Library Terms

Here are the most common library terms you will be hearing  when you visit the library

• Bibliography - A list of books, magazine articles, and other materials, usually on a particular topic or by a particular author
• Call Number - The combination of letters and numbers used to label each book and give it a unique "address" on a library shelf. Books are arranged on the shelf by call numbers, so that books on the same subject are shelved together.
• Citation - The complete information needed to find a particular item. For books, it includes the author's name, title, publisher, and date of publication. For periodical articles, it includes the author and title of the article, plus the name of the magazine or journal, the volume, date, and page numbers of the issue in which the article appears
• Database - A collection of articles, or records, stored in electronic form that can be searched by users with Internet access  
•  Hold - When a book you need is checked out to someone else, you can place a "hold" on the book for yourself to guarantee that when the book is returned you will be the next person who can check it out.
• Interlibrary Loan (I.L.L.) - Interlibrary lending and borrowing services that give you access to materials that are not owned by the library. At Seminole State, the service is free for students, faculty, and staff
• Journal - A periodical which contains scholarly articles, such as reports of original research, published by a professional group or non-commercial publisher. Many journals contain many of the same features as "magazines" (see below), such as book reviews and letters to the editor, but they do not contain advertising for consumer products.
• Keyword - An important, memorable, or unique word or term in the title, abstract, or text of an item that indicates its subject.
• Library of Congress Classification - A classification system, developed by the Library of Congress, which uses a combination of letters and numbers to designate the various classes of subjects. Most college and university libraries use this system of arrangement
• Magazine - A periodical for general reading, quick information, or entertainment, frequently containing advertising for consumer products. Compare with "Journal" (above).
• Reserves - Books, articles, or other materials that an instructor has assigned for a class to read and therefore placed on reserve in the Library. Reserve materials are available on request for a limited loan period (2 hours, 1 day, etc.).