CORRESPONDENCE 



To the Editor of " Science Progress " 



A NATIONAL SCIENCE LIBRARY 



From W. R. B. Prideaux, B.A. 



Dear Sir, — I should like to call Dr. Slade's attention to the 

 work for students which is actually being done by the Library 

 Association, and further work which is in contemplation, and 

 dependent only on the amount of support it receives from 

 research workers of all kinds. 



The Library Association issues an Index to Periodicals 

 which covers over 500 journals, and which could be expanded 

 still further if adequate support were forthcoming. Subscribers 

 to the 1915 and 191 6 volumes have had the right, for a small 

 fee, to borrow any article notice of which appears in the Index, 

 and thus the opportunity was given to workers in any part of 

 the country to keep themselves abreast of their specialty in 

 their own homes at a trifling cost. These facilities for the loan 

 of articles have hitherto remained a dead letter — most probably 

 because they have not been sufficiently widely known. Diffi- 

 culties of storage may make it impossible in the future to lend the 

 journals (though the loan scheme is still in operation), but in 

 connection with the forthcoming issue of the Index (to cover 

 the years 191 7, 191 8, and the first half of 1919) the Association 

 hopes to establish an information bureau from which inquirers 

 could obtain, for a small fee, lists of references on any topic, 

 right down to the date of the inquiry. The scheme is perfectly 

 practicable, and only needs sufficient support. 



The Library Association would always be glad of helpful 

 criticisms and suggestions, which may be addressed to me. I 

 may add that the Index is not run for a profit, and is a co- 

 operative work. At present the heavy expenses of printing 

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