Concepts and phrases From ODLIS (Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science)

ILL (Interlibrary loan) When a book or other item needed by a registered borrower is unavailable for some other reason, or not owned by the library, a patron may request it and the item can be borrowed from another library by filling out a printed interlibrary loan request form at a service desk, or electronically via the library's Web site. Some libraries also accept ILL requests via or by telephone, usually under exceptional circumstances. Materials borrowed on interlibrary loan may usually be renewed on or before the due date.

ISBN (International Standard Book Number) A unique 10-digit standard number assigned to identify a specific edition of a book or other monographic publication issued by a given publisher, under a system recommended for international use by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in In the ISBN system, media such as audiorecordings, videorecordings, microfiche, and computer software are considered monographic publications, but serials, music sound recordings, and printed music are excluded because other identification systems have been developed to cover them. The ISBN is usually printed on the verso of the title page and on the back of the dust jacket of a book published in hardcover, or at the foot of the back cover in paperback editions.

ISSN (International Standard Serial Number ) A unique eight-digit standard number assigned by the International Serials Data System (ISDS) to identify a specific serial title, for example, , identifying the publication Library Journal. In 2001, the scope of the ISSN was extended to cover continuing resources in general. The ISSN is usually given in the masthead of each issue or on the copyright page of each volume or part of a series. When a continuing resource undergoes a title change, a new ISSN is assigned. The ISSN International Centre located in Paris, France, maintains a Web site at:

ISP (Internet service provider) A company in the business of providing Internet access to computer users who do not have a direct connection, usually via a telecommunication channel in exchange for payment of a monthly fee. The ISP with the largest number of subscribers is America Online (AOL). Most ISPs also provide proprietary software to facilitate use of the Internet.

Freedom of information The statutory right of public access to official information compiled and maintained by government agencies, embodied in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 1966 and subsequently enacted in most European and UK countries. Under FOIA, applicants who request in writing specific information must be supplied with copies of the requested documents or records within a designated period of time. Disclosure of information that might prove harmful to national defense, foreign relations, law enforcement, commercial activities of third parties, or personal privacy is exempted.

Integrated access An information retrieval system that allows users to search for books, periodical articles, and electronic resources such as computer files and Web sites, in one operation using a single interface, instead of searching online catalogs, bibliographic databases, and Web search engines separately.

Interoperability The capability of a computer hardware or software system to communicate and work effectively with another system in the exchange of data, usually a system of a different type, designed and produced by a different vendor.

Deep web (Invisible web) Publicly accessible information available via the World Wide Web but not retrievable using search engines that rely on crawlers or spiders, for example, data in file formats such as PDF, database content accessible only by query, information contained in frames, etc. The number of documents available in the deep web is estimated to be times greater than the amount of content retrievable via conventional search engines (the "surface Web"), with over half of the "hidden" content residing in topic- specific searchable databases. There are some Internet services like Complete Planet and Pro Fusion which are specifically designed to provide access to information buried deep in the Web.