ODLIS — Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science by Joan M. Reitz Now available in print! Order a copy of the hardcover or paperback from Libraries Unlimited.

E

EAD

See: Encoded Archival Description.

ear

A small decorative design printed on either side of the title in the flag at the head of the front page of a newspaper. Also refers to a small projection found on the upper-right-hand edge of the lowercase "g" in some typefaces.

earliest entry

A method of cataloging serials that have undergone title changes, in which the bibliographic description is based on the earliest issue and all subsequent titles are recorded as notes in the single bibliographic record. This convention was followed in the United States in the early part of the 20th century but eventually replaced, first by latest entry cataloging in the ALA Rules and then by successive entry cataloging in AACR.

early adopter

A person, organization, or institution that begins using a new technology at or near the time of its introduction in the market place, rather than waiting to see if it will be successful.

early book

Books produced during the earliest periods in which human activities were recorded--on clay tablets in Mesopotamia, on papyrus scrolls in ancient Egypt, on tree bark or palm leaves in Asia, etc.--usually to record sacred prayers and rituals, traditional sagas and epics, lists of dynastic succession, laws and legal decisions, property ownership and taxation, magical incantations, astronomical observations and astrological predictions, important medical knowledge, etc. Because of the amount of labor required, early books were usually produced in single copies.

early copy

See: advance copy.

early journal

A journal that began publication during the 17th, 18th, or 19th century (example: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London issued for the first time in 1665). In a library, copies of early periodicals may be stored in special collections, or accessible in digital format or on microform, to protect the originals from damage. The Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford provides online access to the Internet Library of Early Journals (ILEJ). See also The Spectator Project at Rutgers University.

easel

A metal, wood, or plastic rack or stand on a tripod base designed to allow an open book or periodical to be displayed face-out as part of an exhibit or presentation. Large models are used to display flip charts in presentations.

easel binding

A type of comb or spiral binding designed with rigid extended covers that can be folded back to form the base of a triangle, allowing the book or notebook to stand upright when opened, with the spine across the top. The text is printed parallel with the spine, and the pages are turned up and over, instead of from side to side. To see examples, try a keywords search on the term in Google Image Search.

easy book

A heavily illustrated book with limited text written to appeal to the interests and reading ability of children from preschool to third grade, usually shelved in a separate section of a school library or children's room in a public library. Synonymous with easy reader.

easy reader

See: easy book.

e-book

See: electronic book.

EBSCO

A commercial company that provides subscription management services, electronic journal access, online bibliographic and full-text databases, and an online book ordering service to libraries and related institutions. EBSCO is currently one of the three leading aggregators of journals available in electronic full-text. Click here to connect to the EBSCO homepage. See also: ProQuest and Thomson Gale.

EBSS

See: Education and Behavioral Sciences Section.

eclogue

A short pastoral poem, or part of a longer one, traditionally in the form of a dialogue between a pair of shepherds, for example, Spenser's The Shepheard's Calendar (1579). The term lost its pastoral connotation in the 18th century and now refers to a poem in which a serious theme is developed through a monologue or dialogue, as in Rosalind and Helen (1819) by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

e-collection

See: digital collection.

e-conference

See: mailing list.

economies of scale

The decrease in cost of production that occurs as the extent of an operation is enlarged, for example, reduction in the cost of preparing new items for circulation, achieved by processing them in large batches rather than a few at a time, an argument used to justify centralized ordering and processing in library systems. If marginal cost (cost of producing an additional unit) is less than average cost, an economic incentive exists to produce additional output. Diseconomies of scale occur when average cost increases as output increases. In large libraries, efficiency can be enhanced by taking advantage of economies of scale. Synonymous with scale economies.

economy binding

Any one of a variety of methods for binding library materials that are less expensive than standard binding, generally used for volumes expected to receive limited circulation. The material is bound as received, with no mending or collation, and the width of inner margins may not be checked by the binder. The preferred method of leaf attachment in economy binding is double-fan adhesive or side sewing, rather than sewing through the fold, and the volume is given little or no rounding and backing, producing a flat back. A lower grade of covering material is used and the color may be selected by the binder, or from a limited number of choices. Click here to compare images of standard versus economy periodical binding, courtesy of Roswell Bookbinding.

écrasé leather

Leather used in bookbinding that has been mechanically crushed or flattened to give its surface a particular grain and then highly polished. Click here to see an example.

Edgar Allan Poe Awards

A series of literary awards given annually by Mystery Writers of America (MWA) in the mystery fiction genre. Separate awards are given for best novel, best first novel by an American author, best paperback original, best critical/biographical work, best fact crime story, best short story, best work for young adults, best work for juveniles, best television episode teleplay, and best motion picture screenplay. Click here to learn more about the Edgar Awards.

edge

The outermost limit of the cover or sections of a book, or of one of its leaves, or of an unbound sheet. The fore-edge is opposite the binding edge of the text block (the spine of a bound volume). The other two edges are the head and tail. See also: black edges, deckle edges, edge decoration, edge-worn, gauffered edges, and gilt edges.

edge code

One or more symbols printed by the manufacturer along the edge of motion picture film stock to indicate production data, such as date and location of manufacture. Kodak used a series of 1-3 standardized symbols to indicate year of manufacture for both 16mm and 35mm film, repeating the codes every 20 years until the system was revised in 1982. Film copies may be marked with two or more edge codes, one for the original stock and one for each of the generations printed from it (the film is likely to have been shot sometime between the first two codes). Kodak edge codes for 8mm and 16mm film are provided online by Filmforever.org

edge decoration

Ornamentation applied to one or more of the trimmed edges of the sections of a book, a general term term that includes gilding, gauffering, edge painting, marbling, sprinkling, staining, daubing, etc. Click here to see an elaborate 16th-century example (Saxon State Library) and here to see a 17th-century example with gilt edges to which color has been added (Royal Library of Denmark). Examples of the various types of edge decoration are provided by the Princeton University Library.

