ON THE
SUPPLY OF PRINTED BOOKS FROM
THE LIBRARY TO THE
READING ROOM OF THE BRITISH
MUSEUM
"The requisition to insert the Titles and Press-marks on thetickets is not merely reasonable but it is indispensible, ifthe Library is to be conducted with satisfaction to the Publicand to the Librarians. If people will not take the trouble tocomply with Rules, which, so far from being vexatious, areabsolutely necessary for their own comfort, they have no rightto complain. The fault is theirs, if mistakes and delay arise;and it is as absurd as unjust to impute the effect of their ownignorance or carelessness to the Officers of the Museum."
Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas.
M D CCC XLVI.
THE publication of the annexed correspondence has been determined uponnot for the pleasure of exposing the mistakes and inconsistencies of SirNicholas Harris Nicolas, but for the purpose of drawing the attention ofthose who take an interest in the collection of Printed Books in theBritish Museum to a most important part of its management, viz. thesupply of books to readers. In order to make the correspondenceintelligible, it will be necessary to explain not only the circumstanceswhich gave rise to it, but also the system of arrangement adopted tosecure a regular attendance upon the readers from the Library, as wellas the reasons why this system has been suggested; and it is hoped that,when the whole system is carefully examined, it will not be foundundeserving of that support, without which it is impossible that anyscheme can be carried out.
At the risk of entering into minute and very uninteresting particulars,well known to those who are conversant with the arrangements of a largeLibrary, it is requisite to state that the books in that of the BritishMuseum are found by certain references, Press-marks, or symbols, bywhich each work is identified with the corresponding entry of its Titlein the Catalogue. The Title of a work marked in the Catalogue with, forinstance, 500 a, means that the work itself is in the press which isnumbered 500, and on the shelf of that press which is distinguished byletter a; if the mark be 500 a 2, the meaning is that the workoccupies the second place on that shelf; and if marked 500 a/6 2, thatit is the sixth article in the 2nd vol. on shelf a of press 500. Abook being wanted, [Pg 4]the shortest way by far is generally found to be(and in the greatest number of cases it is the only one) to search theCatalogue, find the Press-mark, and look for the book accordingly. In1836, at my suggestion, an alteration in the then prevailing system wasadopted, which the Committee of the House of Commons on the BritishMuseum, then sitting, considered an improvement, and so it wasuniversally pronounced to be. The question put to me on the subject byLord Stanley, as well as my answer, are here inserted.
"Will you state what improvement has been recently adopted in theNew Transcript [of the Catalogue] with regard to reference?"
"In the Catalogue of the British Museum, the one which we keep forthe use of the Library, there are certain references given, orsymbols, to know exactly where to find a book. In the Reading RoomCatalogue those symbols were not put; I thought, and Mr. Baberthought also, that it would be an evident improvement to have in theCatalogue for the Reading Room, the same references as in theCatalogue of the Library, because the reader would have only to copythe title of the book as well as t