Attachment J4 - NLS Style Sheet v25 - 02-23-2024.pdf

NLS Style Sheet

February 2024

NLS Style Sheet Edition 25

Note: Use in conjunction with the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (www.chicagomanualofstyle.org) and the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (www.m-w.com). All Chicago section numbers in the text reference the 17th edition (the section numbers may vary in other editions). Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style for guidance for writing Informational Publications and Operations Alerts. Social media, press releases, and News follow the current edition of the Associated Press style guide with some exceptions; if you are writing for those sources, many parts of this style sheet do not apply.

Table of Contents General grammar and style

Style for instructional documents for online and mobile resources

Acronyms, terms, and jargon

Appendix 1: Spanish terms relevant to NLS

Appendix 2: Book number prefix codes

Appendix 3: Use of NLS trademarks

General grammar and style acronyms On first use in narrative text, spell out the full name of the reference and put the acronym in parentheses. For example: The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), Library of Congress, offers titles in alternative formats. On second use, use the acronym alone. If there is no second use, do not include the acronym at all. There is an exception for the BARD online service, which should be referred to by acronym on first reference with Braille and Audio Reading Download in parentheses. In some cases, a name that appears to be an acronym may no longer stand or may never have stood for anything, such as AARP and the Kennedy Center’s

VSA.

addresses In address lists and mailing labels, terms like boulevard, avenue, and street should be abbreviated, and states should use two-letter codes. See Chicago Manual of Style 10.33 for a list of abbreviations.

For example:

National Federation of the Blind 200 E. Wells St.

Baltimore, MD 21230

In running text, spell out all terms and place a comma before and after the names of states. For example: NFB is located at 200 East Wells Street in Baltimore, Maryland, near Riverside Park.

In all cases, the names of numbered streets should be spelled out if the number is one hundred or less (see Chicago Manual of Style 9.51). For example: JBI is located at 110 East Thirtieth Street.

ALL CAPS

Avoid ALL CAPS; format is difficult for people with visual impairments to read.

alphabetization Use letter-by-letter alphabetization. This means ignore punctuation and spaces and consider only letters when sorting a list. For example: blindness alphabetizes before blind rehabilitation, because N comes before R in the alphabet.

ampersands Do not use unless part of a proper name, such as AT&T.

area codes See phone numbers.

City and State See addresses.

dashes See hyphens for the - character. The two main types of dashes are em dashes (—; in Windows Microsoft Word, input by typing the number pad hyphen while holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys) and en dashes (–; in Windows Microsoft Word, input by typing the number pad hyphen while holding down the Ctrl key). Dashes can also be found under in the menu Insert > Symbol > More Symbols > Special characters. Use em dashes to indicate a break in thought. For example: In the new fiscal year—pending congressional approval—NLS hopes to launch a pilot program. Do not put spaces around em dashes. Use en dashes to indicate a range of numbers. For example: World War II spanned 1939–1945 or See pages 7–10 of your manual. If the numbers are preceded by the word “from,” use the word “to” instead. For example: World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. En dashes are also used in place of hyphens when creating a compound adjective where one part of the compound is an open two-word phrase. For example:

Pulitzer Prize–winning author. See Chicago Manual of Style 6.75 for more details.

dates Express dates numerically, using cardinal and not ordinal numbers, and use commas to set off the day and date. For example: Monday, May 25, was a holiday, not Monday, May 25th.

file formats Capitalize in text, no periods. For example: JPG, PDF, BRF, and XML.

hyphens Used to form compound words. Do not use with adverbs ending in “ly.” Use the en dash to separate ranges of numbers, such as dates or page numbers;

see dashes. See Chicago Manual of Style 7.89 for more details on use in compound terms.

initials When referring to a person with two or more initials, do not put spaces between the initials. For example: J.R.R. Tolkien. This is a deliberate exception to Chicago Manual of Style 10.12.

measurements Use straight, not curly, quotes to indicate inches, feet, minutes, and hours (in Windows Microsoft Word, hit Ctrl+Z immediately after typing a quote mark to change it from curly to straight). Use the multiplication symbol, ×, not the letter x, in measurements (in Windows Microsoft Word, input by holding down the Alt key while typing 0215 on the number pad). For example: 8.5" × 11" paper.

numbers In most cases, follow the Chicago Manual of Style and spell out whole numbers up to and including one hundred. Social media, News, and press releases follow the different rules of AP style and only spell out whole numbers up to and including nine. Percentages, measurements, and currency should remain Arabic numerals. Spell out numbers that begin a sentence or rephrase the sentence so the numeral is not at the beginning.

phone numbers Style phone numbers as XXX-XXX-XXXX. Do not place parentheses around the area code. If the number is a toll-free number, follow the number with the words “toll-free.” Toll-free exchanges in the United States include 800, 888, 833, 844, 855, 866, and 877. If listing multiple phone numbers for an organization, such as in a directory, list them in the order of 1) local, 2) toll-free, 3) TTY, 4) TTY toll-free, and 5) fax. Exception: If sharing phone numbers for a Zoom call, style the number in the exact format provided in the automatically generated invite, including any leading 1.

possessives Most words should be made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s.