edge painting

A picture drawn or painted on the edges of the sections of a book with its leaves closed, a common form of decoration in the Middle Ages. On some books, painting was done on all three edges but on most only on the fore-edge. Click here to see a 19th-century example from the MacDonald Collection at Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia, and here to see an example from the Ransom Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. In England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the technique was refined to make the picture visible only when the leaves were slightly fanned. In double fore-edge painting, two different images are displayed by fanning the leaves first in one direction, then in the other. Edge painting may also be concealed beneath gilt or combined with gauffering for an especially elegant effect (see this example, courtesy of the Princeton University Library).

edge title

A title written in ink on one or more edges of the sections of a book, not by the binder but by the owner. This method of marking the outside of a volume was used until the 16th century when books began to be shelved upright with the spine out, instead of flat with one of the edges facing out.

edge-worn

A condition in which the covering material along one or more edges of a bound volume appears roughened or has been completely worn away by abrasion, exposing the edges of the boards, more common on the tail edge than the fore-edge, and rare on the top edge. Click here to see an example of an edge-worn binding.

EDI

See: Electronic Data Interchange.

edible book

An object made of ingredients that can be consumed and digested as food, which has the appearance of a book or makes reference to a book title, format, or structure, for example, a "rare book" made of thin slices of roast beef bound together by a scallion. Click here to see examples from an edible book festival sponsored by Yale University. To see other examples, try a keywords search on the term in Google Image Search. The concept adds a new dimension to the phrase "eat your words."

edited

A single work, or two or more shorter works by the same or different authors, prepared for publication by a person other than the author, whose name usually appears as editor on the title page. In the bibliographic description, the editor's name is given in the title and statement of responsibility area (field 245 of the MARC record) following the phrase "edited by." For works with more than one editor, the names are listed in order of appearance on the chief source of information, followed by the word "editors."

editing

In publishing, the process of revising, correcting, and preparing for publication material submitted by an author in manuscript or typescript form, usually performed by one or more editors. Also refers to the work of gathering together and preparing for publication in a single volume or uniform set of volumes the previously published works of one or more authors, usually done by someone else. For information about the process of documentary editing, see In His Own Hand: Editing the Papers of George Washington by Mary Anne Andrei and Philander D. Chase (University of Virginia). See also: documentary editing.

In data processing, the revision of a document, such as a machine-readable bibliographic record, usually by selecting from an edit menu an option to cut, copy, paste, or delete portions of text or by reformatting the text in some manner.

Film editing is the process of selecting from the total footage shot those portions that are to be included in a motion picture, then splicing them together in a sequence of scenes that tells a story (feature film) or conveys factual information about the subject (documentary). A similar process occurs in the production of audio- and videorecordings. See also: final cut and outtake.

edition

All copies of a book, pamphlet, fascicle, single sheet, etc., printed from the same typographic image and issued by the same entity in the same format at one time or at intervals without alteration. An edition may consist of several impressions in which the text and other matter are not substantially changed. In older publications, the terms impression and edition are virtually synonymous since type was broken up for reuse after the first printing. For some books, especially reference books and textbooks, the content of the original edition may be revised and the text republished under the same or an altered title. Unless the publisher states that a work is a revised edition or expanded edition, the first revision is known as the second edition. Subsequent revisions are numbered in the order in which they are published. The latest edition is the most current, but older editions may contain useful information deleted from later ones.

In the case of electronic resources, all copies of a work embodying essentially the same content, issued by the same entity, for example, a version of a Web page updated on a specific date. For unpublished items, all copies made from essentially the same master production, for example, the original and one or more carbon copies of a typescript (AACR2). For other materials, including nonprint items, all copies produced from essentially the same master copy and issued by the same entity, whether distributed by that entity or not. In a more general sense, the format (particularly the size and shape) in which a work is published.

Also applies to one of the formats in which a literary work or collection of works is published, usually for a specific purpose or market, for example, a book club edition, colonial edition, deluxe edition, export edition, library edition, limited edition, paperback edition, shorthand edition, special edition, or trade edition. It is not uncommon for a new book to be published in multiple editions, for example, Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001) by Laura Hillenbrand, published in hardcover, trade paperback, special illustrated collector's edition, hardcover large print, audiocassette, audio CD, e-book, and audio download. In library cataloging, the edition is indicated by ordinal number and/or description in the edition area of the bibliographic description. Abbreviated ed. See also: bibliophile edition, co-edition, facsimile, reprint, and signed edition.

In newspaper publishing, one of two or more printings issued on the same day, for example, the "Early Edition" or the "Late Edition." In radio and television, a program broadcast at a particular time of day ("Morning Edition").

edition area

In library cataloging, the area of bibliographic description in which information pertaining to the edition is entered, usually by ordinal number (15th ed.) and/or description (Rev. ed.), including the edition statement and statements of responsibility relating to the edition. In the MARC record, these data elements are given in field 250.

edition binding

See: publisher's binding.

edition statement

In library cataloging, the portion of the edition area of the bibliographic description in which the edition of the work is indicated by ordinal number (7th ed.) and/or description (Rev. ed.) as found on the item, using standard abbreviations found in Appendix B of AACR2. If an item lacks an edition statement but is known to include important changes from previous editions, a brief statement in the language and script of the title proper is provided by the cataloger in square brackets. In the MARC record, the edition statement is given in subfield a of field 250.

editio princeps

Latin for "original edition." Usually reserved for the first printed edition of a work previously available only in manuscript form. For other works, the term first edition is preferred in analytical bibliography and the antiquarian book trade.

editor

A person who prepares for publication the work(s) of one or more other authors. An editor may be responsible for selecting material included in a collection or for preparing manuscript copy for the printer, including annotation of the text, verification of the accuracy of facts and bibliographic citations, polishing grammar and style, organizing front and back matter, etc. Periodicals and large reference works often have a general editor or editor-in-chief who supervises the work of an editorial staff. Compare with compiler. See also: author's editor.

