College and Research Libraries


c o m p i l e r s w a s to p r o d u c e as nearly c o m p l e t e a 
g u i d e as possible w i t h i n the limits imposed by 
the time available f o r the p r o j e c t and by the 
vast a m o u n t of material to be studied. D e f i -
nite b o u n d s of inclusion and c o v e r a g e w e r e 
established f o r this initial w o r k . T h e area 
of g e o g r a p h i c c o v e r a g e is c a r e f u l l y delineated 
on pages 5 - 6 of the Introduction; it is o u t l i n e d 
graphically on the index m a p w h i c h is r e p r o -
duced in each of the v o l u m e s . T h e span of 
time included is a l m o s t entirely the nineteenth 
and twentieth c e n t u r i e s ; this necessarily e x -
c l u d e s i m p o r t a n t earlier w o r k s . S o m e 
publications w h i c h w e r e t o o difficult to 
analyze in the time a l l o w e d f o r the p r e p a r a -
tion of these v o l u m e s w e r e o m i t t e d . It has 
been estimated that a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 0 % of 
the m a t e r i a l w h i c h might have been included 
w i t h i n the scope of this set is yet to be in-
d e x e d . T h e r e is, f o r e x a m p l e , in the S t e f a n s -
son L i b r a r y , alone, still a sizeable quantity of 
m a t e r i a l in this c a t e g o r y but, as yet, u n r e -
c o r d e d . T h i s f a c t does not d e t r a c t f r o m the 
Arctic Bibliography; rather, so much is pre-
sented to the user that he is impressed not 
only by the w e a l t h of A r c t i c w r i t i n g s but also 
by the immense w o r k w h i c h has been p r o -
duced. M o r e o v e r , in o r d e r to b r i n g the initial 
publication up to date and to include, as w e l l , 
both o l d e r w o r k s n o t p r e v i o u s l y analyzed and 
some classics, s u p p l e m e n t s — s e v e r a l already 
nearing c o m p l e t i o n — w i l l be issued. 

O n e w o u l d p r o b a b l y be c o r r e c t in p r e s u m -
ing that in p r e l i m i n a r y discussions the c o m -
pilers debated the relative merits of the 
chosen a u t h o r listing, w i t h its s u b j e c t - g e o -
g r a p h i c index, in c o m p a r i s o n w i t h a c h r o n o -
l o g i c a l o r o t h e r a r r a n g e m e n t . T h e plan 
selected is p r o b a b l y the m o s t convenient f o r 
the m a j o r i t y of users and, c o n s i d e r i n g the 
bibliography as a t o o l of g r e a t v a l u e f o r c i t a -
tion verification, one is inclined to think that 
the best decision w a s m a d e . 

A f e w m o r e than t w e n t y thousand items are 
r e c o r d e d in V o l u m e s I and 2, the a u t h o r list-
ing. T h e y represent c o v e r a g e of a l m o s t all 
the earth sciences as w e l l as a n t h r o p o l o g y , 
botany, z o o l o g y and s o c i o l o g y . B o o k s , papers 
and c o n t r i b u t i o n s to w o r k s of multiple a u t h o r -
ship are n o t e d u n d e r each a u t h o r ' s n a m e . 
E n t r i e s include n o t only the transcribed title 
but also English translations of f o r e i g n -
l a n g u a g e t i t l e s — a g r e a t a d v a n t a g e w h e r e a 
m a j o r i t y of the listings are in Russian, G e r -

man o r the Scandinavian languages. G e n -
erally, w h e n b o o k s o r articles include a b i b l i -
o g r a p h y , this is noted w i t h either the n u m b e r 
of items included in it o r the paging. D e -
scriptive annotations are given f o r each entry. 
A l i b r a r y l o c a t i o n s y m b o l indicates w h e r e the 
cited c o p y w a s e x a m i n e d . In this r e g a r d , the 
searcher should note, f o r example, that 
t h o u g h I t e m 4472 is a L i b r a r y of C o n g r e s s 
copy, this does not signify that the Stefansson 
L i b r a r y at D a r t m o u t h does n o t have it. O n e 
might wish that in the case of m o n o g r a p h s 
and b o o k s w h i c h , like this, are n o t f o u n d in 
m a n y collections, m o r e library locations c o u l d 
have been n o t e d . ( T r u e — a f o o t n o t e on page 
8 indicates that the L C U n i o n C a t a l o g o r the 
Union List of Serials should be consulted for 
o t h e r copies of b o o k s and l o c a t i o n s of 
j o u r n a l s . ) 

