College and Research Libraries r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y s h o u l d h a v e t o w a i t t w o y e a r s t o r e a d F u s s l e r ' s e x c e l l e n t p a p e r . — Rolland E. Stevens, Ohio State University Libraries. The Great EB The Great EB; the Story of the Encyclopae- dia Britannica. By H e r m a n K o g a n . [Chica- go-^ U n i v e r s i t y of C h i c a g o Press [1958]. 3 3 9 p . $ 4 . 9 5 . W h e n J o h n L e h m a n n , i n The Whisper- ing Gallery, w r i t e s b r i e f l y of his g r e a t - g r a n d f a t h e r a n d t h e f i r m w h i c h l a u n c h e d Chambers's Encyclopaedia, r e a d e r s f o r w h o m r e f e r e n c e b o o k s a r e s t o c k - i n - t r a d e m a y w e l l wish f o r a f u l l e r a c c o u n t . U p o n r e f l e c t i o n , h o w e v e r , o n e r e a l i z e s t h a t t h e h i s t o r y of a n e n c y c l o p e d i a is p e r h a p s less s u i t e d t o M r . L e h m a n n ' s l i t e r a r y style a n d t a l e n t s t h a n t o m o r e j o u r n a l i s t i c a b i l i t i e s s u c h as a r e ex- h i b i t e d i n H e r m a n K o g a n ' s The Great EB. T h a t is n o t t o d e p r e c i a t e M r . K o g a n ' s a b i l - ities, f o r t h e y a r e c o n s i d e r a b l e . I n t h i s story of t h e Encyclopaedia Britannica h e p r e - s e n t s a c o l o r f u l a n d h i g h l y r e a d a b l e n a r - r a t i v e of t h e b i r t h a n d d e v e l o p m e n t of o n e of o u r g r e a t r e f e r e n c e tools. W i t h a l i b e r a l s p r i n k l i n g of a n e c d o t e s a n d i n t e r e s t i n g s i d e l i g h t s , K o g a n t r a c e s t h e p r o g - ress of t h e B r i t a n n i c a f r o m its E d i n b u r g h b e g i n n i n g s a n d t h e l a b o r s of W i l l i a m Smel- lie t o its p r e s e n t b i g - b u s i n e s s s t a t u s w i t h ed- i t o r s e m p l o y i n g t h e m e c h a n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e of " t h e R o b o t . " H e tells of t h e m e n w h o g u i d e d t h e e n c y c l o p e d i a ' s d e s t i n i e s ; of t h e f i n a n c i a l crises w h i c h so o f t e n a t t e n d e d a c h a n g e of o w n e r s h i p ; a n d of t h e E B ' s af- f i l i a t i o n w i t h t h e L o n d o n Times, w i t h C a m - b r i d g e U n i v e r s i t y , w i t h Sears, R o e b u c k a n d C o m p a n y , a n d w i t h t h e U n i v e r s i t y of C h i c a - g o . H e h a s c o n t r i v e d t o m a k e t h e a c c o u n t m o v e s m o o t h l y a n d r a p i d l y f r o m e d i t i o n t o e d i t i o n , r e l a t i n g t h e g r o w t h of t h e e n t e r - p r i s e t o t h e e v e n t s of t h e t i m e s , a n d suggest- i n g t h e c h a n g e s a n d a d v a n c e s w h i c h i n f l u - e n c e d t h a t g r o w t h . T h e w h o l e is s p i c e d w i t h n a m e s of f a m o u s c o n t r i b u t o r s a n d q u o t a t i o n s f r o m t h e i r ar- ticles a n d c o r r e s p o n d e n c e ; w i t h e x c e r p t s f r o m r e v i e w s of a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y c o m - m e n t s o n t h e v a r i o u s e d i t i o n s . If t h e r e a r e m o m e n t s w h e n t h e r e a d e r f e e l s u n d u l y " q u o t e d a t , " h e s h o u l d r e m e m b e r t h a t t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r q u o t a t i o n m u