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.

P

P2P

See: peer-to-peer.

packaged book

A book produced wholly or in part by a freelancer or agency in the business of assembling books for publication. The extent of the packager's role is determined by the agreement with the publisher, which may include writing, editing, designing, illustrating, printing, and even binding the final product. Portions of the production process may be subcontracted out to specialists. Compare with managed book.

packet switching

Network technology that breaks a message in digital format into tiny parcels of no more than 128 characters, each with the same destination address, then routes them separately as transmission circuits become available. When the packets reach their destination, they are checked to ensure that no data was lost in transmission, then reassembled in original sequence. Packet switching enables the transmission capability of a computer network to be used with maximum speed and efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing productivity. The Internet uses packet switching.

packing list

See: shipping list.

padded binding

A book with one or more layers of compressible material, such as cotton batting, added to the surface of the boards before the outer covering is applied, to make the binding soft to the touch (see this example). The style was used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries on albums, diaries, volumes of poetry, etc.

padded envelope

A flexible wrapper made of heavy-duty kraft paper and lined with soft fiber or air bubbles to protect items in shipment (see this example). Used extensively in interlibrary loan, padded envelopes are available from library and office suppliers in various sizes and are reusable if opened carefully. Synonymous with padded mailer.

page

One side of a leaf in a manuscript, book, periodical, or other printed publication, numbered or unnumbered. The right-hand page in an opening is the recto, the left-hand page the verso. Abbreviated p. and pp. (plural). See also: folio and jump page. Also, a shortened form of the term Web page.

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.

page break

The point in a text at which one page ends and the next page begins, indicated in most word processing software by a horizontal broken line across the screen. See also: orphan and widow.

page head

See: headline.

page number

A number assigned in sequence to a page in a manuscript, book, pamphlet, periodical, etc., to facilitate reference. Page numbers are written or printed in the head or tail margin, usually centered or in the outer corner. Front matter is usually paginated in lowercase roman numerals, text and back matter in consecutive arabic numerals. Blank pages are left unnumbered. Compare with foliation. See also: blind page.

page preview

A feature of most word processing software that allows the format of a page of text to be viewed on the screen exactly as it will appear when printed. See also: WYSIWYG.

page proof

In printing, an impression made from type that has been made up into pages after the galley proofs have been inspected and any errors corrected, ready for final checking before the publication goes to press, the author's last opportunity to make minor changes.

pagination

The practice of marking the pages of a written or printed document with consecutive numbers to indicate their sequence. Front matter is usually numbered in lowercase roman numerals, text and back matter in arabic numerals. Rare in manuscripts and documents printed prior to A.D. 1500, pagination did not become common practice until about 1550 when it replaced foliation. The recto traditionally bears an odd page number and the verso an even number. Blank pages are left unnumbered. See also: blind page, continuous pagination, duplicate paging, journal pagination, magazine pagination, repaginated, separately paginated, and unpaginated.

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.

paging system

See: public address system.

painted binding

A style of binding in which a design or picture is painted directly on one or both covers of a book. Because of its light color and smooth surface, vellum was the best covering material for this type of decoration before paper came into widespread use. To see examples, try a search on the keywords "painted and vellum" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. Click here to see a 16th-century calf binding by Christopher Plantin on which some of the tooled elements are painted in white, gray, black, green, and red (Koninklijke Bibliotheek). See also this 14th-century example in tempera on wood and this 18th-century lacquered example on papier-mâche, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art).

painted print

A monochromatic engraving, etching, or woodcut to which color is applied after the impression is taken, popular in Europe during the Renaissance and Baroque periods (1450 to 1650). Color was added by a variety of techniques (stencil, freehand, or a combination of both), sometimes by the printmaker but more often by a painter or trained colorist, or by an artisan in the case of mass-produced prints. Some colorists signed their work. Examples can be seen in the online exhibition Painted Prints: The Revelation of Color (Baltimore Museum of Art).

paleography

From the Greek palaios ("ancient") and graphien ("writing"). The study of early forms of writing, such as the ancient inscriptions carved on monuments and the various scripts used in classical and medieval manuscripts. A discipline that began with the 15th-century humanists, paleography includes the decipherment of ancient texts and the determination from external characteristics of date and place of origin. Also refers to the study of the origins of the alphabets and letterforms used in writing the world's languages, including the Latin alphabet. Click here to explore an online exhibition on paleography, courtesy of The Schøyen Collection (Oslo and London). Click here to learn more about the history of writing. The National Archives (UK) provides Palaeography: Reading Old Handwriting, 1500-1800: A Practical Online Tutorial. British spelling is palaeography. Synonymous with diplomatic. See also: diplomatics and Rosetta Stone.

palimpsest

From the Greek palimpsestos, meaning "scraped again." A manuscript written on papyrus, parchment, or vellum on which earlier writings, only partially or imperfectly erased, are still faintly visible. Prior to the introduction of paper, writing material was often reused because it was expensive to produce and usually in short supply. Papyrus could be washed (lavage), but parchment and vellum had to be scraped with pumice or some other abrasive substance. A double palimpsest is one that has been erased twice. The new text was often written perpendicular to the former, to reduce, if not eliminate, visual confusion. The study of palimpsests has enabled codicologists to recover portions of texts and, in some cases, entire works that would otherwise have been lost. Click here to view an example (Schøyen Collection, MS 575). The Walters Art Museum provides a Web site on The Archimedes Palimpsest.

