- kanji
- A subset of approximately 5,000 Chinese ideograms borrowed or adapted by the Japanese for use in their own written language. In 1946, the Japanese government selected a smaller subset of 1,850 for use in official publications and in newspaper/magazine publishing. Also refers to any one of these loan characters.
- keep down
- In typesetting, an instruction to the typesetter to use capital letters sparingly in the titles of works mentioned in the text. The opposite of keep up.
- keepsake
- An item given or kept as a memento, especially something printed for distribution by a club or organization on a special occasion (commemorative dinner, dance, concert, etc.). Click here to see examples, courtesy of the University of Delaware Library. Also used synonymously with giftbook.
- keep up
- In typesetting, an instruction to the typesetter to use capital letters at the beginning of each word of the title of any work mentioned in the text. Prepositions, conjunctions, and initial articles are usually kept down, making "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" an all up setting. In modern British practice, only the first word and proper names are capitalized ("The adventures of Huckleberry Finn"). In French, only the first word following the initial article and proper names are capitalized. In Italian, only the initial article is capitalized. In German, all nouns are capitalized.
- Kelmscott Press
- A private press founded in 1891 by the architect, designer, writer, calligrapher, and typographer William Morris (1834-1896), who sought to revive, in modern book production, the aesthetic of the medieval period and early printing. Although the Press survived only until 1894, the 53 books it issued set a very high standard of beauty and craftsmanship. For more information about the Kelmscott Press, see the entry in A Dictionary of Book History (Oxford University Press, 1986) by John Feather. Click here to see examples of works produced by the Press (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections) or see the exhibition catalog William Morris and the Art of the Book published in 1976 by the Morgan Library. Click here to see details of the Kelmscott edition of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, courtesy of Cornell University Library.
- kerf
- A shallow groove cut into the binding edge of the sections of a book, perpendicular to the spine near the head and tail of the text block, to allow the kettle stitching to be recessed. Also spelled cerf.
- Kermit
- An asynchronous communication protocol developed and maintained by the Kermit Project at Columbia University that enables files to be transferred from one computer system to another. Accurate, flexible, and customizable, Kermit includes terminal emulation and can be installed on almost any operating system. Although it is not in the public domain, Columbia University allows Kermit to be used as shareware but encourages users to purchase the product in support of the Project. Click here to connect to the homepage of the Kermit Project at Columbia.
- kern
- The portion of the face of a unit of type that extends beyond the edge of its body to overlap an adjacent character, for example, the lowercase italic f in many typefaces. Kerning also refers to the practice in typesetting of backspacing to tuck one character into another to avoid the appearance of irregular spacing in a line. Pairs of letters close-fitted in this way include AT, AV, Ta, Wa, etc. The term is also used in typesetting for the practice of reducing the space between characters to make copy fit a given line length.
- kettle stitch
- In hand-binding, a special end stitch taken near the head and foot of each section to lock the sewing thread after it passes down the fold, linking adjacent sections through their folds and producing two rows of kettle stitches perpendicular to the binding edge, one near the top and the other at the bottom of the spine. In some editions, a shallow groove called a kerf is cut into the binding edge at each end of the spine to recess the kettle stitching. Synonymous with catch stitch.
- keyboard
- A thin, flat peripheral device that allows a computer user to enter input by manually depressing keys marked with letters, numerals, and special characters. The keys can be arranged in a single set of parallel rows or split into two sets of rows (fixed or adjustable) to make them more ergonomic. A computer keyboard can be built in, as in a laptop, or a separate piece of equipment, as in most desktop personal computers. Click here to learn more about computer keyboards, courtesy of HowStuffWorks.
- key control
- The process of establishing and maintaining the list of persons authorized to access keys to the door locks and lockable equipment in a library, as a means of securing the facility's locking system. A full survey of all locks and lock locations must first be conducted and an inventory made of all existing keys. Then key distribution is carefully recorded, including keys retrieved from employees who leave library employment. Access to master keys is limited to essential personnel, using a two-key system in areas where security is especially important (rare books, special collections, computer equipment rooms, etc.). When not in use, keys are stored in a secure cabinet, with a log for recording name of borrower, date of issue, and date of return.
- key map
- A map showing the coverage of a set or series of more detailed maps, usually distinguished on the larger map by number, letter, or some other system of symbols. The keyed maps may or may not be overlapping. Compare this key to online zone maps of the city of Palo Alto, California, with this key map of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand (also clickable). Click here to see the key to Henry Popple's 18th-century 20-sheet Map of the British Empire in North America (Osher Map Library, University of Southern Maine). Also refers to a small diagram located in the margin of a sheet map or chart showing the outlines of the sheet and all adjacent sheets in the series. Also used synonymously with index map.
