UPMSP Vocational Library Science key terms

Five principles stated by S. R. Ranganathan: books are for use, every reader their book, every book its reader, save the reader's time, and the library is a growing organism. They guide library policy and service design.

A library funded from public money and open to all members of the community without charge, offering lending, reference, reading and community services. In India it is usually run by a local body, state government or registered society.

A library attached to a school, college or university that supports teaching, learning and research of its parent institution. Its collection and services are shaped by the curriculum and research programmes of the institution.

A library serving a particular organisation, industry, government department or professional group, with a narrow subject focus. It emphasises current, technical information and often provides literature searches and current-awareness services.

Outreach activities that take library resources beyond the physical building to users who cannot visit it, such as mobile libraries, deposit centres, book boxes, rural reading rooms and community programmes. It widens access and supports literacy.

A faceted scheme of library classification developed by S. R. Ranganathan, which builds class numbers from five fundamental categories (personality, matter, energy, space, time) using connecting digits and indicator digits.

A widely used enumerative classification scheme that divides all knowledge into ten main classes numbered 000 to 900, each further subdivided decimally. It is maintained by the Online Computer Library Center and regularly revised.

The label placed on a library item showing its shelf location, normally combining a class number, a book or author number and sometimes a year or volume mark. It links the catalogue record to the physical position on the shelf.

The set of symbols, such as digits or letters, used in a classification scheme to represent subjects and their relationships. Good notation is brief, hospitable and capable of expressing hierarchy and new subjects.

A standard-sized card, usually 12.5 by 7.5 centimetres, on which a catalogue entry is typed or printed and filed in a card catalogue drawer. Entries follow standard rules for heading, body and tracing.

A published set of rules governing how catalogue entries are formed, including choice and form of headings and description of items. Examples include the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and Resource Description and Access.

A computerised catalogue that users search through a terminal or web interface instead of card drawers. It supports searching by author, title, subject, keyword and call number and shows availability status.

Personal help given by library staff to users in finding information, answering queries and using resources effectively. It ranges from quick directional answers to in-depth literature searches and instruction in using tools.

A service that answers short factual queries quickly using compact sources such as dictionaries, directories, almanacs and yearbooks. Answers are usually brief and the sources are kept close to the reference desk.

An organised, searchable collection of records describing documents, such as journal articles, books or theses, with fields for author, title, source and abstract. Many provide links to full text or to library holdings.

A service that keeps users informed about newly published material in their field, for example through contents-page bulletins, accession lists, alerting emails or selective dissemination of information.

A personalised alerting service in which a user's stated interests are matched against new documents and relevant items are notified to that user. It reduces the effort of scanning large volumes of new literature.

A bound register in which every item added to the library is recorded serially with date, author, title, publisher, price, bill number and class number. It is a permanent record of the collection and a basis for stock verification.

The periodic physical checking of library holdings against records such as the accession register or shelf list. It detects losses, identifies misplaced items and supports the annual report and audit.

A record of the library's holdings arranged in the order of class numbers, mirroring the physical arrangement on shelves. It is used for stock verification, collection assessment and reclassification work.

A yearly document summarising the library's activities, achievements, statistics, finances and plans. It is submitted to the parent authority or funding body and serves as an accountability and planning tool.

Quantitative data collected about the library, such as number of members, items issued, visitors, queries answered and collection size. These figures support planning, budgeting, reporting and service evaluation.

A financial plan estimating income and expenditure for a defined period, covering books, periodicals, salaries, furniture, equipment and maintenance. It requires justification of demands and control of spending.

The planned process of building the library's collection through selection, acquisition, weeding and evaluation, guided by user needs and a written policy. It balances current demand with long-term preservation of resources.

The systematic removal of unwanted, outdated, damaged or little-used items from the collection, following a written policy. It keeps shelves relevant and attractive and frees space for newer material.

All managerial and technical actions, including policy, storage, environmental control and reformatting, that keep library materials usable in their original or another form over time. It includes preventive measures and treatment.

Direct physical treatment of damaged or deteriorating library materials, such as binding, repair, deacidification or encapsulation, to prolong their life while retaining their evidential value. It is usually carried out by trained staff.

The process of securing the pages of a book or periodical within a protective cover, whether in the original publisher's binding or as a later library rebinding. It protects heavily used or fragile volumes.

Measures taken to protect library property, staff and users, including access control, theft detection systems, CCTV, fire protection and emergency plans. Security works best alongside user awareness and clear rules.

Written regulations covering membership, borrowing limits, loan periods, fines, silence, use of computers and conduct in the library. Rules are publicised to users and applied consistently and fairly.

Planned instruction that helps users understand library resources, services and search techniques so they can find information independently. It includes orientation tours, leaflets, demonstrations and information literacy sessions.

The ability to recognise an information need, locate, evaluate and use information ethically and effectively. Libraries promote it through training, guides and support for searching and citing sources.

Application software that automates library routines such as cataloguing, circulation, serials control, acquisitions and reporting. Examples include open-source systems used widely in Indian college and school libraries.

A machine-readable pattern of lines encoding a number, usually the accession or member number, read by a scanner at the circulation desk. It speeds up issue and return and reduces transcription errors.

The staff of a library, including professional librarians, semi-professional and clerical workers, and support staff such as attendants. Their qualifications, duties and grades are usually defined in a staffing structure.

A written statement of the duties, responsibilities, reporting relationships and required qualifications for a particular post. It supports recruitment, performance appraisal and fair distribution of work.

A person trained in library and information science who selects, organises, maintains and gives access to collections and services. Duties include cataloguing, reference work, collection development and user guidance.

An organised walk-through of the library for new users, pointing out sections, catalogue, issue counter, reading areas and services. It is a common first step in orientation and user education.