The Committee on International Co-operation in taking up the work
referred to it by the Association has limited itself this year to a
consideration of the question of a uniform standard of book statistics.
This question is a two-fold one, first, what should be called a book,
second, when statistics are classified, what are the most practical and
useful classes?
In respect of the first matter, it recommends that all books for
statistical purposes be divided into two or three classes. (1) Books of
50 pages or over; (2) books under 50 pages; or, where books of under
eight pages are regarded at all, books of from eight to 49 pages; and
(3) books under eight pages.
In respect of the second question, the chairman has prepared a
comparative table of the usage of the _Publishers' Weekly_, _Bookseller
and Newsdealer_, _Publishers' Circular_, _Bibliografia Italiana_,
_Hinrichs_ and _Reinwald_, arranging these in the order of the Dewey
classification. This was printed by Mr. Bowker for the use of the
committee, and is herewith submitted.
_Table showing classification of book trade statistics._
Some of the chief matters for attention are the questions of
_Biography_, whether by itself or scattered in classes; _Literary
History and Art_, by itself or under Philology, or under Bibliography,
or scattered; _Juveniles_, by itself or divided among Fiction, Poetry,
Education, etc.; _Scientific School Books_, _Geographies_, _etc._, under
subject or under Education; _Art of War_, _Commerce_, _etc._, under
Economics or Technology. All these conflict somewhere in usage shown and
in the judgment of the various members of the committee, although there
is a majority for keeping Biography as a separate class--contrary to
unanimous foreign usage.
===================================================================
DEWEY (ORDER). | PUB. WEEKLY. | BOOKSELLER |
| | AND NEWSDEALER. |
-------------------+-------------------------+--------------------+
| | |
00 Collected and | Literature and | Unclassified. |
mis. works. | coll. works. | |
010 Bibliography. | | |
Period. and | | |
proceedings. | | |
070 Newspapers. | | |
100 Philosophy. | Philosophy. | Philosophy. |
230 Theology. | Theology and | Religion. |
| religion. | Christ sci., |
| | occultism, |
| | theosophy. |
320 Polit. Sci. | Law. | Law, tech. |
and Law. | | Politics. |
Economics and | Polit. and soc. | Sociological |
social rel. | sci. | subj. |
370 Education. | Education. | Education. |
400 Philology. | | |
500 Natural | Physics and math. | Mathematics, |
science. | sci. | chem. and physic. |
| | Biology. Nat. |
| | history. |
600 Useful arts, | Useful arts. | Technology. |
Gen. | | |
610 Medicine. | Medicine and hyg. | Medicine. |
630 Agriculture. | Domestic and rural. | Farming and |
| | gardening. |
Art of war. | | |
700 Fine arts, | Fine arts, il. gift | Art, architecture.|
Gen. | books. | |
780 Music. | | On music and |
| | musicians. |
790 Games and | Sports and amusements. | Sports and |
sports. | | games. |
800 Literary | | |
hist. | | |
Poetry and | Poetry and drama. | Poetry and drama. |
drama. | | |
Fiction. | Fiction. | Fiction. |
Juveniles. | Juvenile. | Juveniles. |
Other forms. | Humor and satire. | |
900 History. | History. | History. |
920 Biography. | Biog. and correspond. | Biography. |
910 Geog. | Descrip., geog., trav. | Travel. |
travels and | | |
descrip. | | |
=========================================================================
| | |
DEWEY (ORDER). | PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR | BIBLIOG. ITAL. |
| | |
-------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------+
| | |
00 Collected |Misc. includ. pamphlets, |Enciclopedia. {|
and mis. | not sermons. | {|
works. | | {|
010 Bibliography. | |Bibliografia. {|
Period. and |Year b'ks and serials in |Atti accademici. {|
proceedings. | vols. | {|
070 Newspapers | |Giornale politici. {|
100 Philosophy | |Filosofia-Teologia. {|
230 Theology |Theol. sermons, Biblical |Pubbl. relig. e pie. lett.|
