Chapter I: Preface

_Those who are interested in library work are constantly asked where a statement of the first principles of cataloguing may be found, and the question is one which it is not easy to answer. Most of the rules which have been printed are intended for large public libraries, and are necessarily laid down on a scale which unfits them for use in the making of a small catalogue. I have divided out the subject on a plan which I hope will commend itself to my readers, and, after discussing the most notable codes, I have concluded with a selection of such rules as I trust will be found useful by those who are employed in making catalogues of ordinary libraries.

Here I must express the hope that my readers will excuse the frequent use of the personal pronoun. If the use of "I" could have been avoided, I would gladly have avoided it; but as the main point of the book is the discussion of principles and theories, it seemed to me that such value as the book may possess would be entirely destroyed if I did not give my own opinions, founded upon a somewhat long experience.

In dealing with a subject such as this, I cannot hope to convince all my readers, but I trust that those who disagree with my arguments will be willing to allow them some force.

The compilation has been attended with constant feelings of regret in my own mind, for almost every page has brought up before me the memory of two men with whom I have at different times discussed most of the points here raised,--two men alike in their unselfish devotion to the cause of Bibliography. Mr. Henry Bradshaw's work was more widely known, but Mr. Benjamin R. Wheatley's labours were scarcely less valued in the smaller circle where they were known, and both brought to bear upon a most difficult subject the whole force of their thoroughly practical minds. I have learned much from both, and I have felt a constant wish to consult them during the preparation of these pages.

All those who prepared the British Museum rules are gone from us; but happily cataloguers can still boast of Mr. Cutter of Boston, one of the foremost of our craft. Mr. Cutter has prepared a most remarkable code of rules, and has not only laid down the law, but has also fearlessly given the reasons for his faith, and these reasons form a body of sound opinion. May he long live to do honour to Bibliography, a cause which knows no nationality._

H. B. W.

_October, 1889._

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

I. INTRODUCTION.

What is a Catalogue?--Vulgar Errors--A Good Cataloguer
attempts to put himself in the Seeker's Place--Judicious
Shortening of Titles--Difference between Cataloguing
and Bibliography-making--A Universal Catalogue--Printing
of the British Museum Catalogue--Different Classes of
Catalogues--Classified and Alphabetical--Catalogue
Raisonné--Index Catalogues--Mr. Bradshaw's View--Need of
Care--No Jumping to Conclusions--Different Styles of
Catalogues--Purton Cooper's Sale Catalogues 1

II. BATTLE OF THE RULES.

British Museum Foremost in the Race--Printed Catalogues
of the Museum--Panizzi's Fight--Evidence before the Royal
Commission--Payne Collier's Defeat--The Museum Rules--
Jewett's Rules--Cambridge University Library Rules--Library
Association Rules adopted by Bodley's Librarian--Cutter's
Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue--Triumph of the Museum 25

III. PRINT _versus_ MANUSCRIPT.

Panizzi's Objection to Print--Parry in Favour of Print--
The British Museum again Foremost in the Race, this time
in Printing, thanks to Mr. Bond--Mr. Cutter on the Advantages
and Disadvantages of Printing--How to keep a Printed
Catalogue up to Date--Card Catalogues--Stereotyping--Henry
Stevens's Photo-Bibliography--Co-operative Cataloguing 49

IV. HOW TO TREAT A TITLE-PAGE.

_Author:_ Cutter's Definition of an Author--Compound Names--
Prefixes--Imaginary Authors--The Name by which a Man is
generally known to be preferred to that by which he is not
known--Official Names--Names of Peers--Personal Names--
Sovereigns, Saints, and Friars--Oriental Names--Contraction
for Christian Names--Distinction between Christian and
Surnames--Treatment of Changed Names--Married Authoresses--
Greek and Roman Authors--Difficulties in deciding as to the
Author of a Book--Corporate Authorship--Academical Dissertation.
_Headings other than Author Headings:_ Trials--Catalogues--
Bible--Liturgies--Voyages--Anonymous and Pseudonymous Works--
Evidence before the Commission of 1847-49--Arrangement under
Initials, under Pseudonyms. _The Title:_ Shortening of Titles--
Indication of Editions--Addition to Title-Pages. _Place of
Publication:_ Date--Use of Chronograms--Greek Dates.
_Size-Notation:_ Difficulties--Attempted Solution of these
Difficulties. _Collation_ 74

V. REFERENCES AND SUBJECT INDEX.

References and Cross-References--Press-Marks to References--
Mode of Referencing--Subject Index advocated by Panizzi 180

VI. ARRANGEMENT.

Use of the English Alphabet--I and J--U and V--Order--
Arrangement of Titles under an Author's Name--Transactions
of Societies--Pamphlets not to be divided from Books--
Journals and Magazines 198

VII. SOMETHING ABOUT MSS.

The British Museum Collections--Arrangement of an Ordinary
Collection--The Museum Catalogues--Catalogues of Manuscripts
more Readable than Catalogues of Printed Books 228

VIII. RULES FOR A SMALL LIBRARY.

_Headings:_ Author (1-11)--Non-Author (12-19)--The
Title (20, 21)--Place of Publication (22)--Date (23, 24)--
Size-Notation (25)--Collation (26)--Abstract of
Contents (27)--References (28-31)--Arrangement (32-45)--
Manipulation (52) 235

APPENDIX. LIST OF LATIN NAMES OF PLACES 247

INDEX 255

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HOW TO CATALOGUE A LIBRARY.

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