s t h a v e b e e n b o u n d l e s s : M r . K o g a n h a s u n d o u b t e d l y ex- e r c i s e d a d m i r a b l e r e s t r a i n t . O n l y i n t h e f i n a l c h a p t e r , " T h e M o d e r n E B : H o w I t Is S o l d , " d o e s t h e r e a d e r ' s in- t e r e s t flag. S i n c e sales m e t h o d s a n d p r o m o - t i o n s figure p r o m i n e n t l y i n t h e n a r r a t i v e , it is a l t o g e t h e r a p p r o p r i a t e t h a t m o d e r n m e t h o d s , t o o , b e c o n s i d e r e d . I t is u n f o r t u - n a t e , h o w e v e r , t h a t t h i s last c h a p t e r is p a d - d e d o u t w i t h b a n a l sales s t o r i e s a n d b i t s of c o m p a n y l o r e , p r o v i n g a n a n t i c l i m a x t o a n o t h e r w i s e a b s o r b i n g h i s t o r y . T h e w o r k i n c l u d e s a b i b l i o g r a p h y w h i c h lists b o o k s , m a g a z i n e a n d n e w s p a p e r r e f e r - ences, as w e l l as u n p u b l i s h e d m a s t e r ' s es- says. R e g r e t t a b l y , a s i n g l e e x p l a n a t o r y n o t e i n t h e b i b l i o g r a p h y is m a d e t o suffice f o r a l l e d i t i o n s a n d s u b s i d i a r y p u b l i c a t i o n s of t h e Encyclopaedia Britannica. T h u s , f o r t h e w o r k u n d e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n w e a r e d e n i e d i m m e d i a t e access t o d a t e s a n d o t h e r b i b l i o - g r a p h i c a l d e t a i l s — i n f o r m a t i o n n o t r e a d i l y g l e a n e d f r o m a n i n d e x e d t e x t . A f u l l b i b - l i o g r a p h i c l i s t i n g (or a t a b u l a r s u m m a r y ) of a l l t h e e d i t i o n s a n d s u b s i d i a r i e s of t h e Britannica w o u l d h a v e b e e n a v e r y d e s i r a b l e a n d v a l u a b l e a d d i t i o n t o t h e b o o k . — E u g e n e P. Sheehy, Columbia University Libraries. Information Indexing and Subject Cataloging Information Indexing and Subject Catalog- ing: Alphabetical: Classified: Coordinate: Mechanical. By J o h n M e t c a l f e . N e w Y o r k : S c a r e c r o w Press, 1957. 3 3 8 p . $6.75. " I t is n o t easy f o r w r i t e r o r r e a d e r t o dis- e n t a n g l e t h e e n t a n g l e m e n t s of i n d e x i n g w i t h f a l s e science, v a i n p h i l o s o p h y a n d mis- u s e d o r u n n e c e s s a r y logic, a n d d o i n g so m a k e s f o r c o n t r o v e r s y a n d c r i t i c i s m , of t h e l o c u s t s w h o h a v e e a t e n t h e years. B u t f o r t h e m t h e s e s t u d i e s w o u l d h a r d l y h a v e b e e n n e e d e d . . . a n d i n d e x i n g a n d its s t u d e n t s w o u l d b e b e t t e r off if t h e r e w e r e f e w if a n y o t h e r a u t h o r i t i e s a c c e p t e d n o w , b e s i d e s D e w - ey a n d C u t t e r of 1876, a n d K a i s e r a n d H u l m e of 1911. B u t o t h e r s a r e a c c e p t e d as a u t h o r i t i e s , a n d w i t h t h e i r p a n a c e a s , c o n - flicting m e t a p h y s i c s , i n c o n s i s t e n t j a r g o n s , SEPTEMBER 1958 513 d i f f e r e n t logics a n d c o m p e t i n g f o l l o w e r s , t h e y m u s t b e g o t i n t o o u r systems, o r o u t of t h e m . H e r e is a n a t t e m p t t o r e c o n c i l e w h a t is r e c o n c i l a b l e , t o r e a s o n w h a t is r e a s o n a b l e , t o r e j e c t w h a t is