For example: the library’s resources. Words that are plural and end in s should be made possessive by adding an apostrophe alone. For example:

patrons’ needs. However, if a word ends in s and is not plural, the additional ’s is still required. For example: the bass’s strings or NLS’s goals. Its, the possessive form of it, takes no apostrophe. See Chicago Manual of Style 7.16–7.20.

quotation marks Use curly quotation marks (“) for dialogue; quotations; instructing users to input text; and titles of articles, poems, and songs. Use straight quotes (") as inch marks. For example: 12" record.

spacing Use only one space after periods.

state abbreviations Spell out the names of states and territories of the United States (except for

DC) in running text. For example: Lake Bluff, Illinois, was incorporated in 1895. Abbreviate for bibliographies, mailing addresses, and tables using the US Postal Service two-letter abbreviations without periods, as listed at https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28apb.htm.

superscripts and subscripts Avoid, as this type of formatting is difficult to read. Remove superscripts in text where possible. For example: 75th Academy Awards, not 75th Academy Awards. For dates, simply use cardinal numbers. For example:

January 1.

time Present times according to Chicago Manual of Style 10.42. For example:

8:00 p.m. 12:00 a.m. is midnight; 12:00 p.m. is noon. Use “noon” and “midnight” when possible to reduce confusion. When providing time zones for recurring events that will happen throughout the year, do not specify standard or daylight time. For example: The group meets at 6:00 p.m.

eastern time on the third Friday of the month, not 6:00 p.m. eastern standard time.

titles of people In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name as part of the name, e.g.: President Barack Obama (or President Obama) gave a statement. Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name in commas or precede them with “the” or a modifying adjective (see Chicago Manual of Style 8.19, 8.21).

For example: The president, Barack Obama, gave a press conference.

Former president Barack Obama gave a press conference. Corporate and organizational titles, such as editor and section head, are not capitalized (see Chicago Manual of Style, 8.27). However, we make an exception for Director and Deputy Director. For example: NLS Director Karen Keninger. See Librarian of Congress for another exception.

titles of works Titles of albums, books, blogs, periodicals, movies, radio shows, plays, podcasts, and television shows should be italicized. For example: Songs in the Key of Life, The Story of My Life, The Miracle Worker, Huffington Post.

Articles in periodicals, names of individual television episodes, and names of songs and poems should be set in roman type inside quotation marks. For example: “A Library Card Is All You Need to Make Music in This Studio,” “Learning Braille at Thirty-Nine.” The names of streaming services, television channels, and websites that are not blogs or digital periodicals should be set in roman type without quotation marks. For example: Slate, Salon, but Netflix, C-SPAN, Google. See Chicago Manual of Style 8.156–

8.201 for more details.

Web addresses

• Use hyperlinks in electronic content, but avoid underlining, bolding, italicizing, or otherwise highlighting URLs in print.

• If a URL begins with www, delete the preceding http:// or https://. For example: www.loc.gov/nls. If the URL does not begin with www, keep http://. For example:

http://documents.nationaldb.org/products/creativity-bk.pdf.

• Remove slashes from the end of URLs. For example: www.loc.gov/nls.

• When included in printed documents, URLs in running text should be shortened using http://bitly.com.

• Remove referral codes from the ends of URLs before including them in NLS publications. For example:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueVdrW7WcFE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=lw AR3PC0v7GCv5nhrVzyGkeakO0_2DArp2mUTPaK2x9rL1uXwFsqlLe49R zpc should be trimmed to www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueVdrW7WcFE.

Style for instructional documents for online and mobile resources buttons

Capitalize names of buttons headline-style, even if they are written with sentence-style capitalization on the screen. For example: Activate the checkbox labeled Install on Shared Computer.

click Avoid, unless referring specifically to actions taken with the mouse button.

Use select for instructing users in website or software navigation.

dropdown (noun), drop-down (adjective) For example: Click on the drop-down menu. Open the dropdown.

log in (verb), login (adjective, noun) For example: You log in using your login account. Note that this is an exception to Merriam-Webster.

screen Use instead of page when writing user-focused computer help documents.

For example: The Search BARD screen lets you search for books on BARD by keyword.

select Use instead of click to instruct users in website or software navigation. For example: select shift + enter or select the second menu option.

user inputs Put quotes around words that the user should type. Punctuation that’s part of the sentence goes outside the quotes. For example: Type the word “fiction” (without quotes) and you will get a list of nineteen subjects. Exception:

single letters are acceptable without quotes. For example: Typing two letters in succession, such as the letters C and H, will bring you to any magazine that begins with the letters CH.

Acronyms, terms, and jargon

AARP

A US-based group that seeks to empower Americans over the age of 50.

Formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, but no longer;

AARP now formally stands for nothing. Use AARP alone on first and further reference.

ABC

See Accessible Books Consortium.

Accessible Books Consortium A public-private partnership led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that facilitates the exchange of books between Marrakesh Treaty signatories. Use ABC on second reference.

ACB

See American Council of the Blind.

AD

Abbreviation for Anno Domini. No periods. Use before the year: AD 1945, unlike BC, BCE, and CE.