palindrome

A word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that reads the same in either direction, for examples, the word "radar" or the sentence "Too far, Edna, we wander afoot." The Latin palindrome Sator arepo tenet opera rotas ("Arepo the sower holds the wheels at work") can be arranged into a square that reads the same horizontally or vertically:

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.

palladium print

A photographic print made on paper sensitized to light with palladium salts, not commercially available after the 1920s. Used as a substitute during World War I when platinum became prohibitively expensive, palladium prints are virtually identical to platinum prints except for a slightly warmer tone. To see examples, try a keywords search on the term in Google Image Search.

palm-leaf book

Leaves of a palm-like tree, trimmed to uniform size, flattened, and polished for use as a writing surface in India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. The text was scratched in the surface, then rubbed with dark pigment to make the characters more visible. A "book" was assembled as a series of leaves strung on a rod or cord through holes in the center and/or ends of the leaves, with a slat of wood or bamboo at each end serving as a cover. Click here to see a manuscript written on palm leaves (Cornell University Library) and here to see an example in ivory covers (State Library of South Australia). See also: bark cloth and olla.

palmtop

See: personal digital assistant.

pamphlet

A nonserial publication consisting of at least 5 but no more than 48 pages exclusive of covers, stapled or sewn but not bound, usually enclosed in covers of the same paper as the text (or a slightly heavier grade). Pamphlets were first published in England to disseminate the polemical writings of 16th-century reformers but are now used mainly for material too ephemeral or too brief (500 to 10,000 words) to be printed in book form. Click here to see a pamphlet guide for travelers to Canada and America via the Canadian Pacific steamship in the early 20th century (Royal Library of Denmark). The University of Toronto Libraries provide a digitized collection of pre-1930 Canadian Pamphlets and Broadsides. Synonymous with booklet. Compare with brochure. See also: pamphlet binding and pamphlet file.

pamphlet binding

A self-cover or paper publisher's binding in which the leaves of a periodical or pamphlet are wire-stitched or stapled, rather than sewn or glued. Also refers to the rebinding of a pamphlet or its enclosure in a specially-made outer binding, usually for purposes of preservation (click here to see the processes illustrated, courtesy of the University of Illinois Library).

pamphlet file

A rigid cardboard, plastic, or metal box or frame designed for storing, in an upright position, items such as brochuress, reports, loose issues of periodicals, and other materials (unbound or bound in paper covers), usually with a blank space on the front for a label listing the contents. Click here to see a worn example containing materials in deteriorated condition (Harvard University Library).

pandect

A manuscript of the complete text of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) in a single large volume, used in early monastic houses for reference and for reading aloud from a lectern. A prime example is the Northumbrian Codex Amiatinus of the late 7th century, now in the Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy.

panel

In binding, a square or rectangular compartment on the side of a book cover impressed in the dampened surface and/or enclosed in a border or frame, often stamped with the title or displaying a picture or design. Panel stamps were large tools (cast not engraved) incorporating an entire design rather than a repeatable motif. On a large book, several panels might be used to decorate the entire area. According to P.J.M. Marks, panels were used in Antwerp as early as the 13th century, sometimes based on woodcuts (The British Library Guide to Bookbinding, University of Toronto Press, 1998). Click here to view a 16th-century example bearing a single blind-stamped panel (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, BD2-h.2) and here to see a multi-paneled binding of the same period (Princeton University Library). To see other examples, try a search on the keyword "panel" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. Also refers to a similar design stamped on the spine of a book, often between raised bands on the spine of a hand-bound volume.

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.

panel back

The spine of a hand-bound book on which the space between two or more of the bands has been enclosed in decorative tooling or panel-stamped with a similar design, in blind or gilt (see this example).

panel interview

A job interview in which the candidate is questioned by two or more interviewers in the same session. The interviewers may agree in advance on a scripted list of questions and take turns asking them. Also refers to a job interview in which two or more candidates are interviewed at the same time in each other's company by one or more interviewers, a more competitive process than an individual interview. For more on the latter method, see "Are Panel Interviews the Way to Go? The Pros and Cons of Simultaneous Interviewing" by Catherine A. Lee in the November 2005 issue of C&RL News.

panel stamp

See: panel.

panel-stamped binding

See: panel.

panel title

In cartography, a title printed on a sheet map in a position that appears on the outside or "front" when the sheet is folded. On some maps, additional information is given on the panel, such as name of publisher, publication date, copyright notice, etc. Road maps often include illustration or graphic design on the panel. Examples can be seen in The American Way, an online exhibition of road maps provided by the Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine.

panorama

Strictly speaking, a nonphotographic perspective representation of the surface of the earth (or of another celestial body) in which detail, not drawn to scale, is shown as if projected on a vertical plane or onto a cylinder vertically centered on the point of observation, creating a visible horizon, often used to depict cities, towns, and popular recreational areas (mountain ranges, canyon lands, etc.). Important features are sometimes labeled along the top or bottom margin. Oblique projections are often included in this category (see bird's-eye view). Panoramas have characteristics of both maps and pictures. Click here to see a panorama of the Grand Canyon (1882), courtesy of the Library of Congress. The viewer can zoom in on this Panorama of the Rhine Valley, courtesy of the National Library of Australia. The Geography and Map Reading Room of the Library of Congress provides an online exhibition of Panoramic Maps, 1847-1920. Click here to see photographic examples (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections). Synonymous with perspective map. See also: cyclorama.