n o t . " T h e a u t h o r of t h i s v o l u m e , J o h n M e t - c a l f e , h a s b e e n P r i n c i p a l L i b r a r i a n of t h e P u b l i c L i b r a r y of N e w S o u t h W a l e s s i n c e 1942 a n d is o n e of A u s t r a l i a ' s l i b r a r y l e a d - ers, c u r r e n t l y p r e s i d e n t of t h e L i b r a r y As- s o c i a t i o n of A u s t r a l i a , a n d , s i n c e 1944, c h a i r - m a n of its B o a r d o n E x a m i n a t i o n . H e h a s s o u g h t t o a c c o m p l i s h h i s p u r p o s e p r i m a r i l y t h r o u g h a c a r e f u l s t u d y of t h e p r i n c i p a l w r i t i n g s o n p r o v i d i n g s u b j e c t access t o in- f o r m a t i o n f r o m C r e s t a d o r o ' s Art of Making Catalogues (1856) t o t h e m e m o r a n d a of G r e a t . B r i t a i n ' s C l a s s i f i c a t i o n R e s e a r c h G r o u p (1955 a n d 1956). M e t c a l f e says t h a t t h e f u n d a m e n t a l q u e s - t i o n s w h i c h h e raises a n d " i n s o m e w a y " a n s w e r s a r e t h e s e : (1) A r e c l a s s i f y i n g a n d i n - d e x i n g d o n e f o r " s u b j e c t s " o r f o r " i n f o r m a - t i o n o n s u b j e c t s " ? (2) W h a t a r e t h e d i f f e r - e n c e s b e t w e e n t h e " s i m p l e " s u b j e c t s i d e n - t i f i e d b y n a m e s o r by c l a s s i f i c a t i o n n u m b e r s a n d t h e " c o m p l e x " s u b j e c t s o r c o n c e p t s o r s u b j e c t r e l a t i o n s of s o m e d o c u m e n t s ? (3) W h a t is t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n s u b j e c t spec- i f i c a t i o n a n d s u b j e c t q u a l i f i c a t i o n ? (4) W h a t a r e t h e d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n t h e classifica- t i o n of l i t e r a t u r e f o r its g e n e r i c s u r v e y a n d t h e i n d i c a t i o n of l i t e r a t u r e f o r specific r e f e r e n c e ? (5) W h i c h of t h e s e m e t h o d s of s u b j e c t c o n t r o l is t h e m o r e u s e f u l ? (6) D o g e n e r a l c l a s s i f i c a t i o n systems o f f e r p r a c t i - c a b l e o r p o s s i b l e o r g a n i z a t i o n e i t h e r f o r g e n - e r a l o r f o r s p e c i a l s u b j e c t b i b l i o g r a p h y ? (7) W h a t is t h e p o t e n t i a l u n i v e r s a l b i b l i o g - r a p h y ? a n d (8) C a n c e n t r a l i z e d c a t a l o g i n g s e r v e f o r d i f f e r i n g p u r p o s e s o r m e t h o d s of i n d e x i n g , i.e., f o r b o t h t h e classified a n d t h e a l p h a b e t i c o - s p e c i f i c c a t a l o g ? T h e a n s w e r s t o t h e s e q u e s t i o n s a r e i m p o r t a n t d e t e r m i n a n t s of t h e p u r p o s e s of i n f o r m a t i o n i n d e x i n g a n d t h e r e f o r e of t h e m e t h o d s c h o s e n t o a c h i e v e t h e m . W h e t h e r M e t c a l f e h a s r e c o n c i l e d t h e rec- o n c i l a b l e , r e a s o n e d t h e r e a s o n a b l e , o r e v e n a n s w e r e d i n s o m e w a y h i s f u n d a m e n t a l ques- t i o n s is a m o o t p o i n t . H e h a s e x a m i n e d a t l e n g t h a n d i n a v a r i e t y of c o n t e x t s a n d r e l a t i o n s h i p s t h e q u e s t i o n s h e raises. H e h a s d e v o t e d c o n s i d e r a b l e d i s c u s s i o n t o t h e m a - j o r e x t a n t