18 A Guide to the Use of the Beading Boom. 



whole title, the only exception being books or pieces placed under 

 the following classified headings, Chansons, Coimtry Dances, 

 Motets, Prograinmes and Psalms and Hymns. 



TICKETS FOE BOOKS. 



As soon as he finds in one or other of the Catalogues the books 

 he requires, the reader should fill in a ticket for each book, unless 

 the book stands on the ground floor of the Beading Eoom, in which 

 case, as has already been explained, it can be taken from the 

 shelf. These tickets will be found in small stands placed around 

 the Circles containing the Catalogues. 



The most important portions of a ticket ai^ the signature ^ the 

 number of the reader's seat and the press-mark. A legible 

 signature is necessary to enable the attendants to file the tickets 

 and to return them to the reader when he gives up his books, 

 while the correct number of the seat is equally, essential to secure 

 the due delivery of books to the proper person. 



As to the " press -mark " a few words of explanation will serve 

 to show exactly what the word means. For example, should the 

 press-mark be 9500. b. 6, the first figure 9500 indicates the 

 number of the press, the letter " b " marks the shelf on which the 

 book stands, and the figure 6 shows that the book is the sixth 

 book on that shelf. If the press-mark were 09500 it would show 

 that the book is placed on a sliding press in front of the press 9500. 

 If it were 9500. b. 6. (12.) it would indicate that the book or 

 pamphlet is the twelfth of a number of books or pamphlets bound 

 together in one volume. When this is the case each separate item 

 is clearly marked on the title-page according to its number in the 

 volume, and the reader should note or bear in mind this number, 

 technically known as the " tract-mark." 



Such is the system of press-marking adopted in the majority 

 of books, but there are many variations. For instance, the publi- 

 cations of learned and other Societies are marked Ac, and those 

 of Periodicals P.P., followed in each case by numbers. Those 

 placed in the upper gallery of the Beading Boom are marked 

 B. Ac. and B.P.P. A further number preceded by a line (as 

 Ac. 120/2) indicates a separate volume of a set. In copying 

 such press-marks the reader must be careful not to omit the 

 line. If, for instance, he wrote the press-mark given above as 

 Ac. 1202, it would be entirely misleading. Among other varia- 

 tions of press-marks are the following letters, followed in each 

 case by a number, I. A., I. B., I. C. (Incunabula), E. (Thomason 

 Tracts), F., FB. or B. (French Bevolution Tracts), C. (Select 

 Case), G. (Grenville Library). Music and Maps have each a 

 system of press-marking of their own. 



Whatever the press-mark may be it should be correctly given, 



