88 



THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



and are becoming very helpful in this branch of library work. 

 It is hopeci that all material in the library eventually may be 

 classifieci accorc^ing to one classification system, so that cards 

 representing the entire content of the library may be included 

 in one shelf list. College catalogues are already so included, the 

 work on trade catalogues has been begun, and a scheme has been 

 worked out to apply to maps, charts, and blue prints. 



Cataloguing. — A typewritten list of author headings for gov- 

 ernment documents, based, for the most part, on Library of 

 Congress usage, has been prepared by the assistant librarian. 

 Subject headings have been unified, and a large number, includ- 

 ing all used to date, filed in alphabetical order, with the authority 

 for the form adopted. Here also Library of Congress usage 

 predominates. Subject work has been completed for all new 

 material as received and for all publications returned from the 

 bindery. In addition, classes A-J inclusive have been entirely 

 completed. 



The following table shows the technical work performed : 



Pr-inted cards. — The extension in the use of Library of Con- 

 gress printed cards by the different libraries will more and more 

 tend to bring about uniformity in all matters in which they 

 differ. After a careful test of the cost of typewritten cards in 

 comparison with that of printed cards, the result was so over- 

 whelmingly in favor of the latter, that an order was placed for 

 ^1,500 worth of Library of Congress printed cards. This first 

 order included cards for serial publications only, the individual 

 numbers of which are separate monographs ; for example, U. S. 

 Geological Survey, professional papers, the separate bulletins of 

 the U. S. Bureau of Chemistry, and the different papers included 



