iNTRODUCTION OF BOOKS AND OTHER READING MATERIAL

INTRODUCTION OF  THE BOOK AND OTHER READING MATERIAL

                                Books play vital role in our life. It is a most adaptable invention for conveying knowledge. They arethe tools of learning and they act as the chain of communication from the older generation to theyoung. Books are considered to be the object of art, which are created through the processes ofwriting, editing, printing and binding etc. They are the material means through which the literature,ideas, viewpoints, inventions, incidents, experiences, and knowledge etc. are transmitted to thesociety. Libraries are the agencies for the acquisition, preservation, effective use and disseminationof recorded knowledge and information contained in books and other documents.

In the context of library and information science books cover all kinds of reading material in publishedform, However in recent years the term ‘book’ has been replaced by the term ‘document’ whichhas a wider connotation and covers all kind of materials including books in any form i.e. periodicals,Govt. publications, audio-visuals, slides, paintings, globes, charts, maps, microforms and machinereadable forms etc. However, the book still forms a major constituent of a library.

To call a document ‘book’ in real terms, there are UNESCO standards, which read as a book,must have at least 49 pages or more, 22 to 30-cm, height and 1.5 to 4cm.thickness only than adocument is called ‘book’ failing which a document is called’ pamphlet’ and not book.

CATEGORIES OF BOOK

Broadly the books can be categorized in the following manner.

I.General book: -

The subject matter is discussed in a general manner. The subject maybe simple exposition of a specific subject.

II.Textbook:-

It is a book of instructions developed for the students of a particular levelcourse for the particular branch of study. Accordingly it provides basic knowledge abouta particular subject in an easy and understandable language with colorful presentationand plenty of illustrations.

III.Reference book: -

Contains readymade information basically known as compilation andcompendium of various disciplines of knowledge. They are not meant for continuous readingrather these are consulted for specific piece of information. The variety of reference booksinclude dictionaries, encyclopedias, yearbooks, almanacs, biographical dictionaries,handbooks, directories, gazetteers, and atlases etc.13

So far as physical presentation and getup is concerned a book may be a single volume ormulti volume book. And on the basic of its thought contents it may be termed as ‘Treatise’,’Monograph’ or ‘Classic’ etc.

PARTS OF A BOOK:

It is important to understand the anatomy i.e. various parts of printed bookin order to recognize a well designed book in terms of its relative and practical value for readingand study by the students and teachers.

Every printed book has three distinct Parts:

a.Preliminaries also known as prelims or prels;

b.Body of book i.e. Textual matter or Text; and

c.Subsidiaries also known as End matter.

When a book is printed, the textual matter is printed first. Preliminaries and Subsidiaries are printedseparately and latter prefixed or appended to the textual matter.

PRELIMINARIES

The preliminary pages may include the following:

Announcement: If the author has more publications to his credit, the list of the same isannounced on the back of half title page.

Frontispiece: It may be a photograph, picture or an illustration relating to the theme of thebook.

Title Page: Provides information like full title of book, alternative or parallel title, if any,and Author’s/Collaborator’s name, qualifications, designation and Publisher’s details etc.

Bibliographical Note: On the back of title page information pertaining to copyright, edition,license and printer etc. is provided.

Dedication: The author may express personal affection to the fellows who inspired him towrite the book.

Foreword: Contains introduction of the subject of the book by somebody other than author.

Preface: Contains introduction of subject reflecting its scope and purpose by the author.14

Acknowledgement: The author extends thanks and courtesy to those who have helped himin preparing the book.

Table of Contents: Provides list of topics discussed in the book and shows their locations(Page Nos.).

List of Illustrations: Provides list of illustrations, plates etc. used in the book and reflectstheir position.

List of Abbreviations: List of shortened or abridged forms of words, which the author hasused in the book.

Errata or Corrigenda: List of errors discovered in Textual matter after printing.

Body of book i.e. textual matter or Text:

Readers are primarily concerned with the text of thebook. Preliminaries and subsidiaries are auxiliaries, created to offer some additional help to readersin reading the book.

Subsidiaries:

Include the following items in following order. It is not essential that each book willbe having all the various features but they are common elements found in books.

Notes:

The beginning of ‘end matters’ should provide the notes, if required, for the relevant passagesdiscussed in the book.

Appendices: After notes, appendices are provided especially for tabular information, ifrequired.

Glossary: For the highly technical subjects treated in the book, a glossary of technicalterms is provided reflecting their meanings.

Bibliography: List of books, either author has consulted or recommended for further reading.

Index: Most important, serves as systematic guide to the textual matter with exact referenceof page No.

Finis: Found in multivolume books, printed at the end of last volume.

Fly leaves: Some blank sheets of papers.

Plates and Maps: The illustrations that couldn’t be printed with the text can be providedhere.

End Papers: Opaque paper for concealing the mechanism of binding and for providingsome extra strength to covers.15

Book Jacket: To prevent the book from dust etc., garment is provided. There is, of course,an unlimited range of items which could be added to the collection of a library:

Audio Visuals:

This type of documents may either be a recording on which sound vibrations havebeen registered by mechanical or electronic means so that the sound is reproduced such as disc,rolls, tapes, (open reel to reel, cartridge and cassette), sound recording, slides, gramophone records,and sound recordings on films etc. or it may be a length of film, with and without record soundbearing a sequence of images that create the illusion of movement when projected in rapid successionsuch as film loops, cartridge, and cassettes, discs, motion pictures, video recordings and othersynchronized presentations.

Micro Forms:

Microform is a generic term for any film or paper containing text or pictorial mattertoo small to be read without magnification. Some reading equipment is therefore, required, to enlargethe micro image so that it becomes readable. Micro forms in the library collection include microfilms, micro fiche, micro card and micro print.

Games and Models:

Games and toys are increasingly being used in a school library. Theireducational value is time tested and found tremendously useful for the enhancement of vision andimagination of a child. Similarly, models are also of immense value when a teacher can not show thechildren the real thing, it can best be explained by a working model. A picture can show only onedimension of an object but a model can demonstrate the shape of a complex object, texture andinside structure where a picture cannot.

Maps, Atlas, Globes and Charts:

A map is a flat representation of a part or all of either the earthor the universe. An atlas is a document, which contains several maps, and the globes are also agreat educational help for a child as it is a spherical representation of the earth. A chart is a specialpurpose map generally used by navigators others may include celestial charts (i.e., a ‘Starmap’etc.). These documents are also extremely popular among the library clienteles.

Machine Readable Formats:

These are documents in which information is coded by methodsthat require the use of machine for processing. Examples include information stored on magnetictape, Floppies, CDs. in optical media compact discs (CDs) are latest information devices in digitalform. Now e-books and e-journals are also finding their way into libraries.

Pictures:

Pictures in a library collection may include illustrations, drawings, paintings, prints,reproduction, photographs, and technical drawings etc.Others: Other categories of documents include manuscripts, dissertations & theses, govt.documents, periodicals, pamphlets, patents, trade literature, standards & specifications, researchmonograph, bibliographies and Indexes etc.