Glossary
Librarian Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential librarian terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key librarian vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in librarian training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Cataloging
- Describing materials for search.
- Circulation
- Lending and returning materials.
- Collection development
- Choosing materials for the library.
- Database
- An online collection of resources.
- Dewey Decimal System
- A classification system for books.
- Digital literacy
- Skills to use technology.
- ILS
- Integrated library system.
- Information literacy
- Skills to find and evaluate information.
- Interlibrary loan
- Borrowing from other libraries.
- Library of Congress Classification
- A system used by academic libraries.
- OPAC
- Online public access catalog.
- Reference interview
- Questions to understand a patron’s information need.
- Special collections
- Rare or unique materials.
- Story time
- Reading programs for young children.
- Weeding
- Removing outdated materials.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Librarian practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Librarian training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.