC 21

Current version of the MARC format for bibliographic data. Maintained by the Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress.

Media

In libraries, the term is used to describe non-print materials such as video and music.

MELT

Middle Eastern Languages Team. Part of Technical Services

Metadata

Structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource. Metadata is often called data about data or information about information.

METS

Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard

MFHD (Muffhead)

“MARC Format for Holdings Data;” the segment of the Voyager MARC record where the call number, library location code, volume holdings, and other holdings information is recorded and stored.

Microforms

Photographic images greatly reduced in size from the original.

Microfilm: 35 mm or 16 mm roll of film, much like the film used in an ordinary camera.

Microfiche: Transparent sheet of microfilm usually four by six inches, holding 60 or 98 pages per fiche.

Microprint: An opaque six-by-nine inch sheet.

Microcard: An opaque three-by-five inch sheet.

MODS

Metadata Object Description Schema

Monograph

Non-serial item, either complete in one part (e.g., a single book, a single map, a single manuscript, etc.) or intended to be completed, in a finite number of separate parts (e.g., a multivolume monograph). It is usually published or produced separately, and represented by a record in the Online Catalog. The word “monograph” is also used to mean “book.”

NACO

Name authority program component of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging. Catalogers in the Technical Services and Rare Books Departments and in the East Asian Library contribute authority records to a central authority file maintained at the Library of Congress via NACO. Princeton was one of the earliest participants in the program, and has been contributing records since 1980.

NJLA

New Jersey Library Association

NjP

NUC library identifier for the Princeton University Library

njp-l

General listserv serving all members of the Princeton University Library staff.

NJULS

New Jersey Union List of Serials, a microfiche listing of the serial holdings of many New Jersey academic, public and special libraries.

NOTIS

“Northwestern Online Total Integrated System;” an early automated library management system implemented at Princeton in 1992 to replace RLIN for cataloging production activities and also replace Carlyle as the Library’s OPAC. NOTIS was also used briefly for both circulation and acquisitions functions in 1999, immediately preceding and preparatory to the implementation of the Voyager integrated system.

NR

Location designation for the area of the Firestone Periodicals Room where current issues of general newspapers are shelved.

NUC

National Union Catalog in book or microfiche format. This multi-volume catalog indicates which major U.S. and Canadian libraries own particular titles.

OCLC

Online Computer Library Center, Inc. A consortium of librariesworldwide serving its members with the largest single online file of bibliographic information in existence, and various subsidiary services such as cataloging, interlibrary loan, access to electronic journals, and many more. PUL has access to this system via both patron and staff interfaces.

OED

Oxford English Dictionary

OIT

Office of Information Technology. Delivers information technology products and support services that meet the needs of the Princeton University community.

OPAC

Online Public Access Catalog. Any type of computerized library catalog intended for use by patrons, such as Princeton's Main or Online Catalog.

Online Catalog

Database of machine-readable catalog records. The Online Catalog or Main Catalog is the Library’s most comprehensive record of its holdings, covering most items cataloged for any PUL location. It can be searched by author, title, subject, call number, or keyword.

Oversize books

Books which are larger than average and therefore cannot be accommodated on the usual shelves. Oversize books are shelved in specially designated areas. They are identified by q(quarto), e(elephant), or f(folio) at the end of the call number.

PBSA

The scholarly journal, issued quarterly, of the Bibliographical Society of America (BSA).

Periodical

Material published regularly such as magazines, journals, and newspapers. (See also Serial).

PR

Location designation for the Firestone Periodicals Room. Located on A floor, in the same area as the Reserve Room, PR houses many of Princeton’s current periodicals in the social sciences and humanities.

PUL

Princeton University Library; also the OCLC library identifier for the Princeton University Library.

PULA

Princeton University Library Assistants Union.

PULEA

The OCLC library identifier for the Princeton University East Asian Library.

Patron

One who uses PUL; also referred to as "user" or "reader" or "researcher."

RBM

The (semi-annual) scholarly journal of RBMS (see below), formerly titled "Rare Book & Manuscript Librarianship"

RBMS

The Rare Book & Manuscript section of ACRL/ALA.

RBS

Rare Book School, headquartered at the University of Virginia, offering advanced courses in various areas of rare books and archives.

RBSC

Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, one of the seven departments of the Princeton University Library.

RDA

Resource Description and Access. This is the new standard for description and access which will replace the AACR2 cataloging rules. It was compiled by the Joint Steering Committee consisting of representatives of the American Library Association, the British Library, The Australian Committee on Cataloguing and the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing, the Library of Congress and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Recall

Princeton borrowers can place a request for an item found in the Princeton University Main Catalog if the item is charged out. Recalls can be initiated when viewing an item in the catalog by clicking the recall button on the top of the screen. You will be prompted to enter your Patron Barcode, e.g. 22101 000123456, and Last Name before you can place a recall. Recalls can also be placed from the Library’s home page (under Library Services).

ReCAP

Research Collections and Preservation Consortium. New shelving facility located on the Forrestal Campus of Princeton University. Operated as a joint project with Columbia University and the New York Public Library.

Reference

1. A service that provides assistance to users to find needed information . It is available at a reference desk, by appointment or during office hours, by email, or by Instant Messaging (see Chat Reference). 2. Sometimes it refers to reference collections, such as encyclopedias, indexes, CD-ROM databases, handbooks, directories, etc. 3. A citation to a work is also known as a reference.

