Also refers to a library staff member responsible for delivering materials from closed stacks and assigned the routine task of general stack maintenance (reshelving, shelf reading, etc.). Also, to call a person by name over a public address system in a large facility, a practice avoided in libraries to minimize distraction.

In library cataloging, the portion of the physical description area (MARC field 300) of the bibliographic record that indicates the number of pages and/or leaves in a bibliographic item.

S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S

Click here to learn more about palindromes in Wikipedia.

In printing, a "list of works by the same author" appearing in some books on the verso of the leaf immediately preceding the title page, which may include titles out of print or even issued by other publishers.

Also, one of a series of drawings in a cartoon or comic strip created as a sequence of related images to be viewed from left to right.

Also refers to a brief composition, especially one prepared for presentation by the author at a conference or other professional meeting. Conference papers may be published in proceedings or transactions. They are indexed in PapersFirst, an online database available in OCLC FirstSearch. Compare with article. See also: invited paper.

Also refers to a form of bookbinding in which hot-melt adhesive is applied to the flat binding edge of the unsewn sections, securing them directly to a heavy paper cover cut flush. Durability depends on the capacity of the adhesive to remain flexible over time. See also: Otabind.

A - in new, unread condition, with no marking or stamps on the front cover, edges, etc.

B - slightly creased along the spine; may be marked with a name, initials, or bookstore stamp

C - reading copy with creases on the spine and signs of wear at the corners but with text intact

Prior to the mid-19th century, nearly all paper was made from cotton and linen rags reduced to pulp and placed in a vat containing a solution of water and size. Each sheet was produced by hand-dipping into the vat a wooden frame strung with a bed of metal wires, then agitating the frame to distribute the fibers evenly. The resulting mat of fiber was dried between sheets of blotting paper and pressed flat. Manufacturers used frames with a metal device embedded in the cross-wires to produce a distinctive watermark in each sheet. Click here to view illustrations from Joseph Jerome de la Lande's Art de Faire le Papier, published in Paris in 1761 (Cary Collection, Rochester Institute).

In 1798, a Frenchman named Nicolas Louis Robert invented a machine that manufactured a continuous roll of paper, subsequently developed and perfected in England in the Fourdrinier machine. Forty years later, a technique for making paper from wood pulp was developed in Nova Scotia. Despite these advances, the four basic steps of papermaking remain the same: (1) preparation of the fiber, (2) distribution of the resulting stock in a thin layer across a part of the machine called the web, (3) removal of moisture by various means, and (4) finishing the surface to give it the desired qualities. The Robert C. Williams Paper Museum at Georgia Tech maintains a Web site devoted to the history of papermaking. See also: calender, coated paper, dandy roll, and deckle edges.

In archives and special collections, a collection of personal and family documents, as distinct from formal records, which may include correspondence, diaries, notes, etc. Personal papers are often donated or sold to a library by the author or a member of the family after the author's death. In the United States, the papers of most 20th-century presidents are archived in special presidential libraries located at or near the president's place of birth or residence prior to election. The Library of Congress provides online exhibits of the The Thomas Jefferson Papers and The Frederick Douglass Papers. See also The Papers of John Jay, courtesy of the Columbia University Libraries. Smith College Libraries host Across the Generations: Exploring U.S. History through Family Papers. When received, papers are sometimes in need of conservation (see The Custis Family Papers: Preserving an American Treasure, courtesy of the Virginia Historical Society).

Also refers to an individual's official documents (birth certificate, identity card, passport, etc.).

Because papyrus is fragile and does not withstand damp conditions, very little survives of the magnificent libraries of Antiquity. The term also refers to manuscripts written on papyrus, mainly in the form of scrolls. Papyrology is the study of ancient papyrus texts. Click here to see the Egyptian Book of the Dead written on a papyrus scroll from the 15th century B.C. (Schøyen Collection, MS 1638). The Duke Papyrus Archive provides an online exhibition of papyrus manuscripts, many of which survive only in fragments. The University of Michigan also owns a large Papyrus Collection searchable via APIS (Advanced Papyrological Information System). Plural: papyri.

