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Abstr.
Abstract, abstracted

Abstract
Brief summary of an article, book or other written publication.

Access and Branch Services
The Libraries department that manages the Branch Libraries and various services like circulation, interlibrary loan, course reserves, e-reserves and reshelving.

Acquisitions
Materials which are bought for the Libraries or the unit that buys them.

Active Directory
The UNL Active Directory is a central repository for authenticating users and providing access to network resources. More information about it here

Annotation
A brief description, evaluation or explanation of an article, book, database or other publication.

Annotated bibliography
A list of books, articles and/or other publications on a subject with brief summaries or evaluations of their content.

anon.
Anonymous, author unknown.

Anthology
A collection of short works, such as poems, short stories or essays, by more than one author. Example: The American cartoon album: an anthology of cartoon humor

ARCH
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Architecture Library, located in Architecture Hall, Room 308. See map.

Archives
Public records/historical documents or the place where such records and documents are kept. At the UNL Libraries, the University archives are in University Archives and Special Collections.

Authorized User Service
The service is designed to allow UNL faculty members to designate others, such as research assistants, to check out library materials on the faculty member's record. For more details and the necessary form, go to the Authorized Users page.

Bar code
A small label with closely spaced stripes that can be read by a computer. Used to expedite the checking in and out of library materials.

Bibliographic citation
Same as Citation

Bibliography
A list of books, articles and/ or other sources on a particular subject. Bibliographies may be found at the end of books or articles, or may be separate publications.

Bindery
Where books that need repair and periodicals to be bound are sent. Materials at the bindery are out of the Libraries and are not available to users. In the status box of a catalog, the words (TO BIND) appear when that volume or issue is at the bindery.

Biography
An account of a person's life, actions and impact. To find one in the catalog, enter the person's name as a subject search.

Boolean operators ("BOO-lee-un")
The terms AND, OR and NOT, sometimes called Logical Operators, used to define the relationships among the terms used when searching a database.
AND narrows a search. Both search terms have to be found somewhere in the record
OR broadens a search. Only one of the search terms needs to appear in the record, not both.
NOT narrows a search. A record is retrieved only when the first term is present and the second is not.

Book Truck
A four-wheeled cart used to hold books that await re-shelving. Please leave items on these carts instead of re-shelving them yourself.

Bound periodicals
Several issues of a periodical which are put together with a hard cover like a hard-back book.

Browser
A software program used to view and interact with Web pages. Internet Explorer and Firefox are the most commonly used.

c.
Circa, about -- used with dates

ca
Circa, about -- used with dates

Call number
A unique combination of letters and numbers given to each item which is used to group materials by subject on the shelves. The Library of Congress System ("LC call number") and Superintendent of Documents Call Numbers are the predominant ones used at UNL, but some materials use Dewey Decimal call numbers or other systems. Use the Love Call Number Locator to find the call number shelving areas in Love Library by clicking on the word "Love" in the location box of the catalog record or to the CYT Building Maps for shelving locations in the CY Thompson Library by clicking on "CYT" in the location box.

Call number locators
Online guides, one for Love Library and one for C. Y. Thompson Library, with diagrams and floor plans, to help you find where a particular call number or collection. There is also a Directory of Location Codes in the UNL Libraries Catalog that includes all the location codes used with call numbers is located.

Catalog
A database, in electronic or card format, for finding out what books, journal subscriptions, sound recordings and other materials are owned by the Libraries. It supplies library location, the call number and whether or not the item is checked out. It does not contain information about journal articles. To find journal articles, use an index. To access catalog click here.

cc
Carbon copy

CD-ROM
Compact Disk-Read Only Memory. Storage medium for printed information such as periodical indexes and census data, accessed by computer.

