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H

half title

The title of a book, printed in full or in brief, on the recto of the leaf preceding the title page. Its purpose is to protect the title page and to help the printer identify the book to which the first sheet belongs. May also appear on the recto of a leaf between the front matter and the first page of the text. Synonymous with bastard title.

handbill

A small sheet on which an advertisement is printed, intended to be delivered by hand.

handbook

A compact reference book which provides useful factual information on a specific subject or subjects, organized for easy access by practitioners. Statistical information is often provided in handbooks (example: Statistical Handbook on the American Family). Also called a manual.

hard copy

Material printed in human-readable form by transcribing information from a format not easily read by human beings, for example, information on microform or in digital (computerized) format. More generally, printed matter, as opposed to its nonprint equivalent.

hardcover

A book bound and cased in an inflexible cardboard cover, as opposed to a paperback. Synonymous with hardback, hard bound, and clothbound. See also: softcover.

hardware

Mechanical, electrical, electronic, or other physical equipment necessary for projection and playback of audiovisual material, or associated with a computer system. Basic microcomputer hardware normally includes a monitor, keyboard, and central processing unit (CPU) with a built-in modem.

heading

A name, word, or phrase at the beginning of a catalog or index entry which serves as an access point to a bibliographic record representing a book or other item. The heading is generally the name of the author, the subject of the work, or the words of the title (initial articles excluded). Also, a line of type which indicates the beginning of a section of text. See also: subheading.

headline

A line in large type at the top of the front page, or of an article, in a newspaper which gives a brief statement of its contents. Also, a line of type at the top of a page in a book, which gives the running title, page number, etc.

headnote

A brief explanatory note which serves as a preface to a chapter, poem, story, report, etc.

help screen

The screen or screens in an electronic database or other computer system which provide instructions for use to anyone who logs on to the system. See also: tutorial.

heuristic

A method of problem-solving in which the results of continuous evaluation of progress toward a solution are incorporated into the process as feedback. Library research is usually a heuristic process.

hieroglyphics

A picture or symbol representing a word, syllable, or sound used by the ancient Egyptians and other ancient peoples instead of alphabetic letters. More colloquially, writing that is difficult to read or understand.

hinge

The line along the front or back cover of a book which bends along a groove and ridge as the cover is opened and closed. Also refers to a strip of paper or muslin fabric, affixed between the two halves of an endpaper where the pages of a book join the cover, to reinforce the point at which the cover flexes as it opens and closes. Synonymous with joint.

hold

When a book or other item is currently checked out, some libraries allow another borrower to place a hold on the item at the circulation desk. The person to whom it is checked out will not be permitted to renew the item, and the person placing the hold will be in line to check it out after it has been returned.

holdings

All the materials, print and nonprint, owned by a specific library. Synonymous with library collection. A library's holdings are listed in its catalog.

hollow

The open space between the cover and the back surface of the bound pages of a book in which the leaves are not glued to the cover.

holograph

A manuscript or document written entirely in the author's own hand. A holographic reprint is a reproduction of such a manuscript by mechanical means.

horn book

A type of child's primer in the shape of a paddle which appeared at the end of the sixteenth century, consisting of a sheet of parchment or paper protected by a transparent sheet of cattle horn, mounted on an oblong piece of wood with a handle by which it could hang from a child's girdle. Its shape suggests that it may have been used in games.

house organ

A periodical issued by a commercial or industrial organization for internal distribution among its employees, or externally to its customers.

house style

The uniform manner of a publisher or printer with regard to grammar, punctuation, and abbreviations, followed in the absence of contrary instructions.

HTML

An acronym which stands for HyperText Markup Language. Most documents available on the World Wide Web are written in HTML. To see the HTML code for the document you are presently reading, click on View in the toolbar of your Web browser and then select Document source from the drop-down menu.

http://

An Internet address prefix which stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. HTTP is the computer language used by the Internet to access information available electronically at sites on the World Wide Web.

hypertext

A method of organizing data in an electronic file or database in such a way that data sources can be interlinked, instead of accessed separately. This glossary is an example of a hypertext document.

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I

iconography

The study of the pictorial representation of objects or people in portraits, paintings, statues, coins, etc., or the result of such a study.

ideal copy

A bibliographer's description of the most perfect copy of the first impression of an edition, decided after careful examination of as many copies as possible, to which all other copies of the first impression, and of subsequent impressions, are compared to determine issues and states.

illuminate

To decorate an initial letter or word in a manuscript with designs or tracings in gold, silver, or bright colors, or to decorate a manuscript page or border with initial letters, miniature pictures, designs, etc. Illumination is most often seen in medieval manuscripts.

illuminated

A book or manuscript decorated by hand with richly colored ornamental letters, designs, or illustrations. Especially prevalent during the Middle Ages when books were handwritten on parchment or vellum. Prime examples are the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels.

illuminator

A person who decorates manuscripts by hand.

