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Library Services

A guide to library terms

Your space Your resources Your library

CityLibrary

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To assist you in using Library Services at City University we have compiled a list of library terms and phrases and their explanations. You may encounter these terms while studying or when using library resources and services.

Please ask a member of Library staff or contact your Subject Librarian if you have any questions or need further support.

A guide to library terms

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Aa – Cc

Abstract An abstract is a summary of a journal article. On the basis of an abstract, you can decide whether you’d like to read the article in full.

Acronym Words made up from initials, e.g. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Alerts Some databases allow you to create alerts by saving your search terms and criteria. These can be in the form of an email or an RSS feed, to let you know when new articles are added to the database that match your search.

APA (American Psychological Association) APA style is widely used in Psychology and other related disciplines. The full APA Style guidelines cover information on citing and referencing as well as writing style and display of scientific results.

Article / journal article Research paper published in an academic journal.

Bibliography A list of all the resources used in the research and background reading for a piece of work. This is different from a reference list.

Call No / classmark / shelfmark The Call Number (Call No.) is the Dewey Decimal number displayed in CityLibrary Search that tells you where on the shelves the book will be, e.g. 610.73 NIC. This is sometimes called a classmark or a shelfmark.

Catalogue An online database of all the physical and digital items found at all the Library sites.

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Cc

Citation / citing Citation is the practice used to acknowledge the ideas or work of others within the text of your own work. When using the Harvard system of referencing this is usually the author’s surname and the year of publication, however different referencing styles may have different requirements. Always check your course handbook to see which system you should be using.

CityLibrary Search Search system available at www.city.ac.uk/library to help you find resources available through the Library.

City Research Online Our Open Access Institutional Repository, where we collect articles and other research written by City University London academics and make it freely available online for everyone to use http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/

Computer Use Policy The terms of use to protect the University and its users from illegal and inappropriate use of library and computer facilities. Please familiarise yourself with the policy at https://intranet.city.ac.uk/students/info_compliance/info_compliance/isl_regulations/user_regulations.html

Conference proceedings The papers generated at or for a conference or professional meeting. Proceedings can include minutes, transcripts, papers, and presentations.

COPAC A combined library catalogue www.copac.ac.uk which provides free access to the online catalogues of many major university and research libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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Cc – Dd

Copies on order Books that have recently been ordered by the Library.

Copyright An intellectual property right which gives protection to the owner of the rights to an original work. This means that individuals who want to reproduce the original work of others may need to seek permission to do so. Examples of material protected by copyright: Literary, musical and artistic works (diagrams, illustrations, photos, etc.), sound recordings, films, radio and TV broadcasts.Copyright restricts the amount of photocopying, scanning and printing you can do from books, journals and other materials.

Current The latest or most recent issues of journals and magazines.

Databases A database is an online collection of items which can be searched at the same time. A database can hold many different formats: it can be a collection of images, journal articles or even words and their definitions (like an online dictionary).

Dewey Decimal Classification The system used by the Library to keep books in order and make them easy to find on the shelves. Each book has a shelfmark number (Call No.), such as 610.73 NIC.

Digital object identifier (DOI) is a unique serial code allocated to a website, file, or other piece of digital information to enable it to be found online.

Digitised chapter / extract A chapter, article or excerpt made available in full-text through Reading Lists Online.

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Dd – Gg

Dissertation A long academic essay written as a requirement for the award of an Undergraduate or Masters degree.

Due date The date by which your library books must be returned. If you return your books after the date they are due back, there will be an overdue charge. When you borrow an item, you take full responsibility for it, including returning or renewing the item on time.

E-book A book that is available to access online.

Edition A particular version of a published text, such as a paperback edition. Updates to books are given new edition numbers so your reading list may specify, for instance, the 3rd edition of a particular text book.

E-journal A journal that is available to access online.

Email reminder Automated email notice sent out by Library Services to tell you that a book is due to be returned or renewed.

Full text The full text version is an online version of the whole document. It is often a downloadable PDF of an article, as opposed to only the citation and abstract.

Grey literature Refers to information which has not been published or published in a non-commercial form. Key examples are bulletins, conference proceedings, government papers and theses.

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Gg – Ii

Group study room An area within the Library where you can work in a group. A reasonable level of noise is allowed in these areas for students to discuss work. You can book group study rooms at http://libcal.city.ac.uk/

Harvard A referencing system also known as the Author-Date system. It consists of two parts: in-text citation and referencing list. You should always consult your course handbook which may specify variations on this style.

H-index An index that attempts to measure both the productivity and citation impact of the published body of work of a researcher. It is based on the most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications. The index can also be applied to the productivity and impact of an academic journal, group department of a university or country.

Holdings relates to the date range of resources held by the Library.

Holdshelf If you request a book, it will be kept on the holdshelf behind the service desk of the Library you selected as your collection location. If the book you want to borrow is on the holdshelf, it has been reserved by another user. You will need to place a hold request via CityLibrary Search.

Impact factor A measure applied to an academic journal reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in that journal. The impact factor can help assess how influential the article, journal title or research paper is.