- keynote address
- A formal speech delivered at the beginning or on the first day of a library conference, often by a prominent person in or from outside the profession, usually on a topic related to the overall theme of the conference. The keynote address is intended to stimulate thought and set the tone for subsequent discussion.
- keypad
- A small handheld infrared device used in large-screen demonstrations of online systems to enable the instructor to control electronic equipment installed on the demonstration console. Also, the part of a full-size computer keyboard consisting of a set of programmable numeric keys, usually arranged in four rows on the far right-hand side.
Also refers to a security device consisting of a small set of numeric keys, usually mounted on a wall near a door, to allow the automatic alarm system to be deactivated and reactivated by a person typing a valid authorization code.
- key title
- The unique name assigned to a serial publication by the centers of the ISSN Network under the International Serials Data System (ISDS), usually (but not always) the same as the title proper. In library cataloging, the key title is entered immediately following the ISSN in the bibliographic record. If there is no ISSN, the key title is not added. Also spelled key-title.
- keyword(s)
- A significant word or phrase in the title, subject headings (descriptors), contents note, abstract, or text of a record in an online catalog or bibliographic database that can be used as a search term in a free-text search to retrieve all the records containing it. See also: stopword.
Most online catalogs and bibliographic databases include an option that allows the user to type words that describe the research topic (in any order) and retrieve records containing the search terms in the data fields the system is designed to search whenever the keywords option is selected. One disadvantage of a keywords search is that it does not take into account the meaning of the words used as input, so if a term has more than one meaning, irrelevant records (false drops) may be retrieved. Keywords are also used as access points in KWAC, KWIC, and KWOC indexing. See also: Boolean, search statement, and truncation.
- keyword index
- A type of subject index in which significant words, usually from the titles of the works indexed, are used as headings. When a string of keywords is rotated, such an index is said to be permuted. See also: KWAC, KWIC, and KWOC.
- kickstool
- A step stool designed to move on casters when gently pushed, often available in the stacks of libraries that have shelving too high to be reached by persons of average height (see this model). Many libraries in the United States favor a circular metal design with casters that retract under the downward pressure of a person's weight, a rubber bumper around the bottom that grabs the floor for steadier footing, and a nonskid plastic top tread for safety. Some models also have a rubber belly band to protect adjacent furniture from scratches and dents. Metal kickstools are available from library suppliers in a variety of colors to match interior decor.
- Kilgour, Frederick G. (1914- )
- A chemistry major at Harvard University, Frederick Kilgour worked at the Harvard University Library from 1935 to 1942, then as chief of the Interdepartmental Committee of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), where he applied his knowledge and experience to the problem of importing strategic enemy publications for military use during World War II. He served in the intelligence branch of the U.S. State Department after the war, then worked as librarian at the Yale Medical Library from 1948 to 1965 and was Associate Librarian for Research and Development at the Yale University Library in 1967 when offered the position of executive officer of the fledgling Ohio College Library Center (OCLC), an initiative of the Ohio College Association to make the books and journals of academic libraries in Ohio available to students and faculty at all the state's colleges and universities.
To achieve this goal, an online union catalog of the holdings of 37 Ohio academic libraries was created in 1971, dramatically decreasing the cost of cataloging in Ohio and later throughout the United States when the system was expanded. In 1978, an Interlibrary Loan Subsystem was added to the union catalog. OCLC evolved into the Online Computer Library Center and has grown into the largest bibliographic utility in the world. Kilgour ended his career as distinguished research professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. See also: Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology.
- kilobyte
- See: byte.
- kinescope
- A motion picture made by filming the images displayed on a television monitor.
- Kinetoscope
- From the Greek kineto ("movable") and skopos ("watcher"). The first motion picture viewer, invented by Thomas Edison and his assistant W.K.L. Dickson, demonstrated in 1893 at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, consisting of a large upright wooden cabinet housing a 50-foot loop of 35mm perforated film that revolved on a series of spools at a constant speed by means of an electrically driven sprocket wheel. The viewer, looking through a peephole in the cabinet, perceived a moving image. The camera in which the film was exposed was called a Kinetograph. Click here to see a moving Kinetoscope image and here to see a photograph of a kinetoscope parlour, circa 1895. Click here to learn more about the Kinetoscope, courtesy of the Library of Congress. See also: Mutoscope.
- kiosk
- A small circular pavilion, usually located near the entrance to a library, used for displaying announcements, dust jackets removed from new books, reading lists, comments and suggestions from library users (sometimes with responses from library administration), and other information concerning library operations and programs. See also: bulletin board.
Also refers to a free-standing furnishing equipped with a multimedia computer to allow users to retrieve information "on the run" via a touch screen, used in airports and other public locations to provide directions, scheduling information, etc.
