ODLIS is designed as a hypertext reference resource for
library and information science professionals, university students and
faculty, and users of all types of libraries. The primary criterion for
including a term is whether a librarian or other information
professional might reasonably be expected to know its meaning in the
course of his or her work. A newly coined term is added when, in the
author's judgment, it is likely to become a permanent addition to the
lexicon of library and information science. The dictionary reflects
North American practice; however, because ODLIS was
first developed as an online resource available worldwide, with an
e-mail contact address for feedback, users from many countries have
contributed to its growth, often suggesting additional terms and
commenting on existing definitions. Expansion of the dictionary is an ongoing process.