Library Speak: A Glossary of Terms in Librarianship and Information Management. 3rd Australasian ed.

Citation

Bidwell, P. (2000), "Library Speak: A Glossary of Terms in Librarianship and Information Management. 3rd Australasian ed.", Library Management, Vol. 21 No. 8, pp. 443-447. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.2000.21.8.443.3

Library jargon, long a curse to the uninitiated is clearly explained in this recently released third edition of the Australasian publication, Library Speak. From “AACR2R” to “Z39.50”, “kickstool” to “vapourware”, Library Speak offers a helpful road to enlightenment.

Definitions are concise yet precise – encapsulating in a few words the crucial elements required to explain the institution or concept clearly. Many acronyms are given – not only defined clearly in their current form but also referring from versions now obsolete. For example, the New Zealand National Library bibliographic resource now called Te Puna was previously widely known as NZBN. The new name is listed, but Library Speak also refers directly from the previous acronym as well as the old title in full.

Library Speak stays clearly within the field of information management “voucher”, for example, is explained in the context of a certificate provided by the Australian Library and Information Association and used to pay for interlibrary loan (those unfamiliar with terms such as “ALIA” and “interlibrary loan” can easily find definitions for these too). Australasian awards and scholarships are also listed, including a brief history and details of the institution hosting the award.

Computer terms are thoroughly covered, particularly those related to library systems and the Internet, making this a valuable resource for those new to information management, and for others who may be re‐entering the workforce. This includes major search engines and directories for both Australia and New Zealand, as well as significant database hosts and specific databases such as BERITA – which I now know indexes articles from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and South‐East Asia.

This glossary of Australasian library terms also comes with significant Internet enhancements compared with previous editions. Should the user need more detailed information, a URL (succinctly defined as the “address of a site on the World Wide Web”) has been included for institutional definitions where relevant. As established institutional URLs are less likely to change frequently, this feature should remain useful in future.

Currency seems very reasonable, with recent library changes acknowledged. In fact it was hard to catch Library Speak out – almost every term that could have been missed was found on inspection. I did catch it out on “nz‐libs”, the short name commonly used for the principal electronic mailing list for New Zealand libraries, but this may be outside the collection criteria. I did note that the Australian search engine Web Wombat was not included, although a selection of others was listed. Overall, however, this is a comprehensive and helpful guide to library jargon that deserves a wide audience. Retailing at about US $10.00, there is a lot packed into its 144 pages.