X00 - personal names

X10 - corporate names

X11 - meeting names

X30 - uniform titles

X40 - bibliographic titles

X50 - topical terms

X51 - geographic names

Although costly to produce, parchment was more durable than papyrus, which it eventually replaced. During the Middle Ages it was used to make the leaves of manuscript books, one of the reasons books of that period are so thick. Because parchment is naturally oily, it had to be rubbed with an abrasive substance called pounce to prepare it for writing. It is also darker and smoother on the hair side than on the flesh side, so the quires of medieval manuscripts were assembled with hair side facing hair side and flesh side facing flesh side to make the openings in a book uniform in color and texture. Tiny specks on the hair side are traces of hair follicles. The tendency of parchment to cockle with changes in temperature and humidity, and of the grain side to curl in upon itself under dry conditions (the outer side of animal skin being less elastic than the flesh side), was addressed by binding the text block in heavy wooden boards fitted with straps, ties, or clasps to keep the volume tightly closed when not in use. To learn more about parchment, see the Medieval Manuscript Manual. Click here to see a 16th-century laced parchment binding, courtesy of the Princeton University Library. The term also refers to a document written or printed on parchment, such as a map or diploma. Compare with vellum.

Parentheses are also used in Library of Congress subject headings and indexing to add parenthetical qualifiers, as in the heading AIDS (Disease), and in online searching to indicate syntax in Boolean search statements in a technique called nesting, as in the statement violence and children and ((television or media) not cartoon*). Compare with square bracket.

• distinguish homographs, as in Bowls (Game) and Bowls (Tableware)
• indicate a specific meaning of the term, as in Mice (Computers)
• eliminate ambiguity, as in AIDS (Disease)
• indicate a specific use of the term, as in Nutcracker (Ballet)
• give the context of an obscure word or phrase, as in Obatala (Yoruba deity)
• give the location of a geographic name that is not well known, as in Kymi River (Finland)
• specify the academic discipline in which a subject is studied, as in Extinction (Psychology)
• indicate language, as in Sudanese fiction (English)
• indicate that a proper name is imaginary, as in Ophelia (Fictitious character)
• indicate instrumentation in music, as in Suites (Bassoon and flute)

Compare with scope note.

In music, one of the voices or instruments for which an ensemble work is composed. Also, a written or printed copy of the notation in which the music for a voice or instrument is recorded for use in performance, indicated as part in the physical description area of the bibliographic record (AACR2). In the full score of an ensemble work, each part appears on a separate stave. See also: condensed score and part book.

Also refers to all the physical components of a bound volume, including the text block, endpapers, spine, boards or case, headband or headcap, squares, hinges and joints, etc. Click here to see diagrams of the physical parts of a book bound in hardcover.

Also, a person who helps sponsor the creation, copying, or printing of an original work. In medieval Europe, the patron who commissioned a manuscript was sometimes depicted in a presentation miniature or other illustration in the work. See Simon de Varie kneeling in prayer in his Book of Hours (Getty Museum, MS 7) and James IV of Scotland using his prayer book (Getty Museum). During the 16th and 17th centuries, when returns from the fees paid by printer/publishers were meager, many writers could not have flourished without the patronage of wealthy individuals and institutions. It was not unusual for a sponsored work to be formally dedicated to the benefactor, in gratitude and hope of further financial assistance.

In a more general sense, any person or group that encourages or supports an activity, project, or institution such as a library, especially by providing funds or other material resources.

Also, a service that allows members of a television audience to purchase the right to view specific programming provided by the broadcaster at the same time as other viewers who request the same content, as distinct from video on demand (VOD) systems which allow users to view recorded content in real time or downloaded for viewing at any time. Feature films, concerts, sporting events, and pornographic movies are often delivered on a pay-per-view basis. Abbreviated PPV.

Also refers to a method of performance evaluation in which the quality of a worker's job performance is assessed by the employee's peers within the organization, usually as part of a formal review process resulting in a recommendation to management.

