Page:Library Construction, Architecture, Fittings, and Furniture.djvu/111

Rh "Elliot," 36 inches, or in a compressed form, 24 inches for 1250; the "Cotgreave," 15 inches; the "Bonner," 20 inches; the "Morgan," 15 inches; the "Chivers," 10 inches; and the "Simplex," 11 inches. The system of issue to be adopted should be decided before the construction of the counter. If indicators are used, care must be taken to have the counter low enough to allow even children to easily read the top numbers. A height of 32 inches will be found the best for this purpose. The length, of course, must be determined by the number of indicators required, but two issue desks, each at least 3 feet in width, should be allowed for every 10,000 volumes. It should also be remembered that a good light is necessary upon each side of the indicator, so that it may be consulted with ease both by borrowers and staff.

In America the card-catalogue (Fig. 31) is universally adopted for use in libraries, but in Britain those using it at present are in a decided minority, although it is rapidly gaining ground as its advantages for certain departments of library work become known. It consists primarily of a series of drawers deep enough to hold a card about 5 inches by 3 inches, with a brass rod running from front to back of the drawer, upon which the cards are strung.

The books are catalogued upon the cards, one entry on each, and so are readily classified and arranged in the drawers in any order that may be wished for consultation by the readers. The great advantage is that by this means it is possible