Academic library
An academic library serves a college or university community through collections, services, and spaces that support teaching, learning, and research.
Research consultation: A one-to-one service in which a librarian helps someone plan or carry out research. Librarians help students and faculty refine questions, find sources, and navigate specialized resources.
Collection development: The planned selection, acquisition, evaluation, and management of library resources. It determines which books, journals, databases, and other materials the library makes available.
Public library: A library established to provide information, learning, and cultural services to a general community. Unlike an academic library, it serves the public broadly rather than primarily a campus community.
Scholarly communication: The creation, evaluation, dissemination, and preservation of research and other scholarly work. Library publishing, repositories, and licensing decisions shape how scholarship circulates.
Academic librarian: A librarian whose work supports teaching, learning, research, or collections in a college or university. Subject and instructional librarians connect academic expertise with information resources and research practice.
Information literacy: The ability to find, evaluate, use, and communicate information effectively and responsibly. Instruction builds the research skills students need to use library resources critically.
Library catalog: An organized record of materials held or licensed by a library, searchable by users. Catalog records provide structured access to the library’s holdings and their locations or online access.
School library: A library within a primary or secondary school that supports students’ learning and teachers’ instruction. Its collections and services are tailored to school curricula and younger learners.
Open access: Free online access to scholarly works, generally without price barriers for readers. Libraries support open access through repositories, publishing programs, and negotiations with publishers.
Subject librarian: A librarian assigned to support a particular academic discipline or group of departments. Subject expertise helps faculty and students identify discipline-specific sources and research strategies.