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.

W

W3C

See: World Wide Web Consortium.

w.a.f.

See: with all faults.

wages

Money paid to an employee for the total number of hours worked in a given period (weekly, biweekly, monthly), computed at an hourly rate. Library staff employed part-time are usually paid by the hour. Compare with salary. See also: overtime.

wallet

A style of limp leather binding in which the lower cover of the book extends beyond the sections in a flap as wide as the fore-edge that folds over and is fastened by a clasp or a tongue designed to fit into a slot in the upper cover. See also: flap binding.

wall map

A map on any scale designed to be legible to the human eye from a distance when hung on a wall, as decoration or for practical use. Wall maps are usually mounted in a frame or suspended from a rod or hooks inserted through grommets along the upper edge. Wall maps intended for military or other field operations may be given a special coating or laminated for protection. Click here to see a selection of commmercially available wall maps, courtesy of Carolina Map Distributors.

wallpaper

The decorative background pattern or image against which windows, menus, icons, and other visual elements are displayed and manipulated in a graphical user interface (GUI), usually created in JPEG or GIF file format. Some systems allow the user to select a wallpaper from a variety of different designs. Files of wallpaper designs are also available online from third parties. Wallpapers can be custom-designed to display a distinctive element, such as a logo, trademark, or other symbol of institutional identity. Compare with screen saver.

wall shelving

Single-sided shelving placed against a wall and sometimes attached to it, as opposed to free-standing shelving (usually double-sided) designed to stand on its own away from a wall or other support. Shelving of both types is manufactured in sections to allow libraries to assemble ranges of varying length.

WAN

See: wide area network.

wand

See: light pen.

warehouse shelving

Library shelving with extra-deep shelves, capable of storing books 3 to 4 rows deep, used only in closed access collections to save space. According to Ruth Fraley and Carol Lee Anderson in Library Space Planning (Neal-Schuman, 1990), a section of warehouse shelving 30 inches deep and 36 inches wide with 7 shelves can store up to 63 linear feet of materials 3 rows deep and 84 linear feet 4 rows deep, compared with 42 linear feet for a double-faced section of standard library shelving, with the space gain outweighing additional floor space required. They note that although warehouse shelving is less attractive and not as flexible as standard shelving, it is the most efficient means of storing manuscripts.

war map

A map made for use by a nation's armed forces in the prosecution of a war, sometimes showing battle fronts and troop movements. The category also includes maps made to illustrate the course or consequences of a war, usually to the public (see this example). War maps intended for official use generally remain classified until after the war has ended. When made for use in the field, they may be printed on cloth (or some other flexible material) and treated to make them water-repellent (see this example). Click here to view a collection of World War I and World War II maps, courtesy of the Osher Map Library, University of Southern Maine.

warm boot

See: reboot.

warping

A twist or bend in a book cover that occurs after binding or casing, severe enough to prevent the volume from lying flat, usually caused by dampness (click here and here to see examples). In newly bound books, the condition may be caused by differences in the expansion and/or contraction of the materials used in the case or cover. Warping can be minimized in binding by using well-dried boards, endpapers with the grain running from head to foot, and adhesives of low water content and by proper pressing. In libraries, it is controlled by storing books in a dry, well-ventilated place. See also: bowed.

warrant

A written document authorizing or certifying something, such as the payment or receipt of money. In law, a writ signed by the appropriate authority, authorizing a specific action, such as an arrest or search and seizure. In the United States, a warrant is presented to the person against whom legal action is to be taken. Because warrants often pertain to serious legal matters, they can be of considerable historical significance. Click here to see the warrant of James I, releasing Sir Walter Raleigh from the Tower on January 30, 1617 (Folger Shakespeare Library), and here to see the death warrant for the execution of John J. Kehoe on November 18, 1878, signed by Pennsylvania Governor John F. Hartranft and Secretary of the Commonwealth Matthew Quay (Pennsylvania State Archives). See also: literary warrant and user warrant.

warranty

A fixed period of time, specified in the sales agreement, during which the seller is obliged to repair or replace a piece of equipment that does not function properly. Once the warranty period has expired, the purchaser must pay for repairs unless a maintenance contract has been signed. As a general rule, length of warranty is an indication of the manufacturer's confidence in the product.

War Service Library

See: Library War Service.

washing

A labor-intensive preservation technique in which an item printed on paper, such as a map or print, is treated with a mild chemical solution under the care of a professional restorer to remove stains, writing, foxing, or acid, then pressed and resized. For bound publications, the process usually requires pulling and rebinding.