V o l u m e 3 comprises the i n d e x — i n itself a 
r e m a r k a b l e t o o l . N o t only d o the g e o g r a p h i c 
entries have s u b j e c t subheadings but the 
s u b j e c t entries have, first of all, g e o g r a p h i c 
s u b d i v i s i o n ; then, s u b j e c t subdivisions. T h i s 
f a c t o r , plus abundant c r o s s - r e f e r e n c i n g , makes 
it a l m o s t impossible f o r the user not to find 
the item f o r w h i c h he is searching. I n c l u s i o n 
of imprint date w i t h the brief title is an 
additional aid. T h e index illustrates the in-
tention of the Arctic Bibliography to note, 
first of all, the o r i g i n a l r e c o r d s of e x p l o r a t i o n s 
and reports of scientists; the entries u n d e r 
" E x p e d i t i o n s " extend f o r 107 pages. 

The Arctic Bibliography was financed by 
f u n d s f r o m the U . S . D e p a r t m e n t of D e f e n s e 
u n d e r a c o n t r a c t w i t h the A r c t i c Institute of 
N o r t h A m e r i c a . T h e C a n a d i a n g o v e r n m e n t 
also c o n t r i b u t e d financially to its c o m p l e t i o n . 
A n y o n e w h o s e w o r k touches on the p o l a r 
region and w h o must w o r k w i t h its l i t e r a t u r e 
and b i b l i o g r a p h y o w e s a debt of thanks to the 
compilers of the Arctic Bibliography but 
especially to M a r i e T r e m a i n e of the A r c t i c 
Institute of N o r t h A m e r i c a w h o has both 
directed and inspired this u n d e r t a k i n g . — V i r -
ginia L. Close, Dartmouth College Library. 

Serial Publications 
Periodicals and Serials, Their Treatment in 

Special Libraries. By David Grenfell. 
L o n d o n , A s l i b , 1953. 200p. ( A s l i b M a n u -
als, v o l . 3 . ) I2s.6d. ( i o s . 6 d . to members). 
T h e s o - c a l l e d incunabula p e r i o d f o r serials 

.468 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



e x t e n d e d t h r o u g h the y e a r 1700. I n the t w o -
a n d - a - h a l f c e n t u r i e s since 1700 each age has 
been i m p r e s s e d w i t h the u p s u r g e o f serial 
p u b l i c a t i o n s , so m u c h so that each has p r o -
c l a i m e d itself the age o f serials. T h e t w e n -
tieth c e n t u r y is m o r e i m p r e s s e d w i t h its a c -
c o m p l i s h m e n t s than p r e c e d i n g c e n t u r i e s , and 
w e l l it m a y be. F o r f o l l o w i n g the i n t r o d u c -
tion o f w o o d p u l p p a p e r as w e l l as m a j o r d e -
v e l o p m e n t s in p r i n t i n g and n e a r - p r i n t , the 
t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y has w i t n e s s e d an a s t o u n d i n g 
m u l t i p l i c a t i o n of serial p u b l i c a t i o n s . T h e 
stage has been r e a c h e d w h e r e t h r e e - f o u r t h s 
of the intake at the L i b r a r y of C o n g r e s s is 
serial in c h a r a c t e r . 

Special l i b r a r i e s w e r e q u i c k t o r e a l i z e the 
r e s e a r c h v a l u e of serials, m u c h m o r e so than 
the a v e r a g e g e n e r a l l i b r a r y . T h e y h a v e been 
e n t e r p r i s i n g in a c q u i r i n g and s e r v i c i n g s e r i a l s ; 
they h a v e d o n e p i o n e e r w o r k in p r o c e s s i n g 
t h e m . So it is in k e e p i n g w i t h s p e c i a l - l i b r a r y 
t r a d i t i o n s that A s l i b has published a d e c i d e d l y 
w o r t h w h i l e b o o k on serial p u b l i c a t i o n s w r i t -
ten by the chief c a t a l o g e r o f the N a t i o n a l 
F i l m L i b r a r y in L o n d o n . N a t u r a l l y the b o o k 
reflects British p r a c t i c e t o a high d e g r e e , but 
M r . G r e n f e l l is w e l l a c q u a i n t e d w i t h r e c e n t 
A m e r i c a n w r i t i n g s on his s u b j e c t and has 
m a d e g o o d use of t h e m . 

