August 1897, however, there appeared the first volume of the general alphabetical-catalogue of the French national library. It would be more accurate to speak of this as the first volume of the first part of the catalogue, the compilation being divided into three parts —
(1) Works of which the author is known (including, of course, anonyma with revealed authorship).
(2) Anonymous works, periodicals, and works issued by corporate bodies (auvres emanees de collectivites).
(3) Groups of special works.
This first volume of section 1 only covers the first half of letter A (A— ALBYVILLE), and takes up 565 large octavo pages, printed in double columns. In estimating the extent of the library from these data, it has to be remembered that works in which more than four authors collaborate is treated as anonymous, and falls under section 2.
The catalogue is preceded by a learned introduction from the pen of M. Leopold Delisle, giving the history of the Bibliotheque Nationale and its various catalogues, and describing the scope of the present undertaking.[1]
We will here venture on a few detailed criticisms on the volume now published.
(1) Whenever a heading becomes particularly long, the items are numbered in order. This numbering forms a convenient reference in the analytical index which precedes each long heading,
- ↑ Further information as to the plan of the catalogue is given in the Rapport on the material for the catalogue, drawn up by M. Emile Picot. (Paris, 1894. 4to.)