In large publishing houses, the editing process may be divided into separate functions, each performed by a different person:

Acquisition editor - scouts and evaluates new works for recommendation to the publisher

Manuscript editor - assists the author in developing and organizing the work

Copy editor - perfects details of grammar and style, checks the accuracy of facts, quotations, citations, etc.

Managing editor - coordinates resources required for publication and develops the publication schedule

Production editor - oversees the transition from editorial process to production (printing, binding, distribution)

Also refers to the individual in charge of the content of a newspaper, magazine, or journal, and in some cases its publication, whose name is given in the masthead. See also: editorial, editorial board, and letter to the editor.

editorial

A brief essay expressing clearly and unequivocally, and sometimes with artful persuasiveness, the opinion or position of the chief editor(s) of a newspaper or magazine with respect to a current political, social, cultural, or professional issue. Editorials appear on the editorial page of a newspaper, usually printed at the end of the news section. The editorial page may also include letters to the editor. Syndicated columns and political cartoons usually appear on the op-ed page (opposite the editorial page). In newsmagazines, editorials and columns usually precede the feature articles or appear on the last page(s). Compare with advertorial. See also: journal of commentary.

editorial board

A group of people responsible for controlling the editorial content and overseeing the publication of a newspaper or periodical whose names are usually given in the masthead. In magazine publishing, the editorial board establishes the overall editorial policy and tone to be followed by staff writers, selects columnists, and decides which letters to the editor will be published. In journal publishing, the board usually controls the evaluation and selection of articles submitted by independent scholars for publication.

editorial content

The portions of a newspaper or periodical containing content controlled by the editor(s) or editorial board (articles, columns, editorials, letters to the editor, illustrations, political cartoons, etc.), as opposed to the space devoted to advertisements, notices and announcements, etc.

editorial control

The assurance of quality provided in publishing by the process of manuscript selection and editing. In scholarly publishing, control of editorial content is usually maintained through peer review. Editorial control is largely absent on the Internet where self-publishing is the norm.

editorialize

To put forth an opinion or position on a subject, usually with intent to persuade the listener or reader to adopt or at least consider the point of view of the speaker or writer. Also, to inject personal opinions or comments into an otherwise objective discussion or account, a technique used in essays, editorials, columns, letters to the editor, and other forms of persuasive writing but considered inappropriate in scholarly publication and in works of fiction.

editorial page

See: editorial.

educational film

A motion picture of any length made for instructional or training purposes, usually to teach the viewer about a given subject or skill, especially one made to be viewed in the classroom (examples can be seen in the trade catalogs of Films for the Humanities & Sciences). Synonymous with instructional film.

educational videotape

A videotape designed and marketed to schools and libraries as a teaching tool, sometimes for use in conjunction with a specific curriculum unit. Educational videos tend to be priced higher than feature films and mass-market nonfiction videos.

Education and Behavioral Sciences Section (EBSS)

The section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) within the American Library Association (ALA) devoted to serving the interests of education and behavioral sciences librarians. Formed in 1968, EBSS currently has about 1,000 members concerned with issues related to bibliographic instruction, collection development, the applications of technology, library administration, and communication of research findings in education and behavioral sciences librarianship. Click here to connect to the EBSS homepage.

Educators of Library Media Specialists Section (ELMSS)

The section of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) within the American Library Association (ALA) that provides a forum for the exchange of ideas concerning the education of library media specialists and for the review and study of curricula. ELMSS also fosters research by educators at colleges and universities offering education and training programs for school library media specialists. Click here to connect to the ELMSS homepage.

EFF

See: Electronic Frontier Foundation.

e.g.

An abbreviation of the Latin phrase exempli gratia, meaning "for the sake of example."

eggshell

A smooth, slightly pitted finish given to uncoated paper or board that produces a soft, nonglossy surface resembling the shell of a bird's egg. Most antique papers have this type of finish.

Eighteenth Century Short-Title Catalogue

See: English Short-Title Catalogue.

e-journal

See: electronic journal.

election ticket

A slip of paper, usually long and narrow, on which are printed the names of all the candidates officially endorsed as representing a particular political party in a specific election, along with the titles of the offices sought (click here and here to see examples). As documentary evidence, election tickets are of considerable interest to historians. The term is also used collectively in reference to the candidates themselves.

electronic book

A digital version of a traditional print book designed to be read on a personal computer or an e-book reader (a software application for use on a standard-sized computer or a book-sized computer used solely as a reading device). Although the first hypertext novel was published in 1987 (Afternoon, A Story by Michael Joyce), electronic books did not capture public attention until the online publication of Stephen King's novella Riding the Bullet in March 2000. Within 24 hours, the text had been downloaded by 400,000 computer users. Some libraries offer access to electronic books through the online catalog. A universally accepted format and simple delivery system are needed. Click here to see the Google list of digital publication sites or try Digital Book Index. Synonymous with digital book, e-book, ebook, and online book.

electronic collection

See: digital collection.

electronic conference

See: mailing list.

