Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/95

 Library Catalogues. 83 little labour to the compiler. If we have pointed out what appear to us to be shortcomings in this catalogue, we have done so in no churlish spirit, but with hearty admiration for the work as a whole, and with appreciation of the unique method in which Mr. Foskett has endeavoured to serve his readers. He has furnished them with an excellent guide to a most carefully chosen and extensive collection of books. Newington Public Library, S.E. Catalogue of the Books in the Lending Department, compiled by R. W. Mould, 1893. Roy. 8vo, pp. viii., 68, advts. The experiment Mr. Mould has tried is thus set forth : " The plan of entering in the catalogue all books, with few exceptions, once only under author or subject as seemed most desirable has been adopted with the belief that it would allow of a useful guide to the contents of the library, being issued to the public at a popular price without imposing any additional burden upon the very limited funds of the institution in respect of the cost of publication. The object has been gained as regards cost, and the compiler ventures to hope that the catalogue will be found to meet all reasonable requirements of those for whose use it has been more especially prepared." The departure is a bold one, but it would require more time for the purpose of halting between two opinions than has been given to it to make anything approaching a satisfactory catalogue. The difficulty referred to by Mr. Mould is certainly much better met by the old form of a classified list than in this way, and with much less trouble and cost. It is inconceivable that a medley, neither one thing or another, can serve any useful purpose, and unless the Newington people are more learned than usual they will be little helped. Take the following examples of author entries : Stanley (A. P.) See Christianity, c. Roscoe (W.) See Medici, Popes, &c. Drummond (H.) Natural Law in the Spiritual World. See also Africa, &c. We find no entry under Christianity, but under Christ, &c., there is a book by Dean Stanley ; there is a book by Roscoe under Medici, but none under Popes, and in the Drummond as in the others it is impossible to know what the " &c. " includes, or to discover what the library contains. There are other faults such as misprints, excessive use of repeat dashes (even up to seven), incorrect alphabetization, &c., but the compiler claims indulgence owing to the haste at which it has been produced, and he evidently is entitled to it. No doubt the next edition will do him more credit. It may be that in this case he has made the beginner's mistake of straining after* novelty. We appreciate the difficulties arising from want of funds, but we believe that in Newington these have arisen from an injudicious mortgag- ing of the rate without securing experienced advice, in fact the librarian was appointed but a few weeks before the opening. Kendal Public Library. Catalogue of the books in the Lending and Reference Departments, compiled by Henry Bond. 8vo, Kendal, 1893, PP-> i v -> 2 7- If we except the old method of using capitals wherever possible this little catalogue must be considered a model one. The lines upon which it is compiled have evidently been carefully thought out and laid down at the outset as well as uniformly adhered to up to the finish, and the result is in every way most creditable. The selection of books contained in it is