T h e t o n e of the p u b l i c a t i o n is set in a f o r e -
w o r d by M i s s D i t m a s w h o s a y s : " t h e l i t e r a r y , 
scientific o r technical p e r i o d i c a l has c o m e t o 
s t a y — m o r e , it has w o n such an h o n o u r e d p l a c e 
a m o n g s t the t o o l s of r e s e a r c h that it has a t -
tained the right to be t r e a t e d sui generis, and 
n o t as a p o o r r e l a t i o n o f the b o o k . " M i s s 
D i t m a s g o e s on t o say that this status has 
a l w a y s been a c k n o w l e d g e d by special l i b r a r i e s , 
b u t that l i b r a r y m a n u a l s h a v e o f t e n been in-
fluenced by the o u t l o o k of the g e n e r a l l i b r a r y 
w h e r e m o n o g r a p h s o u t w e i g h p e r i o d i c a l s in 
i m p o r t a n c e . O n e c o u l d w i s h that M i s s D i t -
m a s had said " p o p u l a r " instead of " g e n e r a l 
l i b r a r y , " b e c a u s e the r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y of p r a c -
tically all types, g e n e r a l o r special, o u g h t t o 
a c c o r d p r i o r i t y t o serials as the b a c k b o n e of 
its c o l l e c t i o n . A c t u a l l y t h e r e is t o o m u c h 
t r u t h f o r c o m f o r t in her s t a t e m e n t ; f o r w i t h a 
f e w e x c e p t i o n s ( l i k e the L i b r a r y of C o n g r e s s 
and the N e w Y o r k P u b l i c L i b r a r y ) the g e n -
e r a l r e s e a r c h l i b r a r y has been remiss in its 
c o l l e c t i n g and o v e r e l a b o r a t e in its p r o c e s s i n g 
of serials. So t o d a y the g e n e r a l r e s e a r c h 
l i b r a r y has m u c h t o l e a r n f r o m the special 

l i b r a r y ; and hence the v a l u e t o the g e n e r a l 
l i b r a r y of m a n u a l s like G r e n f e l l ' s . 

S o m e t h i n g like a q u a r t e r of the b o o k is 
d e v o t e d t o a n n o t a t e d b i b l i o g r a p h i e s , a v a l u -
able f e a t u r e in itself. G r e n f e l l also takes 
up a f a i r a m o u n t of space h u n t i n g the c h i -
m e r a of a definition of the t e r m " p e r i o d i c a l " 
o r " s e r i a l . " In this c o n n e c t i o n he says that 
" t h e t e r m ' s e r i a l , ' a l t h o u g h it has such a w i d e 
c o n n o t a t i o n , finds c o m p a r a t i v e l y little m e n -
tion in p r o f e s s i o n a l l i t e r a t u r e , w h i l s t in e v e r y -
d a y u s a g e the t e r m ' p e r i o d i c a l ' is used n o w 
m o r e in the sense of the t e r m ' s e r i a l . ' " H e 
adds that " t h e t e r m ' s e r i a l ' is b e c o m i n g u n -
p o p u l a r and a m o r e c o m p r e h e n s i v e i n t e r p r e -
tation is b e i n g g i v e n to the t e r m ' p e r i o d i c a l . ' " 
Q u i t e e v i d e n t l y he is reflecting E u r o p e a n 
t h o u g h t , n o t A m e r i c a n , as can be seen f r o m 
the f a c t that the U n i t e d States has n o t o n l y 
its Union List of Serials (which Grenfell 
g r a c i o u s l y calls " t h e g r e a t e s t union list e v e r 
issued"), but also its New Serial Titles and 
its Serial Slants, w h i l e its l i b r a r i e s h a v e n u -
m e r o u s serial divisions, sections, etc. 

B u t the m a j o r p a r t of the w o r k is d e v o t e d 
to the t e c h n i q u e s of acquisition, v i s i b l e - i n d e x 
w o r k , c i r c u l a t i o n , r e f e r e n c e , and b i n d i n g . 
O n e interesting f a c t is that a l t h o u g h the a u -
t h o r is a c a t a l o g e r , the c a t a l o g i n g o f serials 
is played d o w n , b e i n g l i m i t e d to a brief d i s -
cussion of the t h e o r y of entry in a c h a p t e r 
entitled " B i b l i o g r a p h i c A r r a n g e m e n t and 
L i s t i n g of T i t l e s . " O n the one hand, it is in 
k e e p i n g w i t h s p e c i a l - l i b r a r y p r a c t i c e t o play 
d o w n the c a t a l o g r e c o r d s , b u t on the o t h e r , 
it is u n f o r t u n a t e t o skimp in an area w h e r e 
t h e r e m a y be m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g d e v e l o p m e n t s 
t o r e p o r t , such as the ideas M a r j o r i e P l a n t 
p u t in o p e r a t i o n in the British L i b r a r y of 
P o l i t i c a l and E c o n o m i c Science. ( S e e h e r 
" P e r i o d i c a l s P r o c e d u r e in a U n i v e r s i t y L i -
b r a r y , " COLLEGE A N D R E S E A R C H LIBRARIES 

