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The Book-Lover's Library.
Edited by
Henry B. Wheatley, F.S.A.
HOW TO
CATALOGUE A LIBRARY
BY
HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A.
Author of "How to Form a Library," "The Dedication of Books,"
etc., etc.
LONDON
ELLIOT STOCK, 62 PATERNOSTER ROW
1889
PREFACE.
Those who are interested in library work are constantly asked where astatement of the first principles of cataloguing may be found, and thequestion is one which it is not easy to answer. Most of the rules whichhave been printed are intended for large public libraries, and arenecessarily laid down on a scale which unfits them for use in the makingof a small catalogue. I have divided out the subject on a plan which Ihope will commend itself to my readers, and, after discussing the mostnotable codes, I have concluded[vi] with a selection of such rules as Itrust will be found useful by those who are employed in makingcatalogues of ordinary libraries.
Here I must express the hope that my readers will excuse the frequentuse of the personal pronoun. If the use of "I" could have been avoided,I would gladly have avoided it; but as the main point of the book is thediscussion of principles and theories, it seemed to me that such valueas the book may possess would be entirely destroyed if I did not give myown opinions, founded upon a somewhat long experience.
In dealing with a subject such as this, I cannot hope to convince all myreaders, but I trust that those who disagree with my arguments[vii] will be willing to allow them someforce.
The compilation has been attended with constant feelings of regret in myown mind, for almost every page has brought up before me the memory oftwo men with whom I have at different times discussed most of the pointshere raised,—two men alike in their unselfish devotion to thecause of Bibliography. Mr. Henry Bradshaw's work was more widely known,but Mr.