264 A Librarian's Work. [xh. 



in 1861. For the most part this is merely a matter 

 of accurate transcription, requiring no research. 

 When these " red " and " blue " cards have been sub- 

 mitted to a special assistant for proof-reading, they 

 are returned to me, and after due inspection are ready- 

 to be distributed into their catalogues. But for the 

 original " long card " one further preliminary is re- 

 quired before it can be put into its catalogue. 



Besides the various catalogues above described, 

 our library keeps a " record-book " or catalogue of 

 accessions arranged according to dates of reception. 

 This accessions-catalogue was begun October i, 1827, 

 and records an accession for that year of 07ie volujne, 

 price ten shillings and sixpence! In 1828, accord- 

 ing to this record, the library received twenty-one 

 volumes, of which eighteen were gifts, while three 

 were bought at a total cost of $14.50! But either 

 these were exceptionally unfruitful years, or — what 

 is more likely — the record was not carefully kept, for 

 the ordinary rate of increase in those days was by no - 

 means so small as this, though small enough when 

 compared with the present rate. The accessions- 

 catalogue has grown until it now fills twenty-one 

 large folio volumes. The entries in it are made 

 with considerable fulness by transcription from the 

 long cards. Usually a month's accessions are entered 