illustration

A picture, diagram, map, design, or other graphic device which appears within the text of a printed work whose purpose is to elucidate or embellish the text. In a book, illustrations are often listed at the beginning in the front matter. Photographs may be grouped together in one or several sections within a book. Maps and genealogies may appear on the endpapers. Magazines and children's books are often profusely illustrated. Abbreviated ill. or illus.

illustrator

A person who creates drawings, paintings, and designs to embellish the text of a book or periodical. Illustrators of children's books are often more acclaimed than the authors who write the text. See also: Caldecott Medal.

impression

All the copies of a book printed at the same time from the same set of type or plates. An edition may comprise several impressions in which the typesetting remains unchanged.

imprimatur

A Latin phrase meaning let it be printed. The license for publication granted by an ecclesiastical or secular authority, usually printed at the beginning of a book, indicating the name of the licenser and the date the license was granted. Common in books printed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, imprimatur is still used in doctrinal works of the Roman Catholic faith to indicate official approval.

imprint

The publisher's imprint consists of the name of the publisher and the date and place of publication. It usually appears at the foot of the title page and more completely on the verso of the title page. The printer's imprint, indicating the name of the printer and the place of printing, usually appears on the verso of the title page, on the last page of text, or on the page following the text. See also: colophon.

in press

A book or other publication which is in the process of being printed.

in print

A book which is currently available from the publisher. The opposite of out of print.

in process

In libraries, materials which are undergoing processing by technical services personnel. Such items are usually not available for circulation, but processing can sometimes be expedited at the borrower's request. See also: technical processing and mending.

in progress

A term used by catalog librarians to indicate that a serial publication, or set of publications, is incomplete, subsequent volumes or parts having not yet been issued by the publisher.

incipit

Latin for here begins. In medieval manuscripts and early printed books, this word indicated the commencement of the work. The title and the name of the author were given at the beginning of a work, if not on the title page or in the colophon.

incunabula

From the Latin word cunae meaning cradle. Books printed prior to 1500 A.D., during the infancy of printing. A prime example is the Gutenberg Bible

indent

To set back a line by one or more spaces to mark it or set it off, e.g. to indicate the beginning of a new paragraph. Such as setback is called an indentation.

index

An alphabetically arranged list of names, places, and topics treated in a printed work which gives the page number(s) on which each topic is discussed. Usually located at the end of a book, or in the last volume of a multi-volume work. More broadly, a finding-guide to the contents of published material in a library collection, or in a specific field of research. See also: heading.

index map

A map which shows the total geographic coverage of a series or set of other maps, or which segments a single map to indicate the way in which the total area is divided among several maps. Compare with map index.

inedited

A work published in the form in which it was submitted by the author, without editorial changes. Such works may contain passages, objectionable to some readers, which might have been altered or omitted had the work been edited.

information literacy

Skill in finding the information one needs, usually requiring knowledge of library resources, computer search tools, and research techniques.

information theory

The branch of human learning in which the nature and flow of information is analyzed and quantified.

initial letter

A large capital letter at the beginning of the first word of a chapter or paragraph. In medieval manuscripts, initials are often ornamental and illuminated.

inlay

A picture or deocrative element which is set into the cover of a book. Also, an illustration inset in a border or frame of paper, the overlapping edges having been shaved thin to make the resulting sheet of uniform thickness. Compare with onlay.

input

The data to be entered or transferred into a computer system for processing, as distinct from the results of that processing which are known as output.

inscribed copy

A copy of a book in which a presentation inscription has been written, consisting of the name of the donor (usually the author) and the name of the recipient. May include appropriate remarks by the inscriber. See also: presentation copy.

inscription

A brief, informal dedication written inside a book, usually on the flyleaf. Also, words engraved on stone or some other hard surface, usually to commemorate an important person or event.

inset

An illustration, map, advertisement, or other item inserted into a book, periodical, newspaper, or other publication which is not an integral part of the printed sheets, and usually not sewn-in. Synonymous with insert.

inset map

A map which is drawn or printed within the borders of a larger map, as opposed to an ancillary map which appears outside the borders of the main map.

insert

Any material which is slipped loose (unbound) into a book, newspaper, or periodical that is not an integral part of the publication, such as a map or advertisement. Synonymous with throw-in. Also, one or more folded sheets of four pages, or a multiple of four, placed in the middle or elsewhere in a folded signature, which forms a binding unit (section) of a book.

installment

A portion of a literary work published serially in a periodical or in parts. During the nineteenth century, novels were often published in installments in literary magazines.

interface

The point or process which joins two components in a data processing system; for example, the screen display which mediates communication between a human user and a computer software system.

interleaving

In fine editions, a protective sheet of tissue or blank paper inserted between an illustration and a page of text in a book.

interlibrary loan

If a book or other item needed by a library user is checked out or not available for some other reason, or if the library does not own the item, a registered borrower may have the privilege of filling out a form at the reference desk to request the item from another library. Some libraries permit interlibrary loan requests to be submitted electronically via e-mail or the World Wide Web.

interlinear

Between the lines of a text, sometimes used for translation or for subsidiary matter.