ADA

See Americans with Disabilities Act.

advanced digital talking-book machine, advanced machine Use DA1 in technical contexts such as engineering specifications.

advisory and outreach center Provides reader advisory and outreach services to patrons at the local level.

Has replaced the subregional library in some states. Not capitalized unless in reference to a specific AOC. Use AOC on second reference.

AFB

See American Foundation for the Blind.

African American Do not hyphenate. Likewise, Asian American, Arab American. See also Black.

Amazon’s Appstore

American Council of the Blind Use ACB on second reference.

American Foundation for the Blind Use AFB on second reference.

American Printing House for the Blind Use APH on second reference.

American Sign Language Predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States.

Americans with Disabilities Act Public Law 101-336 passed in 1990. Use ADA on second reference.

analog-to-digital titles Use A-to-D titles on second reference.

Android devices, Android mobile operating system, Android phone, Android tablet Android is the name of a mobile operating system (OS) developed by

Google and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Note that the word Android is an adjective that modifies nouns. Avoid references to “Androids” or “an Android” in relation to devices running the Google operating system

ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2002

The standard for the NLS digital talking-book format. ANSI is the

American National Standards Institute. NISO is the National Information Standards Organization. If using in a narrative, spell out.

AOC

See advisory and outreach center. Sometimes also used to refer to the

Architect of the Capitol.

APH

See American Printing House for the Blind.

appendix, appendixes Not appendices

App Store The app store run by Apple for iOS devices.

Architect of the Capitol Federal agency responsible for maintaining the Capitol complex, including the Jefferson, Adams, and Madison buildings of the Library of Congress.

Use AOC on second reference.

ASCII

Stands for the American Standard Code for Information Interchange character-encoding scheme.

ASL

See American Sign Language.

A-to-D titles See analog-to-digital titles.

audiobook Do not use to refer to materials in the NLS collection in formal written communications. NLS prefers the term talking book in those contexts.

Audiobook can be used when referring to books consumers have purchased from commercial sources, such as Audible, and in casual speech and some outreach contexts where “talking book” may cause confusion.

autoscroll award winner (noun), award-winning author (adjective) But prizewinner (noun), prize-winning author (adjective).

BANA

See Braille Authority of North America.

BARD

See Braille and Audio Reading Download online service. BARD is a trademark held by NLS. See Appendix 3 for information on use of NLS trademarks.

BARD Express Desktop software, usable on computers running the Windows operating system, that provides an improved interface for accessing BARD. BARD is a trademark held by NLS. See Appendix 3 for information on use of NLS trademarks.

BARD Mobile app A mobile app that allows patrons to download and read NLS talking books directly on their phones or tablets. Braille books can also be read if they have a refreshable braille device that can pair with their phone over Bluetooth. Available for iOS and Android operating systems, including some Amazon Kindle devices (which run a version of Android). BARD Mobile is a trademark held by NLS. See Appendix 3 for information on use of NLS trademarks.

BAVF

See Blinded American Veterans Foundation.

BBR

See Braille Book Review.

BC or BCE Abbreviations for “Before Christ” (BC) or “Before the Common Era”

(BCE). Use after the year: 40 BC. BC is preferred unless in reference a source that uses BCE (for example, an annotation of a book that uses BCE).

BEP

See Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

bestseller, bestselling biannual, biennial Biannual means twice a year. Biennial means every two years.

Black Capitalized when used in the racial, ethnic or cultural sense. For example: A Black man. African American is also acceptable for those in the US, but the terms are not interchangeable; not all Black people are American. Use of the capital indicates that language has evolved to recognize Black as a shared identity, not only a description of skin color.

blind Unless part of a title, blind should be lowercase.

Blinded American Veterans Foundation Use BAVF on second reference.

Blinded Veterans Association Use BVA on second reference.

BOD

See Business Operations Division.

BoD See Braille on Demand.

bookcard The cardstock insert in a DTB cartridge shipping container that lists the title and annotation for the book.

book number When referring to a book in the NLS collection, place the book number immediate after the title inside parentheses. In running text, the book number, like the book’s title, is italicized. There is no space between the book number and the two- or three-letter code that precedes it to describe the type of book (e.g. BR, DB, BRM, DBC, etc.). For example: Joy of Cooking (BR17462). When referring to multiple formats of a book, alphabetize the formats and separate them by commas. For example: To Kill a Mockingbird

(BRE00096, DB77672).

book title A title is the name of a book or a reference to a book on a list. For example:

The bibliography contains fifty titles. “Title” is not synonymous with “book” or “copy.” Libraries may have multiple copies of a given title.

braille, Louis Braille Use initial capital only when referring to Louis Braille. The writing system should be written as braille.

Braille and Audio Reading Download online service BARD is the preferred term and should be used on first reference, with the full name following in parentheses. BARD is a trademark held by NLS. See Appendix 3 for information on use of NLS trademarks.

Braille Authority of North America Use BANA on second reference.

