WGU Central Library Resource Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

There are a number of Ready Reference tools on the Internet, here are some places to look for additional information.

Click on a highlighted letter. Non-highlighted letters do not have words defined.
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y][Z]

NOTE: Italics indicate terms defined in this glossary.

Abstract: Summary of an article, book, or other written publication.
Acquistions: Materials which are bought for the libraries, or the department of the library which buys materials.
Address: A way to identify an Internet resource. The following are examples of different Internet addresses: an electronic mail address consult@wgu.edu, a gopher server address - gopher.wgu.edu, a web server address - www.wgu.edu
AIX: An Acronym for Advanced Interactive eXecutive, which is an open operating system from IBM that is based on a version of UNIX.
AOL - America Online: America Online is a commercial service to access the Internet. Software is loaded onto a DOS, Windows, or Macintosh microcomputer. A fee is charged.
Archive: An archive stores files, such as documents and programs, to be retrieved later. An archive site, such as an anonymous FTP site may allow other people to retrieve the files stored there.
Archives: Public records or historical documents, or the place where such records and documents are kept.
ASCII: A standard that enables computer files and text, such as electronic mail messages, to be used on many different systems. Generally thought of as the characters typed from a keyboard, such as letters, numbers and standard punctuation found in English. Word processing programs can usually save files in an ASCII or binary (their default) format.
B --
Bang: The exclamation point character! For brevity people pronounce "!" as the word "bang".
Baud: A unit of measure, one signal per second, usually used to measure the speed of a modem. For example 300 baud means 300 bits per second (BPS). Note, however, that at higher modem speeds one signal can contain more than one bit, so a 9600 baud modem is not limited to 9600 BPS.
BBS - Bulletin Board System: A BBS is a computer bulletin board system, this service provides it's users with electronic discussion groups. It usually allows users to copy files from and to the bulletin board. A fee may or may not be required.
Bibliographic Citation: The information which identifies a book or article. Information for a book usually includes the author, title, publisher, and date. The citation for an article includes the author, title of the article, title of the periodical, volume, pages, and date.
Bibliography: A list of books, articles, or other sources (interviews, films) on a particular subject. Bibliographies may be found at the end of books or articles, or may be separate publications.
Binary: A format or type of file, containing non-ASCII non-printable text. A word processing file, such as one written and saved in WordPerfect or MSWord, is a binary file and should be viewed from the word processing application. When transfering binary files with an application, such as FTP specify that the file should be transfered in binary.
Bindery: Books that need repair and periodicals are sent out of the library system and are not available to users.
Binhex: A common file format for Macintosh computers that enable a binary file to be transfered as an ASCII file. For example, take a Macintosh word processing file and run it through a binhex program, the file is then renamed with a .hqx extention. The file can be sent to anyone over electronic mail, the recipient saves the file and runs it through an "un-binhex" program. The recipient now uses the file in it's original form.
Bookmark: A feature available in some computer programs, such as Gopher and Netscape, that enables you to quickly go to an Internet address without having to type the address. A shortcut method to access Internet resources.
Bounce: A bounced mail message, a term applied to an electronic mail message when it is not able to be delivered.
Bound: Refers to several issues of a periodical which are joined together under one cover.
Browser: An interface that allows users to navigate or browse the World Wide Web by simply pointing and clicking. Two of the most popular graphical browsers are Netscape and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Lynx is a text browser.
BTW: an acronym meaning "By the way". BTW can be written in upper or lower case text.
C --
Call Number: A group of letters and numbers given to each item which is used to arrange materials in the library. The Library of Congress System (LC call number) is the most common. An example: DG 270 B86 1994
CD-ROM - Compact-Disc Read-Only: A method of storing information or data.
CERN: CERN is the "Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire" which is French for the "European Particle Physics Laboratory" located in Geneva. CERN is the birthplace of the World Wide Web project, which is based on a proposal from Tim Berners-Lee.
Charge out or Check out: The process of borrowing materials to use outside the library. This can be done through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Circulation Desk: Also frequently called circ, the area to check out library materials. For WGU Students, this will be via the document delivery form or ILL.
Citation: Same as bibliographic citation
Claimed: Notification that a periodical was not received as expected.
