KEPOET OF THE SECKETAEY. Ill 



there is, aside from its use in connection with the catalogue, a decided 

 need and demand for such a list, this bureau is considering the 

 advisability of undertaking the preparation of a revised list of 

 journals, and of soliciting to that end the cooperation of the existing 

 regional bureaus, who would be requested, through the central 

 bureau, to furnish lists of the periodicals published in their several 

 regions. 



It is thought that when this material is collected arrangements 

 for publication may be made without cost to the cataloque organiza- 

 tion and even that, through such a published list, some financial 

 benefit to the International Catalogue may be derived, but failing 

 in this the labor involved would be justified on account of the need 

 for the current list by the catalogue organization as soon as publica- 

 tion is resumed. 



In whatever form bibliographic aid is furnished the method of 

 preparation is the same. In all cases the original publications must 

 be first collected whether they are to be catalogued, indexed, classi- 

 fied, or abstracted, and regular and systematic means must exist to 

 gather all publications, not only periodicals but also single issues. 

 The regional bureaus collectively have advantages in this respect 

 never before available to bibliographers and practically all of the 

 world's scientific literature is through them available. As the 

 catalogue organization was at the London conference of 1920 di- 

 rected to cooperate with abstracting journals and other similar 

 agencies, it is felt that, although the organization has been disap- 

 pointed in not yet being able to resume publication, it would be 

 justified in extending its aid to other publishing agencies by fur- 

 nishing citations to scientific publications being catalogued by the 

 regional bureaus. In return for such aid the catalogue would be 

 benefited by having available abstracts prepared by experts, thus 

 simplifying the work of classification. A final ideal combined 

 organization would, through international cooperation, produce all 

 bibliographic publications of whatever type, and it is felt that when 

 close cooperation is once established between all agencies having 

 kindred aims it will prove essential for their mutual benefit to 

 merge these enterprises into one organization. This plan should aim 

 to eventually include not only the literature of science but also that 

 of related technical industries whose existence and advance depend 

 on the progress made in pure science. 



It is realized that to carry out these plans a very extensive organi- 

 zation would be necessary, but when the manj^ great interests in- 

 volved and their evident unfilled needs are taken into consideration 

 it becomes apparent that some definite effort should be made to 



