Chapter 3 Library Acronyms and Terms
Patricia M. Hogan, administrative librarian, Poplar Creek Public Library District Marlene Deuel, executive director, Northern Illinois Library System
New trustees (and more-seasoned library volunteers) face the challenge of understanding and using the jargon or language of the library world as provided in library literature, a library system or consortium, and one's own institution. In addition, the challenges of an information age, a technological breakthrough in information transfer,
and the preparations institutions make for the twenty first century demand that trustees be literate in the terms and acronyms that affect library service.
An acronym is a group of letters that stand for a title, project, institution, or service. A list of commonly used library acronyms and technical terms should prove helpful to trustees when dealing with library materials and library-related issues.
The challenge in preparing a list of acronyms and terms is to make it interesting but not overwhelming in length or in its definitions. If we achieved our goal, the list will be relevant to librarians and trustees. This list is a dynamic compilation, not a static historical laundry list of terms. Use it in good stead.
AAAS - American Association for the Advancement of Science
AAC - Association of American Colleges
AACJC - American Association of Community and Junior Colleges
AACR, AACR 2R - Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition revised, used as a
standard for cataloging procedures and decisions in most libraries and revised periodically
AALL - American Association of Law Libraries
AAP - Association of American Publishers
AASA - American Association of School Administrators
AASL - American Association of School Librarians, a division of ALA
AAUP - American Association of University Presses; American Association of University Professors
ABA - American Booksellers Association
ABAA - Antiquarian Booksellers of America Association
ACA - American Correctional Association
ACE - American Council on Education
ACRL - Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of ALA Administrative librarians Council - Group of administrative librarians in a system who meet to discuss and plan activities for their continuing education and to discuss system activities to make advisory recommendations to their system director, the
acronym can be LAC (Librarians Advisory Committee or Council), ALAC (Administrative Librarians Advisory Committee or Council), or RLAC (Regional Library Advisory Council)
AECT - Association for Educational Communications and Technology
AEPI - American Educational Publishers Institute
AFL/CIO - American Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations
AIA - American Institute of Architects
AIIM - Association for Image and Information Management
AL - American Libraries
ALA - American Library Association
ALAD - Academic Librarians Assisting the Disabled
ALCTS - Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of ALA
ALISE - Association of Library and Information Science Education
ALS - Alliance Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
ALSC - Association for Library Service to Children, a division of ALA
altA - American Library Trustee Association, a division of ALA
ANSI - American National Standards Institute
ARL - Association of Research Libraries
ARLIS/NA - Art Libraries Society/North America
ASCA - American School Counselors Association
ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange, the de facto worldwide standard for the code numbers used by computers to represent all the upper and lowercase Latin letters, numbers, punctuation, etc.
ASCLA - Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of ALA
ASIS - American Society for Information Science, founded in 1937 for information specialists, scientists, librarians, administrators, social scientists, and others interested in the use, organization, storage, retrieval and dissemination of recorded information
ATLA - American Theological Library Association
AUPS - American University Press Service
Backbone - A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network
Bandwidth - How much stuff you can send through a connections, usually measured in bits-per-second (a full page of English text is about 16,000 bits, a fast modem can move about 15,000 bits in one second)
BIPAD - Bureau of Independent Publishers and Distributors
Bit - Binary DigIT, a single-digit number in base-2, (either a 1 or a 0); the smallest unit of computerized data
BPH - Blind and Physically Handicapped. usually refers to the program of talking books, cassettes, disks, and other materials provided through the state library and library systems
Browser - A client program (software) that is used to look
at various kinds of Internet resources
C&RL - College & Research Libraries, an ACRL publication
C&RL NEWS - College & Research Libraries News, an ACRL publication
CAEO - Coalition of Adult Education Organizations
CBC - Children's Book Council
CCD - Cooperative Collection Development, the acquisition and maintenance of collections by local libraries to meet the needs of their patrons and strengthen collections by agreement between libraries and to acquire materials cooperatively
CCMCC - Illinois Cooperative Collections Management Coordinating Committee, a consortium of libraries involved in the cooperative collection planning process funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois State Library
CCMP - Illinois Cooperative Collections Management Program, managed by the CCMCC and consisting of the grants and other related programs developed by the CCMCC.
