[ 1 ] 34 



simplicity of that catalogue ; again the next year twenty thousand more ; 

 and the next year twenty thousand more ; so that at the end of four or five 

 years, you would have your catalogue just in the condition that your new 

 catalogue is now (the manuscript part greater than the piiuted part.) 

 With that new catalogue hefore your eyes, I am astonished there should he 

 any discussion ahout it, for there is the experiment ; the experiment has 

 been made and failed." 



Not one European library of the first class, has a complete printed cata- 

 logue in a single work. The Bodleian library issued, in 1843, a catalogue 

 in three large volumes folio, which is generally but erroneously supposed 

 to contain the titles of all books in the collection ; but all books of which 

 special catalogues had previously been published, are omitted in it. For a 

 complete catalogue of the Bodleian library, it is necessary to procure, not 

 only the three volumes folio printed in 1S43, but also fourother volumes, 

 containing the catalogues of collections belonging to the library. There- 

 fore, one may be obliged to search five catalogues, before he can ascertain 

 whether any particular book were in that library up to the end of the 

 year 1834. 



The catalogue of 1843 is only brought down to 183o. None, therefore, 

 of the literature of the last ^fteen years, and none of the acquisitions ot 

 the library duiing that period, are contained in it. A supplement is in 

 press, or perhaps already published, which contains the additions to the 

 library from 1835 to 1847. When this is published, it will be possible ta 

 ascertain whether any given book was or was not in the library at the 

 close of the year 1847 ; but it may be necessary to search six catalogues 

 for the purpose. 



In view of these fiicts, it is not surprising that the commissioners upon 

 the British JSIuseum should come to the opinion, that it is unwise to print 

 the catalogue of that library, and should advise that nothing more be at- 

 tempted than to prepare and keep up a manuscript catalogue. 



But, in this opinion the English public, who look to the end without 

 considering the difficulties of the way, do not seem cordially to acquiesce ; 

 and it will perhaps be found necessary to print, even at the estimated cost 

 of £40,'000 sterling, and with the certainty that, almost as soon as the 

 catalogue comes from the press, the re-publication of it will be as loudly 

 demanded. 



This is surely, a disheartening state of thing's. It applies with equal 

 force to catalogues of all forms: alphabetical, chronological, and classed- 

 It has been felt and lamented by every one who has had the care of an 

 increasing library. 



In seeking a remedy for this evil, the idea occurred to me several years 

 ago, to stereotype the titles separately, and to preserve the plates or blocks 

 in alphabetical order of the titles ; so as to be able readily to insert addi- 

 tional titles in their proper places, and then to reprint the whole catalogue. 

 By these means, the chief cost of re-publication — that of composition, 

 together with the trouble of revision and correction of the press, would, 

 except for the new titles, be avoided. The great difficulty which had so 

 long oppressed and discouraged librarians, and involvetl libraries in expenses 

 so enormous, would thus be overcome. 



This idea which had occurred to me before my appointment as librarian 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, assumed, in my irtind, new importance in 



