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United States Catalog,

Catalog, Books

Books in Print, 1927 Accuracy, skill and training, these are the still remain some 110,000 of these "authority outstanding traits demanded in members of cards” to check over. the editorial staff of the United States Catalog To each of the "authority cards” is clipped Books in Print, 1927, now being compiled. the corresponding yellow slip. This work necEven though the actual date of printing still essitated the entire time of eight assistants looms many months ahead, the preliminary this summer, and one helper is still engaged processes necessary to complete such an under- upon it. This is one phase of the process that taking are so detailed that the services of illustrates the necessity for trained assistants. sixteen experienced assistants are required. When one title is listed under the names of

The first step in the undertaking, after plans half a dozen publishers as in the case of had been formulated more than a year ago,

many of the classics, or when several editions consisted in compiling a list of publishers

of the same book have been published, only from the names included in the Publishers' an experienced helper can avoid errors. directories in the United States Catalog of The combined cards next go to the "name" Books in Print, 1912, and its three supplemen

assistant who verifies all names, including tary volumes. Correspondence with these four author, editor, translator and illustrator. thousand firms in December showed that one The editor now looks over the cards, disthousand had gone out of business. Follow-up cards clippings and other material not needed, letters were sent in April and again in July, indicates the subject headings and passes them a special form being mailed to societies and over to a copy-writer. Copy paper, cut in long colleges. To date twenty-eight hundred pub- slips, each divided into seven sections the size lishers have answered.

of three by five cards, is used, the separate Each publishing firm was asked to send entries being afterward cut apart for alphathree copies of its latest revised catalog, two beting. When the copy is finished and the to clip and one to keep on file. As soon as copy reviser has checked it over with the cards, the catalogs began to arrive the work was

it is sent to another assistant who makes a started of collecting information concerning

record for the Publishers' Directory. The the titles to be included in the catalog. This copy is then cut apart and the slips filed. phase of the process is still in progress.

These slips, each representing a single enAs a preliminary, an assistant pastes the try, will not be alphabeted until all writing pages of the catalog to gummed sheets. Each of copy is completed, but for the present are entry is then cut apart and mounted on a yel

filed in boxes and stored in a safe. When the low slip, with the name of the author under

edition is in type, these slips will serve as a scored and the name of the publisher and

card index to all entries made. All copy will series added. These slips, now containing in

be re-edited before it is set up in type, but that formation as to author, publisher, title, num- part of the process will probably not be ready ber of pages and price, are alphabeted and

before 1927. filed under the author's name. That 149,000

Statistics at best are dry reading matter, slips, covering as many individual titles, have but in this case they do illustrate as in no already been made illustrates how rapidly the other way the detailed attention needed to be work is progressing.

given by the editorial staff. For instance, one While this work was being carried out, all assistant spends her entire time checking the cards of the 1912 edition and supplemen- names and another checking and looking up tary volumes had been collected, dusted and subject headings. Three assistants are filed alphabetically. These cards, one for each quired for cutting and pasting publishers' catbook included, are called "authority cards” alogs, and one for checking them. Four copy and contain all the information about each writers and two copy revisers are constantly at book collected from several sources. Library work. A stenographer uses half her time of Congress cards, clippings from publishers' writing to publishers for verification of data. catalogs and announcements, or from proof Half the time of another assistant is taken up sheets of the Book Review Digest have been looking for "authority cards” that have been pasted to manilla four by six cards until in wrongly filed. And the rest of the staff are some cases the entire card is covered. There engaged in other details of filing and checking.

re

Song Index The H. W. Wilson Company's exhibit at the know would save time, money and patience by A. L. A. conference in Atlantic City included purchasing the Song Index to answer such a sample section of the Song Index, which questions." contained the classed list of all collections The librarian of one of the branches of the indexed and some pages of the Index itself. New York Public Library which is located in This attracted much attention.

one of the public schools, has placed an adWe had known of course that the Song In- vance order for the Index. And judging dex was eagerly awaited by many libraries, from the inquiries, other school librarians are especially music departments of public, college realizing how useful it will be in school referand university libraries, but we had hardly ence work, in locating musical settings of wellrealized how many small libraries and branches known poems for classroom use, songs from feel that they must buy the Index. As one Shakespeare's plays, and songs for all kinds of of the foremost music librarians has said, in dramatic entertainments, as well as student substance, “It is not so much the music special- songs suitable for school and class games and ist who needs the Song Index, as the busy social affairs. assistant in the small library, who has no It is expected that the Song Index will be time to specialize. The specialist knows where available by the end of 1926. It will be sold to look for a given song, and knows who on the service basis. No more definite anwrote it. The general assistant who does not nouncement can be made at this time.

Magazine Wants The Magazine Department of The Wilson Company is in need of the following numbers of periodicals to complete orders on hand. Anyone having any of these to dispose of will confer a favor by communicating with the Department.

AM. ELECTROCHEMICAL Soc. TRANS. Any vol

umes.

AM. CERAMIC SOCIETY JOURNAL. Feb. 1926.
Am. CONTRACTOR. Jan. 2, 1926.
AM. INSTITUTE OF ELEC. ENGRS. Proc. June

and Sept. 1917.
Am. JOUR. INTERNATIONAL Law. Vol. 15, No.

2; Vol. 16, No. 4. Am. Soc. OF CIVIL ENGRS. Proc. Vol. 52, No.