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)

The computer-to-computer exchange of business messages (purchase orders, schedules, invoices, claims, job specifications, etc.) in standard format transactions without human intervention. In the book industry, a Standard Address Number (SAN) is needed to send or receive EDI transactions. For companies that operate from multiple sites, each location is assigned its own SAN to increase efficiency and reduce the number of misdirected shipments.

electronic discussion list

See: mailing list.

electronic document delivery

The transfer of information traditionally recorded in a physical medium (print, videotape, sound recording, etc.) to the user electronically, usually via e-mail or the World Wide Web. Libraries employ digital technology to deliver the information contained in documents and files placed on reserve and requested via interlibrary loan.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

A group of people (lawyers, technologists, volunteers, and visionaries) who share a passionate commitment to defending digital information, innovation, and technology from attempts by government and business to restrict freedom of expression. Current key issues include censorship, copyright law, digital rights management, DMCA, e-voting, file sharing, privacy, RFID, spam, and the USA Patriot Act. Click here to connect to the EFF homepage.

electronic journal

A digital version of a print journal, or a journal-like electronic publication with no print counterpart (example: EJournal), made available via the Web, e-mail, or other means of Internet access. Some Web-based electronic journals are graphically modeled on the print version. The rising cost of print journal subscriptions has led many academic libraries to explore electronic alternatives. Directories of electronic journals are available online (example: Ejournal SiteGuide: a MetaSource maintained by the University of British Columbia Library). Synonymous with e-journal. Compare with electronic magazine.

electronic magazine

A digital version of a print magazine, or a magazine-like electronic publication with no print counterpart (example: Slate), made available via the Web, e-mail, or other means of Internet access. Some Web-based electronic magazines are graphically modeled on the print version (example: The New Yorker). NewsDirectory is an example of an online e-magazine directory. Synonymous with e-zine and Webzine. Compare with electronic journal.

electronic mail

See: e-mail.

electronic newsletter

A newsletter published online, usually via the Internet, with or without a print counterpart, for example, ALSConnect, the newsletter of the Association for Library Service to Children.

electronic preservation

See: digital preservation.

electronic publication

A work in digital form capable of being read or otherwise perceived, distributed to the general public electronically. The category includes electronic journals and e-prints, electronic magazines and newspapers, electronic books, Web sites, Weblogs, etc. Some electronic publications are online versions of print publications; others are born digital. Synonymous with e-publication.

electronic publishing

The publication of books, periodicals (e-journals, e-zines, etc.), bibliographic databases, and other information resources in digital format, usually on CD-ROM or online via the Internet, for in-house users, subscribers, and/or retail customers, with or without a print counterpart (example: Journal of Electronic Publishing (JEP)). Synonymous in this sense with e-publishing. Also used synonymously with desktop publishing.

electronic records

Bibliographic or archival records stored on a medium, such as magnetic tape/disk or optical disk, that requires computer equipment for retrieval and processing. Compare with machine-readable records.

electronic reference

See: digital reference.

electronic reserves

Items placed on reserve that an academic library makes available online to be read on a computer screen, downloaded to diskette, or printed as needed. Permission may be required to use works not in the public domain. Software for electronic reserves systems is available from commercial vendors (example: ERes from Docutek Information Systems). The University of Texas provides a Web site on Copyright Law and Electronic Reserves. Synonymous with e-reserves.

electronic resource

Material consisting of data and/or computer program(s) encoded for reading and manipulation by a computer, by the use of a peripheral device directly connected to the computer, such as a CD-ROM drive, or remotely via a network, such as the Internet (AACR2). The category includes software applications, electronic texts, bibliographic databases, institutional repositories, Web sites, e-books, collections of e-journals, etc. Electronic resources not publicly available free of charge usually require licensing and authentication. Abbreviated e-resource. See also: electronic resources management.

electronic resources management (ERM)

Systems developed to assist librarians in the control of licensed third-party resources published electronically (databases, e-books, e-journals, etc.), including license management, renewal, legal use, access management, and collection development. In 2001, a small group of academic librarians began to create metadata specifications for managing electronic subscriptions and their associated titles. The group was later asked by the Digital Library Federation (DLF) to deliver formal specifications for vendors, as a replacement for various homegrown systems. Innovative Interfaces Inc. was the first library automation vendor to market an ERM software module based on the DLF specifications, and other vendors have followed suit. Compare with digital asset management.

electronic selection

The use of Web-based tools to develop library collections, as opposed to reliance on printed selection slips or cards supplied by approval services and review sources. Electronic selection tools have the advantage of providing: (1) additional information to selectors, such as tables of contents, dust jacket descriptions, and full reviews; (2) e-mail alerts that can be keyed to a selector's profile; and (3) ease of processing. To learn more about the use of e-selection in an academic library, see the article "Stop Sending Those Cards" by Jordana Shane and Steven Bell in the October 2003 issue of C&RL News. Abbreviated e-selection.

electronic style

Accepted format for citing (in footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies) information available in digital formats, such as computer software, abstracts and full-text articles retrieved from bibliographic databases, messages posted to newsgroups and mailing lists, and documents available on the World Wide Web. Click here to connect to the Yahoo! list of electronic style guides.

