fable
A fictitious story in which animal characters or inanimate objects speaking and acting like human beings are used to express or teach a moral lesson, which may be explicitly stated at the end. George Orwell's Animal Farm [1945] is an example of a novel in this genre. Click here to connect to the full-text of Aesop's Fables and here to see an 18th-century illustrated edition of Fables Choisies by Jean de La Fontaine. Synonymous with cautionary tale and morality tale. See also: allegory and parable.
fabliau
In medieval literature written in old French, a humorous metrical story told in eight-syllable lines that relates incidents of ordinary life in a realistic style and at the same time conveys a moral message. Fabliaux often satirize the faults of clergymen or other prominent persons or the foibles of ordinary people. They can be broadly humorous, as in some of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Facebook
A privately-owned social networking Web site, founded in 2003 by Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg, that allows users to establish and update a personal profile, maintain a list of friends to whom messages can be sent, and join social networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region. The term "facebook" originally referred to books containing portrait photographs, distributed by university administrations at the beginning of the academic year to help students to get to know each other. Click here to connect to the Facebook homepage
facet
In indexing, the entire set of subclasses generated when a class representing a subject in a classification system is divided according to a single characteristic, for example, the subclasses "children," "adolescents," and "adults" generated by the division of the class "people" according to the characteristic "age." The number of subclasses depends on the specific characteristic applied. In his Colon Classification, S.R. Ranganathan identified five basic characteristics recognizable in any class: personality, matter, energy, space, and time (abbreviated PMEST). In a more general sense, any one of several distinct aspects of a subject.
facilitator
A person who makes it easier for others to do their work and accomplish their goals. Ideally, a library director should facilitate the work of staff under his or her supervision. Also refers to a person with exceptional communication skills selected to lead the discussion at a conference, workshop, planning session, etc.
facilities report
In the exchange of special collections materials for exhibition, a concise document prepared by the borrowing institution, to accompany the request letter sent to the lending institution, describing the borrower's exhibition program and facilities. For traveling exhibitions, a separate report is submitted to the lending library for each institution. In Guidelines for Borrowing and Lending Special Collections Materials for Exhibition (January 2005), the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) recommends that the report include a description of the 1) borrowing institution, 2) building and exhibit space (size, date and type of construction, etc.), 3) fire protection system, 4) security system, 5) environment (range of temperature and humidity, lighting, UV exposure, etc.), 6) procedures to be used in handling the lent objects, and 7) insurance coverage, with a list of references (other institutions that have lent items to the borrowing institution). A standardized facilities report is available from the American Association of Museums (AAM).
facsimile map
A printed reproduction of an old map that is intended to be identical to the original in every respect except the date and method of its production. A facsimile map should (1) have the same scale and dimensions as the original, (2) include all the details of the original with no additions, (3) match the original in color(s), and (4) be reproduced using printing techniques that introduce no elements foreign to the original, such as screen-tone. To avoid confusion, name of publisher, year of publication, location of the original, and original publisher should be given in the margin of a facsimile sheet map. Click here to see a collection of examples, courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.
faction
A term coined in the 1960s with the publication of Truman Capote's novel In Cold Blood to describe a new literary genre consisting of fictional narrative based on real events and/or characters, depicted without disguise. Unlike historical fiction in which the author attempts to interpret a more distant past with a reasonable degree of accuracy, faction is based on contemporary events or the recent past, often leaving the distinction between what is real and imaginary to the reader. Some critics and serious writers consider it a "mongrel genre." Synonymous with documentary fiction. See also: nonfiction novel and roman à clef.
factotum
A printer's ornament in wood or metal, usually square in shape, designed with a hole at the center into which a unit of type bearing any letter of the alphabet can be inserted to print a capital letter at the beginning of a chapter or paragraph. In early printing, factotum initials were usually decorated. The effect is also achieved by an assemblage of small separate ornaments arranged symmetrically in a square around a central space (see this example).
faculty
In a college or university, any of the departments within an academic area, for example, the humanities or social sciences. Also used collectively in reference to all the departments within a school, college, or university. A faculty member is a full-time academic professional at the rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor. Part-time faculty (adjuncts) may or may not have full faculty status, depending on the institution. See also: library faculty.
fair
A description of condition used in the book trade to indicate that a copy shows definite signs of age and/or wear, such as a torn dust jacket, foxing, a loose binding, slightly dog-eared corners, etc., but retains all the text pages, although endpapers, half title, etc., may be lacking. Defects must be noted by the bookseller. Compare with good.
fair use
Conditions under which copying a work, or a portion of it, does not constitute infringement of copyright, including copying for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Click here for more information about Copyright & Fair Use provided by the Stanford University Libraries.
- U.S. Copyright Act: Fair Use
Title 17. Chapter 1. Section 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is fair use the factors to be considered shall include:
- (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
- (2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
- (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
- (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
fairy tale
A fanciful story written for or told to children, usually containing at least one supernatural element (magic, dragons, elves, ghosts, hobgoblins, witches, etc.) affecting adults and children, animals, and/or inanimate objects. Most fairy tales are based on the traditional folklore of a specific culture. Some are didactic (example: "The Three Little Pigs"). Often published in illustrated collections, fairy tales are usually shelved in the children's room of a public library or in the curriculum room of an academic library. Fairy tales are included in Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts, maintained by D.L. Ashliman of the University of Pittsburgh. Compare with folktale.
fake
Something that is not genuine, having been counterfeited, usually with intent to deceive or defraud, for example, The Poems of Ossian, which the 18th-century Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed were translations of ancient Gaelic manuscripts but whose authenticity was eventually disproved. Click here to learn more about the Ossian controversy, courtesy of the University of Delaware Library. See also: forgery.
fallout
A measure of the effectiveness of information retrieval, computed as the ratio of nonrelevant entries or items retrieved in response to a query to the total number of nonrelevant items indexed in the database (adapted from the ASIS Thesaurus of Information Science and Librarianship, Information Today, 1998). As a practical matter, the number of nonrelevant items in a given database is often difficult (if not impossible) to ascertain, except in very small databases, so this measure remains largely conceptual. See also: precision and recall.
false document
A work (text, photograph, motion picture, etc.) created with a degree of verisimilitude calculated to fool the reader or viewer into believing in its factual authenticity, often by including one or more pieces of forgery. An example in fiction is Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe (1719), presented as a factual autobiography. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1973) is an example of a film that claims to be based on fact, but is fictional. Blurring the line separating fact from fiction is a technique often used in the fantasy, mystery, and horror genres to heighten the feeling of wonder, suspense, or fear in the reader or viewer. Compare with mockumentary.
Also used in reference to falsified identity documents (passports, visas, driver's licenses, birth certificates, etc.) and legal documents (licenses, bills of sale, etc.), often produced for criminal purposes.
family tree
A diagram, chart, or other graphic representation of the genealogy of a family, often a branched figure showing the descendants of a given pair of progenitors. Click here to see an example for the Ptolemaic Dynasty of ancient Egypt and here to see the family tree of Ludwig van Beethoven. The category includes decorative or pictorial charts containing blank spaces for the insertion of names and/or portraits.
fan drying
When a book has become wet but not saturated, it can usually be dried by standing it on its head on several layers of clean paper toweling or unprinted newsprint, with the covers open wide and the leaves fanned out to expose them to the air. Electric fans hasten drying by increasing air circulation. Former Yale University conservator Jane Greenfield recommends supporting the book block to the height of the squares, if possible, by resting it on one or more thin, pie-shaped pieces of styrofoam (The Care of Fine Books, Nick Lyons Books, 1988). Fan drying will reduce some of the swelling caused by exposure to water but does not return the book to its former condition. Vacuum freeze drying must be used for books printed on coated papers that fuse when wet.
fantasy
A highly imaginative novel, short story, poem, film, etc., in which the action occurs in an unreal and nonexistent time and/or place outside the realm of possibility. Examples include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll and The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Also refers to genre fiction in which the writer's imagination is not constrained by the limitations of conventional reality. Fantasy writers are organized in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Synonymous with fantastic fiction. See also: science fiction and utopia.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions, a text file available online or in print, containing answers to commonly asked questions about a specific topic, that may serve as a mini-help file for inexperienced users of a computer system or software program. Usually maintained by one or more persons who have an active interest in the subject.
farce
A light, boisterous form of comedy in which the characters are exaggerated stereotypes, the action improbable to the point of being ludicrous, and the verbal and visual humor lacking in subtlety (example: Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas). Farce bears the same relationship to "high" comedy as melodrama to tragedy. For other examples, try Wikipedia.
fascicule
A sewn gathering of leaves that allows individual items to be inserted, each with its own support, in the manner required, usually tipped in to a supporting sheet or attached to a guard (Preservation Policies: Glossary, National Preservation Office, The British Library). Designed as an improvement on the guard book. Also used synonymously with fascicle.
fat face
A novelty typeface in which the degree of contrast between the thick and thin strokes of each character is highly exaggerated.
fault tolerance
The ability of a network or computer system to preserve the integrity of data and continue operating in the event of an unexpected hardware or software malfunction, often achieved by mirroring operations on two duplicate systems.
feasibility study
A preliminary investigation and report on a proposed policy, project, or plan to ascertain if it can be successfully carried out, for example, to determine if a new library building can be constructed on a particular site.
feature
A comparatively long article in a magazine or newspaper given special emphasis by the editor(s) or publisher, as opposed to a short article, regular column, or editorial. In magazines, the article illustrated on the front cover is called the cover story. Other feature stories in the same issue may also be noted on the front cover, often by subject.
