_Ex._ “Observations upon an alteration of the charter of the Bank of
England” is abridged: “Alteration of charter of Bank of England,”
which is certainly not euphonious, but is as intelligible as if it
were. Medium usually indulges in the luxury of good English. Perhaps
in time a catalogue style will be adopted in which these elisions
shall be not merely allowed, but required. It may be possible to
increase the number of cataloguing signs. We have now 8º where we
once had octavo, then 8vo. Why not insist upon N. Y. for New York, L.
for London, P. for Paris, etc., as a few adventurous libraries have
done? Why not make free substitution of commas for words, and leave
out articles and prepositions in titles wherever the sense will still
remain gleanable?
153. Omit puffs[51] and many descriptive words which are implied
either by the rest of the title[52] or by the custom of books of the
class {69} under treatment,[53] and those descriptive phrases which,
though they add to the significance of the title, do not give enough
information to pay for their retention.[54]
[note] 51. _Ex._ A (plain) treatise on; an (exact and full)
account.[/note]
[note] 52. In “Compendious pocket dictionary,” either compendious or
pocket is superfluous.[/note]
[note] 53. _Ex._ Nekrolog, 1790–1800 (enthaltend Nachrichten von dem
Leben merkwürdiger in diesem Jahre verstorbener Personen).[/note]
[note] 54. “by an American not by birth but by the love of
liberty.”[/note]
153½. Omit all other unnecessary words.
In the following examples I use the double (( )) to indicate what
every catalogue ought to omit, the single ( ) to indicate what may
well be omitted.
Ed. alt. (priore emendatior).
2^e éd. (augmentée).
2d ed. (with additions and improvements).
with ((an appendix containing)) problems.
((a collection of)) papers relating to the war in India.
((a series of)) letters.
((On the)) brick architecture of the north of Italy.
(debate) on ((the subject of)) the impressment bill.
on ((the question of)) a financial agent.
((being some)) account of his travels.
in ((the year)) 1875.
Sermons ((on various subjects)). _N. B._ Must occasionally be retained to
distinguish different collections of sermons by the same author.
The grounds of infant damnation ((considered in)) (a) sermon ((preached))
Nov. 5, (1717). Boston, 1717. O.
Sermon (the Lord’s day after the) interment of.
Opera ((quæ extant)) (omnia).
Geology ((of the State)) of Maine.
Tables for ((the use of)) civil engineers.
Reflections ((suggested by a perusal of))[55] J. H. Palmer’s ((pamphlet
on the)) “Causes (and consequences) of the war.”
Occasioned by his ((book entitled)) “True narrative.”
defended against ((the cavils of)) G. Martin.
Howe during his command (of the King’s troops) in North America.
So a “Discourse in Albany, Feb. 27, 1848, occasioned by the death
of John Quincy Adams, etc. Albany, 1848. O.,” would become Disc.,
Albany, Feb. 27, death of J. Q. Adams. Albany, 1848. O., in
Medium; and Short would probably omit “Albany, Feb. 27.”
[note] 55. Substitute [on].[/note]