What are they talking about?
Common library terminology can help you figure it out.
- Call number: a set of letters and numbers identifying a particular item in a library collection. Most university libraries (including Clemson) use the Library of Congress Classification. Most public libraries use the Dewey Decimal Classification.
- Collection: refers mainly to the location of the item but also can tell you whether or not you may check it out. There are several main collections: Popular Reading, Main, Government Documents, DVDs and CDs, Online, Serials (Journals and Magazines), Reference, Special Collections. There are some materials may not be checked out, but most you can take home with you.
- Course reserves: materials held for instructors for students in a class. These items can usually be checked out for a short time period. Find your call number in the Course Reserves Look up and head to the main floor to check it out.
- Journal: a periodical containing articles and current information on research and development in a particular area of study. Journals may be more like a magazine or they may be academic in nature. See the Doing Research tab in this guide for more information on academic/scholarly, peer-reviewed, and refereed journals.
- Library catalog: a collection of records that represent materials owned or accessed by a library. This is essentially a list of all of the books, media, maps, journals, and documents that we own or that you can access through your Clemson Library.
- Microfilm: a roll of film that has printed items (especially things like newspapers and magazines) reduced in size by photographic method.
- Periodical: an item published at regular intervals, such as a magazine, journal, or newspaper.
- Research database: provides descriptive information (title, author, date, subjects, summary or abstract) for periodical articles and other information. Many databases also contain the full-text of the articles.