In cartography, an object in a landscape or represented on a map or chart, whether naturally occurring (river, lake, island, mountain, canyon, etc.) or man-made (city, park, airport, road, etc.). In geographic information systems (GIS), a shape in a spatial data layer (point, line, or polygon) representing a geographic object.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Established by the Communications Act of 1934 to succeed the Federal Radio Commission, the FCC is charged with regulating all non-federal government use of the radio spectrum (including radio and television broadcasting), and all interstate telecommunications (wire, satellite, and cable), as well as all international communications that originate or terminate in the United States. The FCC is directed by five Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms. No more than three Commissioners may be members of the same political party, and commissioners are barred from holding a financial interest in any FCC-related business. Click here to connect to the FCC homepage.
Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC)
Created in 1965 as the Federal Library Committee, FLICC is composed of the directors of the four national libraries (Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, National Library of Education, and National Agriculture Library) and representatives of cabinet-level executive departments and federal agencies with major library programs, chaired by the Librarian of Congress.
The mission of FLICC is to enhance utilization of federal library and information center resources and facilities through professional development, publicity, and coordination. FLICC is also responsible for recommending policies, programs, and procedures to federal agencies concerning libraries and information resources and for providing guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK), the purchasing, training, and resource sharing consortium of federal libraries and information centers. Click here to learn more about the FLICC and FEDLINK.
feedback
In computing, output put back into the same system as input to achieve a degree of self-regulation. In library operations, the views (solicited or unsolicited) of the users of a resource or service concerning its quality and/or usefulness, whether positive or negative. Libraries rely on user surveys and the suggestion box to obtain feedback from patrons.
fellowship
A position at a university, research institute, or library for which a stipend is granted for a limited period of time, usually 1-2 years, to allow an outstanding scholar to pursue advanced study or research. The term is also applied to the stipend itself and, in some cases, to the foundation providing it. Senior fellowships are awarded to scholars who are well-established in their fields, junior fellowships to scholars at earlier stages of their careers. A teaching fellowship involves some classroom responsibilities. Click here to learn about fellowships offered at the Huntington Library in California and here to search a database of internships and fellowships maintained by the Library of Congress.
festival book
A factual and/or pictorial description of a celebration (coronation, wedding, etc.) or other formal event (spectacle, pageant, performance) that occurred at a royal court or in connection with a religious establishment, usually compiled by a court or Church official and issued by an approved publisher/printer. Careful records of previous celebrations were kept by the courts of England and Europe as precedents on which to base preparations for new festivities. Diplomats also included descriptions of state occasions in reports to their home chancelleries. Written in the vernacular in prose or verse, the genre flourished from about 1550 to 1725.
Varying considerably in content and form, festival books may be entirely textual, contain text with illustrations, consist mostly of plates (usually engraved), include celebratory verse or genealogical information, or consist entirely of the libretto of an opera or ballet. Often printed before the event for distribution as souvenirs to attendees, festival books may provide an idealistic rather than a realistic account of the occasion. They are valued by historians as cultural and political literature documenting the development of national identity and traditions. Click here to see an example commemorating the coronation of James II, courtesy of Octavo Editions, and here to learn more about Renaissance and early modern festival books, courtesy of the British Library. Synonymous with adventus book.
Festschrift
From the German words Fest ("festival") and Schrift ("writing"). A memorial publication, usually in the form of a collection of essays or speeches by distinguished persons, issued in honor of a scholarly person or society, sometimes on the occasion of an anniversary, birthday, or retirement celebration. The subject or theme encompassing the collected works is usually related to the field in which the person (or organization) achieved distinction. The contributors are often friends, colleagues, and former students of the person (or entity) honored. Click here to view an online Festschrift in honor of Eugene Numa Lane. Plural: Festschriften.
feuilleton
From the French feuillet meaning "leaf of a book." From the early 19th century, a supplement attached to the political section of a French (later European) newspaper or magazine, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, art and literary criticism, and social commentary, plus literary trifles, such as light fiction and epigrams. "The Talk of the Town" section of The New Yorker is a contemporary English-language example. In English newspapers, the term was applied to an installment of a serial work of fiction printed in a particular section of a newspaper.
fiberboard
A very rigid form of paperboard made from heavily pressed sheets of pulped vegetable fiber, laminated together.
fiber content
A statement of the various kinds of fiber present in a material manufactured from fiber (paper, board, cloth, thread), usually expressed in percentages to indicate relative proportions, useful information because type of fiber affects the properties of a product, for example, its color, chemical stability, strength, and durability. Synonymous with fiber composition. See also: pulp.
fiction
From the Latin fictio, meaning to "make" or "counterfeit." Literary works in prose, portraying characters and events created in the imagination of the writer, intended to entertain, enlighten, and vicariously expand the reader's experience of life. In historical fiction, characters and events usually bear some relationship to what actually happened, but any dialogue is reconstructed or imagined by the author. All fiction is fictitious in the sense of being invented, but good fiction remains "true to life." In Western literature, the traditional forms of literary fiction include the novel, novelette, and short story. Compare with nonfiction. See also: crossover fiction, faction, genre, popular fiction, and pulp fiction.
In libraries that use Library of Congress Classification (LCC), fiction is shelved in the Ps, the section for language and literature, subdivided by language. To locate a specific work of fiction in the stacks, the patron must first look up the LC call number in the catalog. In libraries that use Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), long fiction is shelved separately from nonfiction, alphabetically by last name of author, to facilitate browsing. In some public libraries, genre fiction is shelved separately from general fiction, usually by category (mystery, science fiction, etc.), sometimes indicated by a graphic label on the spine.
fictitious
Having no real existence, as in a fictitious character created in the imagination of a writer or a fictitious name adopted to deceive others. Also used in reference to a statement or emotion not genuinely believed or felt; false.
fictitious imprint
An imprint that has no real existence because the publisher has given incorrect information about when, where, or by whom the edition was printed or issued, usually for profit or to evade legal or other restrictions, avoid charges of copyright piracy, or conceal the identity of the author (see this 16th-century example, courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library). In AACR2, the real imprint, when known, is given by the cataloger in the publication, distribution, etc., area of the bibliographic description as an interpolation following the fictitious one (example: Paris : Impr. Vincent, 1798 [i.e. Bruxelles : Moens, 1883]). In actual practice, it is not uncommon for the real imprint to be given as an interpolation and the fictitious one in a note. Synonymous with false imprint.
field
In library cataloging, a relative location of fixed or variable length in a machine-readable record, reserved for a specific data element or group of elements that constitute a single logical category of bibliographic description, for example, the area of physical description reserved for information about the physical characteristics of an item. In the MARC record, each field is indicated by a three-digit tag, but in the catalog display, textual field labels are provided to assist users in identifying the various categories of description.
Repeatable fields (R) may appear more than once in the same record; for example, there is no restriction on the number of topical subject headings (MARC field 650) that may be assigned to a work. Nonrepeatable (NR) fields can be used only once and may be mutually exclusive, for example, the personal name main entry (field 100) and uniform title main entry (field 130). Fields for areas of description containing more than one data element are divided into subfields. Only about 10 percent of available MARC fields are used in most bibliographic records; the other 90 percent are used infrequently. See also: control field, directory, leader, local field, and variable data field.
In a more general sense, a logical unit of data that, together with other units, comprises a record in a database or other system of recordkeeping, for example, the name, address, or phone number field of each patron record in a library's patron database.
In academic research, a subject or group of related subjects studied in depth, for example, "anthropometry" in the subdiscipline "physical anthropology" within the discipline of anthropology.
field notes
Observations and experiences recorded on paper or electronically by scientists in the course of their work with the phenomena under study. Descriptive sciences such as ethnography, archaeology, geology, and biology have a long history of recorded fieldwork (see this example). Also spelled fieldnotes.
fieldwork
The gathering of information or scientific data about a subject through observation, interviewing, and other methods of direct investigation, usually conducted in a location closely associated with the topic, as opposed to researching the subject in books and other publications, conducting experiments in a laboratory setting, administering mail surveys, etc. See also: field notes.