Braille Book Review Always use italics. BBR acceptable on second reference.

braille cell braille code As of November 2012, the official braille codes for the United States are

Unified English Braille (UEB); Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, 1972 Revision and published updates; Music Braille Code, 1997;

and the IPA Braille Code, 2008. NLS implemented the use of UEB in January 2016.

braille display An electro-mechanical device for displaying braille characters. Often referred to as a refreshable braille display.

braille embosser

Braille eReader Refers to the refreshable braille reader produced by NLS. Capitalized as a brand. When referring to devices other than those produced by NLS, use braille display or braille reader.

braille grades (in Unified English Braille) uncontracted braille, formerly grade 1 braille.

contracted braille, formerly grade 2 braille.

braille-lending (adjective), as in braille-lending library

Braille on Demand (noun), Braille-on-Demand (adjective) Use BoD on second reference.

braille proofreader brailler A braille-writing machine. Term used interchangeably with braillewriter.

braille transcriber braille-translation program braillewriter See brailler.

breath switch An accessory for NLS audio playback machines used with the remote control unit. Enables the user to turn playback machines on and off by blowing through a straw.

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Use BEP on second reference.

Business Operations Division NLS organizational unit; contains the Administrative Services Section, Equipment & Infrastructure Section, Financial & Contract Management Section, and Logistics & Facilities Management Section. Use BOD on second reference.

BVA

See Blinded Veterans Association.

catalog Not catalogue; use first listing in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.

CD

See Collections Division.

CDAG

See Collection Development Advisory Group.

CE

Abbreviation for “Common Era.” No periods. Use after the date when required: 2016 CE. AD is preferred unless in reference to a source that uses CE (for example, an annotation of a book that uses CE).

CELA

See Centre for Equitable Library Access.

Centre for Equitable Library Access Canadian library of accessible reading material launched in 2014, providing services formerly supplied by CNIB. Use CELA on second reference.

CGD

See Contracts and Grants Directorate.

Chafee Amendment Public Law 104-197 was passed in 1996 and is now contained in the US

Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code, Section 121). It establishes an exemption from copyright for the reproduction of previously published nondramatic literary works in specialized formats for use by people who are blind and/or have a physical disability. Later amended at the time of the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty to remove the word “nondramatic” and apply to all literary works.

Chief Officers of State Library Agencies Use COSLA on second reference.

Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Use Clovernook on second reference.

CNIB

A Canadian nonprofit dedicated to assisting Canadians who are blind or living with vision loss. Formerly the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, but no longer; CNIB now formally stands for nothing. Use CNIB alone on first and further reference. Note that accessible library services in Canada have been provided by the Centre for Equitable Library Access, not CNIB, since 2014.

Collection Development Advisory Group Use CDAG on second reference.

Collections Division NLS organizational unit; contains the Audio & Braille Production Section, Bibliographic Control Section, Collection Development Section, Content Quality Assurance Section, and Media Lab Section. Use CD on second reference.

commercial player Use instead of “third-party player.”

conferences: Midlands Conference, Northern Conference, Southern Conference, Western Conference

1) Four geographic administrative organizations of NLS.

2) Used on second reference to designate the biennial meeting of regional conferences. Biennials meetings are held in years when the National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Print Disabled Individuals is not being held. The full name for these meetings includes the word “Regional”;

for example: the Midlands and Northern Regional Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Print Disabled Individuals.

Contemporary Soundtrack Use CST on second reference.

contracted braille Specialized abbreviations used to increase the efficiency of reading and writing braille. (Formerly grade 2 braille.)

Contracts and Grants Directorate Unit of the Library of Congress that handles procurement. Use CGD on second reference.

COSLA

See Chief Officers of State Library Agencies.

CST

See Contemporary Soundtrack.

DA1 machine See advanced digital talking-book machine.

DA2 machine The next-generation digital talking-book machine, currently under development.

DAISY

See Digital Accessible Information System.

Daylight Saving Time Not Daylight Savings Time or Daylight Saving’s Time. On second reference, DST. Begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November in most of the United States. Hawaii, Arizona, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands do not follow DST. When providing time zones for recurring events that will happen throughout the year, do not specify Standard or Daylight Saving Time. See time for more information.

DB

See digital talking book. Used generally to refer to all digital talking books and also as the book number prefix for digital talking books produced by

NLS.

DC

Omit periods in both running text and addresses.

deaccession

Deaf Capitalized when referring to the Deaf community or Deaf culture.

Lowercase when referring to the medical condition (e.g. “He became deaf late in life.”). When referring to a specific individual or organization, follow their personal preference in capitalization. See Chicago Manual of Style 8.43.

Deafblind Capitalized when referring to the Deafblind community or Deafblind culture. Lowercase when referring to the medical condition (e.g. “She became deafblind late in life” or “doctors treating deafblindness”). As a general rule, do not hyphenate. However, when referring to a specific individual or organization, follow their personal preference in hyphenation and capitalization.

deaf-mute, deaf-and-dumb Offensive; do not use. Deaf suffices.

descriptive video

Digital Accessible Information System International standard for digital audiobooks, periodicals, and computerized text. Use DAISY on first reference.

digital talking book (DB) digital talking-book machine (DTBM) The DTBM 1 (which comes in both DS1 and DA1 models) is the current machine, which plays cartridges. The DTBM 2 (DA2) is the “next-generation player” currently under development.

DoD See Duplication on Demand. May also refer to the Department of Defense.

