Library Lingo
Library language can sometimes be inhibitive for library newcomers. The following definitions may be of help to you.
Boolean Operator or Boolean Logic
Boolean operators, otherwise known as logical operators, are used to construct complex searches in a database. They help make a search more accurate. There are 3 logical operators: AND, OR and NOT.
Online Catalog
An electronic or digitized version of a library’s card catalog. Indiana University Libraries’ online catalog is called IUCAT. It is the database that contains records that refer to the many materials held by Indiana University Libraries.
Full text database
A full text database is a resource that provides access to the complete text of an item. In a full text periodical resource, both the bibliographic descriptions and the articles themselves will be available. An example of this type of resource is Academic Search Premier.