c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s c h e m e s a n d t h e i r a u t h o r s o r a d v o c a t e s ; h e h a s c o n s i d e r e d t h e s t r u c t u r e a n d c o n t e n t of g e n e r a l s u b j e c t h e a d i n g lists ( A L A , Sears, L C ) , a n d h e h a s g i v e n a t t e n t i o n t o s u c h m a t t e r s as i n d e x i n g f o r s p e c i a l p u r p o s e s , c h a i n i n d e x i n g , syn- t h e t i c c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , m e c h a n i c a l s e l e c t i o n , a n d c o o r d i n a t e i n d e x i n g . I n a l l of t h e s e ex- c e p t i n systems b u i l t u p o n a l p h a b e t i c a l spe- cific e n t r y h e finds l i t t l e of u s e f o r a c h i e v i n g t h e r e a l p u r p o s e of i n f o r m a t i o n i n d e x i n g w h i c h is t h e indication of i n f o r m a t i o n , n o t its communication, as h e p e r c e i v e s it. I n - d e e d , h e s h o w s l i t t l e p a t i e n c e w i t h classifica- t i o n as a m e t h o d of i n f o r m a t i o n i n d e x i n g a t a l l s i n c e , i n his v i e w , it is o n l y r e a l l y ef- f e c t i v e i n p r o v i d i n g f o r l i t e r a t u r e s u r v e y a n d n o t f o r l i t e r a t u r e s p e c i f i c a t i o n . A n d s u c h g e n e r i c s u r v e y , h e o p i n e s , is a m u c h lesser n e e d t h a n t h e n e e d f o r specific r e f e r - e n c e . F r o m h i s i n q u i r y h e d o e s o f f e r s o m e con- c l u s i o n s w h i c h c a n o n l y b e s u g g e s t e d h e r e i n t h e i r m o s t g e n e r a l t e r m s . M u c h c o n f u s i o n i n o u r t h i n k i n g a b o u t p u r p o s e s a n d m e t h o d s of s u b j e c t a n a l y s i s h a v e a r i s e n b e c a u s e w e c o n t i n u e t o m i x u p t h e c l a s s i n g a n d i n d e x - i n g of subjects w i t h t h e c l a s s i n g a n d i n d e x - i n g of information o n s u b j e c t s o r s o m e a s p e c t of t h e s e s u b j e c t s , a n d b e c a u s e w e h a v e n o t d i s t i n g u i s h e d c l e a r l y b e t w e e n t h e n a m i n g of t h e s u b j e c t , i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t w h i c h w e a r e i n d e x i n g (subject specifica- tion), a n d t h e e x p r e s s i o n of s o m e p r o p e r t y o r q u a l i f i c a t i o n of a s u b j e c t w h i c h is n o t a species o r k i n d of t h a t s u b j e c t b u t a b o u t w h i c h t h e r e m a y b e i n f o r m a t i o n t o b e in- d e x e d o r classified, s u c h as its h i s t o r y (sub- ject qualification). S i n c e it is n o t a l e g i t i m a t e p u r p o s e of i n d e x i n g t o c o m m u n i c a t e in- f o r m a t i o n b u t o n l y t o i n d i c a t e it, o u r con- t e m p o r a r y c o n c e r n w i t h f i n d i n g ways t o ex- p r e s s t h e c o m p l e x s u b j e c t s a n d s u b j e c t r e l a - t i o n s h i p s t o b e f o u n d i n l i t e r a t u r e is n o t o n l y u n n e c e s s a r y a n d c o n f u s i n g ; i t is f u t i l e . S i m p l e o r c o m p l e x s u b j e c t s c a n a l w a y s b e n a m e d ; t h e e x p r e s s i o n of t h e s e n a m e s m a y b e a c c o r d i n g l y s i m p l e o r c o m p l e x . A n d h e r e t u r n s f r e q u e n t l y t o a f a v o r i t e thesis, t h a t w e h a v e r e a c h e d o u r p r e s e n t c o n f u s e d s