Down syndrome Not “Down’s syndrome” or “Down Syndrome.”

DS1 machine See standard digital talking-book machine.

DTBM

See digital talking-book machine.

Duplication on Demand, Duplication-on-Demand program Hyphenate only when used as an adjective. Use DoD on second reference.

DVD

DZB

See German Center for Barrier-Free Reading.

ebook For the generic. If referring to a specific publisher that prefers e-book or eBook, follow their branding.

ebraille electronic braille email embossed braille A form of hard-copy braille produced using an embosser, as opposed to press braille.

eReader See Braille eReader.

Excess and Redistribution System A process for exchanging excess copies of books within the NLS network of cooperating libraries. Abbreviated XESS or Web XESS. The abbreviation may be used on first reference in internal documents.

Facebook factsheet

FAR

See Federal Acquisition Regulation.

federal Lowercase, except as part of the name of an organization, law, or regulation.

Federal Acquisition Regulation Use FAR on second reference.

first class (noun), first-class mail (adjective) fiscal year, fiscal year 2020, FY20 foreign language Use international language instead.

Foreign Language Quarterly Name changed to International Language Quarterly in 2023.

free matter (noun), free-matter mailing (adjective)

Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped Official postal indicia for sending free matter. Note that this is a United States Post Office (USPS) term, and has not been changed from “Handicapped” to “Print Disabled.”

GBS

See Global Book Service.

German Center for Barrier-Free Reading Use DZB on second reference.

GE Volunteers Machine-repair volunteers from the General Electric company. Formerly

Elfuns or Elfun Society.

Global Book Service A part of the Accessible Books Consortium. Successor to the Trusted Intermediaries Global Accessible Resources project (TIGAR). Use GBS on second reference.

Google Play The Google app store.

hand-copied braille Archaic. Braille produced by an individual using a braillewriter or a slate and stylus.

handicapped Avoid, with the exception of use in the technical term “mail for the blind and physically handicapped.”

hard copy (noun), hard-copy (adjective) Embossed, pressed, and hand-copied braille are all subsets of hard-copy braille. For example: She requested a hard-copy braille book. He gave her a hard copy of the book.

hard of hearing Preferred term by the Deaf community to refer to individuals with residual hearing. For example: “He is hard of hearing.” Do not use “hearing impaired.”

high-interest, low-vocabulary book Not “HI-LO” book.

homepage

IFB

See Insight for the Blind.

IFLA

See International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

IILL

See international interlibrary loan.

ILL

See interlibrary loan.

ILQ

See International Language Quarterly.

index, indexes Preferred over indices, unless referring to the mathematical sense of the word.

Information Request Form Formal and external name for the NLS website form that potential patrons may use to request information about our program.

Insight for the Blind Use IFB on second reference.

interlibrary loan Use ILL on second reference.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Use IFLA on second reference.

international interlibrary loan Use IILL on second reference.

international language (noun), international language materials (adjective) Use instead of foreign language to refer to non-English language materials.

This is a deliberate exception to Chicago Manual of Style 7.89 hyphenation rules.

International Language Quarterly Formerly Foreign Language Quarterly; name changed in 2023. Use ILQ on second reference.

Internet Follow Merriam-Webster, not Chicago, for capitalization.

interpoint braille Braille pressed or embossed on both sides of a page. Not “inter-point.”

iOS device, iOS phone, iOS tablet iOS is the name of the mobile operating system (OS) created and developed by Apple, Inc. for its mobile devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS is an acronym for the iPhone operating system, but is now routinely used instead of the longer term.

Jr.

Do not frame with commas. For example: Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech, not Martin Luther King, Jr., gave a speech.

Keystone Library Automation System Use KLAS on second reference.

Kids Zone A subsection of the NLS Catalog containing exclusively children’s books.

KLAS

See Keystone Library Automation System.

large print (noun), large-print format (adjective) Large print is preferred to large type in reference to printed material.

LCSG

See Library Collections & Services Group.

Leads system System that tracks submissions to the NLS website Information Request Form. Not an acronym; do not capitalize as LEADS.

Learning Ally Audiobook recording organization formerly known as Recording for the

Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D).

Librarian of Congress Uppercase. On second reference, use the Librarian. The word librarian is lowercase when referring to any other librarian.

Library Collections & Services Group The unit of the Library of Congress to which NLS belongs. Use LCSG on second reference

Library of Congress On second reference, use the Library. Avoid acronyms (LC, LoC, LOC) when possible in formal communication, except when referring to loc.gov.

LGBTQ+

Short for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and more. The NLS Catalog subject category for books about sexual minorities is LGBTQ+.

However, when writing about a specific book, if that book uses other acronyms such as LGBT or QUILTBAG, mirror the language used in the book.

locally produced low vision Not hyphenated unless used as an adjective, For example: low-vision patrons. If using person-first language, use people who have low vision, not people who are low vision.

machine-lending agency Use MLA on second reference.

machine-repair program magazine on cartridge, magazine-on-cartridge program Hyphenate when using as an adjective. Use MoC on second reference.

mark up (verb), markup (noun), markup language (adjective) The term markup is now often used to refer to a language or a system such as HTML or SGML for marking or tagging a document. When used as a verb, the term is two words: He marked up the page.

Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled

“Marrakesh Treaty” is acceptable on first or second reference. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaty to facilitate international transfer of accessible-format books. WIPO adopted the treaty in 2013, and the United States became the fiftieth member to be party to the treaty on February 8, 2019. See www.loc.gov/nls/about/organization/laws-regulations/marrakesh-treaty for more information.

The Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act Signed on October 9, 2018, as Public Law 115-261, this act modified section 121 of the US Copyright Act to bring it in line with the wording of the Marrakesh treaty. These changes included changing “specialized formats” to “accessible formats” and expanding the types of work that authorized entities are allowed to produce in accessible formats from “nondramatic literary works” to “all literary works.”

MediaPulse Workflow engine of PICS2, used by CDS, ABPS, and QAS.

minibibliography, minibib

MLA

See machine-lending agency.

MM

See Musical Mainstream.

MoC See magazine on cartridge.

Moon type (noun), Moon-type format (adjective) A tactile writing system invented in the 1840s. Supplanted by braille.

MSC

See multistate center.

MSCE

See Multistate Center East.

MSC Supplies Catalog Online catalog maintained by the Inventory Management section.

MSCW

See Multistate Center West.

multistate center Use MSC on second reference.

Multistate Center East Use MSCE on second reference.

Multistate Center West Use MSCW on second reference.

Musical Mainstream Use MM on second reference.

National Braille Association Use NBA on second reference.

National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Print Disabled Individuals Biennial national meeting of the NLS network. Use National Conference on second reference. The National Conference is uppercase; generic references to a national conference are lowercase.

National Federation of the Blind Use NFB on second reference.

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, NLS On first reference use full name and include Library of Congress. NLS is acceptable on second reference. Avoid NLS/BPD. Became the official name of NLS on October 1, 2019, replacing the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

NBA

See National Braille Association.

New and Expanded Program Request A request for funds from Congress for use beyond continuing existing services at existing levels. Not a term used by other government agencies.

NEPR

See New and Expanded Program Request.

Network Library Manual network-produced (adjective), as in network-produced titles

NFB

See National Federation of the Blind.

NFB-NEWSLINE

A free audio news service provided by NFB. Always use caps. It does not need to be followed by a ® registration mark.

NLS Catalog Avoid “NLS Union Catalog.”

NLS-produced (adjective), as in NLS-produced bibliographies

Nobel Prize laureate Do not use Nobel Prize winner.

OCIO

See Office of the Chief Information Officer.

OD

See Office of the Director.

Office of the Chief Information Officer Unit of the Library of Congress that handles technology. Use OCIO on second reference.

Office of the Director NLS organizational unit; contains the Communications & Outreach Section and Planning & Innovation Section. Use OD on second reference.

Office of the General Counsel Unit of the Library of Congress that handles legal matters. Use OGC on second reference.

off-site (adjective)

OGC

See Office of the General Counsel.

ONCE

See Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles.

online (adjective or adverb) on-site (adjective)

Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles Use ONCE on second reference. Organization located in Spain that serves blind people.

Patron & Network Engagement Division NLS organizational unit; contains the BEP Currency Reader Program, Music Section, Network Services Section, Patron Engagement Section, and Information Services Section. Use PNED on second reference.

Patron Information and Materials Management System (PIMMS) PIMMS replaced the Comprehensive Mailing List System (CMLS) and

Blind and Physically Handicapped Inventory Control System (BPHICS) in fiscal year 2015. Use PIMMS on second reference.

PDD

See Program Delivery Division.

PDF

Stands for Portable Document Format. PDF is acceptable on first and second reference.

PICS2

See Production Information Control System 2.

pillow speaker An accessory for NLS talking-book machines, distributed on request to patrons with special needs, including those who cannot leave their beds.

PIMMS

See Patron Information and Materials Management System.

Pioneers Machine-repair volunteers from telephone companies. Formerly known as

TelecomPioneers and Telephone Pioneers.

player Term sometimes used for the talking-book machine

PNED

See Patron & Network Engagement Division.

PO Box postage-free (adjective), as in postage-free mail

Potomac Talking Books Services Use PTBS or Potomac on second reference.

Pratt-Smoot Act Formally, the Pratt-Smoot Act, which became law on March 3, 1931, the date commemorated as NLS’s founding.

press braille Braille produced using metal plates, as distinct from embossed braille.

print/braille Material presented in both print and braille formats simultaneously. In NLS publications that list books in the NLS Catalog, capitalize as

PRINT/BRAILLE.

print disabled The condition of not being able to read or use regular print easily or at all prizewinner (noun) prizewinning author (adjective) But award winner (noun), award-winning author (adjective)

Production Information Control System 2 Replaced PICS. PICS2 is acceptable on first reference in internal documents.

Program Delivery Division NLS organizational unit; contains the Chanel Design & Deployment Section and Production Management & Acceptance Section. Use PDD on second reference.

ProTactile A tactile sign language used by some deafblind people that incorporates signs from American Sign Language (ASL). Sometimes referred to as

PTASL.

PTASL

ProTactile American Sign Language.