Because ink flows best from a quill pen when it is held perpendicular to the page, medieval scribes propped up their writing material at an angle and controlled the pen with the whole hand, rather than the fingers. Quills are dip pens, so the inkpot or inkhorn had to be kept close at hand. Pen trials to test a newly trimmed nib were made on a discarded scrap of vellum before work commenced. Illustrations in medieval manuscripts of scribes at work reveal that copying was a two-handed activity (see this example). The pen was held in one hand and a knife in the other to hold down the springy surface of the parchment and erase mistakes quickly. To learn more about the use of quill pens in manuscript production, see the Medieval Manuscript Manual. Dip fountain pens consisting of a steel nib mounted in a wooden holder came into use in the late 18th century. Although models with reservoirs appeared in the 1830s, the modern fountain pen did not become widespread until the late 19th century. See also: penwork initial.

In history and literature, an interval of time, usually of indefinite beginning and/or ending date(s), characterized by certain events, conditions, or characteristics of style, such as the Romantic period (early 19th century in Europe) or the Victorian period (late 19th century in Britain). In library cataloging, the period of a work is indicated by adding a chronological subdivision to the class or subject heading.

The category includes magazines, sold on subscription and at newsstands; journals, sold on subscription and/or distributed to members of scholarly societies and professional associations; and newsletters, but not proceedings or the other regular publications of corporate bodies as they relate primarily to meetings. Nor are newspapers formally classified as periodicals--although many libraries store newspapers with magazines and journals, separate values are assigned for periodicals and newspapers in the 008 field of the MARC record to indicate type of serial. Also, the statement in AACR2 that serials include periodicals, newspapers, annuals, proceedings, and numbered monographic series implies that newspapers are not considered periodicals.

Periodicals are published by scholarly societies, university presses, trade and professional associations, government agencies, commercial publishers, and nonprofit organizations. The most comprehensive directory of periodicals is Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory published annually by ProQuest, available in the reference section of libraries in the United States. Content is indexed in finding tools called periodical indexes and abstracting services, usually by subject and author.

Also, the production of a book in a style resembling that of an earlier period, although the text may have been written by a contemporary author, usually conceived by the publisher as a promotional device.

Example:

895.8 Burmese literature

PERIOD TABLE

1 Early period to 1800

2 1800-1900

3 1900-2000

4 2000-

For works not limited to a specific language, period notation is taken from Table 1 --0901-0905 of the auxiliary schedules.

ANSI/NISO has established a standard (Z39.48) for the permanence of paper used in materials for libraries and archives, based on specifications for acidity, tear resistance, alkaline reserve, fiber content, and residual amounts of certain substances used in manufacture (rosin, chlorine, etc.). Under normal use and storage conditions in libraries and archives, paper meeting the ANSI standard should last for several hundred years without significant deterioration. In books, compliance is indicated by the mathematical symbol for infinity ∞ printed inside a circle on the copyright page or in the colophon. In periodical publications, the symbol is printed on the masthead or in the copyright area. Synonymous with durable paper.

Blacks. Higher education. Intellectuals. Libraries. 1900-1960.

Higher education. Intellectuals. Libraries. Blacks. 1900-1960.

Intellectuals. Libraries. Blacks. Higher education. 1900-1960.

Libraries. Blacks. Higher education. Intellectuals. 1900-1960.

Also refers to a photographic copy of an existing photograph, as opposed to a duplicate print made from the same negative.

The Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin provides an online exhibition on The First Photograph. Click here to see a selection of photographically illustrated books of the 19th century (British Library). Other exhibitions can be seen at The American Museum of Photography and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, or try Yahoo! on the history of photography. Compare with motion picture. See also: aerial photograph, cabinet card, carte-de-visite, crystoleum photograph, fisheye photograph, macrophotograph, microphotograph, photographic essay, photomap, photomontage, photomosaic, Polaroid, publicity photograph, snapshot, still, and stock photograph.

In libraries, photographs are collected as original prints and as reproductions. They are also published as illustrations in books and periodicals. Still photographs are also digitized for use as illustrations in documents available online and on CD-ROM. The Library of Congress provides information about The Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs. Click here to learn about the Jerwood Photography Project at the British Library. See also: American Society of Picture Professionals and photo-safe.

In motion pictures, a similar effect is achieved in time, rather than space, by projecting a selection of images in such rapid succession that in the mind of the viewer they are associated in a way that gives them meaning not apparent when viewed separately or at a slower pace.

