The plan of stereotyping the titles, separately, would be of great
value to every increasing library, independent of any general
system. Such a library, in the first issue of its catalogue, would
be obliged to incur an additional expense for stereotyping, which we
may, for the present, state at fifty per centum above the price for
composition. But, in the first reprint, both these expenses would
be saved; so that the whole cost of the two editions would, in this
respect, be twenty-five per cent. less, if stereotyped.
Moreover, it would be necessary to print only a comparatively small
number of copies, when the book, in a more perfect state, could be
reproduced so easily; much would therefore be saved in paper and
press-work. Besides, the arrangement of the titles, for a reprint,
would pass from the hands of the librarian to those of the printer.
The proof-reading, also, would have been done, once for all. In
keeping up such a catalogue, the attention and labor of the librarian
would have to be bestowed only upon additional titles.
Reckoning, thus, the expense of stereotyping as a part of the
diminished cost of the first reprint, the saving, for every
subsequent repetition, would be equal to the whole original cost of
composition and proof-reading, for the part already stereotyped, and
a considerable part of that of paper, press-work, and re-arrangement.
It is, therefore, demonstrable that the economy of the plan would
be very great, to every library publishing and reprinting its
catalogues, even without connection with the system proposed.
But, in connection with a general system, the advantages of this plan
would be greatly increased, inasmuch as the same books are to be
found in many libraries. If the titles, which have been stereotyped
for one library, may be used for another having the same books, the
saving to the second would be equal to the whole cost of composition
and stereotyping of the titles common to the two, added to that of
preparation of such titles.
At least one quarter of the titles in any two general libraries,
of ten thousand volumes and upwards, may safely be supposed to be
the same. The saving, from this source, to the second library,
would, therefore, go far towards defraying the extra expense of
stereotyping. A third institution, adopting the plan, would be
likely to find a very large proportion of its titles identical with
those already stereotyped, and the amount saved by the use of these
titles, would, perhaps, be sufficient to counterbalance the whole
extra expenditure for stereotyping. At any rate, the extra expense
would be constantly and rapidly diminishing, and would, probably
after the fourth or fifth catalogue, cease entirely. The Smithsonian
Institution would not, therefore, be required to assume the charge
of an enterprise, which might involve it in great and increasing
expense, but merely to organize, and to guide a system, which will
almost immediately pay its own way, and will soon save large sums of
money to our public libraries.
That the aggregate economy of this plan would be very great, may be
seen from the following statement:
In fifteen thousand pages, mostly in octavo, of catalogues of public
libraries in the United States, there were found to be more than
four hundred and fifty thousand titles. But, according to the best
estimate which could be made, these catalogues contained not more
than one hundred and fifty thousand _different_ titles. Two-thirds,
at least, of the whole cost of printing these catalogues (except the
extra expense incurred by stereotyping the titles which differed)
might have been saved, by following this plan.
Having shown its economy when employed by single libraries, and its
greater economy, in connection with a general system, it is proper
to suggest a few, among the many benefits to the cause of knowledge,
which the general adoption of this method would seem to promise.
It can hardly be necessary to dwell, at length, upon the benefits
to be expected from a general printed catalogue of all books in the
public libraries of America. By means of it, every student in this
country would be able to learn the full extent of his resources
for investigation. The places where books could be found, might be
indicated in the catalogue. A correspondence could be kept up between
this Institution and every other library in the country. A system
of exchange and of loans might, with certain stringent conditions,
be established, or, when the loan of a book would be impracticable,
extracts could be copied, quotations verified, and researches made,
through the intervention of this Institution, as effectually to the
purpose of the student, in most cases, as a personal examination of
the book. All the literary treasures of the country might thus be
made measurably available to every scholar.
Again, this general catalogue would enable purchasers of books
for public libraries, to consult judiciously for the wants of the
country. So poor are we in the books which scholars need; so long,
at best, must we remain in a condition of provincial dependence in
literary matters; that a responsibility to the whole country rests
upon the man, who selects books for any public library.
An important advantage of this system is, that it allows us to vary
the form of the catalogue, at will, from the alphabetical to the
classed, and to modify the classification as we please. The titles,
separately stereotyped, may change their order at command. If, for
example, it were required to print a separate list of all books in
the country, on the subject of _meteorology_, it would merely be
necessary to check off, in the general catalogue, the titles to be
used, leaving to the printer the rest of the work.
Another highly beneficial result would be, the attainment of a much
higher degree of _uniformity_ than could otherwise be hoped for. The
rules for cataloguing must be stringent, and should meet, as far
as possible, all difficulties of detail. Nothing, so far as can be
avoided, should be left to the individual taste or judgment of the
cataloguer. He should be a man of sufficient learning, accuracy and
fidelity, to apply the rules. In cases of doubt, reference should be
made to the central establishment, to which the whole work should
be submitted, page by page, for examination and revision. Thus, we
should have all our catalogues formed substantially on one plan. Now,
even if the one adopted were that of the worst of our catalogues,
if it were strictly followed in all alike, their uniformity would
render catalogues, thus made, far more useful than the present chaos
of irregularities. The best possible system ought, however, to be the
object of our aim.
It is an important consideration, that this plan would greatly
facilitate the formation of an American bibliography, or a complete
account of all books published in America.
By law, a copy of every book, for which a copyright shall be
secured, in this country, is required to be delivered to the
Smithsonian Institution, and to be preserved therein. It is hoped,
that additional legislation, on this subject, will soon lighten the
burdens of publishers, and secure the observance of this law, _in all
cases_.
The collection of books thus obtained and preserved, will present
a complete monumental history of American literature, during the
existence of the law. It is needless to enlarge upon its value, in
this point of view. If, now, a list of these publications, as they
come into the library, should, month by month, be published in a
_Bulletin_, and the titles immediately stereotyped, the expense
would be but trifling of issuing, every year, a catalogue of books
copyrighted in America, during the year, and printing, every five
years, a general catalogue of American publications, up to that
limit. Thus, monthly bulletins, annual lists, and quinquennial
catalogues would furnish full and satisfactory records of American
publications.
Another general consideration is, that this project looks towards
the accomplishment of that cherished dream of scholars, _a universal
catalogue_. If the system should be successful, in this country, it
may eventually be so in every country of Europe. When all shall have
adopted and carried out the plan, each for itself, the aggregate
of general catalogues, thus formed--few in number--will embrace
the whole body of literature extant, and from them, it will be no
impossible task to digest and publish a universal bibliography.
How much this would promote the progress of knowledge, by showing,
more distinctly, what has been attempted and accomplished, and
what yet remains to be achieved, and thus indicating the path of
useful effort; how much, by rebuking the rashness which rushes into
authorship, ignorant of what others have written, and adding to the
mass of books, without adding to the sum of knowledge; how much,
by giving confidence to the true and heroic student, who fears no
labor, so that it bring him to the height at which he aims--the
summit of learning, in the branch to which he devotes himself; are
objects which deserve the hopeful attention of all who desire their
attainment.