- kipskin
- A leather, sometimes used in hand bookbinding, made from the skin of young or small cattle, intermediate in grade between calfskin and cowhide.
- Kirkus Reviews
- Published since 1933 under various titles, Kirkus Reviews is a semimonthly review publication covering books for adults, young adults, and children. ISSN: 0042-6598. Click here to connect to the Kirkus homepage.
- kit
- A set of related materials in more than one medium designed to be used as a unit with no single medium predominating, often stored in a container to keep the parts together. The category includes laboratory kits and packages of curriculum materials. Examples can be seen in the online exhibition Pastimes and Paradigms: Games We Play (Cornell University Library). In AACR2, the term also applies to a single-medium package of textual material, for example, a press kit or set of printed test materials. In academic libraries, instructional kits are usually housed in the curriculum room. Synonymous with multimedia item. Compare with game.
- KLIATT
- Published since 1967, KLIATT reviews paperback books, hardcover fiction, audiobooks, and educational CD-ROMs and software recommended for libraries and classrooms serving young adults. Each bimonthly issue also includes a feature article. ISSN: 1065-8602. Click here to connect to the KLIATT homepage.
- knowledge
- Information that has been comprehended and evaluated in the light of experience and incorporated into the knower's intellectual understanding of the subject. See also: epistemology.
- known-item search
- A search in a library for a specific work, as opposed to a search for any work by a known author or for works on a particular subject. If the title of the work is known, the easiest way to locate a copy is to search a library catalog or bibliographic database by title. When the user is uncertain of the precise wording of the title, the best strategy may be to search by author's name. If at least two or three significant words in the title are known with certainty, a keywords search may retrieve an entry for the work.
- Köchel number
- See: opus number.
- kollêsis
- The joint of overlap along which two sheets (kollêmata) in a roll of papyrus are glued together. Plural: kollêses.
- Koran
- See: Qur'an.
- kraft paper
- A heavy, unbleached grade of coarse paper, usually mocha brown in color, used for paper bags and wrapping paper because of its strength and fold endurance and also for the outer wrapper on magazines to protect the glossy cover from damage in mailing. In binding, a narrow strip of kraft paper may be used as a liner to reinforce the layer of thin fabric (known as crash or super) applied with adhesive to the binding edge of the sewn sections to hold them firmly together. To see examples, try a keywords search on the term in Google Image Search.
- Kunstlerroman
- From the German word Kunstler ("artist") and the French word roman ("novel"), a novel that traces the growth of a writer's creative genius from childhood to maturity, with particular attention to major trials and obstacles and their influence on the development of the artist's character and work (example: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce). Compare with Bildungsroman.
- KWAC
- An acronym for Keyword and Context (also known as Keyword alongside Context), an algorithmically generated index in which keywords from the title (and sometimes the text) of a document are printed as headings along the left-hand margin of the page, with the portion of the title or text following each keyword indented under the heading, followed by the portion of the title or text preceding the word. Unlike KWOC indexing, this method preserves multiword terms and phrases in the alphanumeric sequence of headings. Compare with KWIC.
- Example:
- academic
- support systems for distance learning. Libraries and
- distance
- learning. Libraries and academic support systems for
- learning
- Libraries and academic support systems for distance
- libraries
- and academic support systems for distance learning
- KWIC
- An acronym for Keyword in Context, a type of permuted index in which the title of a document (and sometimes the text) is used to illustrate the meaning of a keyword used as an entry. Tagged by hand or extracted from the document algorithmically, keywords are printed in alphabetical order at a fixed position in a line of fixed length (usually at the center), so that they appear in a column, with as much of the context as can be accommodated preceding and following each word. The keywords in the column may be distinguished typographically to make them easier to read. Keyword and context are usually coded to identify the document indexed. Compare with KWAC and KWOC.
Example:
| Libraries and | ACADEMIC support systems for distance learning. |
| ort systems for | DISTANCE learning. Libraries and academic supp |
| ems for distance | LEARNING. Libraries and academic support syst |
| stance learning. | LIBRARIES and academic support systems for di |
- KWOC
- An acronym for Keyword out of Context, a variation on the KWIC (Keyword in Context) index, in which keywords extracted algorithmically from the title of a document (and sometimes the text) are printed as headings along the left-hand margin of the page, with the titles or portions of text containing each keyword indented under the corresponding heading. A symbol may be substituted for the keyword in the string of text. Unlike KWAC indexing, this method does not preserve multiword terms and phrases in the alphanumeric sequence of headings.
Example:
- libraries
- academic support systems for distance learning. Libraries and
- distance learning. Libraries and academic support systems for
- learning. Libraries and academic support systems for distance
- support systems for distance learning. Libraries and academic
- systems for distance learning. Libraries and academic support