CDRH
Center for Digital Research in the Humanities. A joint initiative of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries and the UNL College of Arts and Sciences, it's goal is to advance collaborative, interdisciplinary research by creating unique digital content, developing text analysis and visualization tools, and encouraging the use and refinement of international standards. Their projects can be seen at http://cdrh.unl.edu/

CEDAR POINT
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Cedar Point Biological Station, located in Ogallala, Nebraska.

cf.
Confer, to compare one source with another

Chap.
Chapter

Check out
The process of borrowing materials to use outside the Libraries. This is done at the Circulation Desk. Anyone may browse the collections, but a university ID card (NCARD) is needed to check out materials. Nebraska residents not affiliated with UNL can obtain library cards. Go to Circulation Policies for Visitors for details.

CHRISTLB
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Christlieb Collection, part of the Great Plains Art Collection, located at 1155 Q Street, Hewit Place, across from the Lied Center.

Circulation
Lending library materials for use outside the building. Also the library unit that checks out and reshelves materials, maintains reserve materials and more. For their policies and services go to the Circulation home page

Circulation Desk
Usually called the "Circ Desk," it is the area where you check out library materials. In Love Library it is located on the right as you are leaving the building.

Citation
The information which identifies a book or article. The citation for a book usually includes the author, title, place of publication, publisher and date. The citation for an article includes the author, title of the article, title of the periodical, volume, page(s) and date. Refer to a style manual for more detailed information on citations and how to format them.

Claimed
When an issue of a periodical is not received as expected, a notification (claim) is sent to the publisher. In the catalog, it means that that issue is not available locally, but requests for needed articles in it may be made to Interlibrary Loan.

CLAY CENTER
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the South Central Research & Extension Center, located in Clay Center, Nebraska.

comp.
Compiler - one who puts together materials gathered from several sources into a single book, such as an anthology of short stories.

Computer Operations and Research Services (CORS)
The department that maintains the hardware and software for the Libraries and provides staff training.

Copicards
Pre-paid plastic cards for use in all copy machines and reader-printers throughout the University Libraries. More information about them can be found on the Circulation Policies pages.

CONTENTdm
A huge collection of pictures, each cataloged, accessed using CONTENTdm software. Access it at http://www.unl.edu/libr/diginit/contentdm.shtml

Course reserves
See Reserves.

Cross Reference
Used in catalogs, indexes and thesauri, it notes which words are used in that publication in place of the one you were looking up Can also supply broader or related terms.

Current periodicals
The most recent issues of a journal or magazine, often published during the last year, which have not been bound.

Current periodicals room or area
Each of the University Libraries has a current periodicals area. Here is where they are located In Love Library .

After they are bound, periodicals are shelved by call number in the stacks like books. To determine whether a particular issue has been bound, use the information in the "LIB HAS:" and "Latest Received" lines in the catalog record. Go to illustration of how to use

Curriculum Collection
Generally called the CURR collection, it consists primarily of books for children and teenagers. Its location here.

CYT
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the C.Y. Thompson Library, located on East Campus. See map.

Database
Generally, data or information that is entered into a computer program and organized by fields. The catalog is a database with separately-searchable fields for authors, titles, subject headings, etc. The Libraries subscribe to many databases that index journal articles and even provide full text articles. They are available on the Electronic Resources homepage.

Database searching
Using a computer system to find subject-specific journal articles or other information.

Depository
A library which receives the publications of a government. The UNL University Libraries is a depository for publications of the U.S. Government. The Libraries' collections also include Nebraska, United Nations and Organization of American States (OAS) resources and the Government Documents Cybrary.

Dewey Decimal Call Numbers
A system of classifying books and other materials by subject using a numerical system so that like materials are shelved next to each other. The University Libraries used this system until the 1960s when it switched Library of Congress Call Numbers. Some University Libraries materials still have Dewey numbers and most government documents are classified by SuDocs numbers. To find where any of these call numbers are shelved in Love Library, consult the Love Library Call Number Locator. To find out what subject a call number stands for, go to Dewey Decimal Classification System.

Digital Commons
A repository that is a collaborative service of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln libraries. Faculty, researchers, and students associated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are invited to deposit digital materials for long-term preservation and world-wide electronic accessibility. Access it at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/

Digital Initiatives and Special Collections (DISC)
The Libraries department that includes the Electronic Text Center, Archives/Special Collections, Binding and Preservation.

