Library Jargon

Librarians use far too much terminology that only serves to confuse our patrons. One of the worst examples is that people who work in New Zealand libraries - I'm sure this is uniquely NZ - have come to use a shortened version of the term interlibrary loan. Now it is a confusing term to start with. But as a library user, you can work it out. An intercity bus goes between two cities, so an interlibrary loan is going to be when you borrow something from another library. But an "interloan"? What does that mean?

So it is a word I will never use, but I can see I'm not having much luck with changing my colleagues' habit of using the short version.

Whenever I hear the term used, it reminds me that being client-focused means putting yourself in the client's shoes. Think about it from their perspective. Library users - what confuses you about your library?