panoramic photograph

A photograph taken with a camera or camera attachment designed to capture an exceptionally wide field of view, usually a landscape. The first panoramic camera, developed in 1843 by Joseph Puchberger of Retz, Austria, used curved daguerreotype plates and an 8-inch focal length lens to capture a 150-degree image. Click here to see the panoramic photographs of Charles D. Walcott taken in the Canadian Rockies (Smithsonian Institution Archives) and here to read a timeline of the development of the panoramic camera, courtesy of Bill McBride.

paper

A flat fibrous writing or printing surface made by breaking down vegetable fiber, such as wood or rag, into pulp to which a filler is added in water suspension. As the water is drained away on a wire screen, the moist fibers bond with each other at points of contact, forming a homogeneous, felted mat that stiffens as it dries. Paper is graded by content and intended use and by such properties as color, brightness, opacity, finish, strength, density, weight, and chemical stability. It can be coated or uncoated, sized or unsized, handmade or machine-made. The acid content of the paper used in library materials is an issue in preservation. For more information about paper, please see the entry by Derek Priest in the International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science (Routledge, 2003). Compare with papyrus and parchment. See also: acid-free paper, acid paper, bible paper, book paper, buffered paper, cover paper, esparto, foolscap, kraft paper, laid paper, manila, newsprint, onionskin, papermaking, permanent paper, and wove paper.

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.

paperback

A book published in paper covers, rather than in hardcover, usually adhesive bound. The modern paperback first appeared in the 1930s when Sir Allen Lane, founder of Penguin books, published Ariel by Andre Maurois in paper covers. Paperback editions are normally published after the hardcover edition of the same title and sold at a lower price, which has made them a staple of the retail market for fiction and nonfiction. Synonymous with paperbound and softcover. Abbreviated pb, pbk, and ppr. Compare with paper boards. See also: mass-market paperback, paperback original, and trade paperback.

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.

paperback grading

In the used book trade, the following letter system is used by some booksellers to indicate the condition of paperback books:

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

paperback original

A work of fiction or nonfiction published for the first time in mass-market or trade paperback edition, not previously issued in hardcover.

paperboard

Fairly rigid sheets of matted fiber manufactured in the same manner as paper but .3 millimeter (.012 of an inch) or more in thickness. Various grades are used in the manufacture of cases for publisher's bindings. Compare with paper boards.

paper boards

An edition bound in boards made of pasteboard covered in heavy paper, usually not as durable as cloth binding. Compare with paperback.

paperbound

See: paperback.

paper covers

A softcover publication not bound in stiff paper covers, for example, a booklet or pamphlet. The category also includes temporary bindings and wrappers commonly used in the late 18th and 19th century.

paper knife

A dull blade made of metal, wood, plastic, or ivory that has the appearance of a knife but is made for slicing paper by hand along a fold, as in opening a sealed envelope or separating the leaves of an uncut book.

paperless

An automated office or system that relies primarily on electronic media, rather than print on paper, for information transmission and recordkeeping.

papermaking

According to Chinese tradition, the process of making paper from native vegetable fibers was invented in about A.D. 105 by Ts'ai Lun, an official employed in one of the workshops of the Emperor Ho-ti. The technique reached Samarkand via trade routes by A.D. 750 and was introduced into Spain by the Moors in about 1150. Papermills were in operation in Europe at least 250 years before the invention of printing from movable type, but the use of parchment and vellum as a writing and printing surface persisted well after the printing press became established. The papermaking industry became firmly established in Europe only in the mid-16th century in response to the spread of printing. The first paper mill in America was established in 1690 by William Rittenhouse near Philadelphia.

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 and 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 of Technology).

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.

papermark

See: watermark.

paper mill

A site on the Internet that provides prewritten essays and term papers for students, free of charge or for a fee. Some sites charge a subscription fee and may offer custom services, usually on a per-page basis. Customers may even be provided with advice about how to avoid being caught cheating. Saavy instructors have devised ways of detecting this form of plagiarism. Examples: A1-Termpaper, CheatHouse.com, and Genius Papers.

paper preferred

In acquisitions, an approval plan option specifying that the library is to receive the paperback edition in place of the cloth (hardcover) edition whenever the two are published simultaneously. The cost of rebinding the paperback is often less than the price difference between the two editions.

paper print

A contact print of a motion picture made on a roll of paper in the same way that a print is made of a still photograph. Between 1894 and 1915 over 3,000 films were registered with the Library of Congress for U.S. copyright protection. Because federal copyright law made no provision for motion pictures at that time, film companies provided legal documentation of their work by depositing contact prints made on rolls of paper 35mm wide, a medium that proved more lasting than the nitrate film used to create the originals. The paper prints were later rephotographed one frame at a time onto 16mm film stock. Click here to see examples, courtesy of the American Memory Project at the Library of Congress.

papers

A collection of more than one type of handwritten or typewritten document. Also refers to a group of compositions, especially those written for presentation by the author (or authors) at a conference, sometimes published as proceedings or transactions by the society or association sponsoring the meeting.

