CHAPTER IX. 



INSTRUMENTS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM. 



I. MATERIAL INSTRUMENTS. 

 Cards. 



Several years ago, while on a visit to that gifted man, the late 

 Captain William Prince, U. S. Ordnance Department, I found 

 him preparing an index on what seemed a novel and most inge- 

 nious plan. 



He wrote the title of each of his books on one of a number 

 of small cards, and then underlined or checked off such catch 

 words as he might select on each card. Each book was thus 

 disposed of in turn, and when the cards containing catch words 

 had been rewritten with the catch words in front, the cards were 

 sorted alphabetically, and then simply copied in order into a 

 book, giving an index by titles, authors and subjects, with such 

 cross references as appeared suitable. 



Since then I have learned how the same card system is applied 

 in the Boston and other public libraries, not only to afford this 

 mere facility in indexing, but to serve as the foundation of a 

 system of book-keeping as well. 



In general terms, as I understand the system, each book is 

 represented by one card, giving title, author's name, and possibly 

 a synopsis of its scope. These cards are sorted in drawers, accord- 

 ing to subjects, and are arranged in each drawer alphabetically. 



The drawers in a certain chest represent the books on hand : 

 they are there ready for consultation and for the corrections and 

 additions which the catalogue of any living library constantly 

 requires. No perplexing array of supplements is there, each 

 one already obsolescent as soon as it sees the light ; the chest of 

 drawers is the true representative of the contents of the library at 

 any given moment. 



