Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/358

 346 The Library. cards for every book in the library for use in the charging system. These are manilla slips, measuring five by two inches, ruled on both sides, for two columns of readers' numbers and dates of issue, and are kept in narrow trays in lots of one thousand, in strict numerical order. Simultaneously the work of re-writing the borrowers' cards was carried on. These are ex- actly the same as the book cards, but one inch shorter, and they are kept in alphabetical order of borrowers' surnames. Most of this work was done before the actual closing of the library, and in addition, the various circulars and other forms were drawn up and circulated. Every reader on returning his or her book be- fore the closing of the library was furnished with a " ticket- voucher" bearing the ticket number only, to prove bona-fides at the re-opening, and a copy of the descriptive circular which was issued as a specimen with the LIBRARY of March last. Every- thing being thus ready, the library was closed, and the book- cases were altered and re-spaced at once, to enable the staff to arrange the books. This re-arrangement of book-cases enables the assistants to completely overlook every passage, and so control the movements of readers among the books. The staffenclosure, from which the book-cases slightly radiate, was also formed, from the materials of the old counter, and with the screen, locking wickets, charging system, new gas fittings, &c., cost about 50. The books are classified much as they had been before, the main classes and their divisions of specific subjects being kept together, very similar to the open library classification proposed in another paper coming before this meeting. Fiction, books for young readers and poetry are arranged in separate alphabets of authors' surnames, with alphabetical initial guides on every shelf to show where any letter commences or ends. All other main classes are divided and arranged according to subjects, and these are shown on Japanned steel shelf-labels bearing sub- ject-words in white letters. In addition, every press bears a large classification label on the cornice above the books, and on its end as well, so that the reader in search of any particular class can see at once where it is placed. Thus, a division headed " FICTION A to H," contains novelists from Edmond About to Thomas Hardy, each shelf having a letter label A, B, C, D, or whatever the author's initial may be ; while the division headed " BIOGRAPHY " is divided according to sub- jects, by means of the metal labels aforesaid" Actors," "Artists," " Authors," "Musicians," " Monarchs," "States-