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.).

paper splitting

A conservation technique in which one or more paper leaves of a book or manuscript are strengthened by splitting the core of each leaf to allow a second sheet to be inserted between the two halves. Support sheets are first applied to both sides of the leaf to be split, using a gelatin adhesive. After the adhesive has set, but while the core of the paper is still moist, the support sheets are carefully pulled apart, splitting the core into two halves, which are then dried and reassembled with a sheet of Japanese paper sandwiched between them. The adhesive used to bind the Japanese paper to the two halves is soluble only in cold water. After it dries, the support sheets are removed in a bath of very hot water, dissolving the gelatin adhesive but not the core adhesive. Paper splitting is a delicate process that should be undertaken only by an experienced conservator. Click here to see the process illustrated.

paperwork

Routine tasks having to do with matters that must be committed to paper (reports, letters, memoranda, etc.), as opposed to work that is more creative or involves other forms of communication. See also: procrastination.

papier-mâché binding

A 19th-century molded binding made from a mixture of paper fiber, plaster of Paris, and possibly antimony, formed in a rigid frame usually made of metal. The designs, mainly in black heavy-relief (sometimes in latticework over a red or metallic underlay) reflected the Victorian revival of Gothic style in the decorative arts. Patented by the British firm Jackson & Sons, the method required a leather spine. Click here to view an armorial example (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections, BD4-d.26) and here to see an example in cameo style (University of North Texas Libraries). To see other examples, try a search on the keywords "papier mache" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindings. See also: relievo binding.

papyrus

A tall marsh sedge (Cyperus papyrus) once abundant in North Africa from which the ancient Egyptians made a material used as a writing and painting surface throughout the Mediterranean basin from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the 4th century A.D. (and as late as the 11th century for some documents in the Vatican). Although the word "paper" is derived from papyrus, the latter is technically not a paper since it is not made from pulped and processed fiber but from thin strips of the fibrous pith laid in layers at right angles to each other, pressed into sheets, dried under pressure, and polished to a cream or white color (click here to see the process illustrated). For long documents, the sheets were pasted edge to edge in rolls, often wound around a stick called an umbilicus by the ancient Romans. Papyrus was less suitable for books in codex form because it tends to delaminate when folded. Writing was usually done with a reed pen called a calamus on the inner side of the roll (with the fibers running horizontally). Trade embargoes in late Antiquity may have led to the development of parchment as a writing surface. Papyrus was abandoned with the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West.

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 the APIS Advanced Papyrological Information System. Plural: papyri.

parable

A short, simple story, usually written in the form of an allegory, intended to convey an explicit moral lesson (the Prodigal Son) or religious principle (the parables of Jesus). Click here to learn more about parables in Wikipedia. See also: fable.

paradigm

A model, pattern, or example, especially one that revolutionizes the standard approach to a subject or conventional modes of thinking in a profession or field of study. In library and information science, paradigm shifts are increasingly driven by technological innovation.

parallel

In cartography, a small circle on the surface of the earth (or another celestial body) north or south of the equator and parallel to it, connecting points are of equal latitude, the 45th parallel being equidistant from the equator and the geographic pole. Click here to see parallels illustrated. Compare with meridian.

parallel content

In the MARC record, the same digits are assigned across fields in the second and third character positions of the tag to indicate data of the same type, for example, the digits 10 for corporate names, making 110 the main entry corporate name field, 410 the series statement corporate name field, 610 the subject heading corporate name field, 710 the added entry corporate name field, and so on. Parallel content designation can be summarized as follows, with X in the range of 1-9:

X00 - personal names

X10 - corporate names

X11 - meeting names

X30 - uniform titles

X40 - bibliographic titles

X50 - topical terms

X51 - geographic names

parallel edition

See: parallel texts.

parallel publishing

The publication of a work at the same time in both print and electronic format. Compare with simultaneous publication.

parallel texts

Different texts of the same work printed side-by-side on the same page or on facing pages of a book, for example, two versions of the Bible or a text in translation and in the original language. Such works are published in parallel edition. See also: duplicate paging.

parallel title

The title proper of an edition in a language or script other than that of the original title. In AACR2, parallel titles are entered in the title and statement of responsibility area of the bibliographic record (MARC field 245) in the order found in the chief source of information, separated by an equal sign preceded and followed by a space (example: Breathless [videorecording] = À bout de souffle). The Library of Congress records all parallel titles for items issued in the United States.

parameter

An established limit whose value affects the execution or result of a process or operation, for example, a publication date range specified by the user to limit the results of a search in an online catalog or bibliographic database.

paraph

An elaborate ornamental flourish at the end of an autograph signature, added, especially by notaries, to protect official documents from forgery.

paraphrase

From the Greek para ("beyond") and phrasis ("to tell"). A rewording of the thought expressed in a previously spoken statement or written work, usually to make the meaning clearer by substituting shorter, simpler words for difficult vocabulary. Also, the use of rewording as a literary device or educational technique. Compare with quotation. See also: plagiarism.

paraprofessional

A member of the library support staff, usually someone who holds at least the baccalaureate degree, trained to understand specific procedures and apply them according to pre-established rules under normal circumstances without exercising professional judgment. Library paraprofessionals are usually assigned high-level technical support duties, for example, in copy cataloging and serials control. In smaller public library systems in the United States, branch librarians are sometimes paraprofessionals. Click here to connect to a directory of State and Regional Library Paraprofessional Associations in the United States. Synonymous with library technician. See also: Library Support Staff Interests Round Table.

parchment

The split skin of an animal (sheep, goat, or calf) after it has been depilated and defleshed in a bath of lime, scraped to the desired thickness while still damp using a curved instrument called a lunellum, then dried under tension (not tanned), and polished by a tradesman known as a parchmenter, for use in bookbinding and as a writing or painting surface (see this sample). Click here to see a parchmenter at work (Leaves of Gold). Parchment was used in Europe from about the 2nd century A.D. until well after the invention of printing from movable type, although it declined in importance from the 12th century on as paper gained favor. The word is derived from Charta pergamena, Pergamum being the name of the ancient city on the west coast of Asia Minor where King Eumenes II founded a library to rival the great center of scholarship at Alexandria in Egypt. Its adoption as a writing surface in the 2nd century B.C. may have been spurred by a trade embargo on papyrus.