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Ii

In processing When new books are bought by the Library they need to be added to our catalogue. When an item is displayed in CityLibrary Search as In Processing it means that it is being prepared to be added to our collection and will soon be ready for use.

In transit This means books are being transported between different Library sites.

Index An index can often be found at the back of a book. Searching the index for your subject terms is a quick way of finding the information you need within the book without having to read the whole text.

Information skills / Information literacy The ability to locate, evaluate and use information for your studies.

Inter-library loan If we don’t have the book or journal article you are looking for we can request it from another library. This will normally cost £3 and take 7–10 days to arrive. Wherever possible we will send you a copy of the item via email.

Is it @ CityLibrary? A link that you will often see on Google Scholar, abstract databases and search platforms such as Ebscohost and Nexis, that you can use to check if Library Services has what you are looking for.

Issue A single uniquely numbered or dated part of a journal or newspaper.

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Ii – Ll

IT username and password The login name you are given at the start of your course to use to access computers on campus, usually comprising of four letters and three numbers, for example, abab123. Along with your password, it is also used for accessing the Library’s online resources and for logging into your Library account online.

Journal Publications that are regularly published on specific topics or areas of research. They communicate the latest research and thinking and are usually intended for a scholarly and academic audience. Good quality academic journals are peer reviewed. The individual papers within a journal are called articles.

Keywords Single word or phrase defining the important aspects of your topic. These words can be used to search catalogues or databases to retrieve the relevant material you need.

LibGuides LibGuides can be found on the Library Services website http://libguides.city.ac.uk. They contain information on your subject (see Subject Guides) or more general information on library collections and resources.

Library Loves… Look out for our regular Library Loves… promotions highlighting the services and resources useful to you throughout your studies.

Library service / enquiry desk Library staff at the service desks and enquiry desks will assist in answering your questions about the Library and give help when you need to borrow or return books or collect requested items.

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Ll – Mm

Library store Where older and less frequently used journals, theses and books are kept. You can request for items to be collected from the store via the Request print volume from Library store link you will see on the Library catalogue. You can collect these items from the Library Service desk.

Lib use only Books, hard copy journals and theses marked as Lib use only or Reference cannot be borrowed but can be used for study within the Library.

Literature review Finding and reading all the literature about your chosen subject for a dissertation or project is called a literature review. You might include books, academic journal articles, newspaper reports, websites, interviews or television programmes in your literature review. You will use this to build your knowledge on what has been written on your subject, so you can discuss your own ideas about it. A literature review would normally be included as a chapter at the start of your dissertation or project.

Loan period This refers to the length of time the book may be borrowed for.

Moodle The University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) where you can find materials related to your modules such as reading lists and lecture notes. It is also where you will submit your coursework. Moodle can be found at https://moodle.city.ac.uk, login with your IT username and password.

More Books A Library Services scheme allowing you to suggest a printed book for the library to purchase. You can make your suggestion using the online form at www.city.ac.uk/library/morebooks.

Bloomberg, an example of an ‘on campus’ database.

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Nn – Oo

National Student Survey (NSS) This annual survey gathers feedback on the quality of undergraduate students’ courses. Question 16 of the NSS concerns libraries, asking if ‘The library resources and services are good enough for my needs’.

On campus databases You can only use these from within the University buildings. Some specialist resources are only available on fixed PCs in the Northampton Square Library and Cass Business School. These can be booked in advance http://libcal.city.ac.uk/. Some on campus databases can be used from any computer as long as you are using a City University London internet connection.

Online / electronic resources (or e-resources) Resources that are available via PCs, mobiles and tablets such as e-books, e-journals and databases.

OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) These are computers in the library which provide access to CityLibrary Search. You cannot access other webpages from these computers but you can use them to find out which resources are available at the Library.

Open Access (OA) A form of publishing where academic research such as journal articles or conference papers are made openly available on the web. Our institutional repository, City Research Online, facilitates Open Access to City University London’s research outputs.

OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) A guide to citing legal authorities, such as court cases, legislation and secondary sources of legal information. It is often used by law students.

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Oo – Pp

Overdue charges A charge made for a library book which has not been returned or renewed before or on the due date.

Overdue notice An email sent by Library Services telling you that an item you have borrowed should have been returned or renewed.

Password This will be given to you at the start of your course alongside your University username, for logging in to PCs on campus and accessing online resources. If you want to change your password, you can do so at http://www.city.ac.uk/changepassword

Peer reviewed Most articles written for publication in an academic journal go through the process of being peer reviewed. Before they are published, the articles are read and considered by other academics in that subject area to make sure they are academically reliable. Usually, the reviewers ask for corrections to the article before it is finally published. If an article has been peer reviewed it is often a good way of making sure that the article is of high quality.

Periodical A publication published at regular intervals, such as a journal or magazine.

Plagiarism Plagiarism is the use of ideas, words, theories or work of someone else in your own work without acknowledging them. This can happen intentionally (by cutting and pasting from an article) or unintentionally (poor referencing). The University takes the issue of plagiarism seriously and has measures in place to detect it.

