510 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



literature, and is distinctly of the opinion that the establishment of 

 such a catalogue, to be compiled through international co-operation, is 

 both desirable and practicable. 



It seems probable that this improvement in the methods of cata- 

 loguing may best be made by establishing some form of card catalogue 

 prepared by the co-operation of a central bureau with the various 

 publishers and editors of scientific literature in issuing with each 

 book and with each number of every periodical a set of cards of 

 standard size and type, each card to exhibit for a book or for a single 

 article in a periodical, — 



1st. The name of the author. 



2d. The title of the book or article. 



3d. The date, place and house of publication of the book, or the 

 title, volume, and page of the periodical, in which the article appears. 



4th. A brief statement, not to exceed eight or ten lines, to be pre- 

 pared by the author himself, setting forth the general purport of the 

 book or article so as to furnish the necessary data for cross references. 



Such cards should be in duplicate, to permit of arrangement accord- 

 ing to subject or author, or both if desired, and additional cards 

 should be issued whenever the character of the title necessitates cross 

 references. 



If thought desirable the type used in printing the cards could be 

 kept set up till the end of the year, and then, by arranging the material 

 according to subjects, an annual report in book form could readily be 

 published. 



A central bureau charofed with the work as above outlined could 

 very properly be established under the auspices of the Royal Society. 

 In this central office subscriptions could be received from libraries 

 and individuals for cards relating to the articles published in certain 

 journals, or to the literature of certain departments of science, and a 

 subscriber would thus receive, in weekly instalments, a complete card 

 catalogue of all the literature in his own line of work. 



The Committee present only a general outline of the plan for this 

 card catalogue, as it is understood that the details of the scheme will 

 be sent to the Committee of the Royal Society by Harvard Univer- 

 sity. They would further express the hope that some plan may be 

 successfully inaugurated at an earlier date than the year 1900, as 

 suggested in the circular of the Royal Society. 



In accordance with the views above set forth the Committee re- 

 spectfully recommends to the American Academy the adoption of the 

 following votes : — 