320 Polit. Sci. |Law, jurisp. Legislazione, Guirisp. |
and Law | | Atti de senato, atti |
| | duputati. |
Economics and |Polit. and soc. sci. |Scienze polit. soc. Stat. |
social rel. | Trade and commerce. | bilanci ecc. |
370 Education. |Education, classical and |Instruzione. Educaz. Libri|
| philological. | scolastici. |
400 Philology. | |Filologia storia lett. |
500 Natural |(See below) |Scienze fisiche, mate. e |
science. | | nat. |
600 Useful arts, | |Ingegneria-Ferrovie. |
Gen. | | |
610 Medicine. |Medicine, surgery. |Medicina. |
630 Agriculture. | |Agricolt. Industr. comm. |
Art of war. | |Guerra Marina. |
700 Fine arts, |Art, science and |Belle arti. |
Gen. | il. books. | |
780 Music. | | |
790 Games and | | |
sports. | | |
800 Literary hist.|(See below) | |
and crit. | | |
Poetry and |Poetry and the drama. |Lett. contemp. Poesie. |
drama. | | Teatro. |
Fiction. |{Novels, tales, juvenile |Romanzi e nov. |
Juveniles. |{works and other fiction.| |
Other forms. |Belles lettres, essays, |Misc. e lett. popol. |
| monographs, etc. | |
900 History. |Hist., biog., etc. |Storia-Geografia |
920 Biography. | |Biografia contemp. |
910 Geog. travels |Voyages, travels, | |
and descrip. | geographical research. | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
=========================================================================
| | |
DEWEY (ORDER). | HINRICH. | REINWALD. |
| | |
-------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------+
| | |
00 Collected {|Bibliothekswesen, |Divers. |
and mis. {| encyklopädien, Gesammt. | |
works. {| werke. Sammel werke, | |
010 Bibliography. {| Schriften Gelehrten. |Bibliografia. |
Period. and {| Gesellschaften |Atti accademici. |
proceedings. {| Universatätswesen, etc. | |
070 Newspapers {| |Giornale politici. |
100 Philosophy {| |Filosofia-Teologia. |
230 Theology |Theologie. |Religion (Philos. morale).|
320 Polit. Sci. |Rechts u. Staatswiss. |Droit et économie polit. |
and Law | | |
Economics and |Handel, Gewerbe | |
social rel. | Verkehrswesen. | |
370 Education. |Erziehung u. Unterricht. |Education. |
| Jugendschriften. | |
400 Philology. |Sprach u. |Linguistique. |
| Litteraturwissen. | |
500 Natural |Naturwiss. Math. |Sciences, medicales et |
science. | | naturelles. |
600 Useful arts, |Bau u. |Technologie. |
Gen. | Ingenieurwissenschaft. | |
610 Medicine. |Heilwissenschaft | |
630 Agriculture. |Haus, Land u. Forstwiss | |
Art of war. |Kriegswissenschaft |Art militaire et marine. |
700 Fine arts, |Kunst. |Beaux arts. |
Gen. | | |
780 Music. | | |
790 Games and | | |
sports. | | |
800 Literary hist.|(See below) | |
and crit. | | |
Poetry and |Schöne Litteratur. |Littérature. |
drama. | | |
Fiction. | | |
Juveniles. | | |
Other forms. | | |
900 History. |Geschichte. |Histoire, Biog. polit. |
920 Biography. | | |
910 Geog. travels Erdbeschreibung, Karten. |Geographie. |
and descrip. | | |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Bowker, in behalf of the committee, has submitted the matter,
through Mr. G. H. Putnam, to the International Congress of Booksellers,
and it is hoped that there may be a committee appointed or empowered to
confer with this committee, and that some practical result may be
reached in spite of various difficulties. This committee therefore
recommends for the purpose of library reports, etc., the use of the
Dewey order and divisions given in the accompanying table, with such
modification as may be necessary to meet book trade requirements, but in
the case of all recommendations begs to make them subject to an
international understanding, and asks that the committee be continued
and given full power to adopt a recommended order, providing an
understanding can be reached with a representative of the booksellers.
If such an understanding is reached, efforts should be made to get the
further concurrence of other library associations and bibliographical
bodies generally.
ERNEST C. RICHARDSON, _Chairman,
for the Committee_.