Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/72

60 The Library. too costly. As well as I can recollect, the price of a 600 slat cabinet was quoted at Chicago as between ^"50 and 60, and this practically puts the contrivance out of reach of all save the largest and wealthiest libraries. I should also mention that when Mr. Cowell and myself were carefully examining one of these indexers at Chicago, the chain suddenly snapped in two, which rather shook my faith in the integrity of the fastening. If no more security can be given than this, what will happen when the small boy engages in a record-breaking grind ? For various purposes of commercial indexing I should be disposed to think the Rudolph Indexer would be extremely useful, but as a catalogue for ordinary public use in libraries I do not think it would be a success. As an accession list it might, however, prove of the utmost service, though its cost must ever be an obstacle to wide adoption in Britain. I have now concluded my survey of cataloguing and indexing appliances, and trust the specimens now on the table may be thoroughly examined before the meeting disperses. JAMES D. BROWN. Nov. 13, 1893. NOTE. [Mr. Brown's paper was illustrated by a large number of cataloguing appliances, selected from the Museum of the Association. These can be seen by librarians interested at the Clerkenwell Public Library, Skinner Street, London, E.G. ED.] By way of appendix to this paper I have selected from my private notes a few of the more important contributions to the literature of cataloguing ; but have confined the list to writings in the English language. This list includes rules for cataloguing, specimens of catalogues which are typical of some principle, and practical notes on the matters of arrangement and display. The whole is arranged in chronological order so that the gradual development of British and American catalogues and systems may be to a small extent traced. At some future time I propose to publish the whole of my notes on the literature of cataloguing, which are rather extensive.