xii.] A LIBRARIAN'S WORK. 273 



exclusively. By the time Professor Abbot's great 

 catalogue is finished (i.e. brought up to date) and 

 thoroughly revised, it will be on all accounts desirable 

 to print it. The huge mass of cards up to that date 

 will then be superseded, and might be destroyed 

 without detriment to any one. But the card-catalogue, 

 kept up in accordance with the present system, would 

 continue as a supplement to the printed catalogue. 

 The cumbrousness of consulting a number of alphabets 

 would be reduced to a minimum, for there would be 

 only two to consult : the printed catalogue and its 

 card supplement. Then, instead of issuing number- 

 less printed supplements, there might be published, 

 at stated intervals (say of ten years), a new edition of 

 the main catalogue, with all the added titles inserted 

 in their proper places. On this plan there would 

 never be more than two alphabets to consult ; and of 

 these'the more voluminous one would be contained in 

 easily manageable printed volumes, while the smaller 

 supplement only would remain in card-form. 



It is an obvious objection that the frequent printing 

 of new editions of the catalogue, according to this 

 plan, would be attended with enormous expense. 

 This objection would at first sight seem to be 

 removed if we were to adopt Professor Jewett's 



T 