In archives, the process of locating, identifying, and securing materials for an archival collection, including any negotiations required to acquire custody if the materials have monetary value. Also spelled field work.
figure drawing
A drawing or sketch of a human body, or one of its parts, executed as a study of the human form, not as a portrait of the individual as subject (see this example by Leonardo da Vinci). A life drawing is a figure drawing done from a live model holding a stationary position.
figure of speech
A form of expression employed mainly in rhetoric and literary writing in which words or entire sentences are used in a way that deviates from conventional order or literal meaning to achieve an unusual or unexpected poetic or aesthetic effect, for example, the phrase "a flood of tears." Click here to learn more about figures of speech in Wikipedia or see Grant Williams' Figures of Speech Tables. See also: metaphor.
file
A collection of documents usually related in some way, stored together, and arranged in a systematic order. In computing, a collection of structured data elements stored as a single entity or a collection of records related by source and/or purpose, stored on a magnetic medium (floppy disk, hard disk, Zip disk, etc.). File type, indicated by an extension at the end of the filename, depends on the code in which the data is written (example: .html for HTML script). In AACR2, the term is defined as a basic unit in which electronic resources are organized and stored, some e-resources containing more than one file.
In manual data systems, the contents of a manila folder or other physical container used to organize documents, usually of a size and shape designed to fit inside the drawer of a standard-size filing cabinet or other storage space. Also refers to a collection of information about a specific subject or person, stored together as a single unit, sometimes with other files on related subjects or people, for example, a personnel file maintained by an employer. See also: case file, convenience file, and reading file.
filename
A brief name assigned by a programmer or computer user to a data file to identify it for future retrieval. Filenames usually provide a clue to the content of the file (example: resume.txt or home.html). The three- or four-letter extension added to the end of a filename indicates file type (example: .txt for a file in ASCII or .html for a file in Hypertext Markup Language). Also spelled file name.
file size
The number of characters or bytes in a block of digital data, usually expressed in bytes, kilobytes (KB), or megabytes (MB). The amount of disk space required to store a computer file depends not only on file size but also on how disk space is managed by the file system.
film
A thin strip or sheet of flexible, transparent or translucent material (usually plastic) coated with a light-sensitive emulsion that, when exposed to light, can be used to develop photographic images. Motion picture film, produced in various gauges for different markets, has perforations along one or both edges by which it is advanced by sprockets inside the camera or projector. The instability and flammability of the cellulose nitrate used as a film base prior to 1950 has created a preservation imperative of massive proportions. To prevent deterioration, older films must be copied onto a more permanent base such as acetate or polyester, a time-consuming and expensive process. Click here to learn more about the physical composition of film (National Film and Sound Archive, Australia) and here to learn about how photographic film works, courtesy of HowStuffWorks. The National Film Preservation Foundation provides a Web site on film Preservation Basics. Compare with plate. See also: film format, filmstrip, microfilm, reversal film, and safety film.
Also refers to commercial and educational motion pictures in widths of 8, 16, 35, or 70mm, including documentaries, feature films, and short films. See also: film archives, film library, filmography, International Federation of Film Archives, National Film Preservation Board, National Film Registry, and orphan film.
film can
A shallow disk-shaped container made of metal or hard plastic with a tightly-fitting lid, available in various diameters for storing and transporting motion picture film on reels or cores (see these examples). ISO standards recommend polypropylene or polyethylene for plastic film cans. If metal is used, it should be noncorroding. Films are also stored in wide, flat archival cardboard boxes. Containers should not be made with adhesives or additives that might react chemically with film. The Image Permanence Institute (IPI) has developed the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) for film storage materials. Size of enclosure should match the diameter of the film roll and containers should be stacked horizontally to allow the rolls to lie flat.
To open a rusted or dented film can, bang it gently against a hard, flat surface to loosen the lid. If necessary, a screw driver or similar implement can be used to pry the lid off, but care must be taken to keep the blade from damaging the film. Gloves should be worn when opening an old film can and the lid tilted away to protect the face and eyes from flying particles and fumes. Vented cans are available for storing nitrate film. Cans containing old films sometimes bear marks and labels that can be important sources of documentation. Click here to learn more about film cans, courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Also spelled filmcan.
film cement
A special combination of solvents and solids used to make overlap splices in the editing and repair of motion picture film. In a cement splicing machine, the ends of the film are aligned on pins through the perforations, and both the removal of the emulsion layer by scraping and the application of cement may be done automatically. With a "hot splicer" an electric heating element hastens the drying of the cement, resulting in a stronger bond. For safety, film cements should always be used as directed by the manufacturer. Commercially available film cements cannot be used on polyester base film, which must be spliced with tape or by using an ultrasonic splicer.
film cleaner
A solvent used in the conservation of film to remove dust, oil, and wax from the plastic surface. Commercially available film cleaners can be toxic and should always be used as directed by the manufacturer on the product specifications sheet. They should not be used on magnetic sound film or on films with magnetic sound tracks. Also refers to a machine used in the film lab to clean motion picture film, especially the original negative after it has been handled in editing, usually equipped with pads or squeegees that wipe the surface with cleaning solution. In an ultrasonic cleaner, the film is passed through a solvent bath in which high-frequency vibrations dislodge dirt and grime. Mechanical film cleaners can also be attached to a rewind bench or film projector to clean release prints after use. As ageneral rule, a film should be cleaned before preservation copying.
film loop
A work composed of a length of motion picture film with the ends spliced together to allow it to run through a film projector or other viewing device continuously until the equipment is turned off. The actualities shown in the last years of the 19th century up to about 1910 were often of this form.
film noir
Literally "black film," a term coined by French film critics for fictional crime films made during the 1940s and 1950s in which the action is a dark, potent metaphor for human weakness and the ills of society, rather than an isolated example of aberrant behavior. The world evoked in this style of cinematic work is one of melancholy, disillusionment, and pervasive evil inhabited by hard-boiled private detectives and devious, corrupt, unrepentant criminals, often involving a duplicitous femme fatale and a strong undercurrent of moral conflict. Filmed in black and white, film noir relies on visual devices borrowed from German expressionism--deep shadows, low-key lighting effects, and oblique, unharmonious composition. Flashbacks and voice-over narration are also common ingredients. Identification of the culprit(s) is usually less important than revealing facts that justify the hero's cynical view of life, in which there are no happy endings (examples: Kiss Me Deadly by Robert Aldrich; Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder; and Touch of Evil by Orson Welles). The category also includes motion pictures made before the 1940s and after the 1950s (post-noirs and neo-noirs) that evoke the same mood as classic noirs (Scarface [1932] by Howard Hawks and Chinatown [1974] by Roman Polanski). Click here to learn more about film noir in Wikipedia. See also: noir fiction.
filmography
A list of motion pictures, usually limited to works by a specific director or performer, in a particular genre, of a specific time period or country, or on a given subject, usually listed alphabetically by title or chronologically by release date. The entries in a filmography include some or all of the following elements of description: producer, distributor, director, cast, release date, running time, language, color or black and white, etc. Click here to see an online filmography of Alfred Hitchcock, courtesy of the Internet Movie Database. Compare with discography.
film ruler
A calibrated linear scale, usually made of metal, used to estimate the total length of a motion picture (usually in linear feet) by measuring from the center of the core outward to the edge of the roll (the radius). Split film reels are sometimes hatch-marked for the same purpose.
film score
Music composed for use in the background of a motion picture, generally including the opening and closing credits, written by a composer in consultation with the director after viewing a "rough cut" of the footage shot for the film. Some film scores have an overall theme, often introduced at the beginning, and individual themes for the main characters. Called cues, the pieces of music within a film score are typically composed for instruments (acoustic or electronic) and/or voices not individually featured. Compare with sound track.
film series
A group of motion pictures, related in theme or subject and often uniform in style of presentation, released in succession (numbered or unnumbered) by a single producer or distributor, each bearing, in addition to its own title, a collective or series title applied by the producer to the group as a whole. In AACR2, the series title is entered in the series statement in the bibliographic record describing the item. Also refers to a group of related feature films released in succession under the same title, following upon the box office success of the initial work, with the sequels identified by a numeral added to the end of the title (example: The Godfather [1972], The Godfather Part II [1974], and The Godfather Part III [1990]). If the relationship of the sequel to the original title is indicated in the bibliographic description, it is given in the note area.