The most recent print editions of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers also include sections on citing electronic resources.

electronic text

The words used by an author to express thoughts and feelings presented in digital, as opposed to printed or handwritten, form. To be displayed with formatting on a computer, text must first be encoded in a markup language. Electronic text can be "born digital" or converted from another format. The first initiative aimed at making texts in the public domain available electronically was Project Gutenberg. See also the Electronic Text Center established in 1992 by the University of Virginia Library and The Online Books Page (University of Pennsylvania). Abbreviated e-text.

electronic theses and dissertations (ETD)

Master's theses and Ph.D. dissertations submitted in digital form rather than in print on paper, as opposed to those submitted in hard copy and subsequently converted to machine-readable format, usually by scanning. Forty universities in the United States and over 100 institutions worldwide currently participate in the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), an initiative to require that all theses and dissertations be submitted in electronic format.

elegy

In classical literature, a lyric poem composed in couplets of alternating hexameter and pentameter lines, a form known as elegiac meter. In English literature through the 17th century, a song or poem of melancholy or solemn contemplation. In contemporary usage, a formal poem lamenting the death of a person (example: In Memory of W.B. Yeats by W.H. Auden) or the phenomenon of mortality in general (Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray). Compare with eulogy.

element

In library cataloging, a discrete unit of data (word, phrase, or group of characters) constituting part of an area of description within the bibliographic record created to represent an item, for example, the publication date in the edition statement or the number of pages or plates in the physical description. Similarly, a unit of information within a field of a record in a bibliographic database, for example, the journal title or volume number in the source field of an entry representing a periodical article. Also, a discrete component of metadata.

elephant folio

In nonspecialty publishing, a large folio, usually about 23 x 14 inches (58 x 35 centimeters) in size. The term double elephant folio refers to the very large paper size (about 50 inches high) used in printing works such as Birds of America by John James Audubon (click here to see sample pages, courtesy of the State Library of Victoria, Australia). Compare with atlas folio.

elevation

In cartography, the vertical distance of a point or object on the surface of the earth, or another celestial body, from a datum or reference surface (usually mean sea level), not to be confused with altitude, which refers to points or objects above the surface. On relief maps, differences in elevation are indicated by contours, shading, hypsometric tint, hachures, etc. The National Elevation Dataset (NED) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey is designed to provide elevation data for the United States in a seamless form with a consistent datum, elevation unit, and projection. See also: digital elevation model and vertical exaggeration.

el-hi book

See: elhi book.

elhi book

A term used in the educational book trade in the United States to refer to a textbook published specifically for elementary and high school students, usually revised and updated regularly by publishers anxious to retain market share. In a more general sense, any book published for elementary and/or high school age readers. Also spelled el-hi. See also: El-Hi Textbooks & Serials in Print.

El-Hi Textbooks & Serials in Print

A reference serial published by R.R. Bowker since 1985, indexing elementary and high school textbooks currently in print, by author, title, and a classified list of subjects. Textbooks published in series are indexed separately. Elhi serials are indexed by subject and title. ISSN: 0000-0825. Former titles: Textbooks in Print (1956-1968) and El-Hi Textbooks in Print (1969-1984). See also: Children's Books in Print.

elision

From the Latin elisio, meaning "a striking out." The omission of a vowel or silent consonant at the beginning or in the middle of a word (example: you've for you have or ne'er for never), or the omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable in the pronunciation of a word or phrase. In orthography, the omission is indicated by an apostrophe. Compare with contraction. See also: ellipsis.

ellipsis

The use of square brackets ([ ]) or three full points (...) or a series of asterisks (****) in handwritten or printed text to indicate the omission or suppression of a word or words (four points if the omission ends a sentence). Often used to reduce the length of a quotation without altering its meaning or significance. Compare with elision.

ELMSS

See: Educators of Library Media Specialists Section.

e-magazine

See: electronic magazine.

e-mail

An abbreviation of electronic mail, an Internet protocol that allows computer users to exchange messages and data files in real time with other users, locally and across networks. E-mail requires a messaging system to allow users to store and forward messages and a mail program with an interface for sending and receiving. Users can send messages to a single recipient at a specific e-mail address or multicast to a distribution list or mailing list without creating a paper copy until hard copy is desired. Faster and more reliable than the postal service, e-mail can also be more convenient than telephone communication, but it has raised issues of security and privacy. Commonly used e-mail programs: Lotus Notes, Eudora, Sendmail, Critical Path. Most Internet service providers offer an e-mail option to their subscribers. Click here to learn more about e-mail, courtesy of HowStuffWorks. Also spelled email. See also: attachment, body, encryption, footer, header, netiquette, and SMTP.

e-mail address

A string of characters used to route messages from one computer to another over a network governed by the Internet protocol for electronic mail (SMTP).

E-mail addresses follow a standard format containing no spaces:

United States: username@domainname.domaincode

Other countries: username@domainname.countrycode

Examples:

smithj@myuniversity.edu

duboisf@universite.fr

Click here to view the Yahoo! list of e-mail directories.

embargo

The period during which the articles published in a periodical are not available in online full-text from a journal aggregator, usually the most recent one to three years. Journal publishers have established such periods to prevent libraries from canceling print subscriptions. In most periodical databases, this restriction applies only to a small proportion of the titles indexed, but in JSTOR nearly all the journals are embargoed. Not to be confused with an exclusive agreement between a journal publisher and an aggregator.

embedded database

An informational database accessible from within another software application, such as Microsoft Office 2003, which includes a feature enabling users to highlight words or phrases in their document or select a "look up" option to open a research window and enter keyword(s) in a data entry box, then select the source or service they wish to search. Microsoft has contracted with third-party content providers to incorporate some sources (Encarta Encyclopedia, dictionaries, and a thesaurus) directly into its applications. Other providers, such as Factiva, LexisNexis, and Gale, provide some free information normally retrievable only by logging on to their proprietary sites, with additional information available for a fee. In most cases, users must pay for full-text with a credit card if they do not have access to an institutional subscription. The main advantage of embedded databases is convenience to the user.

emblem

A moral fable, allegory, or abstract quality expressed pictorially, sometimes with an accompanying motto or verse. Also, a figure of an object (or objects) representing symbolically a person, family, people, or nation, as on a heraldic device (coat of arms) or image of a saint or hero. Click here to view a hand-drawn emblem of virtue from the 17th-century album amicorum of Michael van Meer (University of Edinburgh Library, La.III.283), and here to view an emblem printed in the Book of Emblems by Andrea Alciato, published in Augsburg in 1531 (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, SM 18).

