British Museum.
The Times, 1824-05-06T00:00:00

Sir,-In the discussions which have taken place in the House of Commons relative to the British aluseum, it has been suggested by honourable members1 that in order to make the catalogue of the valeable collection of pnuted books contained in that national re. pository more accessible to the public, it should be printed in the most homely and the cheapest possible form. It would unquestionably be highly Injudicious to augment the expemse of a work of this kind by an endeavour to give it any par- ticular typographical attractions. Such rnay do for the luxunous student, who looks principally at the goodness and magnitude of a type, the size of a margin, and the thickness whiteness; and smooth- ness of aper. I can hardly, howeer, imaginetthat it woula beagreeable to the feelings of any one who values the credit of liteiatuTe in this country, that the catalogue of our national library should be assimi- lated to that of a mere evening book-sale or that the paper of which it is composed should be made to vie wiih thatof the announcements which are officiously thrust into the bands of pedestrians in every part of the metropolis. If the titles of books were more contracted than they are in the luseum catalogue, they would be less descrip- tive, and therefore less useful; and no material difference of expense in the composing and working of the letter-press could arise from any little ithference in the type. There seeiss, however, to be no necessity for so unseemly a sav- ing as that proposed, in order to afford to the public due access to the catalogue of the British Aluseum; and I would therefore respect. fully suggest to you, and through your means to the otler trustees of the British Museum, some medes by which it appears to te that so very desirable a measure could be very readily effected. n the first place, the price of the catalogue to the publiEc should be reduced to the charge for printing and.paper; for the taking down and arranging the ttles of books, in order to form a catalogue, seems to be as necessary parts of the duty of a librarian in a public esta- blishment, or of persons acting under him, as the arrangement and custody of books; and the labour necessary for the purpose should be just as effectually provided for in the current expenditure of the institution, The number of volumes of the Mluseum Catalogue is, I believe, seven, at obe guinea each, for an average of about tlO0 pages. Two thousand copies may be printed, in as good a type and on as good paper as that of the Museum Catalogue, for a sum not exceedisg 5s. per volume, including the expense of boarding; and if the number were greater, the comparative eoj;pense w ould be less. This Catalogue, therefore, ought to be sold to the public at a sum not exceeding 5s. per volutme; and this price would allow it to come into extensive circulation. But besides increasing the facility for the purchase ofcataloguesin the way which I have mentioned, it would be important Ior the trustees to allow a sufficient number of copies to be accessible to the public is ons of the ante-rooms, at all such periods as tbe Museum isi open. This would be sufficent for the accommodation of London. For that of the country, I would submit that the trustees should be ens- poyrered to present a copy of the catalogue to all those libraries and corporations to which the public records are transmitted, so as that there should be at least one copy in every county. In this waybeery literary man living in the country would, at little trouble, be afford ed an opportunity of knowing wvhat the British Museum contains, and of thus ascertaining whetlher certain books, which it may be an objectwith him to consult, are posessed by it, before he incurs the expense and inconvenience of a visit to that establishment at a venture. The amount ofsuch donations would be trivial, for 701. would supply theseven volumes, at 5s. each, to the 40 counties ofEngland; but if the expense were much greater, Parliament is not likely to throw any obstacle in the way of so effectual a means of diflusing a knowledRe of some of the most important coatents of our great na. tional collection.. .I I would at the same time beg leaTeC to recommend it to the con. sideration of yoarself and the other trustees 6f the British Aluseum, whether copies ofall the other catalogues, whetber of manuscripts, nedala, antiquities, or natu, a history, miight 'i great public |bencits be made acible at the Museum, and t ew1se be trans. mitted to different districts, for readyinspection in the country. The expense of such a measure *ould be trifling. I have the honour to be, with much respect, Sir, Mlay 3, 1824, Your obedient servant, J. Y. BRITISH MUSEUM. TO THE RIGHT HONr. ROBERT PEEL, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTM1ENT, AND ONE OF THE TRUS- TEES OF THE BIlTISH MUSEUM.