Glossary of Terms

A

Abstracts

Summaries, usually of journal articles. Searchable collections of references with abstracts are known as bibliographic databases. The term 'Abstracts' is sometimes used to refer to printed indexes of publications which include an abstract for each item listed.

ACQ STAFF

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that this is a new item which has recently arrived in the library and will be available soon.

AUDIOVISUAL

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate audio tapes, videos, CDs and similar formats. At some campus libraries, audiovisual items are shelved in a separate sequence.

Articles

See Journal articles.

Athens

An authentication system allowing you to access a large number of electronic resources, both on and off campus.

 

B

Bath

Used on UWE Library Services web pages to indicate the Bath Campus of UWE, which is at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bath. The Academy Library, RUH, Bath is an NHS-run Library that UWE Health and Social Care staff and students are entitled to join.  Not to be confused with the University of Bath.

Link to: Academy Library, RUH.

Bath University

see University of Bath.

Bibliographic databases

Indexes to the contents of journals and other publications covering particular subject areas. Bibliographic databases are intended as finding tools, and do not provide full text, but give bibliographic references and usually include abstracts. The items listed are not necessarily available in the library or in electronic format.

Bibliographic references

Descriptions of whole publications (e.g. books) or parts of publications (e.g. journal articles) in a standard format. A bibliographic reference contains sufficient information to enable a potential user to identify and locate the item, and includes the author(s) and title, and details of when, where and by whom it was published.

Link to: References - Introduction.

BIDS

Bath Information and Data Services: a JISC national datacentre providing access to various electronic resources.

Link to: BIDS website.

 

Bolland Library

See Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library.

Boolean operators

Boolean Logic uses the operators AND, OR and NOT to link keywords and phrases in order to perform precise searches.

Link to: Journal articles - How can I search more effectively?

C

Catalogue

See Library Catalogue.

CHEST

The Combined Higher Education Software Team, part of Eduserv, which negotiates and manages agreements and licences for commercial electronic resources within UK education.

Conference proceedings

A collection of conference papers presented at a particular conference, often published in book format, and sometimes as a special issue of a journal. Conference proceedings held in the library are listed in the Library Catalogue.

Conference papers

Individual papers, similar to journal articles, usually published in a volume of conference proceedings. Individual conference papers are not included in the Library Catalogue.

D

Databases

Collections of organised searchable information. In a library context the term is generally used to refer to bibliographic databases, but can also refer to full text databases and collections of data (e.g. statistics).

E

 

Education Resources Collection

A collection of resources to support students in the Faculty of Education, situated on Level 5 of the Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library.

Electronic journals

Journals published in electronic format. All the individual electronic journals available at UWE are listed on the Library Catalogue. Collections of electronic journals from a single publisher or supplier are listed in the library's list of electronic resources.

Electronic resources

Resources that are available electronically, usually via the internet, such as bibliographic and full-text databases and electronic books, to which the library subscribes. The library uses the term 'electronic resources' for resources that are accessed remotely. Items in electronic format held locally within UWE, such as examination papers, are referred to as Digital Collections.

Link to: Electronic Resources Alphabetical Listing.

ERC

Used as a prefix to the Shelf Mark in Library Catalogue records to indicate items held in the Education Resources Collection situated on Level 5 of the Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library.

F

Faculty Librarians

Librarians who have responsibility for the library resources and information services relating to particular faculties. They are responsible for liaison between the library and relevant faculty and training and assisting users to make the best use of library resources.

Link to: Subject Librarians List.

Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library

The largest of the UWE libraries. The entrance is in D Block, opposite the refectory.
Link to: Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library information

Full-text databases

Electronic resources containing the full text of all or most items, often journal articles, rather than just abstracts.

G

Gateways

See Subject gateways.

H

Harvard System

A system of recording bibliographic references.

Link to: Guide to referencing.

Holds

Reservations placed on books that are on loan. You can place a hold using the Library Catalogue. Holds can only be placed on items that are on loan, or on the shelf at a campus other than your home campus.

Home campus

The campus where your faculty is based. If your faculty is based on more than one campus, it is the campus where you spend the majority of your time.

 

I

ID number

See UWE ID number.

In transit

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the item is in the process of being transferred from one campus library to another, in connection with inter-campus loans.

Inter-campus loans

Transfer of books held at one UWE campus library so that you can collect them from another campus library, usually your home campus library.

Link to: Borrow things.

Inter-campus photocopies

Photocopy requests for items (usually journal articles) held at one UWE campus library that can be collected from another campus library, usually your home campus library.

Link to: Borrow things.

Inter-library loans

Loan and photocopy requests for items not held in UWE libraries. Items held at other UWE campus libraries should be requested as inter-campus loans or inter-campus photocopies.

Link to: Guide to obtaining material not held by UWE.