t a t e i n t h i n k i n g a b o u t a n d p r a c t i c e i n i n d e x i n g a n d c l a s s i f i c a t i o n b e c a u s e w e h a v e n o t u n d e r - s t o o d c l e a r l y w h a t D e w e y , C u t t e r , K a i s e r , a n d H u l m e said, a n d t h e systems w e h a v e 514 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES b u i l t u p o n these bases reflect t h e i m p e r f e c - t i o n s in o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g . U n i v e r s a l bib- l i o g r a p h y is a n impossibility a n d t h e r e f o r e a n u n r e a l i s t i c goal, a n d t h e r e is n o satisfac- tory o r e c o n o m i c a l m e t h o d by w h i c h cen- tralized c a t a l o g i n g can b e m a d e to serve s i m u l t a n e o u s l y f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n of a clas- sified s u b j e c t c a t a l o g a n d a n a l p h a b e t i c o n e . T h e a u t h o r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n s a n d criticisms a r e i n t e r e s t i n g , f r e q u e n t l y p r o v o c a t i v e , o f t e n d e v a s t a t i n g , a n d occasionally p o l e m i c a l , a n d his o p i n i o n s a r e o r i g i n a l . B u t w h a t h e writes is essentially his o w n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of w h a t o t h e r s h a v e w r i t t e n o r s a i d — o r m e a n t t o say o r w r i t e . H e offers n o o b j e c t i v e e v i d e n c e o r studies to s u p p o r t his o p i n i o n s a n d i n t e r - p r e t a t i o n s , a n d t h e e x a m p l e s h e chooses t o j u s t i f y o r e m p h a s i z e his c o n c l u s i o n s a r e usually isolated o r q u i t e specific a n d n o t necessarily c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of t h e w h o l e sys- t e m f r o m w h i c h they h a v e b e e n e x t r a c t e d . T h i s r e v i e w e r is s y m p a t h e t i c to M e t c a l f e ' s o b j e c t i v e in seeking clarity a n d simplicity in t h e i n c r e a s i n g obscurity of w r i t i n g o n "in- f o r m a t i o n r e t r i e v a l " a n d is a t t r a c t e d by t h e r e l a t i v e simplicity of M e t c a l f e ' s conclusions, especially since M e t c a l f e h o l d s easy effec- tive use to be t h e u l t i m a t e c r i t e r i o n in j u d g - i n g a n y m e t h o d f o r i n f o r m a t i o n i n d e x i n g . B u t h e is skeptical of these conclusions be- cause M e t c a l f e is g u i l t y of t h e same sin of w h i c h h e accuses o t h e r s . H i s b o o k is n o t clear, a n d n o t b e i n g clear, difficult t o eval- u a t e f o r w h a t it is. T h i s is a m o s t difficult b o o k to r e a d . T h e a u t h o r ' s s e n t e n c e s a r e i n v o l v e d a n d com- p l e x a n d t h e r e s u l t i n g style is c o m p l i c a t e d f u r t h e r by vagaries in p u n c t u a t i o n a n d a n aversion f o r t h e c o m m a . H i s w o r d s a n d his sense a r e m a r r e d by his v a c i l l a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e serious a n d t h e comic, t h e f o r m a l a n d t h e flip, a n d by his f o n d n e s s f o r m e t a p h o r a n d q u o t a t i o n — " t h e years t h e locusts h a v e e a t e n , " " H o p e springs e t e r n a l , a n d f o r e v e r finds n e w s p r i n g s . " T h e l a n g u a g e h e uses t o dispose of those w i t h whose ideas h e