Digital Curriculum Development Program
This program is being developed to help UNL faculty create, organize and provide access to electronic curriculum materials for both on-campus and distance education students. For more details, go to the University Libraries' Digital Curriculum Development Program page.

Digital Media Program
The Digital Media Program consists of librarians, staff and equipment necessary for students to view, create, and locate non-print/non-text resources, including audio, video, and images. For more information, go to http://www.unl.edu/libr/digitalmedia/

Distance Education Services
Assistance and materials the Libraries provide for students taking courses or earning degrees from off campus via UNL's Extended Education and Outreach program. For details about these services, go to the Services for Distance Education Students page.

Due Date or Date Due
The date by which borrowed materials must be returned to the library or renewed. Renewals can be made online using My Library.

E-Resources
An online collection of journal article indexes, full-text journal articles and databases subscribed to by the Libraries for UNL students, faculty and staff. Each resource can be chosen by title or you can browse the subject categories for suitable choices. To use them, go to http://www.unl.edu/libr/resources/

E-Text
A Libraries department which collaborates with faculty, staff, and students on digitizing collections housed at UNL. Associated with the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities (which focuses on interdisciplinary research in the humanities), E-Text also works with social scientists and scientists on digital research projects. For more information about their services and projects go to http://www.unl.edu/libr/etext/

ed.
Edition

(ed.)
Editor, edited by -- used after a name in a citation.

Ed.
Editor

e.g.
exemplii gratia, for example

Electronic book
A book that is published in computer-readable form and is usually available via the Internet. Often there are print and electronic versions of a book, but there are also some electronic-only titles. There are two main sources of electronic books available through the University Libraries. You can search the catalog using the "electronic materials:" option, choosing "electronic books" from the pulldown menu and then limit the results by author, title, subject, etc. Illustration of limit button. Or you can search the BigChalk Electronic Library provided by the Nebraska Library Commission and made possible by funding from the State of Nebraska. In addition, there are collections of books and documents that have been digitized, usually literature and historical documents, in the E-Text Collections section of the Internet Resources Collection.

Electronic Journal Finder
A database that shows which electronic journals the University Libraries has purchased access to for the UNL community and provides links to them. Some are the electronic versions of print journals, but many are available only as component parts of other subscription databases and do not appear in the catalog. This is a new system still being debugged. UNL users can click here to access

ELEC RESERVE
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for Electronic Reserves, which are digitized journal articles, book chapters, old tests and other materials that instructors make available for their students to read online for their classes. There is a link to the Electronic Reserves page on the right side of the Libraries' home page. To access the materials from off-campus, you need to use the proxy server.

Electronic journals
Serial publications available online. The UNL Libraries collections include three kinds:
(1) those that the Libraries subscribes to directly, which can be found using the Libraries catalog on the homepage
(2) those that the Libraries obtains rights for UNL affiliates to access as part of subscriptions to indexes and databases. These can be found either by using one of these Journal Article Indexes or by using the Electronic Journal Finder.
(3) free publications, sometimes published by scholarly societies, that can be found using the catalog or in the Internet Resources Collection, primarily in the E-Text Collection section.

Electronic reserves
Digitized journal articles, book chapters, old tests and other materials that instructors make available for their students to read online for their classes. There is a link to the Electronic Reserves page on the right side of the Libraries' home page. To access the materials from off-campus, you need to use the proxy server.

ENGR
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Engineering Library, located on the 2nd Floor West of Nebraska Hall. See map.

Entry
A citation or record in an index or catalog.

et al.
Et alia, and others -- used to shorten a citation when there are more than 2 or 3 authors or editors.

f.
Following page

ff.
Following pages

FAQs
FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions. This is a commonly used page on web sites.

Folio
A term added to a call number to indicate a book too tall for the regular shelves which is shelved in a special location for larger books. Watch for it in the location area of the catalog record and use the second line in the Call number Locator

Friends of the Libraries
An organization of people who work to increase statewide awareness of the Libraries' importance, encourage private gifts and endowments to the Libraries and emphasize the need for adequate state funding. For more information about the Friends of the Libraries and their activities or to request a membership application, please contact Joan M. Barnes. Telephone: (402) 472-6987; e-mail: jbarnes3@unl.edu

Full text
The text and sometimes including the illustrations of a publication in electronic form. The term is used on the Journal Article Indexes and Databases by Subject pages to indicate which ones include the text, usually in html or pdf format, as well as the citations

.

