New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19
MAKING OF A CATALOGUE
ALMOST a MILLION BOOKS TO BE LISTED
IN THE NATIONAL LIBRARY.
Mr. YoUNGs GREAT TAsK-METHoDs OF Gaia

preparing a subject catalogue of the National
Library will have an immense undertaking be-
fore him. How great it is will be seen from the
fac. that the collection now embraces over
,i5Ooo volumes. besides about 100000 PAM
nhlefs Challenging is almost, IL not quite.
business by itself involving. as it does, con-
siderable knowledge OF books and OF the
methods and rules for classifying and arranging
them There are various kinds of library cata-
logues and several different codes of rules Tor
doing the work. The catalogue Of library
corresponds to the index of book; II is Key
~ Guide to the contents But It may be an in
Sex Of proper names. index Of subjects, or an
alphabetical arrangement of both. So the cata-
logue Of library may be arranged with reier-
ence To the names of authors. with the works OF
each In order; * may he arranged upon topicdi
plan, III classes divisions and sections, so that
all the works a given subject may he louho
together; finally. it may he arranged alphahet-
caliy, so that person knowing the book or
author he desires may find either as he finds
word in the dictionary.
The value Of any large library may be said to
vary with the character and completeness Of its
catalogues. A large collection of books without
an adequate catalogue is likely to he as con-
fusing labyrinth. y scholarly writer, Ed
ward Edwards. in his work on public libraries
says There Is matter connected with the
administration Of a public library which i'll
point Of importance can vie with the character
and condition of its catalogues. However liberal
its accessibilities however able its chief how
ever large and well selected its stores OF books.
II will fall lamentaby short Of the true standard
Of good library If its catalogues be not we'll
constructed we'll kept up with the growth Of It's
aud hlv ot no nd Of 9
frequenters.'
While il Is important that a catalogue should
show the complete contents OF a library. that is
not perhaps. It's chief purpose The most i'm
portant purpose OF a catalogue is to enable
person 70 find any book that he may be in
search of and akin TO that purpose. and some
times OF even greater Importance in cata-
logue. is the facility with which It enables
person 20 find all the different works which
library contains especially relating to a given
subject. The value of any library must be en-
HANGED to the student. teacher or writer in pro-
portion this last desideratum is completely
and thoroughly attained.
Systems of cataloguing vary related to these
purposes: and these aims considered. librarians
differ greatly as TO what constitutes the best
system. A catalogue OF authors giving the
works Of each. beyond determining the contents
Of a library, must necessarily be valuable in en-
ablins the searcher to find special works Of any
author The Congressional Library already
possesses a complete catalogue OF this kind
Nearly all large libraries possess more than
one kind Of catalogue. thus securing the special
advantages belonging peculiarly to each Out
Of 191 OF the largest libraries in the United States
reporting in answer TO the circular sent out by
the American Library Association, all but TWEEN
ty-one had some kind OF a subject catalogue.
Either the author and subject catalogues were
distinct and separate. or the author and subject
entries were combined in a single alphabet. II
is not unlikely that in time the Congressional
Library may possess all Of the best varieties in
use.
The first catalogue Of the Library of Congress
embraced only 964 volumes and nine maps II
was issued by the Librarian. John Beckley. in
1902 from the press of William Duane. and
represented at that time the only library Of ref
erence at the National capital. After the books
burned by order OF Admiral Cockburn in
1914 and the library Of ex-President Jefferson
purchased, his plan of cataloguing adopted.
Mr. Jefferson's books OF which GOO were
bought. had been arranged and recorded on the
plan of Bacon's classification OF the sciences.
and the catalogue made after this plan embraced
rs alphabets in arbitrary sequence, so that as
Ben: Perley Poore says 1T required an intimate
knowledge Of the library 10 use 1t without great
waste Of time"
At a later date II was frequently difficult to
follow the references. Mr.. Wheatley. en- English
writer says: IAN extreme case OF misleading
references is given In the Index OF Authors APP
pended to the old Classified Catalogue Of the Ii
brary OF Congress washington, 1S4O). The
references here are no. to pages but to chapters.
and as some Of the chapters extend over one
hundred pager 1t may be guessed that very
tedious search has to be made; for instance to
find the reference Abby 1t is necessary 10 look
over as many as seventy pages"
The former practice among librarians OF giving
each book fixed location on particular shelf
has in a measure been superseded with the clas-
rifed systems OF cataloguing. the location Of any
book becoming relative 10 the topic under which
II IL classed This may be illustrated: a librarian
with a vein Of humor labelled his general works
dictionaries etc, Lore; ancient histories
"Yorc"; war histories. Gore: sermons and
speeches Roar" poetry. etc. Soar" and po-
litical economy "SnOre." NOW 1t 10 evident tina,
II that librarian had concluded 10 change the
Gore" division Of his library 10 the Roar"
stacks, and vice versa though all the volumes
would have been shifted each would have re-
tanned IT'S relative position.
Under some systems attempts are even made
10 make the position Of the book 40 we'll as class
number signincant Thus books may be
ranged chronologically in the order Of their pub
lication n o. the development OF the topics on
which they treat, they may be arranged in the
order Of their approach 10 theory and prac-
t.ce and they may be arranged In the
order of their recognized value ar authority on
any subject. Such system thoroughly wrought
ia. "a