Call Number
The unique combination of letters and numbers on the spine of each book in a library to group materials by similar subjects and enable the material to be found on the shelves.
Cataloging
The department in the library responsible for entering all the information necessary about library materials in the online catalog.
Checked out
A term indicating that a particular item is out of the library on loan to a patron.
Circulation Desk
The counter where patrons check out and return library materials. Renewals, recalls, holds, reserves, current periodicals and interlibrary loan requests are also handled here.
Citation
A reference or footnote to a book, article, or other material that contains all the information necessary to identify and locate the work. A book citation includes author, title, publisher and year of publication; a journal citation includes author, article title and periodical title, date, volume and page numbers of the particular article. This is the information you will need to write your bibliography.
CLICS
The CUNY Libraries Inter-Campus Service allows books in the CUNY+ online catalog that are not owned by City College to be borrowed by City College library users.
Closed Stacks
A location in the online catalog for materials that circulate, but are not kept in the open shelves on the various floors. Request the materials at the Cohen Circulation Desk by call number.
Controlled Vocabulary
Assigned standardized terms used in searching a specific database or catalog. These terms will differ for each database. Sometimes called "subjects" or "descriptors." Many databases have thesauruses that identify unique subject headings.
Copyright
Legal privilege granted to an author, composer, etc. for exclusive rights of publication and distribution of a work. Libraries have a special interest in fair use of copyrighted material. For the full law, visit
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/.
CUNY+
The name given to the City University of New York's online library catalog.
Database
An organized collection of information, data, or citations stored in electronic format that can be searched for specific information or records by techniques specific to each database. Visit our
Databases A to Z page for a complete list of City College's Databases.
Default operator
The specific relations between words (and, or, phrase) that is assumed by a database if none is specified. This can have a major impact on how the words you enter are searched.
Descriptor
Another word for subject heading used in many electronic journal databases.
Dissertation
A text written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a doctoral degree at a university.
Document Delivery
A service that provides materials the Library does not own from other libraries. A service of Interlibrary loan.
Documents
See Government Documents.
E
E-Books
Electronic books that you may access through the online catalog.
Encyclopedia
A book or set of books of information articles usually arranged in alphabetical order.
E-Reserves
A library service that manages the circulation of certain required course materials selected by instructors and made available for short-term loans.
Essay
A short literary composition on a single subject expressing a personal view.
F
Folio
Refers to oversized books and materials.
Format
The physical form of information as opposed to the content. Examples of formats include books, journals, newspapers, e-bookd, and microforms.
Full-Text Database
A database where the entire text of an article can be viewed, printed or downloaded directly from the computer workstation.
G
Government Documents
Materials published by local, state, federal, foreign or international governments including books, serials, statistics, reports, bills, pamphlets, maps, microforms, CD-ROMs or web pages.
H
Hits
Results retrieved from a search in an electronic database.
Hold
A service provided by the Library where a patron can reserve an item that is checked out to another patron. When the item is returned, the patron receives an email to pick up the item at the Circulation Desk.
I
Index
A printed or electronic publication that lists citations to journal articles or books.
In-Process
A term that appears in the library catalog to indicate an item has been received at the library but is not yet catalogued. Ask at the Reference Desk for information about obtaining the item.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
A service that allows current students, faculty and staff to request books and articles from other libraries if the material is not available at the City College Libraries. Forms for requesting materials are available
online .
Internet
A group of interconnected worldwide computers using an agreed on set of standards and protocols to request information from and send information to each other.
In Transit
A term that appears in the library catalog that indicates an item is en route between two libraries.
J
Journal
A publication containing scholarly articles written by experts on current research in a particular field. Articles are usually accompanied by an abstract and bibliography.
K
Keyword Search
A search method that allows the search for the occurrence of a word anywhere in a record. (Compare to Subject Search.)
L
Librarian
A professional especially educated and trained to assist you in finding and using information.
Library of Congress Call Number
The unique combination of letters and numbers on the spine of each book in a library to group materials by similar subjects and enable the material to be found on the shelves. The Library of Congress Classification is one such scheme, and is used for the majority of the materials in the City College Libraries.
M
Magazine
A periodical published primarily for the general public rather than for scholars.
METRO Card
A referral card that allows access to libraries for researchers. The usage is very restricted, please check the
METRO website for the terms of usage.
Microform
Printed material that has been photographed and reduced to a film format to help preserve the material and decrease the space needed for storage. Special equipment is needed to read stored information. Typical formats include microfilm and microfiche.
Monograph
Library term for a book on a single topic.
O
Off-Campus Access
See Remote Access.
Online Catalog
A searchable, computerized database of materials owned by a library and displaying the call number and location of the material.
P
Peer-Reviewed Journal
A journal where articles are reviewed and selected by professional colleagues for publication.
Periodical
A publication with a unique title that is issued at an established interval (weekly, monthly, quarterly). Examples include journals and magazines.
Plagiarism
Using another person's work as your own and without attributing to the original author.
>>Plagiarism Video
Proxy Account
An account that verifies your affiliation with CCNY, for the purpose of remote access of our databases and E-books.
R
Recall
A request for the return of checked out library material before the due date. This is done at the Circulation Desk.
Record
See Bibliographic Record.
Refereed Journal
See Peer-Reviewed Journal.
Reference Desk
Service area or information desk in the library where patrons can get help from library staff in using the library, locating library materials, searching library databases and answering general questions.
Reference Stacks
The area where non-circulating, frequently used materials are kept. These include indexes, encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and other reference materials.
Remote Access
The ability to log on to and access resources on a computer network from a distant location.
Renewal
Extending the loan period or due date of materials. Ask at the Circulation Desk.
Reserves
A library service that manages the circulation of certain required course materials selected by instructors and made available for short-term loans.
S
Scholarly Journal
See Peer-Reviewed Journal.
Serial
Library term for publications issued at regular intervals. This can be a periodical, journal, magazine, newspaper, annual report or a conference proceeding.
Special Collections
Located on the 5th Floor of Cohen Library, a limited access collection of original materials mainly dealing with CCNY history and alumni.
Stacks
The term used to describe the shelving where the book collection is stored.
Subject Heading
A standard search term assigned to an item record to identify its primary content. Finding and using the appropriate subject terms are important parts of an effective search.
Subject Search
A search technique which requires using the database's own exact, pre-determined vocabulary. See also Subject Headings. (Compare to Keyword.)
T
Thesaurus
A list of subject headings or descriptors assigned in a particular database, index, or online catalog that can be used to search that database.
Thesis
A text written in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree at a university.
Truncation
In a keyword search, a word root followed by a truncation symbol to retrieve variant endings.
Example in the library catalog: chican? -- (to find chicano or chicana or chicanos or chicanas)
U
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. The unique address of every item on the Internet and used to locate and retrieve a particular page.
Example:
http://www1.city.cuny.edu/library.
W
Workstation
The location of a public use computer.
World Wide Web (WWW)
An information system using the Internet to access information stored on computers worldwide.