CEU - Continuing Education Unit, term applied to adult education; CE credits are points earned for specific workshops or seminars offered by the twelve Illinois library systems, the Illinois Library Association, and other special groups and institutions
CGI - Common Gateway Interface, set of rules that describe how a Web Server communicates with another piece of software on the same machine and how the other piece of software (the CGI program) talks to the web server
CLA - Catholic Library Association or Canadian Library Association
CLENE - Continuing Library Education Network and Exchange (ALA)
CLENERT - Continuing Library Education Network and Exchange Round Table (ALA=)
Client - Software program used to contact and obtain data from a Server software program on another computer, often across a great distance, Web Browser is a specific kind of Client
CLR - Council on Library Resources, an independently operating foundation whose principal objective is to aid in the solution of library problems, especially those affecting academic and research libraries
CLS - Chicago Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
CNLIA - Council of National Library and Information Associations
COA - Committee on Accreditation
CODSULI - Council of Directors of State University Libraries in Illinois
COLT - Council on Library/Media Technology Assistants
CONSER - Coopperative Online Serials Program
COO - Committee on Organization (ALA)
COPES - Committee on Program Evaluation and Support (ALA)
COSLA - Chief Officers of State Library Agencies
CPL - Chicago Public Library
CRC - Chapter Relations Committee (ALA)
CRL - Center for Research Libraries, located in Chicago; the Center's materials are deposited by members and other research materials are acquired cooperatively for members
CRLF - College and Research Libraries' Forum of the Illinois Library Association
Database - Online list that consists of all the holdings of the library(s) involved, term that describes a collection of materials, items, or information offered by specialized vendors, associations, or groups
Dedicated Access - A full-time connection to a database, usually over a leased telephone data line or through an Internet service provider or other telecommunication software
Dialup Access - Temporary connection to a computer by modem or other telecommunication device and some type of terminal and a commercial regular phone line, used primarily to search databases for cataloging,
resource sharing, and reference
Direct Loan - Resource-sharing transaction directly between libraries without active involvement by a system interlibrary loan department
DLS - DuPage Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
Domain Name - Unique name that identifies an Internet site
Dumb Terminal - Computer terminal that receives its instruction and programs from a mainframe or miniframe computer
E-mail - Electronic mail, messages, usually text, sent from one person to another via computer
EAV - Equalized Assessed Valuation, figure found on the tax bill that shows the local township and county price of the property for taxing purposes
EB - Encyclopedia Britannica
EMIERT - Ethnic Materials Information Exchange Round Table (ALA)
ERIC - Education Resource in Curriculum, an online database; Education Resources Information Center
ERT - Exhibits Round Table (ALA)
FLA - Forum for Library Assistants of the Illinois Library Association
FLRT - Federal Librarians Round Table (ALA)
FOLD - Forum of Library Districts of the Illinois Library Association
FOLUSA - Friends of Libraries, USA, an affiliate of ALA that is concerned with Friends of Libraries issues
FTE - Full-Time Equivalent
FTP - File Transfer Protocol, common method of moving files between two Internet sites that involves a special way to log into another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving or sending files
FTRF - Freedom to Read Foundation
FY - Fiscal Year
Gateway - Hardware or software set up that translates between two dissimilar protocols, a means of providing access to another system GDLF - Government Documents Libraries' Forum of the Illinois Library Association
GODORT - Government Documents Round Table (ALA)
HEA - Higher Education Act
HSLI - Health Science Librarians of Illinois
IACRL - Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries Forum
IBBY - International Board on Books for Young People
IBHE - Illinois Board of Higher Education
IFC - Intellectual Freedom Committee (ALA)
IFF - Intellectual Freedom Forum of the Illinois Library Association
IFLA - International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
IFRT - Intellectual Freedom Round Table (ALA)
ILA - Illinois Library Association
ILDS - Illinois Library Delivery System, a document-delivery service that expedites interlibrary loan throughout the state
ILERT - Independent Librarians Exchange Round Table (ALA)
ILF - Interlibrary Loan Forum of the Illinois Library Association
ILL - Interlibrary loan
ILLINET - Illinois Library and Information Network coordinated by the Illinois State Library
ILLINET/OCLC Services - An Illinois State Library-managed service providing access to OCLC
ILSDO - Illinois Library System Directors Organization
IOUG - Illinois OCLC Users Group
IRA - International Reading Association
IRC - International Relations Committee (ALA)
IRIS - Illinois Radio Information Service
IRLBPH - Illinois Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
IRRT - International Relations Round Table (ALA)
IRS - Internal Revenue Service (U.S.)
ISBE - Illinois State Board of Education
ISDN - Integrated Services Digital Network, a way to move large volumes of data over existing regular phone lines that is becoming available in many areas in the country
ISL - Illinois State Library
ISLAC - Illinois State Library Advisory Committee, appointed by the secretary of state as state librarian for the purpose of advising the State Library on library matters
ITAL - Information Technology and Libraries, a LITA publication
JSC - Joint Steering Committee for Revision of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules
LAMA - Library Administration and Management Association, a division of ALA
LAN - Local Area Network, a computer network limited to the immediate area, usually the same building or floor of a building
LC - Library of Congress
LHRT - Library History Round Table (ALA)
LIMRiCC - Library Insurance Management and Risk Control Combination, a cooperative program to provide insurance coverage for libraries
LIRT - Library Instruction Round Table (ALA)
LITA - Library and Information Technology Association, a division of ALA
LLI/LLA - Laubach Literacy International/Laubach Literacy Action
LRRT - Library Research Round Table (ALA)
LRTS - Library Resources & Technical Services, a publication of ALCTS
LSCA - Library Services and Construction Act, provides federal funds which are reappropriated in Illinois and administered by the Illinois State Library, succeeded by LSTA.
