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Reference
Resources
Quick Word List
1st Floor, Library North
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
714-278-2714
business databases
check out (verb)
check-out (adj, noun)
e-books
e-mail |
e-reserves
full text (noun)
full-text (adj)
home page
ID
Internet
intranet
Library (noun) |
library (adj)
Library Catalog
log in (verb)
online
PLN-303
print out (verb)
printout (noun)
Web (noun, adj) |
Style Conventions
A-Z
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abbreviations--days and months
top
For day and month abbreviations,
see time.
For abbreviations not listed in this guide, refer to
the official
CSUF
Publication Style web site or Merriam
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition.
academic degrees
Academic degrees are abbreviated with periods and no
spaces in between.
Correct: The dean is
Joan Jones, Ph.D.
When using an academic degree in a title, do not use both Dr.
and Ph.D.
Correct: Dr. James
Smith
Correct: James Smith,
Ph.D.
Incorrect: Dr. James
Smith, Ph.D
academic majors, colleges, and schools
top
Not capitalized unless used as part of the name of a
specific department or a school.
Correct: Pollak Library offers workshops on using
business databases.
Correct: The College of Business and Economics
includes the
Accounting Department.
acronyms
top
Spell out term at first occurrence in an entry, followed by the
acronym in parentheses; thereafter in entry, use acronym.
Correct: Interlibrary Loan (ILL) borrows books that
are not owned
by Pollak
Library. To submit an ILL request….
acronyms--library acronyms
top
AVCMC
CCR
CLE
CPS
CRC
DCLC
DSS
DVD
ER
FLIC
IEALC
ILL
ILLiad
LP
PAC
SB
|
Audiovisual/Curriculum
Materials Center
City/County/Regional
Continuing Learning Experience
Cataloging and Processing Services
Chicano Resource Center
Donoghue Children’s Literature Center
Disabled Student Services
Digital Video Disk and Digital Versatile Disk
Electronic Resources
Film Loan Intercampus Consortium
Inland Empire Academic Libraries Cooperative
Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan—Pollak Library System
Long Playing phonograph record
Professional Activities Center
Special Borrower |
audiovisual
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One word, no hyphen
B
A
B
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D
E
F
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I J K
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bibliographic instruction
top
Use library instruction.
bulleted
lists
See
lists—bulleted
top
buttons
top
Use the exact name of the button in boldface.
Correct: Click Login on the Student Portal
entry page.
C
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
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P Q
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W X Y
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Campus Police
top
Use
University Police.
chat or chat
reference
top
Lowercase unless
referring to a company name.
check out
top
Verb
Correct: You can check out a book using the
self-check machines
near the Circulation Desk.
check-out
top
Adjective/noun
Correct: Information on the check-out procedure
is available at
the Circulation Desk.
check-out record
top
Use
circulation record instead.
class
level (freshman, sophomore)
Class level references are not capitalized except when referring
to the formal name of a group.
Correct: A group of
seniors was disciplined for hazing freshmen.
Correct: The Senior
Class donated a gift of $50,000 to the university.
collections
top
Collection names are
capitalized.
Correct: The Roy V. Boswell Collection contains maps.
Correct: The Periodicals Collection has more than
2,000 journals.
copy
top
Use for photocopy.
copy machine
top
Use for
photocopier.
Course Reserves
top
This is a location name. Use for
Reserve Book Room.
CSUF ID card
top
Use
TitanCard.
D
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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U V
W X Y
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dash,
double (em)
top
See
punctuation—dash (double)
dash, single (en)
top
See
punctuation—dash (single)
database
top
Use the word
database after the name of the database in first occurrence;
thereafter just the database’s name can be used.
Database name is
capitalized and should normally not be boldfaced or
italicized
unless for emphasis.
Correct: The Factiva database includes business
journals. Factiva
can be accessed from your home computer.
dates—months in table or chart
top
Jan Feb Mar Apr
May June July Aug
Sept Oct Nov Dec
Please note that periods are not used when months appear in
tables or charts.
days of the week in table or chart
top
Mon Tue Wed Thurs
Fri Sat Sun
Please note that periods are not used when days of the week
appear in tables or charts.
documents
top
When referring to a government document, use
government document rather than document.
E
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
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P Q
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U V
W X Y
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e-books
top
All lower-case unless starting a sentence and then only e
is capitalized. Brand names, like eBooks or e-Books,
are spelled according to owners’ spelling.
Correct: Pollak Library provides access to
approximately 5,000 e-books.
e-mail
top
Lower-case unless starting a sentence and then only
e is
capitalized.
e-reserves
top
All lower-case unless starting a sentence and then only
e
is capitalized
emphasis
top
To
give emphasis, use boldface.
