New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05
COMPLEIE BOOKS.
England.

People of statistical turn of mind sometimes
feel Il vague alarm at the increase in number
of books published which each yearly count
brings to light. Oar libraries grow, or book
sellers catalogues take on new titles, and
the advance guard of books in press begins
70 look like an army of grasshoppcrs. fOrtu-
nately for timid readers there is safety in
numbers, for one can now bfavcly be iSnO-
rant OF many books and yet have the pleas
ure of reading ard with the multiplication OF
books and libraries there has sprung up a
very scrvicoable class of literary workulen that
may for lack Of better name DO called the
IodeyiCal class. 1t is their business TO classify
arrange, sort out, and index for easy refer
ence the VAST accumulation Of books. Every
great library is busy making its treasures ac-
cessible 10 readers; private enterprise does
not lag behind; we havc only Just done adj
Inirng the wisdom and patience with which
the historian of the Pacific coast employed a
CORDS Of men to index his collection before he
himself began to use the material contained
in it, and the special photographers, condons-
ers for encyclopedias, and pan;taklng book
sellers are constantly engaged in tightening
the scholars task by arranging his material
SO that he may save time and Labor for his
special work.
Oar plea, however. is for the anticipation OF
much of this labor in the solitary books or
fac. which make 50 large a part OF every pub
lisher's ls.. We claim that due consdcra-
ton of the need of readers calls for more
thorough care in this direction than always
oppears. The substance of the book may be
excellent and properly displayed, but there
are few books that would not be improved by
a furnishing which would bring them into re-
lation to other work in the same direction,
and reader them more complete for purposes
OF reference and study. Let us enlmeratc
the several points in which thoroughness
might be secured.
In the first place the title page ought to
contain perfectly ineligible title, giving
comprehensiyely the subject of the book the
author', name should be followed by such
works Of lis own as are related to this one;
fine reverse Of the title page may well contain
n statement as to the number of copies dis
poscd OF, and the dates or the several editions,
if the Sc editions have been materially changed.
There should be q preface giving so far
history Of the book that follows as the work
may demand. That is the private explanation
which every one has right to ask OF the
autbor. The table of contents should be ana
lvtical. so that ono could determine quickly
the scope of the book, and should be followed
by list of illustrations AMI maps, giving the
name Of the draughtsman. The head lines
should if possible give the contents of the
page below, and if the work is history
or biography the current date should be
sunplied in the head line. Side notes to his
torical works and to logical treatises are real
additions. Small clcw maps let into tho text
ara very seryceable, and ought to be repeated
whenever the reference is required, instead OF
being used once only, forcing the reader to
turn back. Then notes ought to be 30 divided
between mere references and annotationS that
the former should be given at the foot
of the page, and the latter ut the end of
the volume. Tables, charts, and all such fur
niture ns serve to render the work clearer
should be used freely, bat one of the most
useful appendices is to be found in a bibiO-
graphical list. This, we contend, ought to be
as regular part of tho book as the index.
Every work which the author has consulted
in preparing his book should be duly entered,
especially tie magazine articles for which he
has had to hunt; then, if the work is the
biography of literary man, all his writings
should DO duly noted, with their dates, and
the pages of reference TO the biography itself.
The topical index is so generally regarded as
a necessary part of book that reference to
it would seem superhuous yet it Is frequently
omitted, to the great disadvantage of the
reader.
In word, we think it is not only a matter
of Justice to the reader, but should be one of
professional pride to the publisher, that every
book dealing with facts should be thoroughly
furnished SO far as is scope permits with
such apparatus az may make 1t at once indie
pendent of other books and an index to other
books There are few surer marks of con-
scicniousncs5 in author and publisher than
book which saves the reader precious time and