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- 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

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

Re-shelving Area- one of many areas where books are placed in preparation to be shelved

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

Section- the library is divided into many parts per floor, assigned to students to maintain. The section will include a certain group of call letters that is manageable for one person.

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