does n o t agree is o f t e n i n t e m p e r a t e a n d m o r e a p p r o p r i a t e f o r a p o l i t i c a l c a m p a i g n in w h i c h a n o p p o n e n t ' s r e c o r d m u s t b e dis- c r e d i t e d a n d his i n t e l l i g e n c e d i s p a r a g e d t h a n it is f o r t h e d e l i b e r a t i v e serious discus- sion w h i c h M e t c a l f e ' s objectives p r e s u m e . A n d t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n of t h e w h o l e b o o k , i n w h i c h each p a r a g r a p h is n u m b e r e d a n d cross r e f e r e n c e to a n d f r o in t h e t e x t is m a d e by p a r a g r a p h n u m b e r , leads to f r u s t r a t i o n f o r t h e r e a d e r , w h o m u s t , if h e is t o u n d e r s t a n d , check each such r e f e r e n c e to discover t o w h a t discussion precisely a p a r a g r a p h n u m - b e r refers. ( " W h a t J e v o n s m e a n t o r d i d n o t m e a n is discussed in 1059-62, a n d Shera in 409-10, 415, 429, a n d 1041-4.") T h e m a t e r i a l , t h e r e f o r e , seems p o o r l y o r g a n i z e d , f o r t h e w h o l e of a n y p a r t i c u l a r criticism can b e p i e c e d t o g e t h e r o n l y by j o i n i n g t h e n u m - b e r e d p a r a g r a p h s w h i c h m a y b e scattered t h r o u g h o u t t h e t e n c h a p t e r s of t h e t e x t . T h a t these n u m b e r s h a v e b e e n u s e d " f o r r e f e r e n c e p u r p o s e s so t h a t t h e b o o k ' s organ- ization a n d a p p a r a t u s c o u l d b e c o m p l e t e d b e f o r e its p r i n t i n g a n d final p a g i n g in a p l a c e f a r away f r o m its w r i t i n g " is small con- solation a n d i n a d e q u a t e j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r a m e t h o d w h i c h i n t e r f e r e s w i t h c o m m u n i c a - t i o n of t h e a u t h o r ' s ideas. T h e i n d e x , in- c i d e n t a l l y , is to p a r a g r a p h n u m b e r s r a t h e r t h a n pages. E v e n t h e a u t h o r ' s m e t h o d of d o c u m e n t a - t i o n is u n u s u a l . A " r e f e r e n c e list" gives, by p a r a g r a p h n u m b e r s , t h e c i t a t i o n s t o sup- p o r t , clarify, o r e x p l a i n t h e c o n t e n t s of those p a r a g r a p h s . B u t these c i t a t i o n s a r e to a n a u t h o r ' s s u r n a m e , t h e n u m b e r assigned t o t h e p a r t i c u l a r w o r k of t h a t a u t h o r in a s e p a r a t e " l i t e r a t u r e l i s t " of 114 items, a n d t h e pages r e f e r r e d t o w i t h i n t h a t w o r k . T h i s m a c h i n e r y does a c c o m p l i s h t h e p u r p o s e s of d o c u m e n t a t i o n , b u t it does so i n a curiously i n d i r e c t way a n d a d d s f u r t h e r t o t h e r e a d - er's difficulty in c o m p r e h e n d i n g a n d e v a l u a t - i n g t h e w o r k . C o m p o s i t i o n of t h e t e x t was d o n e by type- w r i t e r u s i n g a book-face type, a n d t h e p r i n t - ing, p r e s u m a b l y , by p h o t o l i t h o g r a p h y . T h e m a r g i n s a r e u n j u s t i f i e d , t h e s p a c i n g r e g u l a r a n d u n v a r i e d , t h e p r o o f r e a d i n g i m p e r f e c t , a n d t h e pages u n r e l i e v e d by a n y v a r i a t i o n in t y p o g r a p h y , spacing, o r d i s t r i b u t i o n of black a n d w h i t e . U n q u e s t i o n a b l