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. Click here to learn more about parchment (Medieval Manuscript Manual) and here to see a 16th-century laced parchment binding (Princeton University Library). The term also refers to a document written or printed on parchment, such as a map or diploma. Compare with vellum.

parchmenter

See: parchment.

parental mediation

Interaction between parent and child concerning the content of a book, videotape, or television program, usually intended to mitigate or prevent negative effects, particularly in the case of works depicting explicit violence and/or sexual behavior. Parental involvement can be active (discussion of content with the child) or restrictive (imposition of rules and regulations). Reading aloud together and co-viewing can also be forms of parental mediation. In public libraries, monitoring a child's choice of reading or viewing material is the responsibility of the parent. In the absence of parental guidance, it is not incumbent on the librarian to act in loco parentis, although suggestions may be offered to the child, based on age, interests, and reading level.

parentheses

In writing, a word, phrase, or sentence is enclosed in a pair of curved brackets ( ) to indicate that it has been added for the sake of explanation or clarification but is not essential to the overall meaning of the text. The use of parentheses has declined since the 19th century, replaced by commas in modern writing style. Also used in the singular (parenthesis) to refer to the parenthetical expression enclosed in brackets.

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.

parenthetical qualifier

In indexing, a word or phrase added in parentheses at the end of a subject heading or descriptor to:

• 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.

parenting collection

A separate collection of materials in a public library for which access is restricted to adults, based on content. Restricted categories may include alcoholism, child abuse, domestic/family violence, extramarital sex, homosexuality and bisexuality, medication abuse, premarital sex, sex education, and substance abuse. In March 2006, the Oklahoma House passed by a vote of 60-33 a bill to prohibit local funding authorities and library boards from funding public libraries unless they "place all children and young adult materials that contain homosexual or sexually explicit subject matter in a special area" to which access is limited to adults. The Oklahoma Library Association opposed the legislation.

Paris Principles

The Statement of Principles adopted in 1961 at the International Conference of Cataloging Principles (ICCP), which laid the foundation for the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and catalog codes used in countries other than the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. Organized by IFLA to address international standardization in library cataloging, the conference was held in Paris, France. The Statement lists 12 basic principles that remain the foundation of author/title entry.

parity bit

In computing, a bit included in a unit of digital data to detect errors in transmission, for example, the eighth bit in a byte representing an ASCII character.

parody

A form of satirical imitation in which the style of a serious artistic or literary work is ridiculed by applying the same style to an inappropriate or trivial subject or by treating the original subject in a nonsensical or irreverent manner. One of the earliest examples is The Frogs, a play by Aristophanes believed to parody works by Aeschylus and Euripides. In a more recent example, Jane Austen parodied the gothic novels popular in early-19th-century England in Northanger Abbey. Parody can also be used as a form of political or social criticism (The Wind Done Gone, Alice Randall's African American perspective on the novel Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell). For an online example of political parody, see Whitehouse.org. Other examples can be found in Yahoo! See also: burlesque.

PARS

See: Preservation and Reformatting Section.

part

One portion of a work divided by the author, publisher, or manufacturer into two or more subordinate units, usually issued at intervals as the work is completed. The intervals may be regular or irregular, depending on the nature of the work. In the 19th century, novels were often issued in this way, for example, Middlemarch by George Eliot, first issued by Blackwood in eight half-volume parts at intervals of two-months (British Library) and Bleak House by Charles Dickens, issued by Bradbury & Evans in 20 monthly numbers (Glasgow University Library, Special Collections). In printed monographs, a part is usually the equivalent of a volume. A part is distinguished from a fascicle by being a permanent component, rather than a temporary division of the work. As used in the physical description area of a bibliographic record, the term refers to one of two or more bibliographic units intended to be bound together, more than one to a volume (AACR2). Abbreviated pt. Compare with piece. See also: multipart item, multipart volume, original parts, and serialized.

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.

part book

A manuscript or printed publication providing only one of the vocal or instrumental parts of a musical composition, as distinct from a score, choir book, or table book containing the complete music. Produced in sets, usually of 2-10 parts, they became the standard method of disseminating ensemble music from the late 15th to the late 17th century when scores became easier to obtain (click here to see a late 16th-century example, courtesy of the Glasgow University Library). In some cases, a part book is all that remains of a lost work. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (Grove: 2001), the practice of performing music from separate parts has survived in orchestral and chamber music for which the expense of providing every performer with a score dictates economy. In library cataloging, the presence of one or more part books is noted in the statement of extent in the physical description area of the bibliographic record representing the item. Also spelled partbook and part-book.

partial border

A decorative band occupying one of the margins of a medieval manuscript, which does not extend the full length of the adjacent text. A partial border can be either centered in relation to the text (or some other design element on the page) or positioned above or below center, or it may extend around one of the corners of the text. Click here to see foliate examples in a 15th-century French manuscript (British Library, Burney 210). Partial strewn borders are common in the Tongerloo Lectionary (Morgan Library, MS M.5).

partial remainders

A quantity of books offered by the publisher at lower than list price to selected booksellers who are permitted to sell copies retail at less than the published price, even though the books are still considered net. This practice is condemned by publishers' and booksellers' associations because it gives some booksellers an unfair competitive advantage over others in the same market.

partial title

A catch title consisting of part of the title as it appears on the title page. It may be a secondary part (subtitle or alternative title) or the title with the less significant words omitted.

partitive relation

See: semantic relation.

partnership

A collaboration between a library and an organization of a different type, usually on a particular project, often forming the basis for a long-standing relationship with the potential for future partnerships. The Heritage Image Partnership is an online example. A 1998 study sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) revealed that 77% of libraries had partnered with another organization in the past two years, 16% reporting partnership with a museum. The study also found that partnerships were most frequently established to attract and sustain underserved audience segments. Many partnership projects are small in scale, with budgets under $5,000.

parts of a book

Although the order varies slightly from one publisher to the next, the parts of a book in order of gathering are normally the half title, series title or frontispiece, title page, printer's imprint and notice of copyright, dedication or epigraph, table of contents, other front matter (list of contributors, list of illustrations, list of tables or abbreviations, chronology, etc.), preface or foreword, acknowledgments, introduction, errata, half title, text, appendices, author's notes, glossary, bibliography, index(es), colophon, and CIP if not printed on the verso of the title page. Contributors may be listed in the back matter, and a translator's note is sometimes included in the front matter.

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.

part-time

Employment limited to a portion of normal working hours. Part-time employees who work less than a certain number of hours per week or month may not be entitled to full benefits. In academic institutions, the ratio of full-time to part-time (adjunct) faculty, including librarians, may be governed by a collective bargaining agreement. Compare with job sharing. See also: half-time.

pass-along

The likelihood that a copy of an issue of a newspaper or periodical will be read by more individuals than the person who actually purchases it at a newsstand or by subscription. Some publishers use this as a justification for charging libraries a substantially higher subscription price than the rate paid by individual subscribers, a practice known as differential pricing. Although pass-along is difficult to quantify, when combined with circulation it gives an approximate indication of total readership.

passim

Latin for "here and there" or "in various places," printed after a subject heading in an index, or in a footnote or endnote following the title of a work or the author's name, to indicate that a phrase or reference to a concept or idea is scattered throughout the chapter or entire work, too briefly or too abundantly for individual page references to be given. Abbreviated pass.

passionale

See: martyrology.

passive relation

See: semantic relation.

password

An authorized word or sequence of characters that a user must enter as input in order to log on to a computer system and gain access to desired resources. Passwords are usually managed by the operating system or a database management system (DBMS). Because system software is only capable of verifying the legitimacy of a password, not the identity of the person using it, passwords should remain confidential. In a well-designed system, passwords must be changed periodically by the user to maintain security. By contrast, the username is usually permanent.

paste

A type of adhesive used to stick together lightweight materials such as paper and gold leaf, made from the starch contained in a cereal grain such as wheat, corn, or rice, combined over heat with water (and sometimes alum or resin) until smooth, then allowed to cool. Paste is used to affix labels and bookplates because it is water soluble, making them easy to remove if necessary. However, water solubility also makes it susceptible to mold. Because it is made from a vegetable substance, paste also attracts insects that damage books. Compare with glue. See also: cut-and-paste.

pasteboard

A rigid, relatively lightweight binding material made from layer upon layer of paper pasted together, or from thin layers of pulp bonded together, introduced in the 15th century to replace wooden boards in small- to medium-size books. Click here to see an 18th-century Persian example, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In modern bookbinding, a heavy grade of pasteboard called binder's board is used extensively in hardcover editions.

paste-down

In bookbinding, the half of a double-leaf endpaper firmly affixed to the inside of one of the boards of the case or cover, over the edges of the turn-in (see this example bearing a bookplate). In medieval manuscript books, the paste-down concealed grooves called channels cut into the inside surface of the boards to recess the sewing supports (cords). The sheets of parchment or vellum used for the purpose were often fragments of disused manuscripts. Click here to see a vellum paste-down bearing inscriptions in a 15th-century Old Testament (Bodleian Library, MS Don f.30) and here to see leaves from a discarded French breviary used a paste-downs and flyleaves on a 16th-century binding (Princeton University Library). Also spelled pastedown. Synonymous with board paper. Compare with doublure.

paste-in

A correction or addition supplied after the text of a work has been printed, to be tipped in opposite to or on the page containing the line or passage to which it refers. Compare with errata.

paste paper binding

A book bound in paper decorated by the application of a starch adhesive mixed with pigment to give the surface design and texture. Click here to see an 18th-century German example (Princeton University Library) and here to see a later example in quarter cloth. Click here and here to see contemporary examples, courtesy of Ball Peen Bindery. Paste-painting has also been used in bookbinding to decorate the edges of the sections (see this example).

paste-up

In printing, the arrangement on a large sheet of paper of the page proofs of several pages, to enable the typographer to position the text, illustrations, headings, captions, and other elements of the finished publication in a design that meets the publisher's specifications. Compare with layout.

pasting down

In bookbinding, the process of securely affixing one half of a double-leaf endpaper to the inside of each of the boards of the cover, over the turn-in. In hand-binding, this step is a finishing touch, the body of the book having been laced to the cover, but in case binding, it is the endleaves that attach the body to the case. Compare with gluing off.

PAT

See: Photographic Activity Test.

patched

A leaf in a medieval manuscript that has been repaired by sewing a piece of parchment or vellum over a hole or tear in the original membrane. Click here to see examples on a leaf in early 16th-century antiphonal (Leaves of Gold). Sometimes a hole was left unpatched and the text written around it. See this example in a 12th-century manuscript (British Library, Arundel 370).

patent

A legal document issued by the U.S. government, or the government of another country, in response to a formal application process in which the inventor or originator of a new product or process is granted the exclusive right to manufacture, use, and sell it for a designated period of time. The document is assigned a patent number by the patent office for future reference. An x-patent is a patent issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from July 1790 (when the first U.S. patent was issued) to July 1836. Destroyed by a fire in December 1836 while in temporary storage, the collection of over 9,900 early patents has been reconstructed from inventors' copies. Most large engineering libraries provide patent search databases and services. Click here to learn more about how patents work and here to learn more about U.S. patent law (Legal Information Institute, Cornell University), or try the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office site. The Canadian government provides the Canadian Patents Database. Compare with trademark. See also: patent and trademark depository library and patent drawing.

patent and trademark depository library (PTDL)

A library designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to receive and store copies of U.S. patents and patent/trademark materials, make them freely available to the public, and disseminate general information about patents and trademarks. Created by federal statute in 1871, the Patent and Trademark Depository Library Program (PTDLP) has grown to include more than 80 libraries, half of which are academic libraries, with nearly as many public libraries, one state library, and a special library devoted to research. See also: Patent and Trademark Depository Library Association.

Patent and Trademark Depository Library Association (PTDLA)

An affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), PTDLA is dedicated to advising the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on the interests, needs, opinions, and goals of patent and trademark depository libraries (PTDLs) and their users, and to assisting the PTO in planning and implementing appropriate services. Click here to connect to the PTDLA homepage.

Patent and Trademark Office

See: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

patent drawing

A technical drawing made to describe an object or process for the purpose of obtaining patent protection, often a mechanical drawing or diagram. In the United States, patent drawings are retained as documentation in a patent file stored in a patent and trademark depository library. Click here to see the patent drawings of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, courtesy of Wikipedia. To see other examples, try a keywords search on the term "patent drawing" in Google Image Search.

patent file

A collection of drawings and specifications for patents, indexed by country and patent number, name of patentee, or subject, usually maintained in a patent and trademark depository library.

patent number

See: patent.

pathfinder

A subject bibliography designed to lead the user through the process of researching a specific topic, or any topic in a given field or discipline, usually in a systematic, step-by-step way, making use of the best finding tools the library has to offer. Pathfinders may be printed or available online. See also: topical guide.

Patriot Act

See: USA Patriot Act.

patristic

From the Latin patres meaning "fathers." Texts written by the Church Fathers and other early Christian writers and teachers whose theological authority was especially respected (the authors of the New Testament are not included). Well-known examples are Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome (translator of the Vulgate), Saint John Chrysostom, and Saint John of Damascus. Although patristic literature does not constitute a closed canon with clearly defined boundaries, the Patristic period is generally considered to have begun with the completion of the New Testament at the end of the 1st century and ended at the close of the 8th century. Not all patristic authors wrote in Latin or Greek, but the works of those who wrote in other languages were translated into Latin and Greek.

patron

Any person who uses the resources and services of a library, not necessarily a registered borrower. Synonymous with user. Compare with client. See also: patron ID, patron record, patron type, and problem patron.

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.

patron data

Personal information about a user (name, current address and phone number, items checked out, outstanding fines, etc.) kept on file in the circulation system of a library to facilitate lending transactions. For reasons of privacy, most libraries in the United States do not keep permanent records of the materials used or borrowed by a patron, nor do they use confidential information for marketing purposes. Some libraries have developed a privacy policy concerning patron data which they make known to their users.

patron ID

The means by which staff at the circulation desk of a library ascertain that a patron is a registered borrower, usually the person's library card, student ID card, security badge, or a substitute. Also refers to the number used in most library circulation systems to identify the borrower. Sometimes it is the library card number, but in academic libraries it may be the student ID number or the social security number. In special libraries, patron ID may be linked to the employee identification system used by the parent organization. Each library or library system adopts its own method of patron identification. See also: patron record.

patron record

A confidential record in a library circulation system containing data pertinent to a borrower account (full name, street address, telephone number, patron ID, patron type, items on loan, holds, unpaid fines, etc.). In electronic circulation systems, an authorized member of the library staff is permitted to access the patron record by scanning the barcode on the library card or by using a keyboard to enter the patron's name or library card number as input. Some online catalogs allow registered borrowers to view thir own patron records with proper authorization. Synonymous with circulation record. See also: blocked.

patron type

In library circulation systems, a code entered in the patron record to indicate a specific category of borrower, which in conjunction with item type determines the loan rule applied when an item is checked out. Academic libraries usually differentiate faculty, student, alumni, and staff by patron type. Most public libraries distinguish between nonresidents and patrons who reside within the service area and between adult and juvenile users. In special libraries, patron type may reflect hierarchical rank within the parent organization, levels of security clearance, etc.

