Word of the day: Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan is like magic, a patron makes a wish for information or a book and we make it appear. Magic!

1. A.K.A. (ILL) The process through which a library borrows material from another library or organization.¹
2. The most under appreciated unit in the library.
3. The best place to work in the library
4. My job and I love it!

(1) http://library.uww.edu/guides/tutorial/glossary.html#I

Word of the day: Homepage

Disclaimer: This is not my site, I believe it is the worst hompage ever.

1. On the Internet, a person’s or organization’s home page is the main page of information about them, which often contains links to other pages about them.¹
2. The spot on my website that is NEVER finished. “My homepage is a mess and I don’t know what to do with it anymore.”
3. The one place library patrons don’t know about or never bother taking a look at, so they often ask us questions that could be easily answered on the library’s home page. Example: Q: “What are your hours?” A: “Our hours are listed on the library’s home page.” Q: Where is that?” (Pause) A: “Google it.”

http://www.google.com/dictionary?aq=f&langpair=en|en&hl=en&q=homepage

Top 10 Tech Tools

A tool called Prezi is making waves amongst us techies and some non-techies who need to make an impression that goes beyond powerpoint. Presenting Prezi.

http://prezi.com/wvqg7nzn3xmt/top-20-tech-tools/

Word of the day: Glossary

Glossary, it's not just for lips!

1. An alphabetical list of words related to a specific topic, with definitions, often placed at the end of a book. ¹
2. The place where lip balm is created.

(1) http://www.waikato.ac.nz/library/learning/glossary.shtml#EG

The AccessMyLibrary iPhone® App

Your library's on the phone... you have an overdue book and a fine!!!

There are services we provide that just can’t be recreated in an iPhone App, but when that day comes… watch out. Circulation Desk Assistant App on iPhone.

Clearing your overdue fines with one click!
Helping you find the book you didn’t even know you wanted.
Showing you how to unjam a photocopier.
Service with a smile!

http://www.gale.cengage.com/apps/library/

Word of the day: Full-text

So many words, so little space.

1. An article or book that is available electronically in its entirety. A computerized abstract (definition 1) is not the full text of an article or book.¹
2. When I run out of ideas to post on Twitter. Example: “I’ve got nothing else to write. I am plum full-texted out.”

(1) http://www.lib.byu.edu/term/english.php#fulltext

Word of the Day: Embargo

Embargo rhymes with cargo which rhymes with o grab me... um wha?

1. When publishers impose a full text delay to their journals in databases. The length of time varies by publisher. For instance, Consumer Reports embargos its’ articles for three months, so even though EBSCO’s database, MasterFILE Premier has Consumer Reports available in full text, they will not be available for 3 months after they are actually published. ¹
2. The reason why you can’t find a decent cigar unless you live in Miami.
3. What should be done to cargo pants.

(1.) http://library.com.edu/How_To/Guides/Library_Jargon.htm

Word of the day: Due Date

You’ve been arrested for two overdue books,
so what’s up with the big smile you big goof ball?

1. The date on which materials must be returned to the library.¹
2. The date the patron insists they never saw on the due date slip.
3. The date the patron starts reading the library book
4. The date that falls about a week before they ask for a renewal.

(1) http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/lingo.html

Word of the day: Catalog

Look It Up!

1. A list of items such as books, periodicals, maps and/or videos arranged in a defined order. The list usually records, describes and indexes the resources of a collection, a library or a group of libraries.¹
2. The thing that graduate students claim they have never heard of nor used in their entire educational experience; which is why they come to the circulation desk day after day to ask how to find a book.
3. The only thing on God’s green Earth a patron will claim they don’t understand as we search the OPAC for them.

(1) http://library.boisestate.edu/Reference/BBRIN/jargon.htm

I love this picture. I think many librarians and library staff enjoy the hard arse attitude portrayed in the image. Yeah, we bad, we bad, we know it!

Word of the day: Barcode Number

Lending patrons can be easier than lending to patrons

1. The 14-digit number found on your I.D. or on the back of each book.
2. The thing on the back of the book you try to scan at least 20 times before finally giving up because a line of ticked off patrons has started to circle around the circulation desk.

Has anyone else noticed how happy the guy with the barcode scanner appears to be? Not just happy, but… well… more than happy. Happy in the “Hi! My name is Corkey! Can we play?” type of way. Anybody remember that gem of a show? Life goes on and for Corkey it was a never ending adventure.

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da,
Life goes on, bra
La la how the life goes on…