Glossary of Library Terms

People at the library tend to use a lot of lingo! Sometimes understanding what people say and deciphering what you have been asked to do is confusing when it involves abbreviations or library-speak. Below is a common words and phrases translation guide.

Acq: Acquisitions department

Admin: the administration office; in the northwest corner on the main level of the library

ALEPH: the name of the software that runs ODIN, the library catalog and integrated system

Annex: the library storage building where older periodicals and other materials are housed (use the Pull Service to access these items)

Arch (not Arc or Ark): the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library in Ehly Hall

Archives: the University Archives, located in the Skills & Technology Research Center north of the FargoDome

Branches: small subject libraries in other buildings (Health Sciences, Chemistry, Architecture/Landscape Architecture, and the Institute for Regional Studies)

Cat: the Cataloging department

Chem: the Chemistry Library in Ladd Hall

Dewey: Dewey Decimal classification system; uses numbers for subjects and our magazines and journals are shelved using these call numbers

Docutek: the software used for electronic reserves at the library

Ehly: the Architecture/Landscape Architecture branch library is located in Ehly Hall

Gov Docs: the Government Documents department or collection

GRHC/Germans from Russia Heritage Collection: in the southeast corner of the Main Library on the main level

GUI: the graphical user interface of ODIN, used for circulation and other processes

ILL: Interlibrary Loan

Institute: the Institute for Regional Studies is the branch library with the North Dakota history collection, located in the Skills & Technology Research Center north of the FargoDome

Ladd: the Chemistry Library is located in Ladd Hall

LC: Library of Congress classification system; uses letters for subjects and our books are shelved using these call numbers

ODIN: the integrated library system and online library catalog

OPAC: the online public access catalog (ODIN)

Per/Periodicals: magazines and journals

Pharm (not Farm): the Health Sciences Library, which used to be named the Pharmacy Library, in Sudro Hall

Pull Serve/Pull Service: the service for retrieving items from the Annex and bringing them to the library

Ref/Reference Desk: where to go to get research questions answered

Reserves: materials that instructors have available at the library with short due-dates; electronic reserves are available through Docutek and hard copies are at Circulation and the branch libraries

Serials (not cereal): a type of periodical

Shott Collection/Room/Weber Reading Room: the casual reading room and collection near the front lobby of the Main Library

SuDoc: the call number classification system used for government documents at the library

Sudro: Sudro Hall is where the Health Sciences library is located

Trucks: the wheeled carts that are used to move materials in the library