Alliance Terms & Abbreviations

These are some of the commonly used jargon and abbreviations across Alliance programs and communities.

Terms

  • Alma: a cloud-based platform that provides libraries with a suite of tools to manage the lifecycle of their resources, from acquisition and cataloging to circulation and fulfillment. It is created and maintained by Clarivate | Ex Libris.
    • Alma Digital (Alma Specto): a feature within Alma that allows libraries to manage, store, and deliver digital collections, including electronic course reserves, controlled digital lending, and digital archives and content.
    • Alma Analytics: a built-in reporting and data analysis tool within Alma that allows staff to create custom reports, analyses, and dashboards using library data. See the Become an Expert series for training from Ex Libris
  • ArchivesSpace: an open-source, cloud storage solution for managing archival collections.
  • Asana: a cloud-based project management platform designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work.
  • campusM: a cloud-based student engagement platform providing mobile app and web portal access to university services and information; developed by Ex Libris.
  • Clio: a web-based interlibrary loan management system that integrates with library systems and offers features for managing the day-to-day operations for interlibrary loans
  • ConsortiaManager: a tool that helps library consortia organize and manage all their licensing and subscription tasks in one place.
  • CONTENTdm: a digital asset management system that allows cultural heritage institutions to build, manage, preserve, and showcase their digital collections. It provides tools for importing, organizing, and displaying digital materials through a customizable online interface; developed by OCLC. 
  • Digital Commons: a hosted institutional repository and publishing platform, developed by bepress and acquired by Elsevier.
  • DSpace: an open-source institutional repository system that allows preservation of and easy access to all types of digital content, with a focus on serving the needs of digital archives.
  • Esploro: a research information management solution that helps universities and research institutions capture, manage, and showcase their research activities and outputs; developed by Ex Libris.
  • EZProxy: a web proxy server used by libraries to authenticate external users and provide access to electronic resources.
  • GitHub: a platform that allows developers to create, store, manage, and share their code. It uses Git to provide distributed version control and GitHub itself provides access control, bug tracking, software feature requests, task management, continuous integration, and wikis.
  • ILLiad
  • Islandora
  • Leganto
  • LibApps
    • LibGuides
    • LibAnswers
    • LibChat
  • MarcEdit
  • Mukurtu
  • Notepad++
  • Omeka
  • Primo
    • Primo Analytics (soon to be Primo Mixpanel)
  • RapidILL
  • Rapido
  • RefWorks
  • Relais
  • Samvera Hyrax
  • Tipasa
  • Trello
  • Ubiquity
  • WorldCat
  • WorldShare
  • Reference chat (collaborations and systems)
    • Answerland
    • AskWa
    • LibChat
    • LibraryH3lp
  • Banner
  • Blackboard
  • Canvas
  • D2L
  • Drupal
  • Hugo
  • Moodle
  • OmniUpdate
  • PeopleSoft
  • Plone
  • Sakai
  • SiteCore
  • WordPress

Library Vendors

  • Atlas Systems
  • Bepress
  • Clarivate
  • EBSCO
  • Ex Libris
  • OCLC
  • ProQuest
  • Springshare

Abbreviations

Member Institutions

  • COCC – Central Oregon Community College
  • CWU – Central Washington University
  • Chemeketa or ChemCC – Chemeketa Community College
  • Clackamas or ClackCC – Clackamas Community College
  • Clark – Clark College
  • EOU – Eastern Oregon University
  • EWU – Eastern Washington University
  • GFU – George Fox University
  • Gonzaga or Gonz – Gonzaga University
  • LaneCC – Lane Community College
  • L&C – Lewis & Clark College
  • Linfield – Linfield University
  • MHCC – Mt. Hood Community College
  • OHSU – Oregon Health & Science University
  • OIT – Oregon Institute of Technology
  • OSU – Oregon State University
  • Pacific – Pacific University
  • PCC – Portland Community College
  • PSU – Portland State University
  • Reed – Reed College
  • SMU or STMU – Saint Martin’s University
  • SPU – Seattle Pacific University
  • SeattleU or SU – Seattle University
  • SOU – Southern Oregon University
  • TESC – The Evergreen State College
  • UI – University of Idaho
  • UO – University of Oregon
  • UP – University of Portland
  • Puget Sound or UPugS – University of Puget Sound
  • UW – University of Washington
  • Walla – Walla Walla University
  • WPU – Warner Pacific University
  • WSU – Washington State University
  • WOU – Western Oregon University
  • WWU – Western Washington University
  • Whitman – Whitman College
  • Whitworth – Whitworth University
  • Willamette or WU – Willamette University