PTBS

See Potomac Talking Books Services.

Public Law 89-522 Federal regulation passed in 1966 that extended NLS service to people with physical disabilities.

Public Law 101-336 See Americans with Disabilities Act.

Public Law 104-197 See Chafee Amendment.

Public Law 115-261 See Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act.

Pulitzer Prize winner (noun), Pulitzer Prize–winning author (adjective; use an en dash, not a hyphen) Follows Chicago Manual of Style 6.80.

reader advisor, reader advisory service Refers to a person who advises a patron about reading selections. Do not use

“adviser.” This is an exception from Merriam-Webster.

Reader Enrollment and Delivery System Use READS on second reference.

Reading Technology Advisory Group Formerly the National Audio Equipment Advisory Committee, this group of program subscribers, consumer group representatives, and network librarians advise NLS on developments and changes in reading technology.

Use RTAG on second reference.

READS

See Reader Enrollment and Delivery System.

refreshable braille device, refreshable braille display See braille display. Use Braille eReader for the NLS-developed device.

regional library Capitalize only as part of the proper name of a library.

regions The four geographic regions of NLS service: midlands, northern, southern, and western.

regular print (noun), regular-print format (adjective) Preferred over standard or normal print.

RNIB

See Royal National Institute of Blind People.

Royal National Institute of Blind People Charity offering information, support, and advice to people in the UK with vision loss. Use RNIB on second reference.

RTAG

See Reading Technology Advisory Group.

science fiction (noun and adjective) screen reader

Single Sign-On system Authentication system used by NLS and network library staff for signing into WOW2, PIMMS, the Network Library Services website, and other services.

smartphone

Solr Search engine that provides APIs (application programming interfaces) for searching the NLS collection. Not an acronym; do not capitalize as SOLR.

Spanish language materials This is a deliberate exception to Chicago Manual of Style 7.89.

SSO

See Single Sign-On system.

standard digital talking-book machine (preferred term), standard machine Use DS1 in technical contexts such as engineering specifications.

subregional library Capitalize only as part of the proper name of a library.

tactile map Preferred over tactual map.

tactile signing A form of touch-based sign language used by some deafblind people.

talking book (noun), talking-book program (adjective) References to the talking-book program, a talking book, or several talking books should be lowercased. Talking book is preferred to audiobook when referring to books in the NLS collection in formal written communications.

talking-book machine

Talking Book Publishers, Inc.

Use TBP on second reference.

Talking Book Topics Always italicize. Use TBT on second reference.

TBP

See Talking Book Publishers, Inc.

TBT

See Talking Book Topics.

text-to-speech they/them Acceptable as a singular pronoun.

third-party player Do not use. Use “commercial player” instead.

TIGAR

See Trusted Intermediaries Global Accessible Resources project.

toll-free number

Tomcat For internal use only; do not use in communication with network libraries for the public. Not an acronym; do not capitalize as TOMCAT. Short for Apache Tomcat, a free and open-source implementation for online data retrieval that the Library of Congress uses to create interactive catalog interfaces for the public to access Library collections. Tomcat replaced the Voyager interface for the NLS Catalog in December 2022.

Trusted Intermediaries Global Accessible Resources A predecessor to the Marrakesh Treaty. Use TIGAR on second reference.

UEB

See Unified English Braille.

uncontracted braille See braille grades.

Unified English Braille Use UEB on second reference.

United States Use as a noun. For example: In the United States. As an adjective, see US.

URL

Stands for Universal Resource Locator. URL is acceptable on first reference.

US

Use only as an adjective. For example: The US government. As a noun, see United States. Not U.S. even in running text; see Chicago Manual of Style 10.32.

username Use first spelling given in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, not user name.

Usher syndrome Not “Usher’s syndrome” or “Usher Syndrome.”

visually impaired Acceptable, unlike hearing impaired. For the latter, use hard of hearing instead.

Voyager (as in NLS Voyager catalog, Voyager search interface) No longer used as of December 2022. Use just NLS Catalog instead.

VSA

An international organization on arts, education, and disability; a department of the Kennedy Center. Formally stands for nothing. Use VSA on first and further reference.

web-based (adjective) webmaster

Web Ordering and Warehousing System 2 Use WOW2 on second reference.

webpage

WebREADS A circulation system used by many NLS network libraries.

website

Web XESS wheelchair user Preferred term. Do not use “wheelchair bound” or “handicapped.”

Wi-Fi

WIPO

See World Intellectual Property Organization.

World Intellectual Property Organization An agency of the United Nations. Use WIPO on second reference.

world language (noun or adjective) An alternative to foreign language that is inclusive of Native American languages.

WOW2

See Web Ordering and Warehousing System 2.

XESS

Formally the Excess and Redistribution System, but XESS is acceptable on first reference in internal documents.

