Jargon Glossary
Overview
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term jargon is "applied contemptuously to any mode of speech abounding in unfamiliar terms, or peculiar to a particular set of persons, as the language of scholars or philosophers, the terminology of a science or art, or the cant of a class, sect, trade, or profession."
Here is the list of jargon terms we can't avoid using, with definitions intended to aid understanding. When you see words underlined like this on other Library pages, you can mouseover the term for a brief definition, or click the link to come to this page. Click [Return] here or on the left menu to return to your page.
back issues
Older issues of a journal, magazine or newspaper; not the lastest or current issue.
In the Library, back issues can be bound, on microfilm or microfiche, or available online. Check InvestiGator for the Library's holdings.
bound
Bound periodicals are all the issues of a journal or magazine for one year, gathered together, with a hard cover.
When the status of an item in InvestiGator says BINDERY, the item is being bound, and will return after several weeks.
DoIT
The Division of Information Technology, a part of University Administration and Finance, manages the centralized campus computing systems, the campus network, telecommunications services, and provides consulting, training, and support, for instructional, Internet and business related applications.
holdings
items (like books, magazines, CDs, etc.) the Library owns
microfiche
a small sheet of plastic that holds many pages from a journal back issue; must be read or photocopied with a special reader machine.
microfilm
a strip of plastic on a spool that holds many pages from a journal back issue; must be read or photocopied with a special reader machine.
mouseover
to hold the computer mouse's arrow, insertion bar or finger over a word or image on a web page
SF State ID & Password
used by the University to authenticate students, staff and faculty
Adobe “Portable Document Format”
PIN
Personal Identification Number; used by the Library to authenticate users; not the same as your PAC
