An arrayed library is composed of individual primary recombinant cloned DNA (hosted in phage, cosmid, YAC, or other vectors) that are placed in two-dimensional arrays in microtiter dishes. Each primary clone can be identified by the identity of the plate and the clone location (row and column) on that plate.
Arrayed libraries of clones can be used for many applications, including screening for a specific gene or genomic region of interest as well as for physical gene mapping. Information gathered on individual clones from various genetic linkage and physical map analyses is entered into a relational database and used to construct physical and genetic linkage maps simultaneously; clone identifiers serve to interrelate the multilevel maps.
From the BioTech Dictionary at http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/. For further information see the BioTech homenode.