emblematic decoration

Pictorial motifs used in the manner of a badge in bookbinding and manuscripts to indicate the name or identity of the author, the owner of the volume, its country of origin or ownership, or its subject content. Click here to see an example indicating the identity of the owner, courtesy of the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. See also: armorial binding.

emblem book

A type of illustrated book, popular from the early 16th century to about 1700, containing a collection of symbolic engravings or woodcuts called emblems, each expressing a moral adage or principle, accompanied by an epigram, motto, proverb, or brief explanatory text in prose or verse. Included in this category are books with the text arranged in symbolic designs, for example, crosses. The form was revived by the poet William Blake in Gates of Paradise. Emblem books are studied as cultural artifacts providing information about popular culture, the use of allegory, the relationship of word to image, reading practices, and printing history. Click here to browse emblems from a 17th-century copy of Andrea Alciato's Emblematum liber (Book of Emblems) first published in 1531 (Memorial University of Newfoundland), and here to see a copy published in Paris in 1602 (Royal Library of Denmark). See also Reading with the Mind's Eye: A Virtual Emblem Book Exhibit (Nana Diederichs, University of Iowa) and this selection of Spanish emblem books (Glasgow University Library).

embossed

A decorative design or lettering raised in bas-relief above the surface of a sheet or page, or the cover of a book, an effect produced by the use of printing or stamping dies. Employed throughout the history of binding and printing, embossing is a mechanical technique now used mainly in the production of art books, elegant greeting cards, and other decorative items. Click here to see samples of embossed paper. Click here to see a deeply embossed 19th-century leather binding (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections BD6-f.12) and here to see examples of embossed cloth publisher's bindings (Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University). To see other examples, try a keyword search on the term "embossed" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. See also: brocade paper, cuir ciselé, and embossed print.

embossed print

A raised graphic image made by forcing paper into low relief by pressing it into the hollows in a printing plate or block, often with the use of little or no ink (see this example). Compare with cast paper print.

embrittled

See: brittle.

embroidered binding

A book with boards covered in cloth decorated with raised stitching in designs executed by a professional embroiderer, usually from a pattern book, in thread of colored silk and/or metal (gold or silver), sometimes with pearls and sequins sewn on, a style commonly used during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance on devotional books. Canvas was used as the fabric base from the 14th to the mid-17th centuries, but velvet was preferred during the Tudor period in England and satin in the Stuart.

Click here to view a 17th-century English Bible embroidered in metallic thread on cream satin (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, Dk-i.17). Some embroidered bindings were also jeweled as in this 17th-century Dutch example (Koninklijke Bibliotheek). Click here to see more examples (Princeton University Library) or try a search on the keyword "embroidered" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings.

emendation

Correction or improvement, especially of a literary or artistic work or written document, by alteration of the text, whether done by the author or another person, such as an editor. Also, a specific instance of such an alteration. Click here to see holograph emendations in a typescript of Philip Roth's Patrimony, courtesy of the Library of Congress. In textual criticism, the correction (usually by judicious inference or informed conjecture) of a text found to have been corrupted in transmission, restoring it to a state presumed to be closer to the original.

emergency plan

A set of guidelines or steps prepared in advance to help the staff of a library deal with unusual occurrences that may temporarily disrupt normal operations (assaults, bomb threats, security violations, etc.) but are not usually disastrous. Compare with contingency plan and disaster plan.

e-metrics

The systematic definition, collection, and analysis of statistical data about networked environments and the use of electronic resources, particularly useful in e-commerce. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has undertaken an E-Metrics Project for academic libraries. Click here to see a list of NISO Z39.7-2004 e-metrics elements for libraries and information providers. Also spelled emetrics. Synonymous with Webmetrics.

EMIERT

See: Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table.

Emmy Award

One of several awards given annually in the United States by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding programming in news and documentaries, sports, and daytime television. Click here to see a list of the most recent Emmy Award winners.

emoticon

An abbreviation of the term emotional icon. See: smiley.

employee handbook

A manual, often printed in loose-leaf form, describing the rights, responsibilities, privileges, rules, expectations, etc., associated with employment in a company, organization, agency, or institution, usually distributed to employees at the time they are hired. At academic institutions that grant faculty status to librarians, the faculty handbook usually serves this function and may also cover governance. Compare with procedure manual.

emulation

The process by which a computer program or device designed to allow one system to imitate another accomplishes that task. Terminal emulation software allows a PC user to log on to a mainframe as if the PC were the type of terminal normally used for that purpose.

In digital archiving, a preservation technique that employs special software, called an emulator, to translate instructions from an original archived software program to enable it to run on a newer platform, obviating the need to preserve obsolete hardware and system software.

emulsion

A stable colloidal suspension of one immiscible liquid in another. In photography, the light-sensitive coating on a plate, sheet of paper, or plastic film base that carries the image. On black and white film, the emulsion consists of very fine silver halide crystals dispersed in a gelatin medium that are converted to metallic silver particles in processing. The emulsion side of black and white film appears duller and more textured than the smooth, shiny base side. On color film, the emulsion contains three layers of photosensitive dyes: yellow, cyan, and magenta. The emulsion and base sides of color film can be difficult to distinguish, but the image appears slightly raised on the emulsion side. Considered a scientific art, the making of photographic emulsions often involves trade secrets jealously guarded by commercial film manufacturers.