Correct: Patrons must establish a library
account before checking
out books.
Do not underline terms
for emphasis. Hyperlinks alone are underlined.
Do not use all capitals
for emphasis.
Incorrect:
Patrons MUST present ID to check out books.
For
emphasis, use Please note: …
Correct: Please note that you must present ID to
check out books.
etc.
top
Use only when additional information is obvious; recommend
including in its place.
Correct: The student needs data for every state:
Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, etc.
Correct: The student needs a variety of resources,
including books,
maps, and videos.
F
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
R
S
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U V
W X Y
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floors
top
Number floors ordinally.
Separate floor and wing
by a comma.
Correct: 1st Floor, Library South
full text (noun)
top
Correct: Factiva provides
journal articles full text.
full-text
(adjective)
top
Correct: Factiva has full-text articles
Correct: In Factiva, articles are available full
text.
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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gender neutral
language
top
Use of the plural or second person is recommended. Avoid
she/he or (s)he.
Correct: Patrons will be notified by e-mail when
their LINK+ item
has arrived.
Correct: You will be notified by e-mail when your
LINK+ item has
arrived.
government documents
top
Always use
government document when referring to government documents. Do not refer to
government
documents as documents.
Correct: Most government documents are shelved in the
Government
Documents
Section.
H
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
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P Q
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home page
top
Two words, not capitalized
hours
top
See
time.
hyphenation
top
Consult
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th
edition.
I
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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S
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U V
W X Y
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ID
top
Use no periods.
Correct: ID
card.
For CSUF ID card, use
TitanCard.
For Campus Wide ID,
use Campus Wide ID or CWID.
ILL
top
Use for
Interlibrary Loan after first occurrence in an
entry.
interlibrary
top
One word, no hyphen
interlibrary loan
top
Correct: The Interlibrary Loan office is on the
1st floor, Library South.
Correct:
Requesting interlibrary loan articles is free.
Internet
top
Capitalized
intranet
top
Not capitalized
L
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B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
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U V
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library
top
When the word
library is used as a noun and refers to Pollak
Library, it is
capitalized.
When the word
library is used as an adjective, even when referring
to
Pollak Library, it is lower case.
Correct: The Library is open today 7:30 am to
10:30 pm.
Correct: To check out books, a library card is
required.
Library Catalog
top
The Library Catalog is referred to as to as the
Library
Catalog. This is a proper noun and capitalized.
library
sections
top
Capitalize the names of library sections.
Correct: The
Government Documents Section is open Saturdays.
library units
top
Capitalize the proper names of library units. Use complete term
for first reference, then the abbreviation may be used for
later references.
Correct: Collection & Processing Services
(CPS) does
much of the
“behind the scenes” work in the Library. CPS is located …
lists—bulleted
top
Bulleted items are left
justified.
Bulleted list must
contain more than one item.
Capitalize the first
word in bulleted items.
Make bulleted items
either all phrases or all sentences.
Place periods at the
end of sentences only.
Bullets are used for
lists of items.
Correct: Pollak Library owns:
Books
Periodicals
Videos
lists—numbered
top
Numbers are used for actions that must be performed in
sequence.
Correct: To find journal articles:
1. At Pollak Library's home page, click Find Articles.
2. Click the name of a major or subject.
locations
top
Official library
locations are capitalized. Examples of official locations are:
Correct:
Bibliographic Instruction Room
Correct:
Compact
Stacks
Correct:
Group
Study Rooms
Correct:
Instruction Room
Correct:
Quiet
Study Area
Correct:
Staff
Conference Room
Correct: 1st
Floor, Library South
Sections are
capitalized.
Correct:
Reference
Section
log-in (noun or adj)
top
Correct: Type your log-in username.
log in (verb)
top
Use with
to, not into.
Correct: Log in to the student portal.
M
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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majors
top
See
academic majors.
money
top
Use dollar sign, but no
punctuation on round numbers.
Correct: $15 or
$1.50
Cents are written
with the dollar sign.
Correct:
$0.25
Use
per
instead of a slash.
Correct: $15 per
day
months in
tables and charts
top
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June
July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Please note that there are no periods.
N
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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U V
W X Y
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navigation instructions
top
These instructions
pertain to paths from the home page to research guides
and other instructional materials, as well as technical
directions.
Use the
>
character (shift/period) to indicate pathway in the absence of
a persistent URL.
For visual continuity,
when describing or instructing in the use of a resource
use the same naming, spelling, and format conventions for buttons
(tabs,
labels, buttons, examples) used by the
resource you are describing. This
applies to the Library Catalog or vendor
interfaces.
Correct: Click
SUBMIT or Continue.
Boldface
the entire name of a tab or button.
Correct: Select
Continue. Click OK.
numbers
top
Spell out numbers from
one to nine, or at the beginning of a sentence.