Remote Access

A term used to describe the connection of one computer to another computer located in different places.

Renewal

The process of extending the loan period of library materials.

Reserves

Materials placed on reserve for the current semester as well as a collection of heavily used titles previously on reserve. Also refers to the Reserve Desk and Reserve Reading Room located on A-floor, Firestone Library. See also Electronic Reserves.

RIS

Department of Research & Instructional Services, one of the seven departments of the Princeton University Library. The department consists of the General & Humanities Reference Division (GHRD), the Social Sciences Reference Center (SSRC), Data & Statistical Services (DSS), Microforms Service, Interlibrary Services (ILS), and Article Express.

RLIN

“Research Library Information Network;” an international “bibliographic utility” (shared cataloging database) similar to OCLC, but designed to address the more specific needs and interests of research libraries with regard to sharing cataloging and collection data, and related services, like Interlibrary Loan. The networking arm of the Research Libraries Group (RLG), RLIN was de-commissioned in 2007, the year following the merger of RLG and OCLC, with all member institution records migrated to the OCLC WorldCat data base.

RUSA

Reference and User Services Association, division of the American Library Association.

SAA

Society of American Archivists.

SERM

Serials, E-Resources and Record Management Team. Part of Technical Services.

SERS

Serials and E-Resources Section. Part of Technical Services.

SHARP

The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading & Publishing.

SLA

Special Libraries Association.

SSRC

Location designation for the Social Science Reference Center located on the A floor of Firestone Library.

Search statement/Search query

Terms or phrases with operators that we enter into the online catalog or electronic index to search. (See also keyword and controlled vocabulary).

Selector

Librarian who decides which materials the library will acquire. Selectors may be heads of special libraries or subject collections, reference librarians, or bibliographers whose primary function is selection.

Serial

Publication issued in successive parts and usually bearing numerical or chronological designations. Serials are intended to continue indefinitely. Examples are: periodicals, newspapers, yearbooks, etc.

Server

Software that allows a computer to offer a service to another computer. Other computers contact the server program by means of matching client software. It is also the computer on which the server software runs.

Shelf List

File of catalog cards filed in call number order, that is, in the same order the books are found on the shelf. At Princeton, there were both Richardson and Library of Congress shelf lists, each of which was arranged by location and then by call number. The main shelf list in Firestone Library was closed in 1995 and removed shortly thereafter, after a retrospective conversion project to enter the holdings it represented into the Online Catalog.

Small books

Books which are significantly smaller in height or width than average (usually less than 16 cm.), and therefore are usually not accommodated on regular shelves. The books may be shelved in specially designated areas or in one of the annexes. Small books are identified by an "s" at the end of the call number.

Special Collections

Collections constituting materials of artifactual and particular research value. They are organized and housed by format, such as Rare Books, Manuscripts, University Archives, Visual Materials, Numismatics, and Papyrology. All are part of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.

Special Libraries

Separate libraries which deal with departmental studies, such as architecture, art, biology, or engineering. At PUL these are often called "outside libraries," i.e., outside of Firestone; or branch libraries. Most of these libraries are part of the Department of Special Libraries.

SPLIBS

see Special Libraries

Stacks

Shelves on which books are arranged for use in call number order. The terms "in the stacks" or "in Firestone" usually refer to the general collection, rather than to specialized areas.

Studyroom

Study Rooms contain (depending on selector needs) quiet study areas, non-circulating bound volumes/materials, computers, chalkboards, and unbound periodicals in a specialized area of study (Greek, Russian, Religion, etc). Most are locked at all times. Keys are held by secretaries and security.

Subject Heading

A term or phrase used in indexes and library catalogs to group together materials on the same topic. Also called controlled vocabulary, descriptors, or thesaurus

Subject Collections

Collections dealing with special subjects and housed in a defined physical area as distinguished from open stacks. Examples are the collections forming the Social Science Reference Center, and the Miriam Y. Holden Collection on the History of Women. Each of these is in the charge of a librarian who is responsible for book selection and reference assistance.

Supplementary Catalog (Also called the Electronic Card Catalog)

Image database of the Catalog approximately six million cards contained in the Firestone Library Card Catalog, arranged in a single alphabetic sequence from A to Z. It includes materials not only in the Firestone stacks but also in the special libraries and collections inside and outside Firestone Library. The Supplementary Catalog is available on the Library’s web site. You can search it by author, title, or subject. Like the Card Catalog, it is no longer kept up to date.

Time Collection

Web interface for bi-weekly, casual and student employees to record their work time. Department Payroll Representative approval of time is required at the end of each pay period.

TSD

Technical Services Department, one of the seven departments of the Princeton University Library. Comprised of the Cataloging and Metadata Services, Circulation Services, and Order Divisions.

TSSC

Technical Services Steering Committee - the Heads and Assistant Heads of the Divisions within the Technical Services Department.

Voyager

Princeton’s integrated library system, containing a public catalog component (the Online Catalog), and various staff components (Cataloging, Acquisitions, Circulation, etc.). It is a product of Ex Libris.

WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get, originally based on an online print/display technology breakthrough (pronounced "wizi-wig").

Staff Development Office
Princeton University Library
Last updated 11/2009