film storage
Temperature and humidity are the two most important variables affecting the longevity of motion picture film. The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) states in The Film Preservation Guide (2004) that, "Fresh acetate film stored at a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% RH (relative humidity) will last approximately 50 years before the onset of vinegar syndrome. Simply reducing the temperature 15 degrees, while keeping the humidity at the same level, delays the first signs by 150 years." A storage temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit meets ISO standards for nitrate, acetate, and polyester base films. A temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (freezing) provides extended life and is recommended for films in a state of decay to buy time if means are not available for immediate duplication. If a cold storage vault is unavailable, an off-the-shelf frost-free refrigerator or freezer can be used to store a small amount of material, provided the containers are properly sealed to avoid damage from condensation. Film cans should be stacked flat to prevent warping by the force of gravity over time. Because nitrate film is a potential fire hazard, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) issues guidelines for the construction of cabinets and vaults used to store nitrate-based motion pictures. Libraries and archives often store nitrate film off-site. See also: Image Permanence Institute.
film studio
A physical facility where the shooting of motion pictures takes place, usually privately owned or rented by a production company. The first film studio in the United States was built by Thomas Edison in New Jersey in 1893. By 1920, most film studios in the U.S. were concentrated in the Los Angeles area. Eventually the term "studio" came to mean "production company" particularly in reference to the major producers: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, RKO, United Artists, Universal Pictures, and Warner Brothers. Synonymous with movie studio. See also: on location.
film viewer
A small piece of equipment through which motion picture film can be run rapidly in either direction by hand or by motor on rewinds, permitting individual shots and scenes to be located and examined on a small screen at an editing bench or workstation. Film viewers range from small tabletop models to complex flatbed editing consoles used by film professionals. See also: light box.
finals
The last examinations taken by students enrolled in a course of study at a college or university, usually scheduled in the final week of the academic term or semester.
finding aid
A published or unpublished guide, inventory, index, register, calendar, list, or other system for retrieving archival primary source materials that provides more detailed description of each item than is customary in a library catalog record (see this online example, courtesy of the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library at Columbia University). Finding aids also exist in nonprint formats (ASCII, HTML, etc.). In partnership with the Society of American Archivists, the Library of Congress maintains a standard called Encoded Archival Description (EAD) for encoding archival finding aids in Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and/or Extensible Markup Language (XML). Click here to connect to a searchable database of online finding aids for Library of Congress collections. Compare with finding tool.
findings
Information or evidence uncovered as a result of systematic research or investigation. Also, the conclusions of an official inquiry or hearing on a particular topic or issue, usually presented in the form of a report that may be preserved as a legal document.
fine print
Information printed in very small type, usually at the end of a document or in an inconspicuous place within it, containing details of which the reader must be informed but to which the source or publisher may not wish to call attention. The term is also used to refer to the details of a document, printed in any type size, as opposed to its main points. Failure to read fine print can have serious consequences for a person signing a legal document. See also: mouse type.
fingerprint
A unique identifier constructed according to formula, used in historical bibliography to identify copies of early printed books as belonging to a specific edition or issue. Fingerprint formulas are usually in two parts: the year in which the edition appeared plus size of book (example: 157504 for a quarto edition of the year 1575), followed by three groups of characters transcribed from the line of text immediately above the signature marks printed at the foot of certain pages in the front matter, main text, and back matter to assist the binder in assembling the gatherings in correct sequence. Even when a text is reprinted exactly as it appeared in a preceding edition, the signature marks added after the text is composed rarely fall in the same place, creating a variance that can be used for identification. Synonymous with signature position.
For more information, please see Fingerprints = Empreintes = Impronte (Paris: Institut de Recherche et d'Histoire des Textes, 1984) and the critique by Ben J.P. Salemans of the technique in the June 1994 issue of the journal Computers and the Humanities.
finger tab
A small marker attached to the fore-edge of a book to aid the reader in locating a particular passage or division of the text. In medieval manuscripts, they were usually made of vellum, tawed skin, or cloth, sometimes in the form of a small knot, as in this 16th-century example (Koninklijke Bibliotheek). In modern binding, finger tabs are usually made of paper, card, fabric, or plastic stamped or printed with letters, words, numbers, or other characters indicating the alphabetic, numeric, subject, or other arrangement of the text, to facilitate reference. Synonymous with extension tab. See also: tab index.
Also refers to a projecting part of a card, folder, divider, etc., large enough to bear a label indicating the contents, used in manual filing and retrieval.
finish
A general term for the texture of the surface of a grade of paper, determined by the materials and techniques used in manufacture (fiber content, sizing, calendering, coating, drying, etc.). The terms used to describe finish are descriptive: antique, cockle, eggshell, glossy, matte, stipple, etc.
In binding, to apply lettering and/or ornamentation to the cover of a book in a process known as finishing.
finishing
In hand-binding, the process of applying lettering and/or decorative elements to a book cover by blocking, tooling, inlaying, or onlaying, done by a person known as a finisher after the text block has been put into the covers. The term also includes other final treatments, such as dressing and/or polishing in the case of leather bindings. Compare with forwarding.
Also, a general term for the final steps in the processing of type matter once it has been printed, including cutting, folding, machine binding, stamping, laminating, application of the dust jacket, etc.
fire
One of the worst disasters a library or archives can experience, usually caused by incendiarism, defective electrical equipment, careless smoking, or the exposure of paper-based materials to overheating (see this example). The best defense is an effective fire prevention program that includes systematic inspection and removal of hazards and a detection system designed to give early warning. Because the chemicals used in some hand fire extinguishers damage books, their use is recommended only as a last resort. An on-off sprinkler system detects fire at its point of origin and minimizes the amount of water damage by automatically shutting off as soon as temperature returns to normal. To prevent arson, book drops that empty into the building through an exterior wall should be kept locked when the library is unstaffed.
First Amendment
Amendment I to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791, which guarantees freedom of speech: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." The Freedom to Read Statement and the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association (ALA) are based on this constitutional protection.
first book
In publishing, the first appearance in print of a book-length work written entirely by the author. The initial books of many well-known writers remain comparatively obscure (example: Fanshawe: A Tale by Nathaniel Hawthorne). Click here to view an online exhibit of First Books by American Writers, 1786-1984, courtesy of the Georgetown University Library.
first name
The first of one or more given names or Christian names, as distinct from the surname identifying members of the same family. In AACR2, personal name headings for persons known by their initials begin with the surname, followed by a comma, then the initials, followed by the full given names (example: Eliot, T.S. Thomas Stearns).
first sale
Under Section 109 of the U.S. Copyright Act, users who have lawfully acquired a copy of a work are allowed to sell, trade, rent, loan, or dispose of the item without the prior consent of the copyright holder. Without right of first sale, libraries could not legally lend materials protected by copyright, sell their used books, or exchange materials with other libraries. It would also be unlawful for owners to donate copyrighted materials to libraries.
first-to-use
In the United States, but not in most other countries, ownership of a trademark commences from its first use; however, registration still guarantees maximum legal protection. Compare with first-to-file. See also: intent-to-use.
first-year experience (FYE)
A college course or program specifically designed to help freshmen and transfer students make the adjustment to being part of a college community and to assist them in developing the skills and habits necessary for a successful college career, usually offered in conjunction with advisement and guidance, sometimes coordinated by a Dean of Freshman. Click here to connect to the homepage of the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina. Synonymous with freshman experience and freshman seminar.
fiscal year
A period of 12 months, not necessarily coincident with the calendar year, used by a library or library system for financial accounting purposes. In the United States, most public and academic libraries that depend on public funding use a fiscal year beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30. Academic libraries at privately funded colleges and universities may use a fiscal year that coincides with the academic calendar. In federal libraries, the fiscal year may begin on October 1 and end on September 30. In special libraries, the fiscal year usually corresponds with that of the parent organization. Synonymous with accounting year.
fish print
A print made by inking one side of a dead fish and pressing a sheet of paper or piece of fabric against it (see this example, courtesy of Flickr). The Japanese art of fish printing (gyotaku) was invented in the 1800s by fisherman to record their catch. Synonymous with fish impression and fish rubbing.
fist
Printer's slang for a symbol in the form of a closed hand with the index finger extended, used to draw attention to something on a printed page, and in signage to indicate direction. In medieval manuscripts, this symbol (called a manicula) was inserted in the margin to draw attention to an important passage in the text. Click here to see an example drawn in red ink in the lower margin of a 15th-century copy of Saint Augustine's City of God (Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukie) and here to see two examples in a 16th-century edition of Lucretius, printed by Aldus Manutius (Colorado College). Click here to see an embellished example in a 14th-century English manuscript (British Library, Burney 236). Also known as a digit or hand.
fixed rate
A stipulation in a contract or other agreement that the rate of payment agreed upon in advance will not change over time.
fixed shelving
Shelving in which each shelf is permanently attached to the uprights in a range, or to the vertical side of a bookcase, as opposed to adjustable shelving in which the shelves are detachable and can easily be moved up or down to accommodate materials of varying height.
flame
To communicate via e-mail in an angry, sarcastic, or critical tone. A protracted dispute in a newsgroup or mailing list discussion is known as a flame war. Such disputes are usually mediated or terminated by the other participants or by the moderator. See also: netiquette and shouting.