GEOL
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Geology Library, located in room 10, Bessey Hall. See map.

GPO
Government Printing Office.

Handbook
A reference book which collects information from various sources and presents it in a simple, useful format.

Hbk
Hardback -- a book with stiff cover, as opposed to a paperback.

Holdings
The book volumes, magazine issues and other units of research materials owned by the Libraries.

ibid.
Ibidem, in the same place. Usually found in footnotes or a list of references, it means that it refers to same book or journal cited in the previous reference.

id.
idem, the same author

i.e.
Id est, that is

ill.
Illustrations -- used in catalog records.

ILLiad
A UNL Libraries' service that borrows materials the Libraries do not own from libraries that do for you. It also delivers UNL library materials from one library/branch to another on campus. For details, including how to place and receive requests online, see the Interlibrary Loan FAQ

Index
(1) In a book, an alphabetical list of the topics or names, giving the numbers of the pages on which they appear; (2) A research tool that organizes subjects, names, titles, etc. to help you to locate information. A periodical index makes citations to articles accessible by subject, keywords, author and/or other information. The University Libraries has subscribed to a large number of online periodical indexes and databases for the UNL community. They are available for use by current students, faculty and staff via the Electronic Resources page.

Information literacy
The ability to locate, evaluate and use information, including ways in which it is organized. The Library 110 helps students acquire the basic skills for becoming information literate.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
A way to borrow books and other materials that the UNL University Libraries do not own from libraries that do. Also the Libraries' department that provides this service as well as delivering UNL library materials from one library to another on campus. For details, including how to place and receive requests online, see the Interlibrary Loan FAQ

Internet
A global network connecting millions of computers. This includes but is not limited to the World Wide Web. It can be used for e-mail, ftp and other functions.

Invisible Web
Internet databases and other resources that search engines can not index. Some links to directories of Invisible Web resources are found on the Search Engine Page in the Specialty Search Engines section.

IRIS
Innovative Research Information System. The UNL University Libraries web site, including the online catalog, licensed databases and journal article indexes, Special Collections finding aids, electronic request forms for online services and information about the Libraries' collections, facilities, services, policies and staff.

ISBN
International Standard Book Number. A unique 10 digit code assigned to the specific edition of a book before it is published. It is most commonly used when requestly a book through Interlibrary Loan.

ISSN
International Standard Serial Number. A unique 8 digit code assigned to a specific serial title. It is most commonly used when requestly a journal article through Interlibrary Loan.

Journals
A publication which has scholarly information, usually written by professors, researchers, or experts in a subject area and not intended for the general public. See magazines.

KAWASAKI
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Kawasaki Reading Room for Japanese Studies, located in 1126 Oldfather Hall. .

Keyword searching
A type of search that looks for words in multiple fields of a record, such as titles, contents notes, abstracts and subject headings.

LAW
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Schmid Law Library, located at 152 McCCollum Hall on East Campus.

LDRF Library Depository Retrieval Facility. A building where older & less used materials are stored. They can be requested through ILLiad, the interlibrary loan system.

Liaison Librarians
Library Faculty who serve as the Libraries' primary contacts with specific academic departments and administrative units on campus. For more information, go to the Liaison Services page.

Library of Congress call numbers
The combination of letters and numbers assigned to identify a work's subject content using the system devised for the Library of Congress. This groups works on the same subject together on the shelves. LC call numbers are used for most of the non-government documents materials in the University Libraries' collections. To find out where materials are located by call number in Love Library, use the Call Number Locator.