ISBN

International Standard Book Number. Every published book title has a unique ISBN. Different editions of the same book, and hardback and paperback versions of the same edition, have unique ISBNs. ISBNs appear in Library Catalogue records.

J

JISC

The Joint Information Systems Committee: supports the use if IT in UK further and higher education. Negotiates and manages agreements and licences for commercial electronic resources.

Link to: JISC website.

Journal articles

Individual articles, often on very specific topics, published in journals. Journal articles are not listed in the Library Catalogue (apart from single articles which have been photocopied and are available on Short Loan). You can search for journal articles on particular topics using bibliographic databases and full-text databases.

Journals

Publications issued at regular intervals. Each issue contains several different journal articles. Many journals are now published as electronic journals. All journal titles available, regardless of format, are listed in the Library Catalogue.

K

Keywords

Words and phrases that indicate the subject content of items listed in the Library Catalogue, bibliographic databases and full-text databases .

L

Librarians

To the layperson a librarian is anyone who works in a library, but the designation 'librarian' refers to those members of library staff who have a professional qualification in librarianship. Most librarians are chartered members of CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals). The other main group of staff who work in the library are library assistants.

Link to: CILIP website.

Library Catalogue

The library catalogue lists the library's resources: books, journals and audiovisual items, in both print and electronic formats. Using your UWE ID number and Library PIN, you can place holds, renew books and check what books you have on loan and when they are due back.

Link to: Library Catalogue.

Library ID

See UWE ID number.

Library PIN

A 4-digit number. Together with your UWE ID number, it can be used to place holds, renew books, check what books you have on loan and when they are due back using the Library Catalogue, and borrow books using self-issue machines at some campus libraries. You also need your UWE ID number and Library PIN to access the Digital Collections.

Long Edu

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate items that have been purchased to support students in the Faculty of Education. They may be borrowed by all library users for the normal Long Loan period and by Faculty of Education students for longer periods while on Block School Experience.

Long Loan

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate Long Loan books, which can be borrowed for 4 weeks.

M

Med Loan

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate Medium Loan books, which can be borrowed for 1 week.

MIMAS

Manchester InforMation and Associated Services: a JISC national datacentre providing access to various electronic resources.

Link to: MIMAS website.

Missing

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that a copy of the item is missing.

NO

NISW-Store

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the item is held in the archive collection of the National Institute for Social Work (now the Social Care Institute for Excellence). This collection is held in the UWE Store on the Frenchay Campus and books can be requested (for collection at any campus library) by placing a hold on each item required.

PQ

Periodicals

Periodicals are also known as journals, which is the term used in UWE libraries.

PIN

See Library PIN

R

Reference

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the item cannot be borrowed. Reference indicates the loan type of an item, and not its location, which is indicated by its Shelf Mark.

Reference Area

An area in the library containing dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories etc. If an item is in the Reference Area, this is indicated as a prefix to the Shelf Mark in the Library Catalogue.

References

See Bibliographic references.

ST

SCIE

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the item has been supplied by SCIE (the Social Care Institute for Excellence)

SCONUL

Society of College, National & University Libraries.

Link to: SCONUL website.

SCONUL Research Extra

A scheme to enable academic staff and research students to borrow from many universities in the UK, administered by SCONUL.

Shelf Mark

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate the location where a book is shelved. For books this usually consists of a Dewey Decimal Classification number followed by the first three letters of the author's surname. Some Shelf Marks include a prefix (e.g. Reference Area) indicating that the book is shelved in a separate sequence.

Short Loan

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate Short Loan books, which can be borrowed for 4 hours or overnight, or over the weekend. Short loan books are kept in a separate Short Loan area at each campus library.

SRX

See SCONUL Research Extra.

Stack

A closed-access area in the Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library. Items from the Stack can be requested from the Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library Enquiry Desk.

Subject gateways

Catalogues of key Internet resources in particular subject areas. Resources are selected and evaluated by subject specialists. Subject gateways can be used instead of search engines to identify fewer, but higher quality resources.

UV

University of Bath

Not to be confused with the Bath Campus of UWE. Members of UWE may use the University of Bath Library for reference on production of their UWE ID card. Staff and research students who are members of SCONUL Research Extra may borrow from the University of Bath Library.
Link to: University of Bath Library and Learning Centre website.

UWE ID number

The number under the barcode on your UWE ID card.

UWE Store

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the book or journal is held in a closed-access store on the Frenchay Campus, where older books and journals are located. Books from the UWE Store can be requested by placing a hold on each item. Journals can be requested at the Frenchay Campus (Bolland) Library Enquiry Desk, or photocopies of journal articles can be requested from other campuses as inter-campus photocopies.

W-Z

Workroom

Used in Library Catalogue records to indicate that the item has been removed from the shelves, usually because it is in need of repair. If the item can be repaired it will be returned to the shelves. If it is beyond repair, it will either be replaced or withdrawn from stock.