Clientor Client Software: A computer program or software that requests information from a server computer. Software responsible for interacting with a user, such as displaying data and accepting keyboard or mouse input. For example one way to view web pages is to use the netscape client program from a microcomputer, netscape interacts with a world-wide-web server.
CMS: CMS is an acronym for Conversational Monitor System. It is an operating system found on IBM mainframe computers, once you log on or access the CMS system you type in type in CMS commands.
Cumulative Index: An index in which several previously published indexes are combined into one book.
Current Periodical: The most recent issues of a journal or magazine, often published during the last year, which have not been bound.
D --
Daemons: Special small programs that perform specific tasks. A daemon may run all the time "watching" a system or they may "wake up" when a task needs to be performed. For example the program that wakes up to deliver a mail message, or a file to be printed. When a mail message cannot be delivered you may receive a message from the mailer daemon.
Database Search: A database search is preformed by using a computer system to list journal article citations on a subject. There is often a fee charged to the patron commercial databases are used. Database searches can be done in UnCover.
Depository: A library which receives the publications of a government. The University of New Mexico is a depository for publications of the U.S. Government, the State of New Mexico. The WGU community can access this government information via the WGU CLR home page.
Dialup or Dialup Line: A communication line, usually a regular telephone line. Your computer and modem dials a phone number to access another computer system.
Digest: A single file or mail message that contain many individual messages or postings. Often used in conjunction with a listserv or Usenet newsgroup.
Digital Libraries: Digital Libraries basically store materials in electronic format and manipulate large collections of thsoe materials effectively.
Discussion Groups: See Listserv and Usenet News Groups.
Distance Education: Eduation that takes place when the teacher and student are separated by space or time. The gap between the two can be bridged through the use of technology -- audio tapes, videoconferencing, satellite broadcasts and online technology, just to name a few -- and/or more traditional delivery methods such as the postal service.
Domain: The Internet is set up hierarchically, the last part of the address tells the type of general category, for example: .COM - commercial, .EDU - educational institution usually in the U.S., .GOV - U.S.Government, .NET - Internet Operations, .ORG - non-profit organization. Also there are many 2 letter country code designations (.UK for United Kingdom, .CA for Canada, etc.)
DOS - Disk Operating System: Most common operating system for the IBM-compatible or personal computer.
Dot: The period character. For brevity people say dot, for example, a common ending for an electronic mail address at WGU is wgu.edu, people pronounce that as "wgu dot edu".
Download: To move a copy of a file from a multi-user system or a server to your microcomputer or your computer account.
E --
E-mail or Electronic Mail: A service that enables a message to travel electronically to a destination.
Ethernet: A standard Local Area Network (LAN) protocol that was originally developed by Xerox and later refined by Digital, Intel, and Xerox. It is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards. Theoretically, it allows data to travel at 10 megabits (million bits) per second. Ethernet enables a microcomputer to access other computer systems and networks without a modem.
F --
FAQ: The FAQ (pronounced "fack") or list of "frequently-asked questions" (and answers) has become a feature of the Internet. The FAQ seems to have originated in many of the Usenet groups as a way to acquaint new users with the rules. Today, there are thousands of FAQs on the World Wide Web.
Frames: A webpage design technique that divides the screen into two or more sections. Clicking on a link in the 'index' section of the screen brings up a new page in the neighboring frame.
FTP: FTP is a system for transfering files between computers over the Internet. It is a special way to login to another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.
G --
GIF: A format for a file that contains a graphic or picture. Most color images and backgrounds on the Web are GIF files. This compact file format is ideal for graphics that use only a few colors. Files that use this format usually have the suffix .gif as part of their name. It is often pronounced with a soft g sound, "jiff", or with a hard g sound.
Gopher: A system created by the University of Minnesota that pre-dates the World Wide Web for organizing and displaying files on Internet servers. A Gopher server presents its contents as a hierarchically structured list of files. With the ascendance of the Web, most Gopher databases are being converted to Web sites which can be more easily accessed via Web search engines. It's name is derived from the University of Minnesota's mascot the Golden Gophers as well as a play on the words to "go for."
H --
Holdings: The group of items included in a library.
Homepage: The main page of a Web site. Typically, the home page serves as an index or table of contents to other documents stored at the site.