Use numeric characters
for numbers 10 and higher.
Correct: One, two
… eight, nine, 10, 11 …
Telephone numbers:
Correct:
714-278-2714
When referring to percentages, do not use "%" except in tables
and technical text.
Correct:
More than 20 percent passed the test with a score of 85
or better.
O
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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S
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U V
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online
top
Use
online instead of on line or on-line.
openURL
top
One word
P
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
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period at end of sentence
top
One space is used after a period at the end of a sentence.
photocopier
top
Use
copy machine.
photocopy
top
Use
copy.
PIN
top
Write out personal
identification number at first occurrence in entry adding
PIN in parentheses; use PIN thereafter.
Do not use the word
number after PIN.
Correct: You will
need your personal identification number (PIN) to
register. Your
PIN is included in your registration packet.
PIN number
top
Use
PIN.
PLN and PLS
top
Pollak Library room numbers.
Correct: Go to
PLN-303.
Pollak Library North and Pollak Library
South
top
Use
Library North or Library South to identify
library wings.
Correct: 1st
Floor, Library North
print out (verb)
top
Correct: You can
print out journal articles in the Electronic Resources
area.
printout (noun)
top
Correct: If
the printout of the article is not legible, you can get
a
refund.
Public Safety
top
Use
University Police Department.
punctuation—commas
top
Use final series commas.
Correct: Search the Library Catalog to find books,
videos, and DVDs.
punctuation—dash, double (em)
top
The em dash is used to
convey a break in thought.
This punctuation is
made by holding down the ALT key and typing 151—
when you release the ALT key, the em dash will appear.
You may also use two
hyphens with no spaces before or after.
punctuation—dash,
single (en)
top
The en dash
is used in giving a span of time.
This punctuation is
made by holding down the ALT key and typing 150—
when you
release the ALT key, the en will dash appear.
Or use the hyphen
character with a space before and after it.
Correct: 5:00
pm – 6:00 pm.
punctuation—hyphenation
top
Consult
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th
edition. If not found, consult Chicago Manual of Style.
punctuation—quotation marks
top
For detailed punctuation help, see
Chicago Manual of Style.
Correct: “text.”
Correct: “text,”
Correct: “text”;
Correct: “text”:
punctuation—spaces
after period at end of sentence
top
One space after periods between sentences.
R
A
B
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D
E
F
G
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I J K
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reciprocal borrowers
top
This is an officially designated patron type.
Reserve Book Room
top
Use
Course Reserves.
Please note that Reserve Book Room is no longer used.
room numbers
top
Correct: Go to
PLN-303.
S
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
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P Q
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U V
W X Y
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sections
top
See
library sections.
service desks
top
Names of specific service desks are capitalized.
Correct: Circulation Desk, Reference Desk
spacing after sentences
top
Place one space after the period at the end of a
sentence.
T
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B
C
D
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I J K
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- telephone
numbers
top
Correct:
714-278-2714
-
- time—hours—days—months
top
hours
Correct: 5:00
pm - 6:00 pm
Please note: Use a hyphen with a space before and after (or an
en dash) to
express a length of time.
days
Correct: Mon
Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun
Please note: no
period
months
Correct: Jan
Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Please note: no
period
length of time
Correct: 5:00 -
6:00pm
Use a hyphen with a space before and after it (or an en dash).
Titan Help Desk
top
Use in place of
Campus Help Desk.
TitanCard
top
TitanCard serves as CSUF ID card, copy card, and library card.
TitanCard can be used for each of these
depending on context.
titles (position
titles)
top
Only formal titles are
capitalized.
Correct:
A
reference librarian will help you find journal articles.
Correct:
Jane Smith, Reference & Instruction Librarian, will present
the
workshop.
titles of books, journals, and other
publications
top
Capitalize each word except for prepositions and articles.
Publication titles
are capitalized and italicized.
Correct: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
U
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B
C
D
E
F
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H
I J K
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university ID
top
Use for non-CSUF university/college identification card.
See also
TitanCard.
University Police Department
top
Use for
Public Safety or Campus Police.
W A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I J K
L
M
N
O
P Q
R
S
T
U V
W X Y
Z
- Web and website
top
All uses of the word in reference to the World Wide Web are
capitalized.
Correct: The
guide lists several Web-based resources.
Correct: Pollak Library's Web site includes links to subscription
databases.
workshop
top
Use the word
workshop after the proper name of the workshop at first
use;
thereafter just the
workshop’s proper name can be used.
Workshop name is
capitalized and should normally not be boldfaced or
italicized unless for
emphasis.
Correct: The Library Survival Skills Workshop will
be held in PLN-303.
top
Updated:
10/20/2006
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