y t h e b o o k was p r o d u c e d economically, b u t it is m o n o t - o n o u s a n d ugly in a p p e a r a n c e . A n d m o n o t - o n y a n d ugliness a r e also d e t e r r e n t s to u n d e r s t a n d i n g . T h i s is t o o b a d , f o r t h e a u t h o r h a s some i n t e r e s t i n g p o i n t s t o m a k e , a n d h e deserves to h a v e t h e m w e l l - u n d e r s t o o d a n d fairly e v a l u a t e d . I n his i n t r o d u c t i o n h e says t h a t " t h e r e a d e r m u s t b e j o i n t a u t h o r of what- SEPTEMBER 1958 515 e v e r h e r e a l l y u n d e r s t a n d s . " So h e m u s t — f o r a n y b o o k . B u t f o r t h i s o n e , t h e a u t h o r a n d t h e p u b l i s h e r h a v e so c o n s p i r e d t o im- p o s e a d d e d b u r d e n s o n w h a t , i n t h i s c o n - t e x t , is n o r m a l j o i n t a u t h o r s h i p t h a t f e w r e a d e r s a r e l i k e l y t o m a k e t h e a t t e m p t — o r t o s u r v i v e it s u c c e s s f u l l y if t h e y d o . — C a r l y l e J . Frarey, School of Library Science, Uni- versity of North Carolina. Early English Serials Serial Publication in England before 1750. By R . M . W i l e s . C a m b r i d g e : U n i v e r s i t y Press, 1957. 391 p . 52s.6d. T h i s w o r k h a s s p e c i a l v a l u e f o r l i b r a r i a n s ( f o r w h o m it w a s o r i g i n a l l y i n t e n d e d " a s a m i l d l y i n t e r e s t i n g n o t e " ) a n d also f o r t h e l i t e r a r y h i s t o r i a n w h o w i l l d i s c o v e r it t o b e a t r e a t i s e o n a n i m p o r t a n t p h a s e of E n g l i s h l i t e r a r y h i s t o r y w h i c h h a d n o t h i t h e r t o b e e n f u l l y e x p l o r e d . I n a v e r y r e a l a n d s i g n i f i c a n t sense, h o w e v e r , it is a n o t a b l e c o n t r i b u t i o n t o t h e h i s t o r y of a d u l t e d u c a t i o n ; i n f a c t , t h e a u t h o r , w h o is p r o f e s s o r of E n g l i s h a t M c M a s t e r U n i v e r s i t y , b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e chief v a l u e of h i s b o o k is as a n a c c o u n t of a p r e v i o u s l y u n r e c o g n i z e d s t i m u l u s t o in- c r e a s e d l i t e r a c y a m o n g t h e E n g l i s h m i d d l e a n d l o w e r classes i n t h e s e v e n t e e n t h a n d e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r i e s . T h e t e x t is c o m p l e m e n t e d b y a " S h o r t - t i t l e C a t a l o g u e of B o o k s P u b l i s h e d i n Fas- cicules b e f o r e 1750." O v e r t h r e e h u n d r e d t i t l e s o n a l m o s t e v e r y c o n c e i v a b l e s u b j e c t a r e l i s t e d i n t h i s b i b l i o g r a p h y w h i c h s h o u l d b e i n v a l u a b l e t o t h e r a r e b o o k l i b r a r i a n . So p r o f i t a b l e i n g e n e r a l w e r e t h e s e w e e k l y o r m o n t h l y i n e x p e n s i v e p a r t s t h a t s e r i a l p u b - l i c a t i o n of b o o k s b e c a m e c o m p e t i t i v e b i g b u s i n e s s , t h e s t o r y of w h i c h is t r a c e d f r o m 1678 t o 1750. O n l y a score of t i t l e s w e r e p u b l i s h e d i n t h i s m a n n e r p r i o r t o 1725; t h e b o o m r e a l l y b e g a n i n 1732; a n d a f t e r 1750 P r o f e s s o r W i l e s c o n t e n t s h i m s e l f w i t h a n u m b e r of h i g h s p