Introduction to Academic Libraries: Transition to College: Academic Libraries

Library catalog: The library catalog is the online search tool to locate the records for materials held at Cornell University Library. You can locate it by clicking on "catalog" underneath the search box on the main library webpage. It does not contain links to individual journal or newspaper articles. 

Databases: At the library, we use databases to help us organize and search articles from many academic journals at the same time. They are often specific to certain disciplines, and therefore can help us limit our search so that we don't have to sift through as much irrelevant information. You can find a list of databases by field by clicking on the "databases" link underneath the search box on the main library page. 

Stacks: In academic libraries, "the stacks" are the rows of shelves where we keep the books. 

Call number: The unique identifier for books that are found in the library catalog and on the spine of books or other materials. 

Library of Congress Classification System:  This is the organizational system of academic libraries; call numbers begin with letters and are arranged by subject. 

More in Library Jargon library guide