Internet

The fiber-optic computer network which connects computers all over the world, enabling computer users to communicate via e-mail, find information on the World Wide Web, and access remote computer systems such as library catalogs. The Internet began as a project of the U.S. Department of Defense and now has millions of users worldwide.

internship

A specified period of supervised training in a library or other information agency, which is designed to facilitate the application of theory to practice in a range of professional responsibilities following completion of formal course work for a master's degree in library science.

introduction

The part of a book which states the subject of the work and prepares the reader for the treatment of the subject in the following pages. Usually written by the author of the work, or by a recognized authority in the field with which the book deals. The introduction appears in the front matter, after the preface or foreword, and before the first page of text.

inventory

The process of checking a library collection against the shelflist to identify items which are missing from the shelf. Also, the process of checking library property such as furniture and equipment against an authority list. Also refers to the list itself, which usually gives descriptions, quantities, and costs.

inverted title

The division of a book title into two sections and their transposition in order to bring a leading word into first-word position, as in a heading and in indexing.

ISBN

An acronym which stands for International Standard Book Number. A four-part ten-character publisher's code assigned to a specific edition of a book before its publication to identify it concisely, uniquely, and unambiguously. Usually printed on the verso of the title page, and on the back of the dust jacket of a book published in hardcover, or on the back cover of a book published in softcover.

ISSN

An acronym which stands for International Standard Serial Number. A unique eight-digit number which identifies a serial publication of a specific title.

issue

To produce books or other printed documents for sale or private distribution.

Also, all the copies of an edition of a book printed from the same setting of type as the first impression, but with minor changes such as a new title page, an additional appendix, or a different format. See also: reissue.

Also refers to all the copies of a specific periodical published on the same date. A subscription entitles the subscriber to receive one copy of each issue. In libraries, all the issues of a periodical published during the same calendar year may be bound together in a single annual volume.

issue date

The specific date, month, period (spring, summer, fall, winter), or year by which the publication date of a particular issue of a serial may be identified.

issue number

The number assigned by the publisher to a separately issued part of a serial publication to distinguish it from other issues. Issue numbers may be assigned consecutively from the first issue onwards, but if the issues are divided into volumes, issue numbers recommence with each volume.

When an article published in a numbered issue of a periodical is cited, the issue number usually appears after the colon following the volume number. In the following example, the citation is to an article which appeared in the third number of Volume 9 of the journal Research Strategies, published in the summer of 1991:

O'Hanlon, Nancy. Begin at the End: A Model for Research Skills Instruction. Research Strategies 9:3 (Summer 1991), 116-123.

italics

A form of type, first used in a Italian edition of Virgil, which slants heavily to the right, used for emphasis and to indicate foreign words or phrases in a text.

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JK

job lot

A batch of books or other items offered at a lower than normal price by a dealer in order to close out or reduce stock. Compare with remainder.

jobber

In the United States, a wholesale bookseller who stocks many copies of new books issued by various publishers and supplies them to retail booksellers and libraries on order. Sometimes books which are out of print from the publisher may still be available from a book jobber. Synonymous with wholesaler.

joint author

A person who collaborates with one or more others to produce a work in which all those who collaborate peform the same function. The parts written or produced by each person are not always indicated, nor are they necessarily distinguishable. The names of joint authors are usually listed on the title page of a book, or at the beginning of a journal article. Style manuals vary on the number of joint authors whose names may be included in a citation. Synonymous with coauthor.

journal

A scholarly periodical devoted to disseminating current information about research and developments in a specific field or subfield of human knowledge. Usually published quarterly. Most journal articles are longer than five pages and include a bibliography or list of works cited. Journal articles usually include a paragraph at the beginning, called an abstract, which summarizes the main points of the article. Compare with magazine.

justification

In typesetting, the equal and exact spacing of words and letters in a line of type to make the margins of the text even. Type may also be left-justified, right-justified, or centered on the page.

juvenile collection

A library collection of books and other material written specifically for children, shelved separately from the adult collection, sometimes in a specially designated children's room. Includes juvenile fiction, nonfiction, and picture books for preschoolers. See also: beginning reader.

keepsake

See : giftbook.

keyboard

An electronic device for recording data as input by the manual depression of keys, and which serves as a component of a typewriter, phototypesetter, or computer.

keyword(s)

A significant word in the abstract, title, subject headings (descriptors), or text of an entry in a bibliographic database which can be used as a search term in a free-text or natural langauge search. See also: stopword.

Online catalogs, and most online databases, include a keywords search option which allows users to type words which describe their topic, in any order. The system will retrieve all the records which contain the words typed as input. NOTE: a keywords search does not take into account the meaning of terms used as input. If a keyword has more than one meaning, irrelevant records (false drops) may be retrieved. See also: Boolean searching and truncation.