o t s s u c h as t h e success e n j o y e d b y S m o l l e t t , T h a c k e r a y , a n d D i c k - e n s . T h e p a r a l l e l w i t h t o d a y ' s p o c k e t b o o k s d o e s n o t e s c a p e P r o f e s s o r W i l e s ' s a t t e n t i o n . H e p o i n t s o u t t h a t n o w a d a y s q u i t e o r d i n a r y p e o p l e a r e a b l e a n d w i l l i n g t o b u y e x c e l l e n t b o o k s , r e a s o n a b l y w e l l p r i n t e d , a t l o w e r p r i c e s t h a n a r e c h a r g e d f o r a h a i r c u t , a g o o d m e a l , o r t h e m o v i e s ; j u s t as t w o cen- t u r i e s a g o t h e b o o k s i n p a r t s w e r e sold p r i n - c i p a l l y t o t h o s e w h o d i d n o t m a k e u p t h e " p o l i t e " w o r l d . F o r a b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l s t u d y t h e b o o k is u n u s u a l l y w e l l w r i t t e n ; a t t i m e s i t e v e n m a k e s e n t e r t a i n i n g r e a d i n g — w i t n e s s t h e c h a p t e r h e a d i n g " T h e L a w a n d t h e P r o f i t s . " I t c o v e r s a l l a s p e c t s of t h i s t y p e of s e r i a l p u b l i c a t i o n : h i s t o r i c a l , b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l , p r i n t - ly s i g n i f i c a n t is t h a t t h i s m o d e of p u b l i c a - i n g , p r o m o t i o n , a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n . T h e con- c l u s i o n s u m m a r i z e s t h e a u t h o r ' s p h i l o s o p h y : " W h a t m a k e s t h e i s s u i n g of f a s c i c u l e s r e a l - t i o n m a d e it p o s s i b l e a n d easy f o r m i d - dle- a n d lower-class E n g l i s h m e n t o b u y a n d r e a d b o o k s . T h a t is a n a d m i r a b l e h a b i t . I t is a h a b i t w h i c h n o t e v e n t e l e v i s i o n a n d o t h e r a s t o u n d i n g t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y d i v e r - s i o n s h a v e b e e n a b l e t o b r e a k . " W i t h its e m p h a s i s o n r e a d i n g h a b i t s a n d m e t h o d s of p u b l i s h i n g , t h e b o o k is a m o s t w e l c o m e a d d i t i o n t o t h e l i b r a r i a n ' s a n d t h e l i b r a r y s c h o o l s t u d e n t ' s p r o f e s s i o n a l r e a d i n g . A t t h e s a m e t i m e it w i l l b e m o s t u s e f u l t o t h e r a r e b o o k l i b r a r i a n a n d t h e b i b l i o g - r a p h e r . I t s h o u l d b e i n c o l l e g e a n d u n i v e r - sity l i b r a r i e s g e n e r a l l y . — A n d r e w D. Osborn, University of Sydney Library. INFORMATION, PLEASE: Professor Roger L. Brooks, Department of English, College of Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, wants to locate all extant copies of the following books by Mat- thew Arnold: The Strayed Reveller, and Other Poems (1849), Empedocles on Etna and Other Poems (1852), and Poems (1853) . He would like to know about any inscriptions and the names of previous owners, if available. John B. Kaiser, School of Library Service, Columbia University, would like to locate the text in which the late Jacques Loeb, eminent biologist, referred to the library as "the essential to dis- covery." He believes that the comment was made at a library dedication (possibly in New Eng- land) prior to April 1926 but within a few years of that date. 516 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES