The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-26
SCRAPS AND CLIPPINGS.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREFERENCE
DEPARTMENT. or A LIBRARY.
The Rev. John Todd's Index Eerrni," Its
Uses and Outgrowth--yaiuabicC oiiccticn
Of scraps Made by War Correspondents
Suggestions

Uses and Observation-Disclosures Collection
Of scraps Made by War Correspondents
Suggestions.
Every person who uses the Brooklyn
library to any extent is cognizant OF. the
fact that it's Reference Department is
prominent feature Of that institution. IT
Is now proposed to supplement tho refer
encc library by the addition Of collection
Of carefully kept scrap books, and already
portion Of this collection Is ready for the
publics use. The attention OF reporter
was called to this addition 10 the librsrys
usefulness not long since, and he called
upon Acting Librarian Bardwell to obtain
some further information in regard TO II.
Mr. BsrdwelI Il quite en enthusiast upon
the subject CT keeping scraps, and when
questioned upon Il thus expressed his
views:
The Rev. John Todd. Of Pittsfcld,
Mass. lie said. some years ago published
an Index Rerum, or. luicx of Subjects;
intended as manual To- aid the Student
ard Professional Man in preparing him
self for Usefulness This work. which
passed through over twenty editions, was
blank book with an alphabet printed at
the head OF the pages and directions IL
Illustrating its utility and method Of use,
which consisted in jotting down important
facts or striking passages met WITH IN
books. or in noting under tho appropriate
subject in the index the volume and page
where the extract could be found when
wanted William Writ says: There is
not q 70 t within the whole circle Of hu.
mai oil 4crvGtiOn. nor oven fugitive all
ecd0te that you read IN newspaper or
hear i conversation, that will not come
IN play some tine or other: aud occasions
will arise when they will, involuntariiy,
present their din shadows in the train Of
Of your thinking and reasoning, as belong
ING 20 that train. and you will regret that
you cannot recall them more distinctly.
ID. Todd's index was for the purpose
Of noting where an article might bc found
and served 10 some extent the same pur
pose as the numerous books Of quotations
and extracts that have been published in
recent years.
The department Of scrap books now in
process Of development at the Brooklyn
library bids fair 20 be an index rcruu on
q very extensive scale IL is a collection
Of clippings and extracts from news.
papers. commenced many years ago by
Mr. Wilcox III K W. war corrcspon-
dent, WHO commenced clipping and filing
away extracts for his own personal use
These. as time passed on and the collec.
ton became larger, lie divided into sub
jects and kept in boxes labeled according
TO the contents Of each box At his death
he left his collection. thc accumulation OF
moro than twenty years TO the Brooklyn
library. where 10 IS now being carefully
cOliatcd and arranged under elassiica
, ton similar 10 that of the library cata.
loguc The clippings are being pasted on
sheets Of MANILA paper, which after being
properly dried 0nd pressed are arranged
10y single sheets mot bound together. rs
this wonld preclude the Incorporation %
any further material in its proper place
under its subject heading. as additions
are made from timc 10 timol These
sheets are kept in boxes that are labeled
on the back 50 as 20 indicate tho subject
and the subdivision Of subject contained
in each box.
The arrangement Of the material thus
kept being strictly by subjects and their
various ramificatious, and tho whole be
ing formed into one alphabet, no index is
required TO guide the scarcher for infOr-
nation All that j. necessary is 20 look
al the labels until tho subject needed Is
reached in the line. Then take down the
box that contains what is wanted and use
il. As time passes and the library collec-
ton is developed il is expected it will be
found Of especial value TO literary people
Is containing much valuable material
which will be made easily available by its
arrangement under subjects bringing to-
Ccther items Of information that would
otherwise be so scattered rs To be pract-
cally lost unless collected under some
such plan as this"
What DO you think. Mr.. Bardwell, Of
the value Of a scrap collection IN gen
cral.'
LAS 10 the value Of material thus col
lccted variety Of opinions may exist, but
50 far as possible the source from which
the information was obtained is mentioned,
as well as the date Of publication. The
question suggests itself whether every
literary person may not find It advantage
GUS to Keep collection Of scrap books.
Items that appear from day TO day may
lTNNt tACttulDkiN FdlA0blr III tit
and the only time 10 secure these IS whilo
tho eye is upon them, as almost any one
q who has tried to.locate n paragraph lie
thinks he saw at an indefinite time, few
months or even q few DAYS ago, can testify.
II one las hunted through file of papers
for an extract be can appreciate the diff.
Guilty and will probably wish he had saved
the scrap.
"One can make collection of his spe-
cialty or can make a general collection Of
any material he thinks would be useful
in the future lie can include his own
productions under their OWN subject
headings, or ho can include them all IN
one volume marked Personal A literary
man should bear ia mind that be may ono
day become famous in which case q cot
lection OF III the fugitive pieces he has
ever Lad in pint might prove valuable as
well es interesting. While there is no
limit % tLc subjects on which one may
collect scraps. every one must be his own
Judge as 70 how large his collection should
be, and what range Of subjects no viii
require, but, in any case, a thorough ar
rangement Of tie material by subjects
will obviate any necessity Of an iudoX.
If thoroughly classified in this way, the
j collection win be its own index and there
is no other way, so far as can be seen at
present, that would be SO effective. There
are other libraries beside the Brooklyn