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L

lacuna

A gap in a library's collection, usually in the holdings on a specific subject, or by a particular author, which the library wishes to fill.

lamination

A method of preserving old and fragile papers by placing each sheet between layers of transparent thermo-plastic material which when subjected to heat under pressure forms a seal against dust and atmospheric conditions. See also: preservation.

large print

Any type size larger than 16-point, used in publications for the visually impaired and in beginning readers.

layout

The typographical plan of a printed publication showing the general arrangement of the text, illustrations, graphics, etc., which indicates type styles and sizes.

lead-in vocabulary

In a vocabulary developed for indexing purposes, references from synonymous and closely related terms to preferred terms (or descriptors) for use in information retrieval. Such references usually instruct the user to See or Use the preferred term. See also: controlled vocabulary.

leaf

In printing, a sheet or half-sheet of paper or parchment which, when folded, forms two leaves or four pages of a book. Each leaf consists of two pages, one on each side, either or both of which may be blank or printed. The recto usually bears an odd page number and the verso an even number, but this may be reversed in reprints. See also: folio.

leaflet

A publication of two to four pages, not stitched or bound, but usually folded or stapled together. A small, thin pamphlet.

legend

On a map or in an atlas, an explanation of the symbols used, to aid the reader. Also, the title or caption printed below an illustration. Also refers to a story based on tradition, but generally considered to have some relation to historical fact. See also: cartography.

letter to the editor

A letter, usually printed on the editorial page(s) of a newspaper or magazine, in which a reader expresses his (or her) views regarding the content of a previously published article, or regarding the general editorial policy reflected by the publication as a whole.

lettering

The act of making letters or of inscribing with letters, especially by handprinting, painting, or drawing. In binding, the process of marking a book cover with the title or other distinguishing characters.

lexicography

The process of writing and compiling a dictionary or glossary. The writer/compiler is known as a lexicographer.

lexicology

The branch of human knowledge concerned with words--their history (origins), form, and meaning. See also: etymology.

lexicon

A special dictionary or glossary of the words of a specific science or subject. In the field of linguistics, the total stock of morphemes in a language.

librarian

A person responsible for the care of a library and its contents, including the selection and processing of materials and the delivery of information, instruction, and loan services to meet the needs of its users.

librarianship

See: library science.

library

A collection of books and other materials maintained for reading, consultation, study, and research and organized to provide access to a specific clientele, with a staff trained to provide services to meet the needs of its users. See also: academic library, public library, and special library.

library binding

An especially strong, durable binding which enables library books to withstand heavy use. Usually more expensive than the standard trade binding.

library card

A small paper or plastic card which identifies a person as a registered borrower who is entitled to check materials out from a library. Identification is usually required of new applicants. In most libraries in the U.S., library cards are barcoded for electronic circulation.

library collection

The total accumulation of books and other materials owned by a library, organized and cataloged for ease of access by its users. Synonymous with holdings.

library director

The person who has overall responsibility for supervising the operation of a library.

library district

A geographical area in which the citizens vote to accept a local tax in support of a library or library system, or one of the geographical areas into which a state is divided for the purpose of administering libraries in accordance with a state-wide plan. See also: public library.

library hours

The hours during which a library is open to its users.

library instruction

Instructional services provided by an instruction librarian to a group of users designed to teach them how to locate the information they need quickly and effectively. Library instruction usually covers the library's system of organization, the structure of the literature of the field or topic, research methodology appropriate to the discipline, and increasingly involves hands-on practice using computerized search tools. Synonymous with bibliographic instruction or BI. Compare with user education.

Library of Congress classification

A system for classifying books and other works devised for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. which divides human knowledge into broad categories indicated by letters of the English alphabet, with further subdivisions indicated by decimal notation.

Sample call number: PN 2035.H336 1991

In the United States, most research and academic libraries libraries use Library of Congress classification, while most school and public libraries use Dewey Decimal classification.

Library of Congress subject heading (LCSH)

A word or phrase assigned by the Library of Congress to a book or nonprint item to indicate what it is about. Multiple subject headings may be assigned to an item if necessary or desirable. The complete list of Library of Congress Subject Headings is published in a multi-volume set of large red books which is available in most public and academic libraries.

library school

A professional school, department, or division granting a postbaccalaureate degree in library science which is organized and supported by an institution of higher education for the purpose of preparing graduate students for employment in professional positions within a library or other information service. Library schools may be accredited or approved, or both.

library science

The professional knowledge and skill with which recorded information is selected, acquired, organized, and utilized to meet the needs of a community of library users. Usually taught in a professional library school which grants the postbaccalaureate degree of M.L.S. (Master of Library Science) or M.L.I.S. (Master of Library and Information Science). Synonymous with librarianship.

library system

A group of independent libraries joined by formal or informal agreement to achieve a specific purpose. Also, a group of commonly administered libraries, such as a central library and its auxiliary (branch) outlets.

