@ sign
symbol used in the formation of e-mail addresses (“@”)
A/D converter
electronic component for converting analogue signals into digital signals
abacus
mechanical counting aid for calculating the four basic arithmetic operations and extracting a root
abbreviation
time- and/or space-saving textual short forms on coins, seals or in handwriting
abbreviator
writer in the papal chancery who are expert in abbreviations and produce drafts of papal bulls and briefs
academic book
book primarily specific to research and teaching
academic library
library whose collection is primarily focused on academia and research
academic publishing house
specialist publisher of academic books and journals
academy
term for an art school or a learned society dating back to the time of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato
acidity (paper)
an important consideration in papermaking because increased acidity levels (resulting from processes such as sizing) reduce durability
Adelslexikon
reference book providing information in short form of the history, names, coats of arms and property of the German nobility
adhesive seal
rubberised, round, oval or angular seal used by a public authority, company or private person
AF
abbreviation for autofocus, the capability of cameras and scanners to focus automatically
ageing resistance (of paper)
property of paper to be durable against internal material changes or external influences such as light or atmospheric pollution
Agnus Dei
the lamb of God, a widespread symbol for Jesus Christ, represented in art as the Easter lamb holding a flag of victory
ahnentafel
German record of a person’s ancestors numbered and listed in a fixed sequence of ascent
album
a collection contained in the form of a book into which objects may be put or glued
Aldines
small format printed matter that was published by the printer Aldus Manutius and his descendants in Venice between 1494 and 1598
aliasing
stepped on-screen display of round or oblique shapes, which can be compensated for optically with anti-aliasing software
almanac
normally a small-format calendar or paperback appearing annually
Almanach de Gotha
almanac that served as a directory for the classification and genealogy of European nobility
alphabet
character set of an alphabetical writing system in a classified order
alphabetisation
children’s, young people’s or adults’ learning of the techniques of reading and writing
ambo
platform built out of stone in medieval churches, predecessor of the pulpit
Ambrosiana (Biblioteca Ambrosiana)
library founded in Milan in 1602
anachronism
false temporal classification of persons or events
anagram
forming a word by rearranging the letters of another word
analects
the fruits of reading: a collection of quotes and passages
analogue
in IT, a continuous, constant and infinitely variable process, also serves as a term for pre-digital media
ancillary rights
legal rights of use arising from a primary right that a publisher passes onto to a third party for the purposes of creating paperback editions, film versions or altered forms of a work
andachtsbilder
images of Christ, the Virgin Mary or saints, for private devotional use
annals
medieval form of history writing employing strict chronological sequencing and concisely formulated facts
anonym
a work that appears without naming their author
anonymous
withholding the name or identity of the person responsible
anonymous lexicon
reference book that identifies authors who are unnamed in their writings, or who have published work under a pen-name
anthology
thematically related compilation of texts by various authors (florilegium)
anti-Semitism
rejection of and struggle against the Jews on religious, nationalist and racist grounds
Antiqua
group of Latin letters with round, and so not broken, letterforms
antiquarian bookshop
bookshop with books that are not subject to fixed price regulations, plus newspapers, sheet music and hand-written documents etc.
aphorism
maxim or adage, often also metaphorical
App
short form of application or software application
aquatint
artistic form of intaglio printmaking
arabesque
tendrilled ornamentation with strongly stylised leafwork
archaeology
the science that deals with the cultural development of mankind on the basis of its material residues and legacy
archive
facility for the permanent safekeeping of written material which stems from the administration and correspondence of state and private institutions
archive library
collection site for library presentation copies of physical and digital media, which the library collects, stores and makes accessible and available
armarium
term for a repository for the safekeeping of valuable objects in the Middle Ages, also used for libraries and archives
art book
elaborately designed book with original graphic illustrations by an important visual artist
Art Nouveau
a period of art history in the late 19th and early 20th century which also had a tremendous influence on the design of books
art paper
glazed or matt-coated paper particularly suited to the printing of images
art prints
graphic art, often of artistic standard, reproduced using print technology
artists’ book
a stand-alone work of art realized in the form of a book which is intended to be readable unlike a book art object
Arts and Crafts Movement
a design movement that began in England in around 1880 lasting until about 1920, which reunited art and handicrafts
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange, originally arising as a teleprinter coding of characters by means of numbers
Asian printing techniques
printing techniques that contain the great diversity of Chinese, Japanese and Korean writing and their paper quality
assignats
paper money from the time of the French Revolution, originally covered by confiscated church property, later devalued by inflation
Assyriology
a field within Oriental studies which deals with the culture and history of the Middle East, principally on the basis of cuneiform script documents
atlas
compilation of thematically related illustrated panels, geographic or thematic maps
auction
sales auction in which the price is established by increasing bids or by decreasing the price and is then fixed by the fall of the hammer
auction catalogue
index of objects on offer for public sale at auction with precise descriptions and estimates of the price
audiovisual media
media that makes integrated access to texts, sounds and moving images available to the user
aureola
a symbol in art in the form of a halo or band of light around the head
author
the writer of a work who thus acquires its intellectual property rights
author (personal author)
writer or intellectual creator of a work
autobiography
written account of the author’s own life
autograph
a work transcribed in the author’s own hand (a letter, manuscript, etc.)
autopsy
description of an object after its examination with one’s own eyes