ZIP Code Acronym. Stands for Zone Improvement Plan.

zip file

Appendix 1: Spanish terms relevant to NLS audiobook, audiobooks audiolibro, audiolibros blind, person who is blind ciego, persona con ceguera book libro braille braille

Braille and Audio Reading Download

(BARD)

Descarga de Braille y Lectura de Audio (BARD, por sus siglas en inglés, que en español aproxima las palabras Descarga de Braille y Lectura de Audio) braille book, braille books libro de braille, libros de braille digital book, digital books libro digital, libros digital digital cartridge cartucho digital digital talking-book machine reproductor de libros parlantes digitales ebraille braille digital factsheet hoja de datos library, libraries biblioteca, bibliotecas

Library of Congress La Biblioteca del Congreso or Biblioteca del Congreso de los Estados Unidos narrated narrado narration narración

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)

Servicio Nacional de Bibliotecas para personas ciegas o con dificultades para acceder al texto impreso (NLS, por sus siglas en inglés) Note: the phrase in parenthesis is always to be listed after the full name.

network libraries, your network library bibliotecas de la red NLS, su biblioteca de la red NLS person with print disability personas con dificultades para acceder al texto impreso (more literally, personas que no pueden ver o manipular textos impresos convencionales) physically handicapped, person with physical handicaps discapacitado físico (or persona con discapacidad física) provided by publisher proporcionada por la editorial publisher descriptions descripciones proporcionadas por las editoriales reader lector recorded book, recorded books libro grabado, libro grabados reference referencia refreshable braille dispositivo braille dinámico talking book, talking books libro parlante, libros parlantes temporary or permanent vision loss or blindness, or have a physical, perceptual or reading disability discapacidad temporal o permanente de vision, ceguera, física, percepción o lectura

That All May Read Para Que Todos Puedan Leer

Appendix 2: Book number prefix codes

BR

Braille books produced by NLS.

BRA

Hard-copy braille held at one or both of the multistate centers.

BRC

Braille books produced by network libraries.

BRE

Digital-only braille books, primarily obtained from other countries via the Trusted Intermediaries Global Accessible Resources project and the Accessible Books Consortium before the Marrakesh Treaty was implemented.

BRF

Hard-copy foreign language braille books held at Multistate Center East.

BRG

Digital-only braille books obtained via the Marrakesh Treaty.

BRI

Hard-copy braille gifted to NLS by JBI International.

BRJ

Hard-copy braille gifted to NLS by the Jewish Guild for the Blind.

BRM

Braille music scores.

BRT

Braille music scores acquired under the Marrakesh Treaty.

BRX

Hard-copy braille held at one or both of the multistate centers.

CB

Talking books on analog cassette tapes recorded in two-track 1 7/8 ips format.

CBC

Talking books on analog cassette tapes recorded in two-track 1 7/8 ips format, possibly locally produced.

DB

Digital talking books produced by NLS.

DBC

Digital talking books produced by the network.

DBE

Digital-only talking books obtained via gift or other special acquisition.

DBF

Digital talking books primarily obtained from other countries via the Trusted Intermediaries Global Accessible Resources project and the Accessible Books Consortium before the Marrakesh Treaty was implemented.

DBG

Digital talking books obtained via the Marrakesh Treaty.

DBM

Digital music appreciation and instructional materials.

DBN

Digital talking books produced by the network that have passed MSCE QA.

LPM

Large print musical scores and instructional materials.

RC

Talking books on analog cassette tapes recorded in four-track 15/16 ips format. Most have been converted to DBs under the same number.

RCF

Talking books on analog cassette tapes that were obtained from other countries. Most have been converted to DBFs under the same number.

RD

Talking books on disc recorded at 8 1/3 rpm.

RDF

Talking books on disc recorded at 8 1/3 rpm in languages other than English.

TB

Talking books on disc recorded at 16 2/3 rpm.

TM

Tactile maps

Appendix 3: Use of NLS trademarks List of Marks The Library of Congress owns the following federally registered trademarks, collectively referred to below as the “Marks”:

• THAT ALL MAY READ (Reg. No. 7,133,312)

• BARD (Reg. No. 7,139,256)

• BARD MOBILE (Reg. No. 7,139,257)

• BARD logo (Reg. No. 7,139,258). The BARD logo consists of two white curved lines representing sound waves appearing to the left of a braille cell consisting of six dots, of which four dots appear in light blue and the two white dots represent the letter "b", and all the foregoing appearing inside a dark blue square.

Form of Use THAT ALL MAY READ must be styled as “That all may read” in all text references.

BARD and BARD MOBILE must be styled “BARD” and “BARD Mobile” respectively. When being used by authorized users who are not NLS employees, such as network library personnel, all uses of BARD, BARD MOBILE, and the BARD logo must, in the first reference to any of these Marks, refer to the Mark as pertaining to the “Braille and Audio Reading Download” service offered by the “National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress.”

Authorized Users NLS employees may use the Marks in official communications.

Network libraries may use the Marks on collateral and marketing materials, electronic communications, and as part of presentations pertaining to the network libraries’ participation as part of the larger NLS network and NLS-related programs and services. Network libraries may not use the Marks in such a way as to suggest that they are owned by any entity other than the Library of Congress.

All other uses require the prior written permission of the Library of Congress.

To obtain any permissions required above, or to report unauthorized use of the Marks, please contact the Communications and Outreach Section, NLS, Library of Congress, at krfe@loc.gov or mlayman@loc.gov, with a copy to ogc@loc.gov.