LSTA - Library Services and Technology Act, program that succeeds LSCA and provides federal funds for technology and services to special populations
LTF - Library Trustee Forum of the Illinois Library Association
LTLS - Lincoln Trails Libraries System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
LTR - Library Technical Reports, a publication of ALA
LVA - Literary Volunteers of America
MAGERT - Map and Geography Round Table (ALA)
MARBI - Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information (ALA)
MARC - Machine-Readable Cataloging, a standard format for computer data about library materials originated by the Library of Congress and now prevalent around the world
MLA - Medical Library Association; Music Library Association; Modern Language Association
Modem - Modulator DEModulator, a device connecting a computer and a phone line that allows the computer to "talk" to other computers through the phone system
NCLIS - National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
NEH - National Endowment for the Humanities
Netscape - A World Wide Web Browser and the name of a company, Netscape is widely recognized as one of the best and most popular web browsers
NILRC - Northern ILlinois Resources Cooperative, an organization of academic administrative libraries
NILS - Northern Illinois Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
NISO - National Information Standards Organization (formerly ANSI Z-39)
NLM - National Library of Medicine
NLW - National Library Week
Nonresident - Person who resides outside the taxing area of a public library
NSLS - North Suburban Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
NTIS - National Technical Information Service
OCLC - Online Computer Library Center, a major library-computer vendor (bibliographic utility) that offers a shared national database of records for cataloging and interlibrary loan
OIF - Office for Intellectual Freedom (ALA)
OLOS - Office for Library Outreach Services (ALA)
OLPR - Office for Library Personnel Resources (ALA)
PALI - Private Academic Libraries in Illinois
PIO - Public Information Office (ALA)
PLA - Public Library Association, a division of ALA
PLMF - Public Library Management Forum of the Illinois Library Association.
RASD - Reference and Adult Services Division (ALA)
RBB - Reference Books Bulletin, published in Booklist (ALA)
RBLS - River Bend Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
Reciprocal Access - Means by which the library resources of all member libraries of a library system are made available to all constituents within the system area
REFORMA - National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking
RFI - Request for Information
RFP - Request for Proposal
RFQ - Request for Quotation
RLG - Research Library Group, membership network of major U. S. Research libraries
RLIN - Research Libraries Network
Router - Computer system that makes decisions about which path Internet traffic will take to reach its destination
RPLS - Rolling Prairie Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
RSF - Reference Services Forum of the Illinois Library Association
RTSF - Resources and Technical Services Forum of the Illinois Library Association
RUSA - Reference and User Services Association, a division of ALA (formerly Reference and Adult Services Division)
SAA - Society of American Archivists
Server - Computer or a software package that provides a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers
ShLS - Shawnee Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
SIECUS - Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S.
SISAC - Serials Industry Systems Advisory Committee
SLA - Special Libraries Association
SLF - Small Libraries Forum of the Illinois Library Association
SLIP - Serial Line Internet Protocol, a standard for using a regular telephone line and a modem to connect a computer as an Internet site
SLMSF - School Library Media Specialists Forum of the Illinois Library Association
SLS - Suburban Library System, one of the twelve library systems in Illinois
SLSF - Specialized Library Services Forum of the Illinois Library Association
SMSA - Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area
SORT - Staff Organization Round Table (ALA)
SRRT - Social Responsibilities Round Table (ALA)
System Service Area - Land area within the geographic boundaries of a library system
T1 - A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 1,544,000 bits per second(bps), is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to the Internet
T3 - A leased-line connection capable of carrying data at 44,736,000 bits per second, more than enough to do full-screen, full-motion video
Talking Book Program - Library of Congress's free reading program for blind and physically handicapped individuals, that includes Braille and talking books (recordings on discs and cassette tapes) available on loan to anyone certified as unable to hold a book or read ordinary print and special playback equipment that is loaned without cost
Tax Caps - Legislation formally known as the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) that limits the local governmental units, ability to increase levies
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, the suite of protocols that defines the Internet, originally designed for the UNIX operating system but now available for every major kind of computer operating system
Terminal Server - Special-purpose computer that has places to plug in many modems on one side and a connection to a LAN or host machine on the other side
TESLA - Technical Standards for Library Automation
TLA - Theater Library Association
URL - Uniform Resource Locator, standard way to give the address of any resource on the Internet that is part of the World Wide Web
USBE - Universal Serials and Book Exchange, Inc.
VCF - Volunteers Coordinators Forum of the Illinois Library
Association
VOYA - Voice of Youth Advocates
WAN - Wide Area Network, any Internet or network that covers an area larger than a single building or campus
WHCLIS - White House Conference on Library and Information Services
WWW - World Wide Web, the universe of hypertext servers (HTTP servers) that allow text, graphics, sound files, etc., to be mixed together
YALSA - Young Adult Library Services Association (ALA)
YSF - Youth Services Forum of the Illinois Library Association
Electronic copy of Publication designed and composed 1997
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