Library of Congress Subject Headings
A word or phrase which describes the overall subject content of a book or other work using the wording devised by the Library of Congress. Commonly called "LCSH." The Subject Search option in the UNL University Libraries' catalog uses LCSH, including cross-references from similar terms. The Keyword Search option searches the words in the subject headings in the catalog record, along with other elements, but does not use the cross-references. NOTE: subject headings are not assigned to UNL theses and dissertations unless the subject matter deals with Nebraska.

Link
The Link is the second-floor area between Love North and Love South. It houses the Reference Desk, Reference Collection, IRIS research computers, Integrated Computer Area and office space for the Reference staff.

loc. cit.
loco citato, in the passage already quoted

Logical operators
See Boolean operators

LOVE
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for Love Library, the main library located at 13th & R Streets on City Campus. See map.

Magazine
A periodical intended for the general public rather than for scholars, containing articles on various subjects by different authors, who are not necessarily experts on the subject they have written about.

Manuscript
A handwritten or typed composition, rather than printed.

MATH
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Mathematics Library, located in Oldfather Hall, Room 907. See map.

Microfiche ("MY-crow-fish")
Generally a 4x6 sheet of film on which a printed book, journal, or other publication has been reduced in size.

Microfilms
A roll of film on which a book, journal, newspaper, or other publication has been reduced in size.

Microforms
A broad term for materials reduced in size, including microfiche, microfilm and microcards.

Monograph
A book.

ms., mss.
Abbreviation for manuscript, manuscripts

Multi-Search
A search screen that lets you search several resources at once by checking the ones you are interested in and entering your search term(s) once. There is a public version with only free resources and a UNL only version that includes resources the library subscribes to for UNL students, faculty and staff.

MUSIC
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Music Library, located in the Westbrook Music Building, Room 30 on City Campus. See map.

n.d.
No date - used in catalog records when the date of publication is not known,

NE ST HIST SOC
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Nebraska State Historical Society Library, located at 15th & R Streets.

Non-circulating
Materials which can not be checked out of the Libraries, such unbound periodicals, those in Reference and Special Collections/University Archives and anything designated as "Library Use Only" in the catalog.

no.
Number - often used for the issue number of a periodical in a journal article citation.

NORFOLK
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Northeast Research and Extension Center, located in Norfolk, Nebraska.

NORTH PLATTE
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the West Central Research & Extension Center, located in North Platte, Nebraska .

On Order
An item that has been ordered but not yet been received.

Oversize
A book that is too large to be shelved in normal call number sequence on the shelves of the library and must be shelved in a special location for larger books. Watch for the word "Folio" or "Oversize" in the location area of the catalog record and use the second line in the Call number Locator

p.
Page

pbk.
Paperback - a book with a soft cover, as opposed to a hardback.

Peer reviewed
Material that has been read by experts in the field to evaluate it's validity before publication.

Periodicals
The generic term for publications which are published on a regular basis, such as journals, magazines and newspapers.

Proxy server
A computer that verifies that an off-campus user seeking to access a restricted resource in IRIS is a current UNL student, faculty or staff member. Directions for using the proxy server

Pt.
Part.

Quarterly
A publication that is issued 4 times a year.

Recall
If a book or other material you want is checked out, you can request that the Libraries ask for it to be returned. Check here for details

Refereed
Same as peer-reviewed.

Reference
A service provided by the Libraries to help people find the information they want. It can also be another term for a citation, particularly those in the bibliography at the end of a research paper.

Reference book
A book designed by the arrangement and treatment of its subject matter to be consulted for specific information or facts, rather than to be read consecutively. Reference books cannot be checked out of the library, but you are welcome to use them while in the building. Sometime older editions of reference books are available in the stacks.

Reference librarian
A library faculty member who will help you locate information, guide you in the research process and show you how to use the different library reference tools. To determine the reference librarian who handles your specific subject area, consult the Liaison Librarians/Subject Specialists by Subject page.

Remote access
This refers to the availability of many of the University Libraries's electronic resources via the Internet. To access databases that are restricted to use by UNL students, faculty and staff, it is necessary to use the Libraries' proxy server.

Renew
You can extend the amount of time you have an item on loan. To avoid fines, material must be renewed on or before the due date. Renewals can be done electronically, using My Library

Research and Instructional Services (RIS)
The Libraries department in charge of reference, bibliographic instruction, liaison services and materials selection.

