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3 to 5 July 2024

Wednesday, 3 July 2024: The old technology reading room is closed due to the construction work.
On 4 and 5 July 2024, use of this reading room and WiFi access may be affected by construction work. The computers in the reading room are not available.

DNB Glossary

Have you ever been asking yourself what “Germanica” is? Or what is meant when we talk about “online publications”? With our glossary, we offer you the possibility to look up these and many other terms commonly used at the German National Library. Please note that the terminology collection is under construction and does not claim to be complete.

Are you missing a term? Then feel free to contact us at webredaktion@dnb.de.

Search/Retrieve via URL (SRU)

German: Search/Retrieve via URL
Abbreviation: SRU

Technical standard used for bibliographic search queries in the internet. SRU enables targeted searches (using the retrieval language CQL) to be made through interfaces by means of search indexes and search terms; the results can then be imported into the user’s own catalogue in XML format.

More about SRU on our website

Series

German: Reihe

At the German National Library, a specific group of publications defined in accordance with certain criteria. A letter is assigned to each series, e.g. series O (for online publications). The series collectively make up the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie (German National Bibliography).

More about series on our website

Shelving system

German: Aufstellungssystematik

The system according to which media works are arranged in a library. Mostly sorted by subject, it makes it easier to find and return the media works. Consisting of letters and/or numbers, the notation of the shelving system can be identified on the circlulating item and the side of the shelf.

More about shelving system on our website

Subject cataloguing

German: Inhaltserschließung

In libraries the description of the content of a media work with the main purpose of making the collections searcheable by subject. Subject cataloguing involves the assignment of metadata such as subject headings (verbal cataloguing) and notations (classificatory cataloguing) on the basis of common standards to ensure that the metadata can be linked and exchanged; machine-based text and data analysis processes are used alongside intellectual cataloguing.

More about subject cataloguing on our website

Subject heading

German: Schlagwort
We also say: descriptor

A terminologically controlled word or phrase, e.g. from a thesaurus or authority file, which is used to describe the content of media works and perform searches in library catalogues. Subject headings are created and assigned in accordance with common rules and standards; they are assigned using both intellectual and machine-based processes.

More about subject heading on our website

Contact: webredaktion@dnb.de

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