ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MCTSEUM, 



VI. — PROGKESS made in the Cataloguing and Arrangement and Account 

 of Objects added, in the Year 1874. 



Department of Printed Books. 



I. Arrangement. — The works added to the Collection during the year have been placed 

 on the shelves of the Library according to the system of classification adopted in the 

 Museum. The press-marks, indicating their respective localities, have been marked on 

 the inside, and affixed to the back of each volume ; also on the title-slip and entry In the 

 Catalogue. The total number of these press-marks amounts to 91,224, of labels to 

 32,747, and of renewed labels to 11,021. 



II. Cataloguing : — (a.) 56,677 title-slips have been written for the various Catalogues 

 (the term "title-slip " applying equally to a main-title and a cross-reference). Of these, 

 48,730 were written for the New Greneral and Supplementary Catalogues, and 7,947 for 

 the separate Catalogues of Music and of the several Oriental Collections. 



(b.) Transcription and Incorporation. — In the first or amalgamated portion of the Cata- 

 logue from A to R, the number of title-slips transcribed fourfold amounts to 62,391, and of 

 index-slips prepared and transcribed fourfold to facilitate consultation of the volumes, to 

 1,233. 49,958 transcrijits of title-slips, and 193 of index-slips, have been Incorporated into 

 each of three copies of this portion of the Catalogue. The first copy of 26,986 transcripts, 

 forming portions of letters P and R (of which 6,138 were new ones), the second copy of 

 29,153 transcripts (of which 5,947 were new ones), the third copy of 25,796 transcripts (of 

 which 5,957 were new ones), have been laid down in the volumes. 



(c.) In the second or supplementary portion of the Catalogue, S to Z, the number 

 of title-slips transcribed fourfold amounts to 11,045. 12,769 transcripts of title-slips have 

 been incorporated into each of three copies of this portion of the Catalogue. 



(f/.) Music Catalogue. — 6,471 title-slips have been written, and 17,075 title-slips have 

 been transcribed fourfold for this Catalogue. 



fe.) Hebrew Catalogue. — 166 title-slips have been written, and 252 title-slips have been 

 transcribed fourfold for this Catalogue. 



(y.) Oriental Catalogue (including all works in Oriental languages other than Hebrew, 

 Chinese, and Japanese). — The number of titles written is 1,238. 



(y.) Chinese and Japanese Catalogue. — 72 title-slips have been written for Chinese 

 books. The printing of the Catalogue has proceeded as far as the heading San. 



(h.) Carbonic Hand- Catalogues. — Of that copy of the fourfold transcript of the title-slips 

 used to form a Hand-Catalogue, by arranging the title-slips In the order of the press- 

 marks, 91,800 slips have been mounted on cartridge paper, and 313,460 arranged pre 

 paratory to Incorporation. 



(i.) List of Books of Reference in the Reading Room. — Th.Q number of alterations and 

 additions in the Interleaved copies of this List, made to record the changes in the books 

 of reference by the addition of new works and the exchange of old for new editions, 

 amounts to 256 in each of the Interleaved copies, and the necessary entries have been 

 made In the Hand-Catalogue, 



III. Binding. — The number of volumes sent to be bound in the course of the year 

 amounts to 14,443 ; and. In consequence of the frequent adoption of the plan of binding 

 two or more volumes in one, the number of bound volumes returned Is 7,877. 1,242 

 pamphlets have also been bound, and 306 volumes repaired, 



IV. Reading Room Service. — The number of volumes returned to the General 

 Library from use In the Reading Room, Is 286,497 ; to the Royal Library, 8,997 ; to 

 the Grenville Library, 707 ; and to the presses in Avhich books are kept from day 

 to day for the use of readers, 244,010. Adding the estimated number of volumes 

 returned to the shelves of the Reading Room, about 824,445, the whole amounts to 

 1,364,656, or about 4,673 for each of the 292 days during which the room was open to 

 the public. 



The number of readers during the year has been 104,727, giving an average of 358 daily, 

 and, from the numbers above, each reader appears to have consulted on an average 

 13 volumes per diem. 



148. A3 V. Additions. 