flannel board
A large square or rectangular board covered in felt, used in storytelling and instruction to display letters, symbols, and shapes cut from fabric or some other textured material that sticks to the felt surface when the board is held in an upright position. Synonymous with feltboard and cloth board.
flash memory
Invented at Toshiba in 1984, flash memory is a type of Electrically-Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) in the form of a microchip that retains its data when the power switch is turned off and can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks, rather than byte-by-byte. Because of its speed, non-volatility, and shock resistance, flash memory is used as a storage medium in small battery-powered devices, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and portable digital assistants (PDAs). Click here to learn more about flash memory, courtesy of Wikipedia, or try HowStuffWorks. Synonymous with flash card and storage card. See also: USB flash drive.
flash photograph
A photographic image made with the aid of artificial lighting, usually discharged by a magnesium, electronic, or other flash mechanism, either separate from or built into the camera. Flash devices are typically used to illuminate dark scenes (see this example), capture quickly moving objects (example), or change the quality of light (example). Flash photography is generally not permitted in libraries, archives, and museums displaying materials sensitive to light and/or ultraviolet radiation.
flesh side
The side of a sheet of parchment or vellum that faced the body when the skin was attached to the animal. The flesh side is usually whiter and softer in texture than the hair side, except in Insular manuscripts made from skins not scraped down as far, so that both sides retain a nap similar to suede.
flexible hours
A work schedule that allows an employee to start or stop working at a time suitable to the worker, provided the required number of hours per week is worked.
flextime
Time worked in excess of the maximum number of hours per day, week, or month specified under the terms governing employment, for which the employee is granted time off at a later date. Synonymous with comp time. Compare with overtime.
flicker film
A type of experimental film in which the filmmaker explores visual perception and cognition by the rapid alternation on the screen of images in black and white or color, each of which appears very briefly, sometimes in a single frame. The term is derived from the title of Tony Conrad's art film The Flicker (1964) that caused a furor at the 1966 New York Film Festival. Not recommended for viewers susceptible to photogenic epilepsy, hallucinations, or migraine (some titles carry medical warnings).
flier
An inexpensive, widely distributed handbill or circular of small size (usually 8 1/2 x 11 inches), used flat or folded for advertising and announcements. Also spelled flyer. Synonymous in the UK with leaflet. See also: ephemera.
flooding
One of the worst disasters a library or archives can experience. Because books and most other printed materials are made of paper, water can cause damage out of proportion to the amount. Flooding is usually caused by leaking pipes, malfunctioning air conditioning equipment, unintentional sprinkler system use, or inadequate drainage during periods of excessive precipitation. If possible, books and other printed materials should be stored away from all water sources. Mold can begin to grow in wet books within 48 hours (or less) of exposure. Freezing saturated books buys time, but vacuum drying is an expensive process and not feasible for large quantities of water-damaged items, which must often be discarded. Click here to view flood damage at the Public Health Library, UC Berkeley. See also: fan drying.
floor load
Standard full-height shelving requires that the floor in a library's stacks be designed to sustain a load of 150 pounds per square foot. If compact shelving is used, floor load requirements double to support a load of 300 pounds per square foot.
floor plan
A plan representing a horizontal section through the walls and other vertical elements of a building at one or more levels, showing the shape and disposition of rooms, spaces, and structural components, with information on the placement and dimensions of features such as doors, walls, stairways, and built-in fixtures and equipment, with room numbers and/or names included (see these examples, courtesy of Fordham University). When libraries make their floor plans available to patrons to show the location of collections, services, and facilities, nonpublic areas are often left unnamed.
floor space
The two-dimensional size of a room, functional area, or facility, expressed in square feet in the United States or in square meters in countries where the metric system is used. Usable floor space excludes areas not available for the specified use, such as utility closets, elevator shafts, stairwells, and bathrooms.
Florence Agreement
Sponsored by UNESCO and signed by 17 countries, the Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (1952) reduces tariffs and trade barriers in the international export and import of books, documents, and other materials in the signatory countries. Click here to read the text of the Florence Agreement.
flowchart
A diagram showing the complete series of steps in a process, such as a computer program, or the sequence in which the components of a system function, usually in the form of symbols of varying shape, each representing a specific type of operation or component, connected by directional lines indicating movement (see this example).
flow line
In cartography, a linear symbol of variable width used to represent phenomena characterized by linear movement, for example, emigration or foreign trade. Width of line may be proportional to the quantity mapped (click here to see a map of traffic flows in and out of the King County International Airport and here to see the flow of telecommunications traffic in Europe). A linear symbol used in this way may also be directional (see this example) and/or color-coded to indicate source or some other data. See also: dynamic map.
flyleaf
Often used in reference to the free half of an endpaper not pasted to the inside of one of the boards of a book (see this example), but according to The Bookman's Glossary (Bowker, 1983), the term applies only to the binder's blank leaf at the beginning of a book, following the front free endpaper, and by analogy at the end of the text, preceding the back free endpaper, when the text does not fill the last page or pages. Their purpose is to protect the leaves of the first and last sections of the text block from damage. In medieval manuscripts, the flyleaves sometimes bear pen trials and inscriptions that can be helpful in establishing provenance. Also spelled fly leaf. Synonymous with free endleaf.
fly-title
An additional half title sometimes printed on the recto of an otherwise blank leaf following the last page of the front matter and preceding the first page of the text in a book. Also refers to a similarly printed leaf at the beginning of a chapter or other major division of a book, bearing the title of the division. In England, synonymous with bastard title and half title.
focus group
A small group of people assembled by a researcher to identify through informal discussion the key issues and/or themes related to a research topic, often to facilitate development of a more quantitative methodology, such as a survey. An effort may be made to select a representative sample of the larger cohort used in subsequent research. Focus groups are sometimes used in library research and strategic planning, for example, to determine user needs and preferences in the development of a technology plan. The technique is also used extensively in business for qualitative research on consumer behavior. Online focus groups are used in the evaluation of Web-based services.
fog index
A numeric formula used in publishing to gauge the degree of readability (clarity) of a piece of writing, based on average sentence length and number of words of three or more syllables per sentence. The higher the index number, the less intelligible the writing, an important consideration in judging the sales potential of a work. The measure is imprecise because it does not take into consideration the writer's style, which may break long sentences into phrases and make difficult words easier to comprehend from the context.
fold
The crease formed when two edges of a sheet of paper, parchment, or vellum are brought together along a line and pressed together. A bifolium is created by a single fold down the center of a sheet. Early manuscript books consisted of gatherings of bifolia nested one within another. When paper replaced parchment and vellum in book production, a full sheet could be printed and folded more than once to make a quire of a given number of pages, depending on how the printed matter was arranged:
- Folio. One fold: 2 leaves, 4 pages
- Quarto (4to). Two folds: 4 leaves, 8 pages
- Octavo (8vo). Three folds: 8 leaves, 16 pages
- Sextodecimo (16mo). Four folds: 16 leaves, 32 pages
In modern binding, folding is done by machine. See also: back fold, bolt, and fold sewn.
folded book
A novelty book format consisting of one long strip of paper folded accordion-style, with one or both ends attached to separate rigid covers, with no back (see this example). Used for pictorial display of wide-angle panoramas, particularly in China. More complex folded books have been created by contemporary artists for whom the book is a form of visual art (see artist's book). Synonymous with folding book.
fold endurance
A measure of the strength of a grade of paper, based on the number of times a sheet can be folded in both directions along the same fold line before the fibers detach at the crease. Usually tested mechanically, fold strength is most important in paper used for printing currency. Fold endurance was dropped as a criterion in the 1992 revision of the ANSI/NISO Z39.48 standard for permanence of paper. See also: two-double fold test.
folder
A publication consisting of a single sheet of paper folded, usually down the center, into two or more leaves, not cut or stitched. Examples include performance programs, restaurant menus, etc. Also refers to a sheet of heavy paper such as manila, folded once, sometimes with a flap across the bottom and a projecting tab for labeling, used for filing loose papers. Standard sizes in the United States are 9 x 11 3/4 and 9 x 17 3/4 inches.
In software applications, a heading created by the user under which data files, e-mail messages, Web bookmarks, and other information in digital format can be filed and stored for future retrieval.