libretto

The words or text to which an opera or other work for the musical stage is set. The person who writes a libretto is known as the librettist.

limited edition

An edition which is limited to a specific number of copies, usually numbered consecutively and sold at a higher price than the normal trade edition. The number of copies is usually about 200 to 500, and seldom more than 1500. Each copy bears a certificate, usually found on the leaf facing the title page, indicating the total size of the edition and the specific copy number. Individual copies may be signed by the author. A limited edition may be issued in addition to a regular edition, but printed on better paper and bound with finer materials. See also: deluxe edition.

list price

The price at which a publication or other item is made available to the public, decided by the publisher and quoted in the publisher's catalog, and not including any discount.

literacy

The state or quality of being able to read and write. See also: information literacy and computer literacy.

literal

Based on the exact words in their original meaning--not figurative or symbolic--as in a literal interpretation of a passage in a work such as the Bible. Also, the habitual interpretation of words or statements according to their denotation; prosaic or matter-of-fact.

literary agent

A person who arranges with publishers the publication and sale of works written by others, and who negotiates subsidiary rights, such as broadcasting, film, and performance rights. May also act in behalf of publishers in finding works to fill a particular need. Usually paid on commission by the author.

literary warrant

The quantity of works which have been written on a specific topic or subject.

literary work

A non-sacred work written in literary form (story, poem, play, novel, etc.) and recognized for its superior quality.

literati

Men of letters. Scholarly, learned or well-educated people.

literature

Writings in prose or verse which embody excellence of form and express ideas of universal and lasting interest. Also refers to the body of works produced on a particular subject, or in a particular language, country, or period.

literature review

A survey of progress in a specific field of science over a given period of time, which may take the form of a simple list of references, or an in-depth critical review of publications on the subject.

In scholarly journals, particularly those publishing in the sciences and social sciences, the first section of each article is usually devoted to a review of the previously published literature on the topic under discussion. Some serials, called annual reviews are devoted solely to the publication of literature reviews.

literature search

A systematic and exhaustive search for published material on a specific subject or subjects, usually the first step in a major research project.

little magazine

A periodical of relatively limited circulation, devoted to publishing poetry and avant-garde ideas. Synonymous with literary magazine.

loan period

See: checkout period.

local bibliography

A bibliography of books and other material about a specific geographical area smaller than a country. Usually includes material about the history, geography, architecture, and environment of the area, as well as works about the people born or residing in it. Often useful in the study of genealogy.

local collection

A library collection of books, prints, maps, illustrations, and other material relating to a specific geographical locality, usually the community in which the library is located. Useful in historical and genealogical research.

location symbol

Letters or words added to an item in a catalog, database, or bibliography to indicate the actual physical location of the item within the library.

logoff

The procedure by which a user closes or terminates communciation with a computer in a time-sharing mode. The opposite of logon. Also written log off or log-off.

logon

The procedure by which a user gains access to, and initiates communication with, a computer in a time-sharing mode. Usually requires an authorized username and password. The opposite of logoff. Also written log on or log-on.

loose-leaf

A mechanical binding which allows pages to be inserted or removed at any desired position in a publication. Two common forms are ring- and post-binding. In libraries, loose-leaf services usually provide reference material updated on a regular basis.

lost book

A library book lost by a borrower and never returned. Most libraries charge the borrower the replacement cost, or a fixed fee, for a lost book. Also, a book whose existence is known only by allusions to it or quotations from it in the writings of contemporary authors.

lower-case

Small letters other than capitals. The opposite of upper-case. See also: minuscule

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machine-readable

In a form that can be recognized, accepted, and utilized directly by a computer or other data processing device. Usually refers to data in digital format.

magazine

A popular or general interest periodical containing articles on a variety of topics by different authors. Usually includes color graphics and advertising printed on glossy paper. Articles tend to be short (1-3 pages). Most magazines are issued weekly or monthly. Compare with journal.

majuscule

A large letter used in Greek and Latin manuscripts of the 4th and 5th centuries A.D., as distinct from a small letter or minuscule. See also: upper-case.

manual

A compact book or handbook. Also, a book of rules or instructions on how to perform a task or process, or assemble or use a physical object.

manuscript

Strictly speaking, a work of any kind, written by hand. More broadly, the hand-written or typescript copy of an author's work before it is printed. Abbreviated M.S. See also: illuminated.

map

A two-dimensional representation, normally to scale, of all or a portion of the earth's surface or of the heavens, or another celestial body. Maps are usually stored in specially designed cases which allow them to lie flat. See also: atlas, cartography, and cartouche.

map index

An alphabetical list of geographic names or other features included on a map or series of maps, giving the location of each feature, usually by means of coordinates on a grid system. Compare with index map.

margin

The blank space around the printed or written material on a page. The four margins of a page are known as the top or head; the bottom, foot, or tail; the outside, outer, or fore-edge; and the inside, inner, or back. The combined inside margins of facing pages are known as the gutter. The relationship of the widths of the four margins is an important element in the proportions of a well-designed page. Standard proportions are: bottom margin double the top and inside margin 1/2 or 2/3 of the outside. See also: gloss and side note.