3 : 6 2 - 3 , D e c e m b e r 1 9 4 1 . ) L i k e w i s e c l a s s i f i c a -
tion r e c e i v e s s h o r t s h r i f t in a c h a p t e r on " D i s -
play, S t o r a g e , B i n d i n g and S h e l v i n g . " Y e t 
even if a l i b r a r y is advised to dispense w i t h 
c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , t h e r e are p r o b l e m s t o be f a c e d : 
h o w t o a r r a n g e the m a t e r i a l w h e n t h e r e a r e 
c h a n g e s of n a m e o r t i t l e ; h o w to s h e l v e annual 
r e p o r t s , g o v e r n m e n t d o c u m e n t s , and o t h e r 
types of s e r i a l s ; and h o w t o a r r a n g e the 
c h a r g e file w h e n call n u m b e r s are n o t used. 

T h e w o r k has been planned f o r the s m a l l 
special l i b r a r y , and as such w i l l be r e a l l y u s e -

OCTOBER, 1954 469. 



f u l , p a r t i c u l a r l y in G r e a t B r i t a i n . B u t it has 
m u c h t o o f f e r r e s e a r c h l i b r a r i e s in g e n e r a l , 
so it is n a t u r a l t o h o p e t h a t the b o o k w i l l be 
s t r e n g t h e n e d in a s e c o n d e d i t i o n . — A n d r e w D. 
Osborn, Harvard College Library. 

Books About Books: The 
Anglo-American Tradition 
The Alchemy of Books. By Lawrence Clark 

P o w e l l . L o s A n g e l e s , T h e W a r d R i t c h i e 
P r e s s , 1954. 263 p. $ 4 . 5 0 . 

A History of the Old English Letter Found-
ries, with Notes Historical and Biblio-
graphical on the Rise and Progress of Eng-
lish Typography. B y T a l b o t B a i n e s R e e d . 
A n e w ed., r e v . and enl. by A . F . J o h n s o n . 
L o n d o n , F a b e r and F a b e r , 1952. 4 0 0 p. 
84s. 

Cambridge Press Title-Pages, 1640-1665: A 
Pictorial Representation of the IVork Done 
in the First Printing Office in British North 
America. B y Sidney A . K i m b e r . T a k o m a 
P a r k , M d . ( 7 3 0 2 H i l t o n A v e . ) , T h e 
A u t h o r , 1954. $ 1 0 . 0 0 . 

M orris-Drucke und andere Meisterwerke 
englischer und amerikanischer Privatpres-
sen ( M o r r i s I m p r i n t s and o t h e r M a s t e r -
pieces o f E n g l i s h and A m e r i c a n P r i v a t e 
P r e s s e s . E x h i b i t i o n of the G u t e n b e r g 
M u s e u m , M a r c h 24, I954> o n the 120th 
B i r t h d a y o f W i l l i a m M o r r i s ) . M a i n z , 
G u t e n b e r g S o c i e t y , 1954. F r e e to m e m b e r s . 

PI: A Hodge-Podge of the Letters, Papers 
and Addresses Written during the Last 
Sixty Years. B y B r u c e R o g e r s . C l e v e -
l a n d , W o r l d P u b l i s h i n g C o . , 1953. 185 p. 
$6.00. 
I w o u l d like t o say at the o u t s e t that the 

t h e m e f o r the p r e s e n t a r t i c l e ( a s w e l l as f o r 
o n e to be i n c l u d e d in a f u t u r e issue o f C&RL, 
w h i c h w i l l deal w i t h " T h e P r i n t e d P i c t u r e " ) 
w a s s e l e c t e d s o l e l y o n the basis of the b o o k s 
t o be r e v i e w e d . T h e d e c i s i o n w a s m a d e b e -
f o r e A n g l o - A m e r i c a n r e l a t i o n s had b e c o m e 
o n c e again a m a j o r p o i n t in c u r r e n t w o r l d 
politics. I t w a s also m a d e b e f o r e I k n e w that 
o n e o f the b o o k s w o u l d t u r n o u t such a 
p o w e r f u l and d i r e c t p l e a f o r c u l t u r a l c o o p -
e r a t i o n of the E n g l i s h s p e a k i n g w o r l d . T h i s 
is the v o l u m e by L a w r e n c e C . P o w e l l . 