Host: A computer system that is accessed by a user working at a remote location. Typically, the term is used when there are two computer systems connected by modems and telephone lines. The system that contains the data is called the host, while the computer at which the user sits is called the remote terminal.
HTML - HyperText Markup Language: A language used to define web pages. A document for the World Wide Web contains HTML tags or instructions, to alter the way the document appears. HTML looks a lot like old-fashioned typesetting code i.e., a block of text is surrounded by codes that indicate how it should appear.
Hypermedia: Documents that contain text, still images, video images, and/or sound.
Hypertext: A document that contains links to other related documents. These links may take the user to another point within the same document, or the link may be halfway around the world.
I --
Image Map: A graphic that contains many links within the single graphic.
Index: A list of subjects, names, titles, etc. that helps you to locate information. A periodical index lists articles by subject or author. A book index is a list at the end of a book which gives pages numbers where names and subjects can be found in the book.
Interlibrary Loan - ILL: A way to get materials owned by other libraries.
Internet - capital I: The Internet (the Net) is a worldwide system of computer networks. The Internet grew out of the U.S. Government ARPAnet project in 1969. Now, however, it consists of countless networks and computers across the world that allow millions of people to share information. It is a public, self-sustaining facility based on the TCP/IP protocol, and all resources connected to it.
internet - lowercase I: An internet is a term meaning a group of connected networks. Any time you connect 2 or more networks together, you have an internet as in inter-nation or inter-state.
IP Number: Internet Protocol number, every machine that is on the Internet has a unique IP number, such as 129.24.8.1. If it does not have an IP number, than it is not really on the Internet.
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network: An international communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone lines. Basically, it is a way to move more data over existing regular phone lines.
ISP: An ISP provides access to Internet services.
J --
Journal: A publication which has scholarly information, usually written by professors, researchers, or experts in a subject area, and not intended for the general public.
K --
Kermit: Kermit is a communications program that runs on many different computers including Macintosh and DOS. It allows communications between otherwise incompatible computers. It can be used to download files from a remote system to your home computer.
L --
Library of Congress Subject Headings: Special vocabulary, or subject heading that can be used to find information in a card catalog or online catalog.
Listserv: A listserv facilitates the functions of electronic distribution lists. These mailing lists can focus on any type of discussion, for example one list may be dedicated to discuss a particular software package or a list can enable electronic discussion of a particular group or committee. Members of a listserv generally subscribe by sending an electronic mail message to a special account name. Correspondence is generated by sending mail to the listserv address and it is then redistributed as an E-mail message to all list members. A listserv can be set up for local use, to be used at one institution, or global use, across the Internet.
Local Area Network: A local area network is a small network of interconnected workstations and associated devices that share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area. Usually, the server has applications and data storage that are shared in common by multiple workstation users.
Lynx: Lynx is a keyboard-oriented text-based program to access the World Wide Web that was developed at the University of Kansas primarily for students who used UNIX workstations. Unlike Netscape, it does not have any graphics capabilities. This means that you can view text but not graphics or images. It is much faster as a result and a useful way to access the Web when you do not have a fast modem.
M --
Manuscript: A handwritten or typed composition, rather than printed.
Microforms: Microfiche (4 by 6 inch cards) and microfilm (a roll of film); printed items which have been reduced in size by photographic methods to save space.
MIME - Multipurpose Internet Mail Extentions: MIME is the Internet specification that lets people exchange different kinds of data files on the Internet such as: audio, video, image, and application programs, as attachments to mail messages.
Mirada: Mirada is microcomputer software that enables one to access computer and Internet resources. Currently it is available for use on IBM compatible microcomputers, running Windows. Mirada is a set of computer programs, the underlying package is Trumpet Winsock which enables the other packages to function. It can be used via a direct ethernet connection or from a modem. The modem should be a 9600 baud modem or faster. Mirada includes the following packages: WinQVT/Net (a telnet package to access Unix), QWS3270 (a telnet package to access IBM mainframe systems), WS_FTP (FTP software to transfer files), Free Agent (a Usenet news reader), PC-Pine (a microcomputer version of the pine E-mail package), Outside In (File viewing software), and WinZip (file compression and decompression software).
Modem: An abbreviation for MOdulator-DEModulator. A modem allows the transmission of digital information over an analog phone line. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms. Basically, modems do for computers what a telephone does for humans.
Monograph: A book.
Mosaic: Mosaic was the first WWW browser that was available for the Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX all with the same interface. It is a web client program (or software) that requests data from a Web server. It is graphical software, meaning it can display images and graphics, uses scroll bars and mouse activity. It is an application that simplifies accessing documents on the World Wide Web.
N --
Navigation: The point and click actions that move the user from one Website to another. A record of your navigation path can be found under the menu choice 'History or 'Go'.'
Netfind: Netfind is a tool to help find people and institutions on the Internet. Because the Internet is so vast and in constant flux, it is often difficult to find specific individuals even with the netfind service.
Netscape: A WWW Browser and the name of a company. The Netscape (tm) browser was originally based on the Mosaic program developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Netscape has grown in features rapidly and is widely recognized as one of the best and most popular web browsers. It is a program, usually installed on a microcomputer, to access the World Wide Web. It is a web client program (or software) that requests data from a Web server.
News: News software refers to Usenet news, please see Usenet news.
O --
Online Database: A library's computerized file of materials it contains (an automated card catalog of sorts).
Online Searching
: Searching a library's online Database. There are other online databases that may be searched. These may contain periodicals and users may be charged a fee.
OPAC - Online Public Access Catalog: The electronic card catalog system, or computer you connect to when you look up library resources. It is a computerised system to catalogue and organise materials in a library. OPACs have replaced card-based catalogues in many libraries.
Operating System: The most important program that runs on a computer. Every general-purpose computer must have an operating system to run other programs. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk, and controlling peripheral devices such as diskdrives and printers. It is like a traffic cop -- it makes sure that different programs and users running at the same time do not interfere with each other.
P --
Page: Short for web page, it refers to a Web document, regardless of how large it is. Every Web page is identified by a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator).
Periodical: An item which is published on a regular basis, such as journals, magazines, and newspapers.
PINE - Program for Internet News and Mail: Application primarily used to send, read, and manage electronic mail. It is a character-based e-mail client for UNIX systems that was developed at the University of Washington.
POP - Post Office Protocol: POP is a protocol for delivering and retrieving electronic mail from a remote server.
PPP - Point-to-Point-Protocol: Protocol used over dialup lines. From a microcomputer and modem, when connection to a PPP telephone dialup line is made, it gives the functionality of a direct ethernet connection. It enables a Web browser, such as Netscape, to be accessed over a phone line. PPP defines how your modem connection exchanges data packets with other systems on the Internet.
Program Manager: Program Manager is the standard software that runs on an IBM compatible microcomputer that is running "Windows".
Protocol: Protocol is an expected set of commands or behavior. For example, when you talk to someone, it is usually expected that you greet them. For computers, a protocol is a set of instructions that a piece of software or hardware is expecting. If instructions are not given correctly then the desired task will not be done.
Q --
QWS3270: QWS3270 is telnet software from the Mirada package useful for connecting to IBM mainframe systems. It enables a microcomputer to emulate an IBM 3270 type of terminal, complete with function keys. This package gives necessary functionality to a microcomputer when using an IBM mainframe, that other telnet packages, such as WinQVT, don't.
R --
S --
Serial: A publication which is intended to continue indefinitely. This includes periodicals such as magazines, journals, newspapers, and books such as almanacs and yearbooks which come out every year.
Search Engines: Tools to assist users in locating information on the Web. Some of the most popular include Yahoo, Altavista, HotBot, Excite, and Infoseek. Each search engine has its own 'index' of pages.
Server: A server is responsible for performing tasks as directed by a client, such as accessing data, performing calculations and then provide data or a response to a client. Most network protocols are client-server based. While a server usually refers to an entire machine, it can also be used to refer to a particular daemon on that machine. An example is a file server which is a computer and storage device dedicated to storing files. Any user on the network can store files on the server.
SLIP - Serial Line Internet Protocol: SLIP is one of two methods for connecting to the Internet. The other method is PPP. It is a protocol that gives a microcomputer the capability to perform ethernet-type functions without a direct ethernet connection or ethernet card, but with a phone line and modem. It is a standard for using a regular telephone line (a serial line) and a modem to connect a computer as a real Internet site.
Smart Catalog: The WGU web site contains the course catalog; information about WGU, it competency-based programs, programs provided by other institutions, and available services.
Subject Heading: The specific word or phrase used to find a book or article on a specific topic in a catalog or periodical index.
T --
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol: The underlying method of communication between applications on the Internet. If you are connected to the Internet and can use programs such as Netscape directly on your microcomputer, then your computer "speaks" the TCP/IP protocol. While IP takes care of handling who and where things are on the Internet, TCP takes care of keeping track of the individual packets of data that files get chunked into when routed through the Internet.
Telnet: A program used to connect to a computer system over a network. In general, telnet provides the user with a terminal session so work, such as reading your electronic mail, or accessing LIBROS to look up books, can be performed.
Terminal/Terminal Emulation: A device that enables you to communicate with a computer. Generally, a terminal is a combination of keyboard and display screen. Terminal emulation refers to making a computer respond like a particular type of terminal. Terminal emulation programs allow you to access a mainframe computer or bulletin board service with a personal computer.
Trumpet Winsock: Trumpet Winsock is the part of the Mirada software package, running under Windows on an IBM compatible microcomputer, that provides TCP/IP or PPP network functionality. It must be in place for the other parts of Mirada to function.
U --
Unix: Unix is a popular operating system found across the Internet. Unix is a multi-user system meaning many people can access it at one time. Unix systems can store electronic mail, run a gopher server and web server. It is the most common operating system for servers on the Internet.
URL: A URL is a way of identifying or addressing Internet resources. URL's exist for specific files, or is used to identify ftp, gopher, news, and Web servers. One could say a URL is what a telephone number is to a telephone or a street address is to a house. For additional information reference the document "A Beginners Guide to URLs", at http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/demoweb/url-primer.html, or the CERN document "WWW Name and Addresses, URIs, URLs, URNs" http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Addressing/Addressing.html
Usenet News: Usenet groups are more commonly known as newsgroups. It is a large collection of discussion groups, covering a wide range of topics. These electronic newsgroups are available internationally, and some are created that are restricted to local (WGU-only) use. A main advantage of Usenet news or listservs is that postings do not clutter up your electronic mail box, but rather you access it by reading a public "bulletin board" type of system. The major broad topic categories of news groups include: COMP (computer related), REC (recreational/hobby), SCI (relating to established sciences), SOC (social issues), TALK (debating lots of issues) NEWS (relating to Usenet), ALT (alternative), GNU (relating to GNU software), and MISC (everything else)
V --
Veronica: Veronica is a gopher tool to locate gopher menu entries.
Vertical File: A collection of pamphlets, newspaper clippings, or other small published items housed in a library.
Volume: A number of issues of a periodical, usually a year.
vt100: A popular terminal model (hardware) made by Digital Equipment Corporation, which can be used with many computer systems over the Internet. Some software expects keyboard entry from a vt100 or a system that can emulates (or acts like) a vt100
W --
WAIS: WAIS is a software program where documents in full text databases can be searched, viewed, printed, and sent as electronic mail.
Windows: Windows is software that typically runs on IBM compatible microcomputers, before the Windows 95 system, it ran "on top of" DOS. Since many Internet applications incorporate or use a graphical presentation, people tend to be happier running Internet applications under Windows, rather than just DOS.
WinQVT: WinQVT is part of the Mirada software package. It is a Window's version of telnet that works well when accessing a Unix or VMS multi-user computer system.
WinZip: WinZip is part of the Mirada software package, it compresses and decompresses computer files for ease in transferring to other computer systems.
World Wide Web (WWW): A system for organizing information on the Internet, using hyperlinks. Pointing and clicking on a highlighted word, symbol, or graphic moves you from one Website to another. Also known as 'the Web.'
X --
: No items for X.
Y --
Yahoo - reputed to mean "Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle": Specifically the URL: http://"www.yahoo.com" Yahoo! is a World Wide Web directory started by David Filo and Jerry Yang at Stanford University. The two began compiling and categorizing Web pages in 1994. It is a commonly sited web page that lists by subjects many Internet sites.
Z --
: No items for Z.