We've created a brief glossary of library terms that may help broaden your library vocabulary!

Boolean Operators: Words like AND, OR, and NOT, which you can use in a search string to broaden or narrow your search. Learn more on our FAQ about Boolean Operators.

Call Number: The series of letters and numbers printed on the spine label of a book that indicates where it goes on the shelf. Cerro Coso categorizes its books by Library of Congress classification, and each call numbers will direct you to the section of the library that focuses on that specific subject. Learn more on our FAQ about Call Numbers.

Catalog: The library OneSearch that lets you search for library books, eBooks, articles, videos, and more. The library management system (LMS) we use is called Primo, created by the company Ex Libris. Learn more on our library orientation guide about Using the Library Catalog. 

Citation: The information needed to locate a resource. This information is usually organized by a specific format guideline, such as APA or MLA. A citation generally contains at least the title, author, publisher, publication date, and DOI or URL. Learn more on our Citing Sources guide.

Database: Databases are warehouses where you can find articles, videos, etc. Cerro Coso Library subscribes to a number of databases, which are accessible to current students and employees. General databases, such as Academic Search Complete, will have a bit of everything, while subject-specific databases, such as Business Source Elite, will have a lot of information on a single topic. We have integrated many of our databases with the library catalog, so you can use the OneSearch bar to search everything. Learn more on our library orientation guide about Using Library Databases. 

DOI Number: The Digital Object Identifier is a string of characters that is unique for each article. Books, videos, and older articles often do not have a DOI. By adding "http://doi.org" to a DOI, you can create a link to the article's publication page. Learn more on our FAQ about DOI Numbers.

Full Text: This is the entire text of an article, rather than just a citation or abstract. Learn more on our FAQ about Full Text.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL): A service where you can request books or articles that the Cerro Coso library doesn't own, and we will try to borrow them from other libraries for you. This service is usually free. Learn more on our Interlibrary Loan page.

Journal: A type of periodical like magazines and newspapers that tends to be a more scholarly collection of articles. Journals may or may not be peer-reviewed. Learn more on our FAQ about Articles vs. Journals.

Librarian: A member of the faculty who is available to answer your questions about finding and citing sources. Librarians must have a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or similar, and sometimes teach library classes at Cerro Coso. Library staff, including library technicians and student workers, are happy to assist with checking out materials, accessing the computers, or answering general directional questions, but please request an appointment with a librarian for help with research. You can reach out to both librarians and library staff on the Contact Us page using email, phone, chat, or Zoom. 

Peer-Review: A scholarly process that some journals undergo, where experts in the field examine an article for accuracy before publication. Learn more on our FAQ about Finding Peer-Reviewed Articles.

Plagiarism: The unethical act of passing off someone else's words or ideas as your own without giving them credit. Learn more about how to avoid this on our Plagiarism guide.

Primary Source: A first-hand account of an event or an original study conducted by the authors. A secondary source will generally analyze information from primary sources. Learn more on our FAQ about Primary and Secondary Sources.

Reserves: A collection of textbooks currently used in classes that are available at the library. These books are first-come, first-served and only for use in the library, which means that they are almost always available to use. We also have some reserve textbooks in our digital and online collections. Learn more on our FAQ about Finding Reserve Textbooks.

Subject Heading: A list of terms in a book or article record that describe what the item is about. These are often controlled by a specific vocabulary, so they can be used to find similar resources. Learn more on our FAQ about Finding Similar Articles.