Reserves/Reserve Materials
Materials that instructors have arranged with the Circulation staff to make available for the students in a class to read. These may be in print form, which may be borrowed from the Circulation Desk for a short period, or may be available online via Electronic Reserves. To access the latter from off-campus, you need to use the proxy server.

rev. ed.
Revised edition

SCOTTSBLUFF
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Panhandle Research and Extension Center , located in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

SDN
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the Specialized Databases Network, also called "Journal Article Indexes & Databases."

Search
If a book is not on the shelves and it is not checked out, you may place a request at the Circulation Desk for one of the library staff to try and find the book and hold it for you.

Search engines
Internet search engines are sites that maintain an index of other web sites obtained by "robots" or "spiders" (computer programs) that search the Internet. Some robots only index the main page of an web site while others index every page of every site they encounter. Even the largest search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, only cover a small percentage of web content and there are other search engines with special features or specialized content, so it is worthwhile to check out several of them. A good starting place for doing this is the Libraries Internet Search Engines page.

Serial
A publication which is intended to continue indefinitely. This includes periodicals such as magazines, journals, newspapers and books such as almanacs and yearbooks which come out every year.

Series
- A group of books, each with its own title but related to one another by the fact that each item bears a collective title applying to the group as a whole. The individual volumes may or may not be numbered.

Sets
A multi-volume work. It is a sequence of books that is expected to end with a finite number of volumes. In contrast, a series is a sequence that can theoretically go on indefinitely, but whose individual volumes have their own titles.

[sic]
Thus, so written - used in catalog records to indicate there was an error on the title page, which is transcribed exactly. If the error could make retrieving the title difficult, a corrected title is also attached to the record for search purposes.

Sorting Areas
Areas where books that have been returned are put into call number order before being reshelved. At Love Library, the sorting area is on level one.

s.l.
Sine loco, no place - used in catalog records to indicate that the place of publication is unknown.

s.n.
Sine nomine, no name - used in catalog records to indcate that the name of the publisher is unknown.

SPEC
The location code used in UNL Libraries catalog records for the University Archives & Special Collections, located in the basement of Love Library South. See map.

Stacks
The term "stacks" generally refers to the areas in the library where the books are shelved. It can also mean the bookshelves on which library materials are arranged.

Subject heading
The specific word or phrase used to find a book or article on a specific topic in a catalog or periodical index.

Storage
Some older and less used materials are kept at storage facilities outside of the libraries, but can be retrieved on request via the Circulation Desk.

Style manual
A guide to how to prepare of formal papers and reports, such as term papers, theses or journal articles. These are available in printed books via the catalog (subject heading: authorship - style manuals) or online via the Web.

SuDocs Number
Same as Superintendent of Documents Number below.

Superintendent of Documents Number
A call number assigned using the SuDocs (Superintendent of Documents) Classification System, which arranges federal government publications in an alpha/numerical order according to issuing government department (such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, etc.) For more details go to An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System

Suppl.
Supplement -- additional material issued in a separate volume that complements a previously published work.

Technical Services
The department that catalogs new materials, labels new books, maintains the online catalog and provides cross-references.

Thesaurus
A work that lists terms, giving synonyms and/or antonyms for each. In database searching, it provides a standardized, controlled vocabulary for searching and organizing the database.

To Bind
Term used in the status box of a catalog record to indicate that that volume or issue has been sent to the bindery to be bound or repaired.

URL
Uniform (or Universal) Resource Locator. A Web address. For example, the URL for this page is: http://www.unl.edu/libr/rpg/glossary.shtml

Via Internet
Location code used for electronic publications available through the Libraries to UNL affiliates. Click on the URL in the catalog record to view. See example of catalog record

Volume
A volume can be a series of issues of a periodical, often a year's worth. Some books are published in sets of several volumes.

World Wide Web
Also called "WWW" or just "the Web," it is a portion of the Internet that uses HTML or related kinds of mark-up languages and can include other types of files such as graphic, audio and video files.