Folger Shakespeare Library
Founded in 1932, the Folger Library in Washington, D.C., is an independent research center for Shakespeare scholars containing the largest collection of printed materials in the world about "The Bard" and his literary works. The Folger also collects research materials on British civilization and the culture of the Renaissance, including rare books and manuscripts. A substantial gift from the private library of Henry and Emily Folger forms the nucleus of the collection. The Folgers also established an endowment in support of the library, administered by the Trustees of Amherst College. The library includes a small theater in which Shakespeare's plays are publicly performed. Poetry readings and concerts of early music are also scheduled. The Folger Library is housed in a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Click here to connect to the Folger homepage.
foliate border
An ornamental band around a miniature and/or portion of text on a page of an illuminated manuscript or early printed book, decorated with painted vines, leaves, fruit, and/or flowers, often intertwined with insects, animals, human figures, and grotesques. The 15th-century Katherine Hours of Jean Bourdichon contains a variety of foliate borders (Getty Museum, MS 6). Acanthus and rinceaux are common styles. Trompe l'oeil floral borders are common in late 14th- and early 15th-century Flemish manuscripts (Getty Museum, MS Ludwig IX 18). Lush foliate borders can be seen by paging through the 15th-century Hours of Marie de Rieux and through this English Book of Hours of the same century (Morgan Library, MS M.190 and G.9). Synonymous with foliated border. See also: foliate initial.
folio
Latin for "leaf." A single leaf of a book or manuscript (of paper, parchment, vellum, etc.), usually one-half of a sheet folded down the center to form a bifolium. In manuscript books, several bifolia nested together, to be sewn through the fold in binding, constitute a quire or gathering. When numbered at the top or bottom on the recto only, a leaf is said to be foliated. Numbering on the recto and verso is called pagination. The term also refers to a blank sheet of printing paper in its full, unfolded size and to a single sheet of a writer's manuscript or typescript with writing or printed matter on one side only. Abbreviated F., f., fo., or fol. Plural: folios or folia, abbreviated ff.
Also refers to the size of book made by folding a full sheet of book paper in half once to form signatures of two leaves (four pages). Although the precise size of each leaf in a folio edition depends on the size of the original sheet, the term is commonly used in the book trade to indicate an oversize volume 15 inches or more in height. Some early editions are known by the number of leaves in their sections, as in the First Folio edition of Shakespeare's plays. Compare with quarto, octavo, duodecimo, and sextodecimo.
folklore
A collective term applied since the mid-19th century to the traditions, customs, beliefs, narratives, etc., passed from one generation to the next within a community by word of mouth, without being written down. Folklore includes legends, folktales, songs, nursery rhymes, riddles, superstitions, proverbs, customs, and forms of dance and drama performed at traditional celebrations. Because folklore flourishes in communities with a low literacy rate, it is disappearing in many parts of the world. Dictionaries of folklore are available in the reference section of most large libraries. Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts is maintained by D.L. Ashliman of the University of Pittsburgh. Compare with myth.
folksonomy
A portmanteau word coined from the terms folk and taxonomy by Internet developer Thomas Vander Wal to describe a grass-roots system of classification in which users collaboratively create, assign, and manage tags to annotate and categorize information content. On the Web, folksonomies first became popular in 2004 in software applications that allow social bookmarking and photograph annotation. The practice is also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing, and social tagging. For more information, see Folksonomy Coinage and Definition by Thomas Vander Wal.
font
From the French word fondre, meaning "to cast." In printing, all the characters of a specific typeface in a given size, including uppercase and lowercase, small capitals, numerals, punctuation marks, reference marks, and any special characters, as opposed to a type family that includes different variations and sizes of the same type style (roman, italic, boldface, etc.). In books, the text is set in a single font, with any long quotations and notes in a smaller size of the same font. Older spelling: fount.
In computers, fonts come built into the printer, usually in the form of exchangeable plug-in cartridges or as "soft" fonts residing on the computer's hard disk or on a hard disk built into the printer. By embedding fonts in a document before it is transmitted, document exchange software such as Adobe Acrobat allows text to be displayed and printed in its original form without having to install fonts on the receiving machine.
footnote
A brief note at the bottom of a page explaining or expanding upon a point in the text or indicating the source of a quotation or idea attributed by the author to another person. Footnotes are indicated in the text by an arabic numeral in superscript, or a reference mark, and are usually printed in a smaller size of the font used for the text. When numbered, the sequence usually starts with 1 at the beginning of each chapter but may occasionally start with 1 at the beginning of each page. Compare with endnote and in-text citation.
In Dewey Decimal Classification, an instruction that applies to many subdivisions of a class, or to a topic within a class, marked in the schedules with a symbol such as the asterisk. In the print version of DDC, a footnote appears at the bottom of the page; in the electronic version, it is given in the notes section of the class to which it applies.
In a more general sense, any afterthought or minor but related comment on, or confirmation of, a primary statement, in writing or in speech.
footprint
The amount of surface area on a desktop or table required to accommodate a computer or peripheral device, less for a laptop than for a conventional PC, an important consideration in designing and equipping library instruction labs.
Also refers to the geographic area in which the signal transmitted by a telecommunication satellite can be received.
foreground
In pictorial art, the parts of a scene that appear to lie nearest the viewer, in front of figures or objects in the background.
foreign film
A motion picture distributed in a country other than the one in which it is first released. When the sound track includes dialogue, it is usually in the language of the country of origin, with translation added in subtitles or dubbed. In the United States, an Academy Award is given each year for the Best Foreign Language Film. In AACR2, if the title proper of a foreign release is in the original language, the translated title is transcribed as a parallel title if it appears in the chief source of information (example: Bande à part [videorecording] = Band of outsiders). If the title proper is a translation, the original title is transcribed as a parallel title if it appears in the chief source of information (Breathless [videorecording] = À bout de souffle). Synonymous with foreign-language film, foreign release, and foreign version.
foreign subsidiary
A publisher wholly or partially owned by a company that has its headquarters in another country (example: Random House owned by Bertelsmann AG of Germany). The trend toward globalization of corporate ownership has profoundly affected the communication media, including publishing.
forename
A name preceding a person's surname (family name), given at birth to distinguish him or her from others of the same family or clan. Synonymous with given name. See also: first name.
forename entry
An personal name entry made in a library catalog, index, or bibliographic database under a person's given name (forename). In AACR2, this practice is reserved for names that do not include a surname (example: Plato), names that include a patronymic (Isaac ben Aaron), and names of royal persons (Liliuokalani, Queen of Hawaii). Any word or phrase commonly associated with the name in works by the person, or in reference sources, such as place of origin, domicile, occupation, etc., is added in parentheses, as in Ezekiel (Biblical prophet), or following a comma (Eleanor, of Aquitaine).
forensic photograph
A photograph that serves as evidence, especially in litigation, because it documents physically observable facts (see this example). The category includes police photographs and surveillance photographs. Forensic photographers use a variety of specialized materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro-photography, photomicrography, photogrammetry, and sensitometry. Synonymous with crime photograph. See also: post-mortem photograph.
form
A term used in library cataloging to refer to the manner in which the text in a book is arranged (dictionary, encyclopedia, directory, anthology, etc.), the genre in which a literary work is written (poetry, drama, novel, short story, etc.), or the structure of a musical composition (concerto, symphony, opera, etc.). Compare with genre. See also: form subdivision.
In the thesaurus Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT), form is defined as a characteristic of works which have a particular format and/or purpose (examples: animation or short). See also: genre/form term.
Also refeers to a printed or typed document containing blank spaces for the insertion of specific information, for example, an application form, court summons, order form, report card, shipping list, tax form, telegraph, etc. See also: continuous forms.
format
A general indication of the size of a book, based on the number of times the printed sheets are folded in binding to make the leaves (folio, quarto, octavo, duodecimo, sextodecimo, etc.).
Also refers to the particular physical presentation of a bibliographic item (AACR2). For printed publications, format includes size, proportions, quality of paper, typeface, illustration, layout, and style of binding. Synonymous in American usage with get up (books). In a more general sense, the physical medium in which information is recorded, including print and nonprint documents. See also: obsolete format, original format, and reformat.
In data processing, the manner in which data is arranged in a medium of input, output, or storage, including the code and instructions determining the arrangement (see file type). Also, to prepare a floppy disk for the recording of data (most floppies are sold preformatted) and to arrange text on a computer screen in the form in which it will be printed on paper (font, margins, alignment, type size, italic, boldface, etc.).
