Library Lingo

Abstracts- books containing statements summarizing the important points of related texts

Acquisitions- this is the process by which the library receives materials; materials can be ordered, donated, or exchanged

ALA- American Library Association

ALEPH- computer system used in the library for processing books

Archives- library collections containing records, documents, or other materials of historical interest. Marston does not have an archives section.

Ask A Librarian- an online chat service where you can chat with a librarian

Bindery- the department where loose issues are sent to be bound into volumes

Blocking- the task of lining the spines of the books up with the edge of the shelf

Call Number- a set of numbers and letters that are assigned to each item to distinguish them from one another and group them by subject

Carrels- these are individual study areas of which there are three types

Graduate Student Carrels- these are assigned each year to graduate students and have a locking storage compartment in the top

Standard Carrels- these are tables with partitions to create individual study areas that are not assigned to specific patrons

Wet Carrels- these pinwheel shaped carrels have electrical outlets in each one

Carts (and/or trucks)- wheeled shelving units that are used to hold and transport books

Column- one vertical unit of shelving generally usually consisting of seven shelves

Compact Shelving- electric rows of shelving that run on tracks and open by pressing the button closest to the isle that needs to be opened; these are used on the 1st and 2nd floors of the library in order to conserve space

Database- a collection of data arranged in an electronic form for ease and speed of search and retrieval

Desensitize- the action of scanning the books so that they will not activate the security system upon being taken out of the library

Document Delivery or Distance Learning- this service provides library material to students and faculty located off of campus.

Donations- books that are given to the library as gifts

Face- a unit of shelving consisting of half a range (one row) composed of 5-15 columns.

Federal Documents- a publication that has been published by the federal printing office or a United States government agency

Hold- when a patron requests a book to be held at circulation until they are able to come in and check out the book

Index- an item that references journal articles; it is used to locate journal articles on a particular subject, by a particular author, or to find the complete citation if all that is known is the author, title, date, or some combination of those items

Information Desk- the desk located in the center of the second floor where patrons can have questions answered directly by library staff and faculty. The reference services have been temporarily relocated to the low desk at circulation.

ILL (Inter-Library Loan)- the process of a student or faculty member borrowing material not held in the UF Libraries from another library

Journals- these are items in a series that are received more than once a year and catalogued under one title; they are bound into volumes once a certain number of loose issues are received

Leveling- The task of bringing books back to their appropriate floors

LC- Library of Congress- LC is the system of organization used by the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. to classify materials by subject area. These call numbers start with letters

Loose Issues- unbound, single issues of a journal

Map Library- the library of maps and atlases located on the 1st floor of Marston Science Library

Marston Portrait- portrait of Robert Q. Marston on the 2nd floor in the area where empty carts are stored

Microfiche- a library item format that is a card or sheet of microfilm capable of accommodating and preserving a considerable number of pages, as of printed text, in reduced form

Microfilm- a library item format that is film on which printed materials are photographed at greatly reduced size for ease of storage

Monograph- item in the form of a book or set of volumes on one topic

NERDC- Northeast Regional Data Center; provides computing, network, email, dial-up and security services; base for the Luis catalogue

OCLC- Online Computer Library Center; nonprofit computer service and research organization whose systems help libraries locate, acquire, catalog, and lend library materials

OPAC- Online Public Access Catalogue; the electronic equivalent to the card catalogue

Periodicals- magazine or journal received more than once a year

Range of Shelving- a unit consisting of two rows (faces) of shelving

Recall- when one patron has a book checked out, a second patron may request the book. A letter is sent to the first patron informing them of a changed, and more recent, due date

Reserve- library materials that are placed behind the circulaiton desk because of their popularity, check out periods range from 2 hours to one week for these items, with most being 2 hours

Reference- the section of the library where the most frequently used books are housed; they are not available to be checked out so that they can be available to all patrons all the time

Row- a unit of shelving consisting of half of a range of shelving

Search Request- when a book can not be found in the library, but is not checked out, circulation will do several searches over a period of time in order to locate the book

Selector- each topic in Marston Science Library has a selector who is a librarian that chooses what new books to order for that topic and generally manages the books and periodicals in that area

Sensitize- the action of scanning a book so that it will activate the security system if it is taken out of the library without being checked out

Serial- items that are recieved in multiple volumes and come in regularly; each serial has a single title and multiple volumes of that title

Shelf Reading- the task of reading every call number in a section to ensure that they are in order

Shifting- relocating and reorganizing books to accommodate growth of the library collection

Stacks- the rows of books that house the library's collection

State Documents- in the Science Library these are agricultural documents from State Experiment Stations, Cooperative Extension Services and some State Departments of Agriculture

Storage- off-site housing for infrequently used library materials

Sweeping- the task of locating books used by patrons and returning them to their proper reshelving areas

Weeding- the act of removing out-of-date materials from the shelves