New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-15
LITERARY STOREHOUSES.

INDEX or THE BROOKLYN LIBRARY.
c.r,ucrrs or AMERICAS acknowledgements OF
ME- NoYrs's SYSTEM or CLASSIFICATION.
The publication of the second volume OF
the Catalogue OF the Brooklyn Library brings most
useful aud important undertaking TO It's haal stage
The first volume included the first three letters OF
the alphabet; the second carries the classl-
fcation from 10 M and the third, when
is nov in course OF preparation will bring the compete
Index within the compass Of ZOO pages. NOW 'Dat
The work is twothlrds done s manifold merits can pe
dscerncd and II too much TO say that the author
and compiler Mt $ b. Noyes has furnished the puDho
with the best index OF popular library that has ever
been made.
That the catalogues OF the public libraries OF New
York are utterly inadequate is fact that no one VINO
has ever attempted to make use OF them can venture W
DENY There are catalogues OF the Mercantile ana INC
Society Libraries, complied years ago on PIah WHO"
was considered ogca and analytical. but which has
proved TO be obscure aud chaotic. In each OF these
volumes there IL preliminary alpGabet Of authors,
ana then follows what IS termed subject Catalogue
The synopsis Of the classified list presents tabular
revisw OF human knowledge very pretty to look at'
but very bad work by Theology is at the top ana
then come law science. arts. bellesetres geography
and travels history, biography, periodicals, poly
Craphy, photography and other matters, following ono
another in what is supposed 10 he lORr
cal order Even II this system OF classihca-
ton were complete It would DO WorthiessG
for while the department OF law may he in the rSht
place In the synopsis groups. does not nutvey
look for 10 midway between theology and science.
These catalogues are awkward KEYS that turn round in
the hands and neither m the locks nor open the doors OF
these literary storehouses The San Francisco
Library has far better catalogue than these mere Is
only one classst that OF plays, and there are no groups
Ike biography countries, fiction fine arts but there
is one general alphabet and an attempt IA made 10 an
ayze the contents OF books The Cincinnati Library has
two excellent casssts Of limited scope. Tue Boston
Public Library has issued several extremely
valuable cass-hsts. but nothing IN the form
az a comprehensive catalogue. One OF these hsis
.omprses all the works in the lower hall
winch come under the general department of history.
biography and fiction. Three entries are made Of each
work Tor the author title aud country. Another class
list OF exceptional value embraces English prose hcoh'
with alphabet Of authors and titles, and ilstofea1
notes under different countries. They are arranged IN
historical sequence and grouped around the most not
able events or persouages OF the time Aside from Mr.
Noycss Index OF the Brooklyn Library there Is only one
ogue OF Il American circulating library which Is
both comprehensive in scOpe and scientific IN Plan Ihd
h. the catalogue OF Boston Ahennum 10 which rel
creuce viii be made fm thor on.
Tho basis of every irdex that is worth making or
neln, is the alphabet That something which every
body knows aud forms the only possible scheme for
n working catalogue. Mr.. Moves has one general
ALPHABET o. authors. titles, subjects and classes; bat
he combines with this elementary arrangement What
be calls special dictionary system. The tile OF every
book and the authors be found In the alpha
bctical ORDER but by system Of subject headings Ut
ranged 40 as 10 into the general alphabet the volumes
are brought before the they are arranged Oh the
Shelves aud naturally associated in topic and class,
but IN an infinitely more exact md scIcntinc order
There are special entries FOR every book and subject
nnd the same time there comprehensive system OF
classification by which the o. information In
every branch OF human knowledge are grouped, and
the contents of books carefully analyzcd. consider
obe mass OF periodical literature has been treated in
tie same manner ~ the miscellaneous wOrss SO that
III" Catalogue is an Incompatible reference-book.
Tho yaluo Of tubs Index can easily be illustrated
Under the general heading Of Fine Arts grouped
II classes one of these (NO. "a IN the alphabetical
ORDER Gems and Precious Stones; JeweTy" Under
this are given fourteen references 10 works and articles
on engraved gems and antiques and eighteen references
90 works on the history and technics OF precious
stones and then follow references to recent articles
periodicals diamonds and pearls There is enough in
each instance TO give the investigator cew to the con
tents OF the book article, and, after comparing the
various OF Information open TO him. he can re-
sort TO that which TO promise the best results Al
the outset moreover. crossreierences will lead him
from any key-word ike Jewel" gen." diamond"
or pearl" to the page where all the information re-
tpectng the general subject is brought together.
The analytical character OF the Index can be illus
trated even easily. Under the sub-diVision OF
Collections Voyages and Travels general heading
Geography
collection OF the early voyages travels and discover
les of the English Nation" Then follows analysis
Of the contents Of each volume showing the discoveries
the voyager and the explorer In achusance kerrs and
Pnkertons elaborate collections are anay2ed with the
kame muutenes An ordinary catalogue gives the reader
only what s Oh the back Of the coyerthe title and the
authors name; hut tins Index, in the case of every
work tbs; requires analysis opens the book and dis
closes the contents.
In one respect MI. NOyess wOIk differs from ths
catalogue of the Boston Atben@um andls lar more con-
yeDtent That catalogue Ia compiled upon the special
entry basis aud contains no broad classes or general
izatlOns The library iudeXed - Of course or greater
ti2e than the Brooklyn Library, and contains large
snrrial departncnts; ana accordingly the cata-
l6guc has wider range than the BrookIyn
seem 10 he 90 satisfa'ory The broad class system
adopted nv Mr. Moves Under the special entry system
kDecncal0 is carried far that Kindred topics arc
is not 90 an ytca nor logical
a. an inde IN which the specific class IL brought
under the Inost comprehensive heading INC Bf9Okyn
cihc class Gems" under the comprehensive group,
Fine Arts; the advantages Of the specql entry being
cfaI Alphabetical arrangement. ,,...
The second volume contains one o. the TWO easslSls
which form the main exceptions to inc general pm OF
The catalogue. This IS the class list OF ilclcu apha-
lcticaly arranged, each work being ehIIea 9Her we
lnt no other entries made III the general aphab't
class si oi plays VIII he naue ~ iuf tIe ,n'r" nO'
system are made without reason and when under
stood no CmDSrruhstnCDt
MIR N0vcs's work marks great advance in bihli-
ogTaphy. It's key which everybody can use ana
which opens tr darkest reCcs7es Of the library lHcie
ir 60 600 volumes the shelves, and every DOCK II
brought To hight and made available for recreation OF Tor
iuyesucatiou Tie cost Of the three volumes VIII hO1 De
more than g. that copies II the Index VIII ne IouuG
long IN the libraries and proIs or nearly t'eIE
house in BROOKLYN where systematic raolHg ana
thorough literary work done The cost Of the G.ta-
logne ~ lle boston AtnouauH IS about so, aud the
cGiuOu Is so small that the work IA Of no
value c1crDt reference book IN the Udiue room al
inc library and ia comparatively small ass Cf Dork-
collectors OWN. 10 is chcapres' III" blookNh I9oeI
* brought within the reach OF large class o. readers
II sdpl O. q great pGbtc want and cannot f4i To pro
mote The causc OF popular education; FOR o. soon az
one hubble library l. properly ude1cd another shd men