Also used in reference to the physical characteristics of photographic and motion picture film (size, aspect ratio, etc.). Click here for more information, courtesy of the Digital Versatile Developments.
format integration
The concept that separate cataloging rules and documentation should not be maintained for each bibliographic format (books, music scores, maps, etc.). The MARC record is designed to allow a given field to be used for any format for which it is appropriate. In the United States, MARC format integration was defined in the 1980s and implemented in the 1990s.
formation photograph
A group photograph taken from an elevated point of view, showing a number of people, specially assembled to form numerals, letters of the alphabet, or a symbol or pictorial design (see this example).
form of print
In AACR2, a description of the material form of a motion picture, given in the note area of the bibliographic record representing the item, for example, whether the print is a negative, positive, reversal original, reversal internegative, interpositive, color separation, duplicate, fine grain duplicating positive, fine grain duplicating negative, etc.).
formulary
Originally, a collection of formulas for the compounding and testing of medications (see this 10th-century manuscript example in Latin). Today, a list of prescription drugs covered by a given pharmaceutical benefit plan. A national formulary is a list of medicines approved for prescription in a specific country, providing information about their chemical composition, description, selection, prescription, dispensing, and administration, and indicating which products are interchangeable. Compare with pharmacopoeia.
foxing
Reddish-brown or yellowish spots resembling freckles on the paper of old documents (books, prints, etc.), a condition attributed to the effects of micro-organisms on iron or copper impurities in the paper under humid conditions. Particularly common in paper made by machine in the late 18th and 19th centuries, foxing can vary in extent from barely visible to ruinous. Although the cause (or causes) are not fully understood, the fact that foxing often begins near the edge of a leaf or sheet and spreads inward suggests that exposure to the atmosphere may play an important role. In some types of documents, foxing can be reduced or eliminated by a technique called washing, but preservationists proceed with caution because some methods can cause further damage. Click here to see heavy foxing in a copy of the first edition of Life in Colonial Mexico published in Madrid in 1630 (Georgetown University Libraries) and here to see light foxing in a 19th-century edition (University of Pittsburgh Libraries). Synonymous with foxmarks.
foyer
An anteroom or vestibule just inside the main entrance of a building, where people meet (see this example at the National Library of Australia).
fraktur
A form of illumination practiced by the Pennsylvania Dutch in which a document or brief text is decorated with colorful drawings of birds, flowers, trees, human figures, and other ornamental motifs (see these examples). Most frakturs are birth, baptismal, or marriage certificates produced from the 1760s to the early 20th century, almost always in German. The term is derived from the name of the family of gothic scripts and typefaces used to write or print the documents (see this example, courtesy of Wikipedia). Frakturs are collected as a form of folk art for their beauty and historical value.
frame
A separately scrollable area in the window of a computer application or in a Web page that has been divided into more than one scrollable area.
One of the rectangular areas on a filmstrip or length of motion picture film that holds a single still image in a sequence of images arranged to tell a story or create the illusion of movement when projected in rapid succession. Projection speed is measured in fps (frames per second). Librarians use the frame (or frames) bearing the title of the work as the chief source of information in cataloging such an item. Also refers to a single subdivision of the grid on a sheet of microfiche, or one of the units comprising a length of microfilm. Abbreviated fr. See also: frame enlargement.
In binding, an ornamental rectangle impressed in the surface of the cover of a book some distance from the edges (click here and here to see examples, courtesy of the British Library). Compare in this sense with border. Also refers to a rigid border of wood, metal, plastic, cardboard, etc., used to mount a picture, print, photograph, slide, etc.
In medieval manuscripts, a decorative border painted around a miniature, in imitation of an actual picture frame. Click here to see an example in a 15th-century French Book of Hours (Getty Museum, MS 48) and here to see a framed miniature in the form of a triptych from the same manuscript. Gothic-style wooden frames can be seen by paging through the 16th-century Da Costa Hours (Morgan Library, MS M.399). Architectural motifs were sometimes used to frame miniatures, as in this image framed by a Gothic cathedral arch in the Spinola Hours (Getty, MS Ludwig IX 18). Ornate examples can be seen by paging through this 16th-century French Book of Hours (Morgan, MS M.452).
Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790)
A man of many talents who combined intellectual genius with practicality, Benjamin Franklin was a champion of American independence and is considered one of the founding fathers of the United States. At various periods in his life he was printer and publisher, diplomat and statesman, scientist and philosopher. Born in Boston, the son of a Puritan candlemaker and mechanic, Franklin was apprenticed at age 12 to his brother James, the printer of an early Boston newspaper, The New England Courant.
Franklin eventually settled in Philadelphia, where he owned a printing business and published the Philadelphia Gazette from 1730 until 1748. His best-known publication was the highly successful series Poor Richard's Almanack issued from 1733 to 1758 under the pseudonym Richard Saunders. During this period of his life, Franklin also established one of the earliest circulating libraries in the colonies, which became the Library Company of Philadelphia, and in 1743 he helped found the American Philosophical Society.
After selling his press in 1748, Franklin devoted himself to public life and to scientific experimentation. In 1757, he was sent to England to enlighten the government concerning conditions in the colonies. Franklin was chosen a member of the Continental Congress and dispatched to France in 1776 to negotiate a treaty. Remaining as plenipotentiary until 1785, he secured considerable foreign support for the American cause in the War of Independence. Click here for a chronology of his life and the text of his Autobiography.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Passed by Congress in 1966, FOIA guarantees right of access to unclassified government information to any American who submits a written request to see copies of specific records or documents. The Act exempts from disclosure information that might prove harmful to national defense, foreign relations, law enforcement, commercial interests of third parties, or personal privacy. The intent behind FOIA is to make government more transparent and accountable to citizens and to prevent secrecy from being used for illegitimate purposes. Similar legislation has been enacted in most European and UK countries. FOIA applies only to federal agencies and does not create right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, or state or local government agencies (each state has enacted its own laws concerning access). Click here to connect to the official FOIA Web page maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
freedom of speech
The right to say, write, or publish one's opinions without fear of persecution or prosecution, within the limits of the law (libel, obscenity, etc.). In the United States, freedom of speech is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1791.
free-floating subdivision
A form or topical subdivision that may be assigned under designated subjects in accordance with established subject cataloging rules, policies, and practices, without the specific usage having been editorially established and without creating an authority record for each main heading/subdivision combination. Five types of free-floating subdivisions are used in Library of Congress subject headings:
- Form and topical subdivisions of general application (example: Globalization--Economic aspects)
- Subdivisions used under classes of persons and ethnic groups (example: Asian Americans--Civil rights)
- Subdivisions used under names of individual corporate bodies, persons, and families (example: United States--Constitution)
- Subdivisions used under place names (example: New York (N.Y.)--Anecdotes)
- Subdivisions controlled by pattern headings (example: Liver--Biopsy controlled by the pattern heading Heart)
freelance
A form of self-employment in which a person, acting as an independent contractor, markets and sells a specific product, skill, or service to more than one employer (usually by the project) for a fixed fee that may be payable in advance. In the information sector, this mode of operation is commonly used by literary agents, information brokers, journalists, photographers, illustrators, and even editors. Freelancers often work from home, rather than from a commercial address.
free sheet
A newspaper distributed to households free of charge, usually within a comparatively small geographic area, with revenues derived primarily from advertising. Free daily newspapers originated in California in 1940 with publication of the Contra Costa Times.
free voluntary reading (FVR)
A literacy initiative in the form of a school program or curriculum designed to encourage the habit of reading for pleasure (recreational reading) by leaving children free to select their own materials for sustained silent reading (SSR) based on their personal interests, as opposed to the assignment of specific works or a reading list from which students are required to select. No book reports or journal entries must be written or chapter questions answered in FVR, although the reader may be asked to promote the book orally to his or her peers. It is hoped that the key ingredient--lack of compulsion--will motivate students by making reading fun. The strategy is based on studies that show a positive correlation between quantity of reading and the development of literacy skills. To learn more, see The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research by Stephen D. Krashen (Libraries Unlimited, 2004).
freeze
A cessation in the hiring of new personnel or the payment of funds, usually necessitated by budgetary constraints. In most cases, normal operations resume after the cause of the problem is resolved.
Also, to stop the action to display a single frame in film, television, or video production, a technique used for dramatic effect.
freezer drying
A passive conservation procedure by which a modest number of damp or moderately wet books or other records can be dried with minimal swelling and distortion in a self-defrosting blast freezer over an extended period of time (several weeks to months). The temperature inside the freezer must be maintained at minus 10 degrees F. or lower. For best results, materials should be frozen as soon as possible after becoming wet. The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) recommends vacuum freeze drying for completely water-saturated materials. In thermaline or cryogenic drying, developed for rare books and manuscripts bound in leather or vellum, blast freezers are used at very low temperatures to hasten the drying process. Highly labor-intensive and requiring sophisticated technology, it is the most expensive drying method. Compare with air drying.
freezing
A technique used in conservation to eliminate book-eating insects. According to former Yale University conservator Jane Greenfield (The Care of Fine Books, Nick Lyons Books, 1988), freezing at minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit in a domestic freezer unit will kill insects at all stages of development (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult). To prevent the formation of ice crystals, damp books should be allowed to dry for at least a week before freezing. She recommends sealing items for freezing in polyethylene bags and leaving them in the bags after removal from the freezer until condensation on the outside has evaporated. Freezing is also used to prepare water-damaged books for vacuum drying.