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Pp – Rr

Portals, gateways and directories These are websites that will direct you to lots of other resources that may be of interest to you. You might find some of these in your Subject Guide under the ‘Free Resources’ section.

Primary source A primary source is a piece of original material created during the time of research, which you might use to get information for your studies. Examples of primary sources are; diaries, radio interviews, standards, letters, statutes, survey data and original works of art. Other sources may use a primary source and discuss their ideas about what is included in it; this is then known as a secondary source.

Print credit An electronic system for paying to use University printers and photocopiers. You can buy print credit online at https://intranet.city.ac.uk/print

Read for Research A Library Services scheme which allows you to recommend books for your research or of general research interest for purchase by the Library www.city.ac.uk/library/read-for-research.

Reading Lists Online This system allows you to look at the reading list for each of your modules. Each list includes links to the reading material recommended by your lecturer. You can click through directly to look at articles, websites or readings as well as information about where to find books. Visit http://readinglists.city.ac.uk and search for a module code or module title.

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Rr

Recently returned This means an item has been returned in the last 24 hours and may not yet be back on the shelf. Check the recently returned shelves, book trolleys, or ask at the Library Service desk.

Referencing / reference list A list at the end of your work giving details of the resources you used. It is important that you cite and reference all the sources of information you use in your work. Typically this will include the author, year of publication, title, place and publisher of the material. This not only is a sign of good academic practice and good writing, but will also help you avoid plagiarism which is a serious issue at University. There are lots of different styles of referencing. One of the most common is Harvard style, although your School may recommend another. Check your course handbook for details.

RefWorks RefWorks is an online reference management tool. It is designed to help you easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations, reference lists and bibliographies.

Renewals If you want to keep the book you have borrowed beyond its due date, you must renew it. You can do this online by visiting www.city.ac.uk/library or at the Library Service desk. If another Library user has requested one of the books on loan to you, you will not be able to renew it. If you want to renew 24 hour loan books you must bring them into the Library you borrowed them from. If you do not return an item on time you will incur an overdue charge. There is no charge for renewals.

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Rr – Ss

Request / reserve If the book you want has already been borrowed by another user, you can place a reservation through CityLibrary Search by selecting Request and following the on-screen instructions. You will be sent an email when your book is ready to be collected.

Resources Anything found within the Library that gives you the information you require, e.g. books, e-books, journals, e-journals, databases or LibGuides.

RSS feed Stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Whenever you see the RSS symbol, you can add a blog, news source or webpage to your RSS reader. When there’s a new blog post or article, your chosen RSS reader will update you.  

SCONUL Access (Society of College, National and University Libraries) On joining the SCONUL Access scheme you can gain access to other higher education libraries in the UK and Ireland. Depending on your level of study, you may be able to borrow items from these libraries. Details of how to join the scheme can be found at www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access

Search engine You use a search engine to search for information on the internet. The most well known example of a search engine is Google. They only search a small amount of what is available, so you may have to try different keywords and searches, or search websites directly, to find what you need. When searching for resources for your studies it is best to use CityLibrary Search.

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Ss

Secondary referencing This is when you wish to refer to a quotation or other information in your work, but you have only read about it in someone else’s book or article, and have not read the original yourself. You can find out how to do this using Cite Them Right Online: tiny.cc/secondaryref

Secondary source A secondary source is produced after the event. These are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources. Examples include books, reviews, biographical works, some journal articles and websites.

Self-service The self-service machines in the Library allow you to borrow, renew or return books without having to visit the Library Service desk.

Short loan These items can be borrowed for 24 hours and must be returned to the Library from which they were borrowed.

Silent study Areas of the Library for you to study in silence. No talking or other noise is allowed.

Subject guide An area on the Library website written by your Subject Librarian which gives you advice on how to find information for your subject area.

Subject Librarian A librarian dedicated to your subject. They provide help with using the Library and finding resources.

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Ss – Tt

Synonym Synonyms are alternative words with similar meaning. When searching databases you may need to include a number of alternatives to your keywords to ensure you are able to find all resources on the subject. For example you might search for ‘Teenager OR Youth OR Adolescent’.

Systematic review A systematic review is a critical assessment and evaluation of all research studies that address a particular issue. The researchers use an organized method of locating, and evaluating a body of literature on a particular topic using a set of specific criteria

Table of contents The table of contents at the start of a book gives you a list of all the topics covered. Table of Contents alerts are also a great way of keeping up to date with your favourite journals. You can usually sign up to these free of charge from databases and journal websites, which means that the contents of new issues will be emailed directly to you.

Technobooths Technology-rich group study spaces designed for up to six people to collaborate on assignments or plan presentations. Equipped with a PC, large wide screen, power point for your own laptop, and overhead camera for capturing real-time desk activity.

Tertiary Source Information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. Examples include; almanacs, bibliographies, databases, dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Thesis A long research essay prepared as a requirement for the award of a PhD or MPhil.

An example of material bound in volumes.

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Vancouver A numeric referencing system used by some Schools and Departments.

Volume Journals are published in volumes. A volume contains several issues of the publication.

We hope you have found this guide useful. If you come across a term not included here, please let us know – we can explain it to you and include it in our next edition.

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