patronymic

A personal name derived from the given name of the father, or of a more distant paternal ancestor, usually by the addition of a prefix (examples: ben Jacob, MacArthur, O'Brien, etc.) or suffix (Donaldson, Petrovich, etc.).

pattern book

A manuscript or printed publication containing designs meant to be copied, or models for making something, with or without instructions. Click here to see the pattern book of William Jones, an 18th-century weaver, and here to see a selection of 20th-century knitting pattern books (University of Brighton). Pattern books for artists, designers, craftsmen, and architects often consist entirely of illustrations with no accompanying text. Click here to see a page in Polychromatic Decoration as Applied to Buildings in the Medieval Styles (1882) by William and George Audsley, the first pattern book devoted to the painted decoration of medieval-style buildings (University of Delaware Library). Also used synonymously with model book.

pattern heading

The principle incorporated into Library of Congress subject headings in 1974 that allows a full set of free-floating subdivisions to be established for one or a few representatives of a particular category of subject headings or name headings, which are appropriate for use under other main headings belonging to the same category. For example, the subdivision --Biopsy under the pattern heading Heart can be used under the heading Breast even though no specific authority record exists for the combination Breast--Biopsy. The rule does not apply when there is a conflict with a heading established in the subject authority file in another form. For example, the subdivision --Dislocation under the pattern heading Foot may not be applied to the heading Joints because the combination Joints--Dislocation is a UF (used for) reference under the heading Dislocations in the subject authority file.

pay equity

A movement gained momentum in the second half of the 20th century to eliminate the earnings gap between men and both women and people of color for the same type of work. In the United States, predominantly female occupations, such as nursing, social work, and librarianship, have typically been compensated at a significantly lower rate than comparable occupations in which males are predominant. Click here to connect to the homepage of the National Committee on Pay Equity, a coalition established in 1979.

payment date

The date by which an outstanding bill for goods and/or services must be paid, usually printed on the seller's invoice, after which the account is considered delinquent. A penalty may be charged for late payment.

Payne style

A simple style of bookbinding developed by Roger Payne, one of the most influential English binders of the 18th century, in which a undecorated central panel is framed by gilt fillets adorned at the corners and/or sides with small foliate elements. To see examples, try a search on the keyword "payne" in the British Library's Database of Bookbindgs. Click here to see three 19th-century bindings executed in Payne style (Princeton University Library).

pay-out

In marketing, an expenditure of funds that produces a return greater than the investment. When return equals investment, the result is known as break-even.

pay period

The interval at which an employee is paid, usually weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on the payroll system of the employer. Hours worked are usually reported to the payroll department at the end of each period on a timesheet signed by the employee.

pay-per-view

A service enabling libraries and users to purchase immediate access to the full text of an article or to research data without subscribing to the periodical or other source in which it was published. In most cases, the library has the option of limiting service to specific categories of users, for example, faculty members or researchers in academic libraries. High-priced and/or low-use journals are ideal candidates for this type of service, which allows libraries to expand serials access to include titles otherwise unaffordable. Current awareness service is usually available with pay-per-view access. Fees vary, with most services charging $12 to $20 per article regardless of length. Electronic delivery is often priced lower than fax. Periodic reports detailing number of purchases per title and publisher enable librarians to compare per-view costs with the price of adding a subscription. For more information, see the article "Pay by the Slice" in the spring 2007 issue of Netconnect.

payphone

A telephone located in a public area from which anyone may make calls in exchange for payment in cash or by calling card. Most libraries that open their doors to the public provide at least one payphone as a courtesy to their users.

payroll

The list of employees who are paid salaries and wages by an employer, usually by check or direct deposit on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. Library employees may be required to sign a timesheet for each pay period, stating the hours they worked.

PBS

See: public television.

PC

See: personal computer and political correctness.

PCC

See: Program for Cooperatrive Cataloging.

PCD

See: Photo CD.

PDA

See: personal digital assistant.

PDF

See: Portable Document Format.

peak use

The period(s) in a day, week, month, and year during which the services and resources of a library or computer system are most heavily used. Transaction logs, circulation statistics, and gate counts are compiled and analyzed to reveal recurrent periods of peak use. The results are useful in establishing library hours, anticipating staffing needs, scheduling maintenance, etc.

peasant binding

A parchment bookbinding decorated with painted designs, made for sale to the common people during the 17th and 18th centuries, now more rare than leather bindings of the same period, which were more expensive. Click here to see an 18th-century German example, courtesy of Southern Methodist University.

pecia system

Latin for "piece." A system of book production used in Europe from the 13th century on, in which exemplars approved by university authorities were divided by stationers into portions of one or more gatherings that they hired out to scribes and students for hand-copying, a method that speeded manuscript production considerably. Prior to about 1200, books were copied mainly by monastic scribes working in scriptoria. Once book production became a commercial enterprise, stationers in university towns (Paris, Bologna, Oxford, etc.) published lists of texts available for piecemeal copying, with price per part stated for each title. Plural: peciae.

peer evaluation

The process in which the job performance of a librarian or other library staff member is assessed by the individual's colleagues and a recommendation made concerning contract renewal or promotion. In academic libraries at institutions that grant librarians faculty status<