Storage at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Centigrade) or lower is also recommended by the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) to provide extended life for nitrate and acetate base motion picture films in an advanced state of decay, until preservation through duplication is feasible. Care should be taken to seal the container completely to protect the film from humidity during storage and from condensation in thawing.
french fold
A single sheet of paper printed on one side and folded into quarters, first down the length and then at a right angle to the initial fold, producing a single section with the unprinted side folded in and the bolts left uncut to form four pages, as in wedding invitations and greeting cards.
frequency
The interval at which a newspaper, periodical, or other serial publication is issued (daily, semiweekly, weekly, semimonthly, monthly, bimonthly, triquarterly, quarterly, semiannually, annually, irregularly, etc.). Scholarly journals are usually published quarterly, magazines weekly or monthly, and newspapers daily or weekly. Frequency and changes of frequency are indicated in the note area of the bibliographic description of a serial.
In statistics, the number of times a unit of measurement occurs within a class or during a specified period of time. In electronics, the number of repetitions of the period of an alternating current (signal), expressed in Hertz (cycles per second). See also: MegaHertz.
friar
In the printing trade, a printed area that appears paler on the page than it should because it has received insufficient ink. The opposite of monk.
Friends of Libraries USA (FOLUSA)
Established in 1979, with headquarters in Philadelphia, FOLUSA was an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA) with membership consisting of Friends of the Library groups, libraries, clubs, associations, corporations, and individuals interested in promoting quality library service to all residents of the United States, until it merged in 2009 with the Association of Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) to form the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the ALA.
frontlist
A publisher's list of all the new books published (or about to be published) during the most recent publishing season or cycle, usually heavily promoted by sales staff. The most important titles in the frontlist are called leaders. Also spelled front-list. Compare with backlist. See also: midlist.
front matter
The parts of a book preceding the first page of the text. They include, in customary but not immutable order, the half title, series title or frontispiece, title page, imprint and copyright notice, dedication, epigraph, table of contents, list of illustrations and/or tables, foreword, preface, acknowledgments, introduction, list of abbreviations, translator's note, errata or corrigenda, and half title repeated (optional). Front matter is usually paginated in lowercase roman numerals. Synonymous with preliminary matter, preliminaries, and prelims. Compare with back matter. See also: parts of a book.
full border
Continuous ornamentation, plain or simple, extending around the perimeter of a page on all four sides. In medieval illuminated manuscripts, a decorative band surrounding text and/or graphic elements (miniatures, initial letters, line fillers, etc.) on all four sides of a page, usually consisting of a dense carpet of multicolored vines, leaves, flowers, birds, animals, human figures, and/or other designs, leaving very narrow margins. Click here and here to see examples in the 11th-century Eadui Psalter (British Library, Arundel 155). Compare this example in white-vine style in a 15th-century Italian chronicle (Schøyen Collection, MS 038) with these examples of full foliate borders in a 15th-century French Book of Hours (Schøyen, MS 007). Click here and here and here and here to sample other 15th-century styles, courtesy of the British Library's Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. A three-quarter border extends around three of the four sides, as in this example in a 15th-century Italian manuscript (Schøyen, MS 1369). Synonymous with full-page border. Compare with frame.
full-coat mag
An abbreviation of full-coat magnetic sound track, a sound element in the production or preservation of motion pictures on which one entire side of the film is covered edge-to-edge with a thin layer of the magnetic ferrous-oxide recording medium, usually in four stripes (channels), although there can be as many as six. According to the Filmmaker's Dictionary (Lone Eagle, 2000), production sound recorded in synchrony with the image in commercial 35mm films is typically transferred to full-coat mag to enable it to be edited in sync with the picture. Also spelled fullcoat mag.
full score
A music score in which each of the parts is written on a separate stave, usually for the use of the conductor. For orchestral and choral works, this usually requires a large page size. From top to bottom, the standard arrangement of instrumental parts in a full score is: woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings, with any solo part in a concerto appearing above the violins. Voice parts, arranged in descending order of vocal register, are placed above the string section, with any solo parts given above the chorus. Only the largest music libraries collect this type of score. Click here to see the full score of The Mighty Casey, an opera by American composer William Schuman (Library of Congress) and here to see the conducting score of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps marked for performance by Leopold Stokowski (University of Pennsylvania Library).
full-time equivalent (FTE)
A measure of the total number of students, undergraduate and graduate, enrolled for the number of credit hours considered by an institution of higher learning to be a full schedule, sometimes used by vendors to determine subscription rates charged on a sliding scale for access to electronic resources such as bibliographic databases. In the United States, there is no national standard for computing FTE--each institution has devised its own formula. A typical example: FTE = total number of undergraduate credit hours divided by 15, plus total number of graduate credit hours divided by 12.
fumigation
In conservation, the process of exposing items made of paper and other materials to a toxic vapor within an airtight container to eliminate insects, mildew, mold, and other organisms that damage collections. When an infestation is extensive, fumigation of the area(s) in which the affected items are stored may also be necessary. Fumigants used in book preservation include thymol, methyl bromide, chloropicrin, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dichloride, and hydrogen cyanide.
functionality
Features built into a search interface that determine the ease with which users may formulate queries and obtain results. Well-designed search software enables the user to:
- Identify the database(s) most appropriate to the subject of the search
- Search more than one database simultaneously
- Remove duplicate records from results when searching multiple databases
- View a current list of the publications indexed in each database
- Choose a search mode based on proficiency (basic or advanced)
- Access well-organized contextual help at each stage of the search process
- View an online thesaurus or use vocabulary mapping to identify appropriate search terms
- Limit search results by relevance, material type, publication date, language, institutional holdings, latest update, full-text, etc.
- Sort results by author, title, publication date, etc.
- View search terms highlighted in results
- Select/deselect records as output
- View and save search history
- Save results independent of Web browser
- Print, e-mail, and download results in various formats
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR)
The principles espoused in the 1998 report of the IFLA Study Group on Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records. Although the report covers the user-oriented functions that bibliographic records should fulfill, and the data elements necessary to fulfill those functions, the term FRBR is usually used in reference to the entity-relationship model described in the report, which defines the characteristics of works, expressions, manifestations, and items.
In the years following the publication of International Bibliographic Description for Monographic Publications in 1971, major developments occurred in the environment in which cataloging principles and standards operate, such as the expansion of automated systems, the creation of large-scale bibliographic databases by national cataloging agencies, and the emergence of networked access to electronic information and new forms of electronic publishing, changes that necessitated a comprehensive re-examination of cataloging theory. In 1990, a resolution was passed at the Stockholm Seminar on Bibliographic Records calling for a clear delineation of the functions performed by the bibliographic record with respect to media, applications, and user needs.
In the user-focused study that produced FRBR, no a priori assumptions were made about the nature of the bibliographic record. The study group used entity analysis, a technique for constructing conceptual models of relational databases, to generate a model based on three basic elements: the entities of interest to users of bibliographic records, the attributes of each entity, and the relationships between entities. FRBR addresses not only bibliographic description, but also access points, organizing elements (classification), and annotations. Click here to read the final report approved by the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section on Cataloging in 1997 and published by K.G. Saur München (1998). FRBR is pronounced "furbur." See also: FRAD and FRBRization.
function key
One of 12 keys numbered F1 to F12 from left to right across the top row of a standard PC keyboard that allows the user to execute a specific task or routine in a computer program as a shortcut by pressing the appropriate key. The program-specific function associated with each key in the program is explained in the documentation provided with the software.
furlough
A temporary leave of absence granted without pay to an employee. Some libraries and library systems use mandatory furloughs to cut costs in a budget crisis, electing to close for one or more weeks, usually during periods of low usage (end of summer, week before Christmas, etc.), instead of laying off workers. This option spreads the impact of cuts over all employees and administrative units within the organization.
furniture
A collective term for anything attached to the outside of a book in binding (clasps, bosses, cornerpieces, plaques, chains, staples, etc.). Metal fittings were used from the 8th to the 16th century to protect the covers from abrasion and as decoration. Click here to see utilitarian brass fittings on a 15th-century German binding (Schøyen Collection, MS 1833) and here to see decorative brass examples on a 16th-century binding (Special Collections, Glasgow University Library, BD7-e.26). On some bindings, the fittings are the dominant decorative element (click here and here to see examples). Deluxe fittings in precious metal can be seen on the 17th-century Bible of Elector Moritz of Sachsen-Zeitz (Saxon State Library) and on this 16th-century velvet binding (British Library, Burney 38).
fuzzy logic
The branch of logic that recognizes a possible range of intermediate values between the logical extremes of true and false, similar to the way the human mind evaluates complex situations. Because fuzzy logic allows degrees of uncertainty and imprecision to be expressed in the representation of knowledge, it has proved useful in artificial intelligence and the design of expert systems. In application software, it has been incorporated into some spell checkers to suggest to the user the most likely substitutions for a misspelled word.
