UNDERSTANDING
THE CONCEPTS AND TERMS
USED IN SEARCHING ELECTRONIC LIBRARY CATALOGS
And Operator - The simplest and most frequently used Boolean Operator. Its purpose is to combine two terms or nested search statements to limit the return to hits in which both must appear. A method for narrowing one's search and enhancing relevance. TOP
Asterisk (*) - The truncation character (also called a Wild Card) used in many search engines and other electronic sources including AltaVista, Yahoo, Britannica CD and the DCCCD online library catalog.
TOPAutomatic Word Stemming - Built-in intelligence which allows some search tools to find plurals and singulars regardless of what the user types in. A word stem like auto will retrieve autos, automobile, automotive, automatic,etc. See also truncation, word variants.
TOPBibliographic Record - a description of an item in the library that includes author, title, imprint, subject headings, and a physical description. The OPAC includes a bibliographic record of each book and media item in the DCCCD. See also record.
TOPBoolean Searching - A technique for combining terms using and, or, and not and sometimes near (known as Boolean Operators). and requires all terms appear in a record. OR retrieves records with either term. and not excludes terms. near finds two terms which are close to each other but not necessarily next to each other and not in a particular order (known as proximity searching). Parentheses may be used to sequence operations and group words. (known as nesting) See also require/reject term, fuzzy and.3
TOPBoolean Operators - See boolean searching TOP
Call Number - a unique letter and number assigned to each item located in the library. The DCCCD libraries, like most colleges and universities, uses the Library of Congress classification system for arranging books according to subjects. Library of Congress uses letter to break subjects into general subject areas (e.g., BF for psychology), then numbers to denote subtopics. Books are shelved sequentially A-Z according to their call numbers. The call number may be thought of as the book’s unique "address" and may be found by using the online library catalog.
TOPCase Sensitive - Capital letters (upper case) retrieve only upper case. Most search tools are not case sensitive or only respond to initial capitals, as in proper names. It is always safe to key all lower case (no capitals), because lower case will always retrieve upper case. TOP
Controlled Vocabulary - See vocabulary control, subject heading. TOP
Cross Reference - a term used in library catalogs, thesauruses, indexes and encyclopedias to lead you from one form of spelling or subject to another (e.g., American history see U.S.--History; theatre see theater; gun control see also firearms--laws and legislation).
TOPEntry - See bibliographic record and record.
TOPField - a part of a record used for a particular category of data. For instance, the title field displays the title for each record in a database. Other fields might include: author, journal title, date. The online library catalog also includes fields for call number, imprint, description, location, and circulation status of the material. See also bibliographic record and record.
TOPImprint - a statement that identifies city of publication, name of publisher, and date of publication (e.g., New York: Scribner’s, 1997).
TOPKeyword Search - A word or phrase relevant to the information the user is seeking, entered by the user to tell the software how to identify the desired data. The database software then examines each record in the database for a match. Such matches, called hits are selected because they contain the entered word or phrase. Keyword searching can be improved by combining with other techniques: boolean searching, proximity searching, or vocabulary control. 1. Sometimes called Natural Language Searching. TOP
Library Catalog - See online library catalog and opac).
TOPLower Case - See case sensitive TOP
Main Collection - These are the books that may be checked out with a valid library card or picture ID.
TOPMcNaughton Books - a lease plan that allows the DCCCD Libraries to get current bestsellers on a temporary basis. These books are listed in the OPAC and may be checked out. Since these books are leased, they may or may not become part of the permanent collection.
TOPMedia Distribution - an OPAC term indicating that the item is located in Media Services. These films, videotapes, slides, etc., are generally used for classroom instruction.
TOPMonograph - a systematic and complete treatise on a particular subject. This is what would be considered a "regular" book, one that covers a single topic.
TOPNatural Language Searching - See keyword TOP
Nesting - The use of parentheses to join and and or word combinations into a single set. Nested sets can then be treated as if they are single words or concepts and joined with other Nested sets if desired. (cats or kittens) and (fleas or pests). See boolean searching TOP
Not Operator - eliminates a term from a search. For example insurance not automobile will eliminate books about automobile insurance. See also boolean searching, reject or require term or phrase. TOP
Online Library Catalog - a listing of library materials. The online library catalog of the DCCCD lists all books and media items in all of the DCCCD libraries. You may search by author, title, subject, keyword, and call number. You should note carefully the location and call number of each item. Material at each campus Library is identified by letters, like RL (Richland Library) or BH (Brookhaven Library), etc. (see also opac). The online catalog is available on the World Wide Web at http://library.DCCCDd.edu/screens/opacmenu.html.
TOPOPAC - Online Public Access Catalog. A synonym for online library catalog above. Most libraries today use a computerized library catalog instead of a card catalog to access library materials.
TOPOperators - words such as "and," "or," and "not" that are used to combine search terms to broaden or narrow your keyword search. See also boolean.
TOPOr Operator - expands a search to include a synonymous term or another term. For example, one might be searching for articles about youth or teens – or – about universities or colleges. See also boolean searching. TOP
Parentheses - Method for placing words together in Boolean sets so that each set can be searched as a single unit; i.e.,(meat or cattle or beef) and (economics or financing). Used as a separator when nesting search terms together. TOP
Record - a collection of related data, arranged in fields and treated as a unit. The information for each item in the online library catalog makes up a bibliographic record. The data for each article in a CD-ROM database is also a record. See also bibliographic record and field
TOPRoot Word - See truncation TOP
Serial - a publication which is issued in successive parts at regular intervals and which is intended to continue indefinitely. This term includes publications such as annuals (i.e., World Almanac), periodicals, and newspapers, as well as transactions of associations and societies.
TOPStemming - See truncation and word variants TOP
Stop Words - Conjunctions, prepositions, articles, and other brief words such as and, to, the, and a that appear often in documents, yet alone contain little meaning. TOP
Subject Headings - Controlled Vocabulary. A uniform agreed-upon word or group of words used to gather in one place all items about a single topic including all the different synonyms and similar words very closely related in meaning. In library catalogs the Library of Congress Subject Headings are used. TOP
Truncation - Also referred to as "root/suffix management" or "Stemming" or "Word Stemming", truncation allows some search engines to recognize and shorten long words such as "plants" or "boating" to their root words (or word stems) "plant" and "boat." This makes searching for such words much easier because it isn't necessary to consider every permutation of that word when trying to find it.1 In a search, the ability to enter the first part of a keyword, insert a symbol (usually *), and accept any variant spellings or word endings, from the occurrence of the symbol forward (e.g., femini* retrieves feminine, feminism, feminism, etc.).3 See also word variants, plurals and singulars.
TOPUpper Case - See case sensitive
TOPWild Card - See truncation, asterisk
TOPWord Searching - See keyword search
TOPWord Stemming - See truncation
TOPSome definitions have been either borrowed or adapted from the sources listed below: