10 A Guide to the Use of the Beaclmg Boom. 



" List of Books forming the Eeference Library in the Eeading 

 Eoom of the British Museum (Authors and Subjects)." 2 vol. 

 1910. Desks at each end of Cycles 46, 54, 89 and 94. 



*' Catalogue of "Books printed in the XVth Century now in the 

 British Museum." 1908, etc. 2038. f. and Circle 100. b. 



" Catalogue of Books in the Library of the British Museum 

 printed in England, Scotland and Ireland to the year 1640." 

 3 vol. 1884. Cu-cle 95. a. 



" Catalogue of the Pamphlets, Books, Newspapers and Manu- 

 scripts relating to the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and the 

 Restoration, collected by George Thomason, 1640-1661." 2 vol. 

 1908. Circle 95. a. 



" List of the Contents of the three Collections of Books, 

 Pamphlets and Journals relating to the French Revolution." 

 1899. Circle 95. a. 



" Catalogue of Maps in the British Museum." 1885. Circles 

 43-45. b. ("Accession" Parts containing the latest additions to 

 the Map Catalogue. Desk at the end of Circle 34.) 



" Catalogue of Printed Music published between 1487 and 

 1800 now in the British Museum." 2 vol. 1912. Circle 54. b. 

 and Circle 87. a. 



" Catalogue of Music from the year 1801 to the present time." 

 Circles 73-83. (*' Accession " Parts of the Music Catalogue. 

 Desk at the end of Circle 34.) 



The largest and most important of these is the " Geneeal 

 Catalogue of Peinted Books." 



Much information as to the origin and history of the General 

 Catalogue will be found in the works cited above (p. 5). It is 

 sufficient to state here that the work of compiling a complete 

 Alphabetical Catalogue of all the books in the Library was begun 

 in the years 1838-1839, and brought nearly up to date in 1880. 

 Throughout this period the Catalogue was in manuscript, each 

 title being transcribed on a separate and movable slip, so that 

 every entry could be inserted in its exact position in the volume 

 to which it belonged. In 1880 it was decided to print the entire 

 Catalogue. The work was begun in 1881 and completed during 

 the year 1900. Between 1900 and 1904 a supplement was issued 

 containing the titles of all the books added to the Library between 

 the years 1881 and 1899, which had not been incorporated in the 

 General Catalogue during the process of printing. 



The printed Catalogue was published in 393 parts, and the 

 Supplement in 41 parts. The entire work contains the titles of 

 all the books in the Library from its formation to the close of 

 the year 1899. The printed Catalogue is in nearly every respect 

 superior to the earlier manuscript Catalogue. Among its advan- 

 tages is the fact that by the adoption of printing it has been 

 possible to distribute copies among other Libraries, and thus to 



