Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/167

 Record of Bibliography and Library Literature. 155 London for all comers. The constant comparison of experiences and rubbing together of notions which go on in such bodies as the clubs and associations of New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Chicago, California, &c., must have the best possible effect in stimulating interest and propagating knowledge of library movements, and there is no reason at all why such associations should not be formed to meet in the intervals of the annual meetings in this country. Perhaps Mr. Radfora's note on the North Midland association may lead to imitation in other centres. Can it be that the average British librarian is less gregarious than his American cousin ? The Library School of Albany made a tour to Boston on April 17-27, taking Hartford, Springfield, Worcester, Salem, Cambridge, and the Boston libraries in succession. Twenty-seven members accompanied the trip, among whom were Miss M. S. R. James, of London, and Miss S. P. English, of Cambridge. This was one of the visits, combining education in library matters with a pleasant outing, which are organised from time to time among the pupils of the Library School. Miss James attended as a visitor. IRecorb of Bibliograpbp anb SLibran? ^Literature* The Binding of Books. By Herbert P. Home. London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Triibner, and Co., 1894. 8vo, pp. xiii., 224. Price 6s. nett. (Vol. vi. of " Books about Books." Edited by A. W. Pollard.) So much has of late years been written concerning book-binding that those who know anything about books cannot well avoid knowing some- thing about fine bindings also. Articles and monographs have appeared on all the great styles of binding and a considerable number of large and expensive books, chiefly French, have been published on the art itself. The time is therefore most opportune for a work like the present, which gives adequate technical and historical information in a moderate com- pass and at a moderate cost. Indeed the technical part is treated at such length that we are inclined to resent these details of the binder's shop, but they find an excuse in the fact that they enable a collector to recognize good work in the "forwarding" as well as in the " finishing" of abinding. While mentioning this branch of the subject we should like to suggest that Kettle-stitch which Mr. Zaehnsdorf, followed by Mr. Home, regards as a corruption of catch-up stitch is simply the German Ketten- stich or chain stitch, and may even be the Kettel-stich or the stitch that forms a little chain. We are glad to see that Mr. Home embraces the opportunity of giving conclusive proofs that books were not usually placed upright in early libraries, but on their boards, as we ventured to maintain when reviewing a previous volume of this series (" Books in Manuscript, 1893"). The freshest and, in our opinion, the most interesting portion of Mr. Home's book is that which treats of Italian bindings. As he justly observes in speaking of Grolier, " The bindings of his Aldine volumes are, without doubt, of Italian workmanship ; having been executed in every probability, by Venetian binders ; and these appear to have furnished the model, according to which his other bindings were worked."