Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-31
THE GOVERNMENT LIBRARY
Its Management is Characterized by
Perfect System.


More than 1000 libraries, institu-
tions and individuals throughout the
United States and abroad are having
their books catalogued for them by
the government, says a Washington
letter.
Catalogues Of books in the library
Of congress were first printed in book
form. About 1854 cards were substi-
tuted. Not until numerous expert
ments were made and cards Of various
was the present simple card 73-12b
centimeters, adopted as the standard
size" In 1897 the library of congress.
with the support and Endorsement Of
the American Library association,
conceived the idea Of printing its own
cards, and at the same time printing
enough cards for any library that
might want them. In 1900 a branch Of
the government printing office was
installed in the library, and within a
year, cards were being printed for all
the current accessions to the library
and for all books that were recata-
logued from the old cards.
In October of 1901 a circular was
sent out announcing that the library
would sell any card which it had
printed or might print In the begin
ming orders for cards were restricted
to libraries; now there is no restrict
ing whatever.
When a volume is received by the
library Of congress, either by purchase
or gift or through copyright 1t is cat
alogued in the latest and most approv-
ed manner. II a book catalogued Is
popular, desirable, or liable to be
found in other Libraries or purchased
by them, from 100 to 1900 cards are
printed for 1t, and the extra cards are
kept in stock.
What are called depository SETS
Zone copy Of each card printed) are
now found in more than fifty Libraries,
chosen for their location, accessible
ty, etc.
A number Of bulletins and hand
books have been issued giving detail
ed directions for ordering cards and
the classes Of books for which full sets
are available.
Thousands Of copies Of the same
book, acquired by hundreds Of libra
ries, must go through the same pro-
cess in each library. Now all this
work and expense is saved to those
institutions. 1t has been estimated
that the cost Of getting single book
into a library catalogue is from 25 to
35 cents.
In addition to printing and distri-
buting cards for other libraries, the Ii
brary Of congress has been printing
since 1910 few thousand titles per
year from copy obtained or books bor-
rowed from other American Libraries.
1t also maintains a number Of travel
ing catalogues"-collection Of cards on
history, government documents, agri-
culture etc.-that are sent about the
country to assist libraries in catalogu-
ing their books.
If a card is ordered by number
(Which entails the least labor), 1t Is
cents, and for each additional card
cents. The proofsheets which are
first struck off cost s25 year, or
$3.50 a month. The entries on these
sheets are classified by subject, so
that it is possible to order any one
class at a cent a sheet.
The number of different titles In
the collection is approximately 600,-
600. During 1913, $4,000 new titles
were added. The stock of cards now
on hand is more than 40.000.000. The
subscribers have increased from 200
in 1901 to more than 1000 in 1914.
About 800 individuals and firms are
now ordering cards for bibliographi-
cal purposes. The returns to the
government from the sale Of cards
have increased from about $4,000 in
the fiscal year 19O1-02 to about $685.
900 in 1894.