marginalia

See: side note.

mass-market paperback

A type of paperback book produced and distributed for sale in newsstands, supermarkets, and discount stores rather than in trade bookstores. The copies are usually of small size and printed on poor quality paper. Mass-market paperbacks are often works of fiction published in series in a specific genre and aimed at a specific gender or age group. See also: trade paperback.

masthead

A box or section printed in each issue of a newspaper or magazine, which states the title, publishers, ownership, editors, address and phone number(s) of offices, subscription rates, etc. Usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper, or at the top of page one. In magazines, it is usually printed on the page which lists the contents. Also known as the flag.

media

A generic term for nonprint materials such as films, filmstrips, videorecordings, audio compact disks, audiotapes, and computer software. Synonymous with audio-visual materials. More broadly, material in all formats which carry and communicate information.

media center

A facility within an educational institution which provides a full-range of media and media equipment, with staff trained to assist students and instructors in utilizing its resources. In some academic libraries, the media center is integrated into the library; in others it is administered separately.

medical library

A library which serves the information needs of students, researchers, and practitioners in the health sciences (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, etc.). Usually supported by a university, hospital, medical society, medical research firm, or unit of government concerned with public health. Synonymous with health sciences library.

memoir

The record of a person's investigations in a specialized field, especially one presented to a scholarly society. Also, a record of research or observation issued by a society or scholarly institution. Synonymous, in the plural, with proceedings or transactions.

memoirs

A narrative of events or reminiscences based on the writer's personal observations or special knowledge. See also: autobiography.

mending

Minor restoration of a book's condition, not involving the replacement of any material or removal of the book from its cover.

microfiche

A card-shaped piece of photographic film, usually 4x6 or 3x5 inches in size, used for storage of miniaturized text in a grid pattern which can be read only with the aid of magnification by a reader/printer machine. In most academic libraries, the ERIC document collection is available on microfiche, filed according to the 6-digit ED number assigned to each document. Back files of periodicals may also be available on microfiche. Abbreviated fiche. See also: ultrafiche.

microfilm

A continuous roll of photographic film, used for storage of miniaturized text which can be read only with magnification by a reader/printer machine. In some libraries, back files of periodicals are routinely converted to microfilm to save space. Reader/printer machines are usually available in libraries with microfilm holdings for viewing and making copies.

microform

A general term referring to all media for storing miniaturized text and graphics on film or paper. Includes both microfilm and microfiche. Reader/printer machines are usually available in libraries with microform holdings for viewing and making copies.

miniature

A colored initial letter or illustration in an illuminated manuscript. Also, a small, detailed drawing, painting, or portrait, usually on ivory or vellum. Also refers to a greatly reduced copy of a of document, designed to be read or reproduced with the aid of optical equipment.

mint

In the antiquarian book trade, a copy which is in the same condition as when it was published--new and unhandled--the highest possible grade in any evaluation of condition. Used books in mint condition command a higher price than copies which show signs of wear.

minuscule

A small letter in medieval handwriting from which modern lower-case letters are derived. See also: majuscule.

modem

Stands for modulator-demodulator--a device for translating digital signals from a transmitting computer terminal into analog data for transmission over a telephone line, and for reconverting analog to digital at the receiving end. See also: remote access.

monitor

An electronic display screen attached to a computer which enables the user to view images and text as output.

monochrome plate

An illustration printed in a single color, sometimes numbered and listed by number in the front matter of the book. See also: color plate.

monograph

A book or treatise on a specific subject or person in which the treament is detailed, but not extensive in scope. Frequently published in series. Most monographs include bibliographies.

monthly

Issued once a month, or twelve times per year, with the possible exception of certain designated months, usually in the summer. Many popular magazines are published monthly.

morgue

A reference collection in the office of a newspaper, consisting of back issues, clippings, photographs, and other material used by reporters to research, write, and edit articles for publication.

morocco

Leather made from the skin of a goat, believed to have been introduced in Europe by the Moors. One of the most durable leathers used in bookbinding, it is firm yet flexible.

mouse

A hand-held device which, when rolled across a desktop, causes a cursor or pointer to move across a computer screen. Most mouse operations can be executed more slowly using a keyboard.

multimedia

The combination and integration of more than one media format into a presentation or program, for example: computer graphics with audio.

multiple access

More than one access point to a file of data, for example, by author, title, subject, and keyword.

multiple user access

Accessibility of a file of data to more than one user at a time, for example, a multi-volume encyclopedia as opposed to a single-volume dictionary, or an electronic database for which the licensing agreement allows more than one simultaneous user.

museum library

A library maintained and supported by a museum containing books and other material related to its exhibits and areas of specialization. Circulation and use may be restricted to museum members.

music listening room

A special room or location within a library which is equipped with turntable, players, and speakers for listening to audiotapes, audio compact disks, and LPs. Registered borrowers, and sometimes members of the public, are permitted to use the equipment, usually for a limited period of time.

mystery

A novel, story, or play about an unusual thing or event, such as a murder or disappearance, which remains so secret or unexplained as to excite curiosity. See also: genre and fiction.