In photography, immersion of a print in clean running water during the developing process to remove fixatives. Improperly washed photographic prints eventually discolor and deteriorate.

water-damaged

Library materials that have been exposed to wet or damp conditions, usually as a result of leakage, flooding, or accident. Exposure of print materials to moisture can cause swelling, warping, staining, and subsequent contamination with mildew and mold, damage that is very difficult to repair (click here and here to see examples). The leaves of publications printed on coated paper often fuse when wet, a problem that can be prevented by freezing and vacuum drying the damaged item. The University of Illinois Library provides Tips for Saving Water-Damaged Items.

watermark

A faintly translucent papermaker's mark, consisting of lettering and/or an emblematic design that can be seen faintly in a sheet of quality paper when it is held up to a light source. In hand papermaking, the design is made by sewing or soldering twisted wire to the mold, causing the layer of moist fiber to be thinner over the wire. In mechanized papermaking, the wire is impressed on the moist fiber by a cylinder called the dandy roll before the sheet is sent through a sequence of drying rolls.

Watermarks were originally intended to identify and date the source of production but in time came to designate paper size. Modern watermarks are sometimes used to provide security against forgery. The paper used in a deluxe edition may be watermarked to indicate that it was made especially for the edition. Click here to learn more about watermarks, courtesy of David Badke. To see images of this elusive form of pictorial art, try a search on the term "unicorn" in Watermarks in Incunabula Printed in the Low Countries, a database maintained by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek. See also the Archive of Papers and Watermarks in Greek Manuscripts by Robert Allison, Bates College. Synonymous with papermark. See also: countermark.

In word processing, a design or lettering printed in a shade of gray across a page, over which the text appears to be superimposed, for example, the word "Draft" to indicate that the text is not the final version. A digital watermark is a sequence of bits skillfully embedded in a data file, such as an audio CD or motion picture on DVD, to help identify the source of copies manufactured or distributed in violation of copyright.

waterstained

The condition of a book or other printed publication that has leaves or binding discolored by contact with water (see this example). See also: water-damaged.

water tear

Paper separated along a moistened line to give the tear a soft, uneven, feathered edge as the fibers gently pull apart without breaking, a technique used in making delicate paste repairs in books and other print materials.

wax cylinder

An early sound recording medium developed in the late 1870s by Thomas Edison in which tiny indentations were made in grooves on the outside surface of a cylinder, which could be played back as sound on a phonograph. Edison first used cylinders made of tinfoil but later switched to hard wax. The cylinders are about 2 inches in diameter, 4 inches long, and very brittle (click here to see examples or try a search on the keywords "wax cylinders" in Google Image Search). By 1910, the Edison Speaking Company was the only major sound recording company still making cylinders--all the other manufacturers had switched to disk phonograph records, which were less expensive to produce and could be recorded on both sides. Because the voices of some historically important people are recorded only on early wax cylinders, efforts are underway to preserve them for research.

Click here to learn more about the history of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph, courtesy of About.com. A massive Wax Cylinder Preservation Project is in progress at the University of California, Santa Barbara. For additional information, try Tinfoil.com or Phonograph Cylinders: A Beginner's Guide by Tim Gracyk. The Library of Congress recommends that wax cylinders be at room temperature when handled because the thermal shock from the warmth of the hand can cause a cold cylinder to shatter. Also, the grooves should not be touched because of susceptibility to mold (insert fingers in the center hole).

wax tablet

See: tablet.

Web

See: World Wide Web (WWW).

Web address

See: Uniform Resource Locator.

Web browser

Client software that interprets the hypertext (HTML) code in which Web pages are written and allows documents and other data files available over the Internet to be viewed in graphical, as opposed to text-only, format. The appearance of a Web page may vary slightly depending on the type and version of browser used to view it. In the United States, the most widely used Web browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. Netscape Communications is developing an open source Web browser called Mozilla.

Webcast

Simultaneous transmission of live or delayed audio or video programming over the World Wide Web to all who own the equipment necessary to receive it, the Internet counterpart of broadcasting via radio or television. In a narrower sense, to send the same Web-based content (audio, video, graphics, text) to a group of Internet users, based on their individual needs or interests. The receiver must install special software known as plug-ins (RealPlayer, Apple QuickTime, Windows Media Player, etc.). Synonymous with netcast.

Web citation

A written reference to a document accessed via the World Wide Web, usually including the address (URL) of the Web page and the date of retrieval. Accepted formats vary, depending on academic discipline. Compare the following examples:

American Psychological Association (APA)

Milius, S. (2005, July 23). Meat-eating caterpillar: It hunts snails and ties them down. Science News Online,

168, 51. Retrieved August 30, 2005, from http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050723/fob1.asp

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Milius, Susan. "Meat-Eating Caterpillar: It Hunts Snails and Ties Them Down." Science News Online

23 July 2005. 30 August 30, 2005 <http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050723/fob1.asp>

For a proposal to standardize Web citation format, see "Web Citation: A Proposal for Standardized Specification" by Sheila Beck and Richard Beck in the July/August 2006 issue of ONLINE magazine. See also: electronic style.