encapsulation

The process of enclosing a flat document in a thin, transparent polyester envelope, the edges of which are sealed to protect it from damage, used in conservation and preservation to provide support for large, fragile sheets such as maps, charts, posters, etc., while allowing them to remain visible on both sides (click here to see encapsulation used in the preservation of newspapers). The procedure does not alter the condition of the document by adhering it to the film, as does lamination (the sheet can easily be removed by slitting one or more sides of the envelope). When this method is used to preserve a bound item, the leaves must be cut apart and each one encapsulated separately. The envelopes can then be bound together again. Although encapsulation provides protection from impurities in the atmosphere, it does not retard processes of deterioration inherent in the object. Click here to learn more about the process of encapsulation, courtesy of the Florida Bureau of Archives and Records Management.

encaustum

From the Latin encausticus, meaning "burnt in." A purplish-black, highly durable ink made from a mixture of iron salts and gallic (tannic) acid, preferred by Irish and Anglo-Saxon scribes during the early Middle Ages because it bonded well with the surface of parchment or vellum and was not grainy, compared to ink made from lampblack. Also spelled incaustum.

enchiridion

From the Greek word for "handbook," a volume of a size that can be easily carried in a person's hand. In the Christian religious tradition, a manual of devotions (example: Saint Augustine's Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love).

enclosure

Any foreign material placed between the leaves of a book or other bound item, or between the cover and free endpaper, by someone other than the publisher or binder. Some enclosures are incidental, for example, scraps of paper or other material used as bookmarks. These are discarded by the library in processing. Others are clearly intentional and may be worth preserving, for example, newspaper and magazine clippings (usually reviews of the book or stories about the author), portions of the dust jacket (the biographical note and/or portrait of the author), letters and notes, photographs, etc. Acid migration from enclosures made of acid paper may mark the pages of a book or other publication (see this example). Paper clips, pins, rubber bands, pressed leaves and/or flowers, etc., may also leave marks that are difficult to remove. The term does not include bookplates, date due slips, and labels affixed within the item. Compare with insert.

Encoded Archival Description (EAD)

The EAD Document Type Definition (DTD) is a nonproprietary standard for encoding in Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) or Extensible Markup Language (XML) the finding aids (registers, inventories, indexes, etc.) used in archives, libraries, museums, and other repositories of manuscripts and primary sources to facilitate use of their materials. EAD was developed in 1993 on the initiative of the UC Berkeley Library and is maintained by the Library of Congress, in partnership with the Society of American Archivists. Click here to learn more about EAD.

encoding

In information retrieval, the process of converting a message or data into electronic signals that can be processed by a computer or transmitted over a communications channel. The opposite of decoding. Compare with encryption.

encoding level

One of several modes of library cataloging recognized by the Library of Congress as appropriate, depending on a library's resources and needs and the amount of descriptive detail available to the cataloger. The levels are: full level, core level, minimal level, collection level, and copy cataloging.

encryption

The process of converting data contained in a message into a secret code prior to transmission via public telecommunication channels to make the content incomprehensible to all but authorized recipient(s). In computing, the modification is often done by means of a transformation algorithm. Encryption is a security measure taken to protect confidential information, such as credit card numbers used in online business transactions and to ensure that only those who have paid for a fee-based service can obtain it. Click here to learn more about encryption, courtesy of HowStuffWorks. The opposite of decryption. See also: cryptanalysis.

encumbrance

In library acquisitions, an amount charged against a budgetary fund to cover a prior commitment to purchase materials, equipment, services, or supplies, removed once full payment is made or the order is canceled. Encumbrances are tracked by the library to prevent over-expenditure.

encyclopedia

A book or numbered set of books containing authoritative summary information about a variety of topics in the form of short essays, usually arranged alphabetically by headword or classified in some manner. An entry may be signed or unsigned, with or without illustration or a list of references for further reading. Headwords and text are usually revised periodically for publication in a new edition. In a multivolume encyclopedia, any indexes are usually located at the end of the last volume. Encyclopedias may be general (example: Encyclopedia Americana) or specialized, usually by subject (Encyclopedia of Bad Taste) or discipline (Encyclopedia of Social Work). In electronic publishing, encyclopedias were one of the first formats to include multimedia and interactive elements (example: Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Online). The modern encyclopedia began with the 21-volume Encyclopédie edited by Denis Diderot and Jean d'Alembert, an expression of the rationalism of the 18th-century Enlightenment (Cornell University Library). Also spelled encyclopaedia. Synonymous with cyclopedia. Compare with dictionary.

Encyclopedia of Associations

An annual reference serial published by Thomson Gale providing detailed directory information on over 22,000 nonprofit American membership organizations of national scope. Each entry typically includes the organization's official name, address, and phone/fax numbers; the primary official's name and title; founding date, purpose, and activities; size of membership and dues; national and international conferences; and publications. Each edition includes an alphabetically arranged name index and keyword index and a separate volume containing geographic and executive indexes. Companion volumes are available from the same publisher for international organizations and regional, state, and local organizations.

endangered

In libraries and archives, a category of item, or group of items, whose continued existence is threatened, usually by deterioration or the obsolescence of equipment required to read the format. Preservation may require conversion to a format of greater permanence. Synonymous with at risk.

endbands

A collective term for the protective headband and tailband attached to the top and bottom of the spine of a book with a sewn binding. Originally hand-worked, they consisted of a core of leather, parchment, cord, rolled paper, or cane covered in decorative linen or silk embroidery and sewn to the quires, with the ends laced into the boards. In modern binding, they are machine-made and simply glued on. Click here to see endbands on 15th- to 18th-century bindings (Princeton University Library) and here to see how hand-sewn endbands are made.

end matter

See: back matter.

endnote

A statement printed at the end of a chapter or book to explain a point in the text, indicate the basis of an assertion, or cite the source of a concept, idea, quotation, or piece of factual information. Like footnotes, endnotes are numbered, usually in superscript, and listed in the sequence in which they appear in the text. Compare with in-text citation.