Alliance Communities

  • Alliance – Orbis Cascade Alliance (please don’t use “OCA”)
  • DUX – Diversity & User Experience
    • ASG – Accessibility Standing Group
    • DCESG – DUX Community Engagement Standing Group
    • DEISG – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Standing Group
    • UXSG – User Experience Standing Group
  • OSDC – Open Strategies & Digital Content
    • A&M – Archives & Manuscripts service
    • CFR or CFRPNW – Copyright First Responders Pacific Northwest
    • DPTAPG – Digital Preservation Training Assessment Project Group
  • RSF – Resource Sharing & Fulfillment
    • CEG – Community Engagement Group
    • DigPig – Digital Resource Sharing Project Group
    • FSG – Fulfillment Standing Group
    • SSG – Sharing Standing Group
  • SCTS – Shared Content & Technical Services
    • CAT-Force – Collection Analysis Task Force
    • CSG – Cataloging Standing Group
    • ESG – Ebook Standing Group
    • LAWG – Licensing Action Working Group
    • NRSG – Normalization Rules Standing Group
  • SYS – Systems
    • CASG – Central Analytics Standing Group
    • GAIT – Generative AI Training Project Group
    • PRTSG – Primo Release Testing Standing Group

Abbreviations by Alliance Program Area

  • General
    • KPI – Key Performance Indicator
    • OOTB (also OTB) – Out of the Box
  • Diversity & User Experience (DUX)
    • A11y – Accessibility
    • ACR – Accessibility Conformance Report
    • CDI – Central Discovery Index
    • CERV – Community Enhancement Requests and Voting (formerly known as NERS, New Enhancements Request System)
    • CMS – Content Management System
    • DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • HECVAT – Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit
    • ILS – Integrated Library System
    • LMS – Learning Management System
    • NDE – Primo NDE (Next Discovery Experience)
    • SILS – Shared Integrated Library System
    • UX – User Experience
    • VE – Primo VE
    • VPAT – Voluntary Product Accessibility Template
  • Open Strategies & Digital Content (OSDC)
    • ARK – Archival Resource Key
    • AS – ArchivesSpace
    • AW – Archives West
    • EAD – Encoded Archival Description
  • Resource Sharing & Fulfillment (RSF)
    • AAR – Annual Account Reconciliation
    • CDI – Central Discovery Index
    • CDL – Controlled Digital Lending
    • CERV – Community Enhancement Requests and Voting (formerly known as NERS, New Enhancements Request System)
    • FURs – Fulfillment Unit Rules
    • GTI – Global Title Index
    • ILL – Interlibrary Loan
    • ILS – Integrated Library System
    • NCIP – NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol
    • NDE – Primo NDE (Next Discovery Experience)
    • SILS – Shared Integrated Library System
    • TOU – Terms of Use
    • VE – Primo VE
  • Shared Content & Technical Services (SCTS)
    • Bibs – Bibliographic records
    • CDI – Central Discovery Index
    • CERV – Community Enhancement Requests and Voting (formerly known as NERS, New Enhancements Request System)
    • CM – ConsortiaManager
    • FRBR – Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records
    • GES – General Electronic Services
    • GTI – Global Title Index
    • HECVAT – Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit
    • ILS – Integrated Library System
    • MARC – Machine-Readable Cataloging
    • NARs – Name Authority Records
    • NDE – Primo NDE (Next Discovery Experience)
    • PCC – Program for Cooperative Cataloging
    • SARs – Series Authority Records
    • SILS – Shared Integrated Library System
    • TOU – Terms of Use
    • VE – Primo VE
    • VPAT – Voluntary Product Accessibility Template
  • Systems (SYS)
    • 2FA – Two-factor Authentication
      • MFA – Multi-factor authentication
    • API – Application Programming Interface
      • REST – Representational State Transfer
      • SRU – Search/Retrieval via URL
    • AWS – Amazon Web Services
    • CDI – Central Discovery Index
    • CERV – Community Enhancement Requests and Voting (formerly known as NERS, New Enhancements Request System)
    • CMS – Content Management System
    • DevEnv – Ex Libris Primo Development Environment
    • GES – General Electronic Services
    • GTI – Global Title Index
    • ILS – Integrated Library System
    • LMS – Learning Management System
    • NCIP – NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol
    • NDE – Primo NDE (Next Discovery Experience)
    • NISO – National Information Standards Organization
    • OTP – One-time Password
    • RFID – Radio Frequency Identification
    • SIS – Student Information System
    • SILS – Shared Integrated Library System
    • SSO – Single Sign-On
    • TOU – Terms of Use
    • VE – Primo VE
    • VPN – Virtual Private Network

Organizations Outside the Alliance

  • AALL – American Association of Law Libraries
  • ACRL – Association of College and Research Libraries
  • ALA – American Library Association
  • ARL – Association of Research Libraries
  • CCoP – ELUNA Consortial Community of Practice
  • DPLA – Digital Public Library of America
  • ELUNA – Ex Libris Users Group North America
  • ExL – Ex Libris
  • ICOLC – International Coalition of Library Consortia
  • IGeLU – International Group of Ex Libris Users
  • ILA – Idaho Library Association
  • ILAGO – Information Literacy Advisory Group of Oregon
  • NWACC – NorthWest Academic Computing Consortium
  • NWALDS – Northwest Academic Library Directors Symposium
  • NWHeat – Northwest Higher Education Accessibility Technology Group
  • OCLC – Online Computer Library Center
  • OLA – Oregon Library Association
  • OSDLG – Oregon Statewide Database Licensing Group
  • OWEAC – Oregon Writing & English Advisory Committee
  • WACTCLC – Washington Community and Technical College Library Consortium
  • WLA – Washington Library Association