5. ARCHITECT. Oct. 1925. ARCHITECTURAL FORUM. Sept. 1925; May

1926.
ARCHITECTURAL RECORD. June 1921; March,

April, Oct., Nov. and Dec. 1925; Jan.,
March, May (3 copies), June (5 copies),

July (5 copies), 1926.
Army ORDNANCE. Vol. 1, Nos. 1, 3, 4 and

Index.
AUTOMOTIVE ABSTRACTS. Feb. 1924; Sept. 1925.
BELL System TECHNICAL JOURNAL. Vol. 3,

Vol. 34, No. 5; Vol. 38, No. 1; Vol. 54,
No. 1; Vol. 59, No. 5; Vol. 60, Nos. 3, 5,

6; Indexes to Vols. I, 58 and 60.
Bus TRANSPORTATION. Vol. 1, Nos. 5, 6, 8, 9,

10, 11, 12; Vol. 3, No. 5; June 1925; June

1926. Catholic World. Oct. 1899, Jan. 1900. CERAMIC INDUSTRY. Jan., Feb., March, Aug.,

Nov., Dec., 1924; Jan., April, May, Sept.,

Nov., Dec., 1925.
CHAUTAUQUAN. Vol. 31, No. 4; Vol. 34, Nos.

2, 3; Vol. 70, All Nos.; Vol. 71 Nos. 2, 4. CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS. Vol. 1, Nos. 2, 3, 12,

13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22; Vol. 2, Nos, 1, 2,
3, 6; Vol. 9, No. 9; Vol. 10, Nos. 13, 17;

Nos. 9 and 11, 1925.
CHEMICAL & METALLURGICAL ENG'g. Vol. 32,

No. 8 and Index; Feb. 15, 1917; Jan. I,

1918.
CHEMICAL COLOR AND OIL RECORD. Vol. 23,

Nos. 1-11, inc.
CHEMICAL RECORD-AGE. Vol. 23, Nos. 13, 14,

No. 1.

BOILERMAKER. June. 1923. (4 copies)
BOOKMAN. Vol. 1, Nos. 4, 5; Vol. 7, No. 5;

Vol. 20, No. 1; Vol. 25, Nos. 4, 5; Vol. 28, 2

No. 2; Vol. 31, No. 4; Vol. 33, Nos. 1, 4;

1

Books for the Librarian

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SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF 1925-26 by a committee of the A.L.A., and

EDUCATION FOR LIBRARIANSHIP. 850. free. recommendations leading to the ultimate goal
A.L.A. 1926.

of adequate public library service within easy
Contains a survey of the field of library reach of everyone. Statistical tables and maps
schools, a review of the work being done at serve as appendix.
present and a program of future work. The

The New England School Library Associa-
appendix contains summaries of minimum

tion has compiled a list of Biographies for
standards and statistical tables.

young people. Some seventy-five titles are
LIBRARY EXTENSION: a study of public library

listed according to subject, each accompanied
conditions and needs. By the Committee

by a brief descriptive note. Copies of the list,
on Library Extension of the American

at 12c. each (in two cent stamps) may be
Library Association. 163p. $1.75. A.L.A.

obtained from Miss Julia Carter, 76 Broad
1926.

Street, Bridgewater, Mass. She will also give
Contains a survey of public library facilities information about other lists published by the
in the United States and Canada, made during New England Library Association.

Notes and News

Trained librarians on the editorial staff of
the Wilson Company now number nineteen.
The United States Catalog and Cumulative
Book Index lead the list with five, and the
Standard Catalog follows close behind with
four. The others are divided as follows:
International Index, three; Readers' Guide,
two; Book Review Digest, two; Industrial
Arts Index, two; Union List, one.

University of California, Miss Bea Josephs,
who was formerly connected with the Wilson
Company for two years as assistant on the
International Index to Periodicals, has re-
turned as assistant indexer in the same depart-
ment. Aside from studying for her degree,
Miss Josephs worked in the Library of Eco-
nomic Research of the University.

Space in the Bulletin will be gladly extended
to any of its readers for exchange of ideas on

(Continued on Inside Front Cover.)

After an absence of two years in which she
attended the School of Library Science of the

serving

Notes and News of The Wilson Company Publications
Daily issues of the Wilson Bulletin were That the Bulletin fulfilled its mission seems
published during the A.L.A. Conference at evident from the many letters we have re-
Atlantic City, for the convenience of those ceived asking for sets to be completed, and
attending the Conference, with the aim of expressing appreciation of the service. One

as a daily supplement to the official member of the library profession wrote:
program, and also as a guide to the social "Permit me to express the personal satisfac-
events and other unofficial activities that took tion I had and the appreciation of the Associa-
place during the week. A special feature was tion in your thoughtful cooperation in helping
the A.L.A. page reserved for the use of the to make the Anniversary Conference a suc-
Publicity Committee; by special arrangement

cess.”
with the Gaylord Company, Mr. Forrest B.

Since these issues of The Bulletin were
Spaulding contributed a column daily, under printed for the Conference only and will not
the heading “Corner Gossip” familiar to all

be distributed to the entire mailing list, they
readers of Gaylord's Triangle, and some space

were numbered and paged so they could be

bound in or left out of Volume III according
was given to advertising notices by exhibitors
at the Conference. Frederic Melcher of Pub-

to preference. The conference issues bear the
lishers' Weekly and F. K. W. Drury of Brown

sub-heading “Conference Daily” and

numbered Vol. III. No. 1, sup.A, sup.B, etc.
were responsible for the sporting The paging began sup i and was consecutive
news in Friday's edition.

were

University