endowment

A permanent fund accumulated by an institution over an extended period consisting of gifts and bequests invested to provide an ongoing return, all or a portion of which is expended, sometimes for purposes specified by the donor(s), leaving the principal intact to generate further income. A library may be separately endowed or share in the endowment of its parent institution. Click here to see an example of an endowment program at an academic library. See also: fund-raising.

end panel

A single- or double-faced flat piece of wood, steel, or other rigid material securely attached to the end of a range of library shelving, usually extending from the floor to the top of the unit to cover the shelf ends facing an aisle or open area. End panels also help provide structural rigidity to shelving, of particular importance in regions prone to earthquake. The panels may be painted or covered with material that aesthetically enhances the library's interior decor. End panels in wood may be custom-made to match library furnishings.

endpaper

In bookbinding, a sheet of thick, strong paper folded down the center, one-half of which is pasted to the inside of the front or back board, the other half forming the first or last leaf (the flyleaf or free endpaper), to protect the text from the boards and counteract the pull of the cover on the boards. The fold in each endpaper functions as a hinge, joining the text block to the cover and allowing the attached board to swing open and closed (see this diagram). For extra strength, some books have double endpapers.

In early printed books, binding waste was sometimes used for endpapers, as in this example (Princeton University Library). From the 17th century on, decorated endpapers were used in hand-binding. Click here and here to see marbled endpapers in early editions. Click here to see decorated endpapers in a 17th-century volume dedicated to Frederik III of Denmark (Royal Library of Denmark). In modern book production, the color of the endpapers often complements the material covering the boards. Maps, genealogies, tables, or illustrations are sometimes printed on the endpapers, especially in biographies and historical works (see this example). Also spelled end-paper. Synonymous with endleaf and endsheet. Compare with doublure.

end support

See: bookend.

end-user

In information retrieval, the person or persons for whom a mediated literature search is conducted and to whom the results are delivered. In a more general sense, the person for whom any search requiring the use of library resources or other information services is performed.

end-user search

In information retrieval, a literature search conducted by the person who actually intends to use the results, as opposed to a mediated search conducted by a trained specialist on behalf of the user.

e-newsletter

See: electronic newsletter.

English Short-Title Catalogue (ESTC)

A project begun in 1977 by the British Library under the title Eighteenth Century Short-Title Catalogue for the purpose of compiling a comprehensive record of books, pamphlets, and other printed material published in Great Britain and its colonies and printed in the English language anywhere else in the world, from 1701 to 1800. When the decision was made to include monographs and serials printed prior to 1701, the title changed to English Short-Title Catalogue. Produced by the ESTC editorial offices at the University of California, Riverside, and the British Library, in partnership with the American Antiquarian Society and over 1,600 libraries worldwide, the ESTC represents all recorded English monographs printed between 1475 and 1700. Updated and expanded daily, the extensively indexed file is available from the Research Libraries Group (RLG) in RLIN. Plans are under way to digitize images of sample publications from the collections of various research libraries. Click here to connect to the ESTC (1473-1800) Web site. See also: Short-Title Catalogue.

engraved edition

An edition of a book or other publication printed from engraved plates, rather than by the setting of movable type, a process generally reserved for limited editions due to the additional expense. Click here to see an 18th-century edition of a work by Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) printed by this method (Bakken Library and Museum). From the late 16th to the early 20th century, engraving was also one of the methods used to print music scores. Engraving services are still available to composers and songwriters (see Soundsmith Music).

engraving

An illustration or print made from a design incised with a sharp, pointed tool called a burin or graver on the surface of a metal plate or hardwood block. The lines are inked and an impression made by pressing a sheet of paper or some other printing surface against the plate, in a process known as intaglio.

Views in Glasgow is a set of twenty metal engravings published in 1843 by Allan & Ferguson (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, Bh12-y.14). Click here to see the wood engraving Dream (Mantis religiosa) done in 1935 by M. C. Escher (Georgetown University Libraries, Georgetown University). For other examples, see the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Timeline of Art History. Click here to learn more about wood engraving during the Victorian period, courtesy of the British Library. Compare with etching. See also: copperplate, drypoint, engraved edition, stipple engraving, and wood engraving.

enlarged edition

See: expanded edition.

enlargement

A reproduction or copy produced on a larger scale than the original. Some photocopiers have the capacity to enlarge an original. The opposite of reduction. Synonymous, in photography, with blowup.

enlargement print

See: blowup.

ensemble work

A musical work composed for more than one voice and/or instrument singing or playing together, for example, soprano and piano, or a string quartet.

entity

As defined in FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records), one of the key objects of interest to users of information within a given domain of "things" described by bibliographic data. In FRBR, entities are divided into three groups: (1) the products of intellectual or artistic endeavor (work, expression, manifestation, and item); (2) the individual(s) or corporate bodies responsible for creating intellectual or artistic content, for producing or disseminating the content in physical form, or for maintaining custody of the products; and (3) the subjects of intellectual or artistic expression (concept, object, event, place). Each type of entity has a defining set of attributes, for example, the attributes of a "work" include the title, form, date of work, intended audience, etc. The nature of the link between entities is their relationship; for example, an expression may be an "adaptation of" a pre-existing work.

entrance level

See: entry level.

entry

A single record in the library catalog representing an item contained in one of its collections. See also: added entry and main entry. Also, a record in a bibliographic database representing a work indexed and/or abstracted.

Also refers to a reference in a bibliography or printed index and to the information given under a headword in a dictionary or under a heading in a reference work such as an encyclopedia or handbook.

In a more general sense, any point of access to a file of bibliographic records or other data (name of author, title of work, series title, assigned subject heading or descriptor) under which a record representing a specific item may be searched and iden