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name index

A list of personal names which appear in a text or other work, indicating the page numbers of all such appearances. Name indexes are almost always arranged alphabetically by last name, and appear at the end of the text. In the case of longer works, such as multi-volume encyclopedias, the name index may appear, along with other indexes, in a separate volume, usually the last in a set. Compare with author index.

national bibliography

A bibliography of documents published or distributed in a specific country, especially works written about that country and its inhabitants, or in its language.

national biography

A publication containing biographies of notable people living in, or associated with, a particular country.

national library

A library designated and funded by a nation's government as a comprehensive collection of the published output of that nation and which serves the nation as a whole. The national library of the United States is the Library of Congress, located in Washington, D.C.

natural language

A human language whose rules have evolved from current usage, as opposed to an artificial language whose rules are prescribed prior to its construction and use, as in the case of a computer language. In database searching, a natural language search allows the user to type words as input in the same way that a person normally speaks them.

nesting

In Boolean searching, using parentheses to embed a logical operation within another logical operation, thereby indicating the order in which the logical operators or commands are to be executed by a computer (syntax). In the following example, the Boolean or command will be executed first, followed by not and then and.

Search statement: children and violence and ((television or media) not cartoon*)

Netscape

A popular software program designed to facilitate browsing for information available at Internet sites on the World Wide Web (WWW).

network

An interconnected group of computers, usually administered by an operations center which controls, manages, and maintains the network and assists its users. Also, two or more organizations engaged in the exchange of information through common communication links, for shared objectives.

Newbery Medal

An honor awarded annually since 1922 under the auspices of the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished children's book published in the United States during the previous year. Donated by the family of Frederic G. Melcher, the medal is named after John Newbery (1713-1767), the British publisher who first published books specifically for children. See also: Caldecott Medal.

Click here to see a list of Newbery Medal winners.

newsletter

A serial publication consisting of one or a few pages providing news and information of interest primarily to a special group of readers, or to members of an organization or association.

newspaper

A publication printed on newsprint and distributed daily or weekly, containing news, editorials, regular commentary by syndicated columnists, cartoons, advertising, and other items of general interest. In libraries, newspaper back files are usually converted to microfilm or microfiche to save space. Reader/printer machines are usually provided for viewing and making copies of material in microform format.

newsprint

A type of coarse unsized, absorbent paper made primarily from wood pulp, which is widely used for printing newspapers and newsletters. Because it is bulky, and discolors and becomes brittle quickly, libraries usually convert newspaper back files to microfilm or microfiche

no date

A phrase, abbreviated n.d., which indicates that the publication date is not known. If a book or other item does not bear a publication date, but the correct date is ascertainable from other sources, it is indicated in the catalog entry inside [ ] (brackets).

nom de plume

See: pseudonym.

noncirculating

Library materials which may not be checked out. Noncirculating materials usually include rare books and manuscripts, reference books, periodical indexes, and sometimes the periodicals themselves.

nonfiction

Works portraying events which actually occurred and characters who actually existed. In libraries, nonfiction is shelved by Library of Congress call number. Compare with fiction. See also: documentary.

nonprint

Materials published in a format other than print on paper, including microfilm and microfiche, audiotapes, compact disks, films, videorecordings, and digitized information such as computer files.

nonresident's card

A borrower's card issued to a person who does not reside within the legal service area of a library or library system, usually upon payment of a modest fee and renewable at regular intervals.

note

A statement which explains a point in the text, or indicates the source of a quotation or assertion. Notes are usually numbered consecutively and may appear at the bottom of a page as footnotes, or at the end of a chapter or book as endnotes.

novel

A long story about people and events which exist only in the imagination of the novelist. Compare with novelette and short story. See also: fiction and genre.

novelette

A short novel, usually of 30,000-50,000 words. Compare with short story.

novella

A short prose narrative, often of a surprising event, which may have a moral and is sometimes satirical in style.

number

A single numbered or dated issue in a periodical or serial publication. One of the parts of a work issued in installments. See also: issue number. or

A single uniquely numbered or dated part of a serial or series. In a citation, the number usually appears in parentheses following the volume number. Also, a numbered fascicle.

numbered copy

A copy of a book in a limited edition, to which a number has been assigned by the publisher.