The term is also used by commercial outlets that specialize in providing visual images (see the Mary Evans Picture Library in London).

In archives, the most basic unit of description and arrangement that can be retrieved from a repository as a separate and distinct entity under its own reference, regardless of format. If a file of documents is described as a single unit, a document within that file would not be considered a piece; however, a single document once part of a file, such as a letter or memorandum, might be a piece, provided the file as a whole is not made a unit of description.

Synonymous in music with a single composition.

Also refers to a collection of written nautical directions assembled to meet the requirements of navigation in specific coastal or intracoastal waters, containing information that is difficult to convey on nautical charts. Click here to browse current and historical coast pilots available online from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). See also: portolan.

The use of the Internet to appropriate the ideas or expressions of another has been dubbed cyberplagiarism. The cut-and-paste capability of most word processing and Web browser software has facilitated plagiarism. Submission of an essay or term paper purchased prewritten from an online paper mill is one of the most flagrant forms of plagiarism. Astute instructors keep abreast of the latest techniques for detecting this and other forms of cheating. For more information, see Sharon Stoerger's Web site Plagiarism. Compare with forgery.

Because they are not integral to the gathering, plates are excluded from the pagination; however, they are usually numbered in roman or arabic numerals and listed in order of appearance in a separate part of the front matter. In the bibliographic record created to represent an item in the library catalog, the number of leaves or pages of plates is indicated in the physical description area, following extent of text. Compare with cut. See also: color plate, double plate, monochrome plate, and plate number.

Originally, a flat piece of wood or a sheet of metal used to print, emboss, or engrave a design, illustration, or image on paper, vellum, or some other printing surface. In modern printing, photomechanical plates are used to print both text and illustrations. See also: plate mark.

In photography, a rigid, comparatively thick support for the layer of photosensitive material (emulsion) bearing the image. Glass is used for its flatness and where dimensional stability is essential. In the tintype, a thin metal sheet, usually of iron, was used to support the emulsion. Compare with film.

Also, a designation assigned to an item of music by the publisher, consisting of an abbreviation, initials, or words identifying the publisher, sometimes followed by a number corresponding to the number of pages or plates, usually printed at the foot of each page and sometimes on the title page (AACR2). In music cataloging, plate number is recorded in the note area of the bibliographic description (example: Pl. no.: B. & H. 8797-8806). Compare with publisher's number.

In publishing, the emphasis or attention given a news story or article by virtue of its position in the publication (front or back), placement on the page (top or bottom), or typographical treatment (played up or played down). Also, to operate any device designed to receive broadcast signals (radio or television) or reproduce sound recorded on any medium (phonograph record, audiotape, compact disc, videotape, etc.). See also: playback.

In the book trade, a disused slang term for a new book that does not sell.

Poet laureates were originally appointed for life as officers of the royal household in England, where they were expected to compose poems for state occasions, but the post is now conferred mainly as a mark of distinction. In the United States, the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry is appointed annually by the Librarian of Congress and receives a stipend. Wikipedia provides a list of British poet laureates.

In historical bibliography and antiquarian book trade, a specific characteristic or peculiarity of printing or binding (usually a minor defect or error) by which copies of a first edition can be distinguished or priority of issue established within an edition that has undergone multiple printings. See also: fingerprint.

In cartography, a zero-dimensional abstraction represented by a single x, y or x, y, z coordinate, used on a map or chart to represent a geographic feature too small to be displayed as a line or area, for example, the location of a building on a map of a city or of a city on a small-scale map of a state or country. Point symbols are also used to represent abstract features that lack areal extent, for example, the epicenter of an earthquake.

Kodak began selling safety film made with a polyester base in the mid-1950s. It is the toughest film base in use today and more chemically stable than acetate film. Because of its tensile strength, it can be made thinner than most other motion picture stock and is less susceptible to damage caused by careless handling. Most new 35mm release prints shown in American cinema theaters are made on polyester base because it outlasts other types of film; however, currently available film cements cannot be used on polyester--splices must be made with tape or by an ultrasonic process.