REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 97 



volumes of the Catalogue and were prepared in every case by special- 

 ists who were careful to take into consideration the needs of scien- 

 tists as well as of librarians and students. Provision was made to in- 

 clude new subjects and introduce new methods of reference as the 

 demand arose, in recognition of the fact that practically all of the 

 sciences are in a constant state of transition and that a plan satisfac- 

 tory at one time would probably be inadequate to meet the needs of 

 a later period. 



Omitting the greater part of the intervening history of the work, 

 it may be said that in 1910, at a conference held in London to discuss 

 the affairs of the Catalogue, it was recognized that although changes 

 had been made in many of the schedules a general revision was neces- 

 sary and a committee was appointed to superintend this revision. Au- 

 thority was given to this committee by a resolution which reads as 

 follows : 



That a committee be appointed to revise tlie schedules and to make sucli other 

 alterations as may be necessary in the form of issue of the Catalogue. That it 

 may be an instruction to the committee that, so far as possible, the subject 

 index be confined to abbreviated titles and authors' names and numbers to serve 

 as references to the authors' index. 



It will thus be seen that plans were in preparation to greatly in- 

 crease the usefulness of the Catalogue, but before they were put into 

 effect the war came and all progress was necessarily checked, and al- 

 though the war is now over, financial conditions still prevent the in- 

 troduction of new and improved methods. In spite of the fact that 

 the publication of the Catalogue was begun under financial difficul- 

 ties, as no working capital was available, by 1914, when the war be- 

 gan, the receipts and expenditures practically balanced. 



The delay in the publication of the annual volumes is recognized 

 as the most serious defect in the enterprise, but with this remedied, 

 as it would have been, but for the war, and with the schedule re- 

 vision in effect as provided for in the resolution above quoted, it is 

 undoubtedly true that the International Catalogue would now meet 

 all practical requirements of an annual authors' and subject catalogue 

 to the literature of pure science. 



A resume of the condition of the work at present can not better be 

 given than by quoting a statement made by Prof. Henry E. Arm- 

 strong, who as dean of the enterprise and chairman of its executive 

 committee, is of all persons connected with the Catalogue the one best 

 fitted to report on its affairs. 



The progress made in the publication of the International Catalogue since its 

 foundation in 1900 is nothing short of remarkable. Two hundred and forty- 

 two volumes have been published, indexing the scientific literature of the period 

 1901-1914. An extraordinarily broad,' sound foundation has been laid and 

 much helpful experience gained. The difficulties that were expected to arise 

 17339°— 20 7 