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obituary

A notice of someone's death, usually published in a newspaper or magazine. Often includes a brief biography of the deceased. The obituaries of well-known public figures are often researched and written in advance of the person's death, to be printed on short notice. Obituaries are indexed under the last-name of the deceased in the serial publication Biography Index available in the reference area of most libraries.

official title

The title which appears on the title page of a book and is used in the library catalog. See also: half title and uniform title.

offline

Computer accessories or devices which are not directly connected to, or under the control of, the central processing unit (CPU). See also: stand-alone.

offprint

A copy of an article, chapter, or other portion of a larger work which is printed from the same plates and at the same time as the original, but issued separately. Synonymous with separate. Compare with reprint.

omnibus book

A large single-volume reprint of several novels or other literary works, usually by the same author and originally published separately.

omnibus review

A critical article discussing a group of books or other items of a certain type, on a specific theme, or in a particular field.

on approval

An arrangement with a publisher in which a prospective purchaser, such as a library, has the opportunity to examine newly published material before deciding to buy it. Materials sent under such an arrangement must be returned within a specified period if not purchased. Compare with approval plan.

onlay

A decorative panel of paper or other material, superimposed onto the cover of a book. Compare with inlay.

online

Computer accessories or devices which are directly connected to, and under the control of, the central processing unit (CPU) in real time. In library usage, generally synonymous with automated, computerized, or electronic.

online catalog

A library catalog whose records are in machine-readable (digital) format and maintained on a computer which provides interactive access via terminals or PCs which are in direct, continuous communication with the computer during each transaction.

OPAC

An acronym which stands for Online Public Access Catalog, a computer catalog of the books and other materials owned by a library. See also: online.

opacity

The quality of non-transparency in book papers. Bright white papers are less opaque than off-white or creamy papers, and matt finish gives greater opacity than a glazed finish.

open entry

A record in a catalog or bibliography which leaves space for the addition of information concerning an item which is still in the process of publication, or for which the library does not own a complete set, as in a periodical subscription. In library holdings, open entries for periodicals are normally indicated by a hyphen following a volume number or year. Example: v.1- , 1936-

open stacks

Any shelving area in a library to which users have unrestricted access. Synonymous with open access. Compare with closed stacks.

optical scanner

A device which reads and translates handwritten, printed, or graphic information into digitial signals for input into a computer. In academic libraries, optical scanners are used to create digital images of materials for interlibrary loan and electronic reserve.

oral history

An aural record, or the transcript of an aural record, originally recorded on a magnetic medium such as audiotape, which is the result of a planned oral interview with a person whose memories of historical events are to be preserved.

original

In literature, written by the author, or in his (or her) own words. In art, a finished work as completed by the artist and ready for reproduction. In documentary reproduction, the document which is reproduced. May also refer to a first copy.

original binding

The binding applied to a copy of a book at the time it is originally issued. See also: rebinding.

out of print (OP)

A book or other published item which is no longer obtainable through regular market channels because the publisher's stock is exhausted. See also: antiquarian bookseller and used bookstore.

out of stock (OS)

A book or other published item which the publisher does not have in stock but will probably restock at a later date.

outdated

Information which is no longer current. In need of updating. Books are usually updated by supplements or in revised editions.

outline

A popular treatment of a very extensive subject, for example: The Outline of History by H. G. Wells. Also refers to a summary of a subject or topic, consisting of a systematic list of its most important elements or points.

output

The results of processing by a computer system, as distinct from data entered or transferred into the system for processing (input). Also refers to the signal which emanates from an video or audio player, as opposed to the signal fed into it.

outreach

Library services and programs designed to meet the information needs of a group which is underserved, for example, senior citizens or persons who are home-bound or institutionalized. Larger public libraries may have an outreach coordinator who manages outreach services.

overdue

An item from the circulating collection which has been checked out and kept by the borrower past its due date. Most libraries charge fines for overdue materials. Overdue charges can be avoided by renewing an item on or before its due date.

overdue notice

A printed or handwritten notice sent to a borrower requesting the speedy return of an item which been kept past its due date.

overprint

To print over matter which has already been printed, sometimes in a space or box left blank for that purpose. Also refers to the printing of more copies of a work than are ordered or needed. Unsold copies may be remaindered.

oversize

A book which is too large to be shelved in normal call number sequence on the shelves of a library. Oversize materials may be shelved in a separate location, as indicated in the entry in the library's catalog.

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page

One side of a leaf in a book. See also: folio, recto, and verso. Also refers to a library staff member responsible for delivering materials from closed stacks, and for performing stack maintenance such as reshelving and shelf reading.

page break

The point in the text at which one page ends and the next page begins.

page proof

A proof from type made up into pages after the galley proof has been corrected.

pagination

The system of marking the pages of a written or printed document with consecutive Arabic numbers to indicate their order. Front matter is normally paged in Roman numerals. Pagination is rare in manuscripts and documents printed prior to 1500 A.D., and did not become common practice until about 1550 when it replaced foliation.

paleography

The study of early forms of handwriting, including the deciphering of ancient and medieval manuscripts and other documents, and the letter forms used by ancient scribes of various language groups and cultures. British spelling is palaeography.

palimpsest

A manuscript written on a surface from which one or more earlier writings have been partially or completely erased or obliterated. This practice was common prior to the invention of