T h e first o f the t h r e e divisions o f The 

Alchemy of Books, a charming and inspiring 
c o l l e c t i o n of essays, is entitled " B o o k m a n in 
B r i t a i n . " I t is l a r g e l y the f r u i t o f a p r o -
l o n g e d stay o f the a u t h o r o n a G u g g e n h e i m 
F e l l o w s h i p f o r the s t u d y o f the B r i t i s h a n -
t i q u a r i a n b o o k t r a d e and its r e l a t i o n w i t h 
A m e r i c a . F r o m the piece " A S o u t h w e s t e r n e r 
in S c o t l a n d " I q u o t e the f o l l o w i n g : " I n this 
l u c k l e s s t i m e w h e n ties b e t w e e n c o u n t r i e s of 
d i f f e r e n t l a n g u a g e s a r e s t r a i n e d t o the s n a p -
ping p o i n t , it is the s t r o n g b o n d b e t w e e n the 
E n g l i s h - s p e a k i n g p e o p l e w h i c h m a y p r o v e the 
o n e thing that e n s u r e s o u r c o m m o n s u r v i v a l , 
and that o f lesser n a t i o n s w h o l o o k t o us f o r 
p r o t e c t i o n . " W i t h P o w e l l , this is n o t , as so 
o f t e n , a c o n v e n i e n t p h r a s e , b u t the e x p r e s s i o n 
o f a c o n v i c t i o n b o r n f r o m a l i f e d e v o t e d to 
the i n d i v i d u a l ' s s e a r c h f o r b o o k s and the 
w h o l l y n a t u r a l p r a c t i c e of p e r s o n a l r e a d i n g . 
H i s r e d i s c o v e r y o f the shrines of 17th c e n t u r y 
l i t e r a t u r e in the w a r - s c a r r e d B r i t i s h Isles is 
m a t c h e d by the n e w d i s c o v e r y o f s o m e f r e s h 
p o e t i c t a l e n t o f t o d a y of w h i c h m a n y o f us 
h a v e p r o b a b l y n o t h e a r d . I t is g o o d , v e r y 
g o o d , t h a t a p r o f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r i a n a p p e a r s 
as a p e r s o n a l g u i d e t o n e w l i t e r a r y v a l u e s . 

" R e a d i n g and C o l l e c t i n g , " the s e c o n d s e c -
tion, begins w i t h a piece c a l l e d " A B o o k m a n ' s 
C r e d o " , and t h e r e is n o t an a r t i c l e in this 
section w h i c h d o e s n o t e x p r e s s this c r e d o . I n 
" L i b r a r i a n s as R e a d e r s o f B o o k s " , f o r in-
stance, o n e finds n o t f a r f r o m each o t h e r , the 
f o l l o w i n g s e n t e n c e s : " T h e aspect of l i b r a r i a n -
ship w h i c h interests m e m o s t i s — b o o k s . . . . 
I u r g e l i b r a r i a n s t o be o n the a l e r t f o r t o d a y ' s 
u n s t a n d a r d i z e d b o o k s . . . I w a n t t o c o n s i d e r 
r e a d i n g as a p e r s o n a l t h e r a p y , as a t o n i c . . . " 
T h e t h i r d s e c t i o n , " P e o p l e , B o o k s , and 
P l a c e s , " is p e r h a p s m o r e i n t i m a t e and p e r s o n a l 
even than the e a r l i e r p o r t i o n s , and it c o n t a i n s 
s o m e v e r y fine p r o s e . 

T h e n e x t item o n the list, A History of the 
Old English Letter Foundries, carries us back 
t o the e a r l y t r a d i t i o n s o f E n g l i s h p r i n t i n g and 
t y p e f o u n d i n g . O n r e a d i n g this n e w e d i t i o n o f 
the classic w o r k o n E n g l i s h p r i n t i n g type, 
p r e v i o u s l y p u b l i s h e d in the o n e e d i t i o n o f 1887, 
o n e r e a l i z e s t w o t h i n g s : first, h o w m u c h of 
t o d a y ' s f a m i l i a r and c u r r e n t k n o w l e d g e o f 
E n g l i s h p r i n t i n g h i s t o r y c o m e s f r o m this o n e 
s o u r c e , and s e c o n d , w h a t a s p l e n d i d piece o f 
w o r k A . F . J o h n s o n has d o n e as the e d i t o r o f 
the n e w e d i t i o n . 

T h e b o o k w a s o r i g i n a l l y p l a n n e d by R e e d 

.470 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES