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BRUNSWICK:

PRESS OF JOSEPH GRIFFIN.

PREFACE.

THE following work has two Parts,-I. an alphabetical Catalogue of Authors and Books; -II. an alphabetical Index of Subjects. The Catalogue has been compiled in accordance mainly with the "Rules for the Construction of Catalogues of Libraries," etc., prepared by Prof. C. C. Jewett, when Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, and published by that Institution. The plan of the Index has been adopted from the "Index to the Books in the ... Public Library of the City of Boston," compiled under the superintendence of the same gentleman. I wish therefore to acknowledge my particular obligations to Prof. Jewett, for the full guidance and assistance in my labors, which I have derived from these two sources. I am indebted to the "Preface" to the "Catalogue of the Library of the Cambridge High-School," prepared by Mr. Ezra Abbot, Jr., for the very succinct statement of some of these Rules, which I have given below, and to the book itself for aid in other directions. I have used also freely such other bibliographical helps as were within my reach.

The chief features only of each Part of the work can be detailed here. To have these in mind will answer the needs of the great majority of persons, who will consult it; and an examination of the book will more readily give a minute acquaintance with the principles upon which it is constructed, than the fullest description.

THE titles of works are entered alphabetically under the authors' names, when these are known; or, in the case of anonymous publications, under the first word of the title, not an article or a preposition. Anonymous works which relate, directly or indirectly, to the same subject, have in some instances been grouped under the heading of the subject; e. g. British Colonies in America, Great Britain, United States, etc. Pseudonymous works, if the true name of the author is not known, are entered under the assumed name. Such references have been made from the most important words in the title, and from the assumed name, as will enable one readily to find the entry of any book, published anonymously or pseudonymously, which is placed under the name of its author. Following this rule, biographies are entered under the names of the authors, with cross-references to the subjects of the memoirs.

Collections of the works of various authors, under a general title, when not included in some other rule, are entered under the name of the editor, or of the first author, or as anonymous works. In either case the necessary cross-references are given to direct one to the place of the work.

Works published by any organized society, using the term in its most comprehensive sense, if the production of its officers or agents in their official capacity, and also if anonymous, or if bearing the names of several authors, are entered under the name of the society. The first word of that name, not an article, is made the first word in the heading. This rule applies to all documents, published by national, state, municipal, and other governments. If the author's name is prefixed to a work published by a society, the work is entered under his name. Cross-references are made from the authors to their works, when entered according to the preceding rule.

Periodical publications, if issued by a society, are placed under the name of that society; if not continuing, and with a single editor, they are placed under the editor's name; otherwise they are placed under the first word of the title, not an article. Cross-references are made in the above cases from the names of the various editors, and from other words in the title, under which they might naturally be looked for.

The titles of the more important treatises contained in the first thirteen volumes of the Encyclopædia Metropolitana,-of the different works comprised in the four volumes of "Natural Philosophy," published by the Society for the Dif fusion of Useful Knowledge,-of the various biographies in the more important biographical collections, of the articles in the "Contributions to Knowledge," published by the Smithsonian Institution,—of the Tracts, published by the American Unitarian Association, and of the more important articles in the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in the Collections of the Maine Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and similar collections, are placed under the names of the respective authors, with a cross-reference to the place and title of the work, of which each treatise, article, etc. forms a part. In the cross-reference the title of the collective work is enclosed by ( ).

IN transcribing titles, no departure from the language of the author has been allowed, except in the case of some pamphlets. The orthography and punctuation have been scrupulously retained. So much of the title has been given in every case as seemed necessary to designate the work. The omission of any part of the title, except of the author's name when that appears in the heading, and of the titles of persons, is supplied by three dots; the omission of a motto or device is supplied by three stars. Any addition to a title is printed in italics and enclosed in brackets. Abbreviations have in some instances been used, e. g. "n. d." for "No date;" "ed." for "edition ;" "1st," "2d," "3d," etc. for "first," "second," "third," etc., and a few others; but as they will be readily understood, when met with, no list is given of them.

In entering works which have two titles, the second title has generally been given in a note.

The titles of different volumes of the same work sometimes differ. Such differences have sometimes been expressed in a note; sometimes the entry of the title is made to show them; at other times the title of the last volume only is given.

Books have been designated as "2°," "4°," "8°," etc., for "folio," "quarto," "octavo," etc., as it is usual to do, and also the size of the full printed page given in inches and tenths of inches. In works consisting of but a single volume the number of pages is stated, as it is noted in the book, if less than 100, or more than 500. The sign + is added when the volume contains several pages not numbered and therefore not taken into account. A number of publications under the same title, when each consists of less than 100 pp., are sometimes designated as "pamps.," for "pamphlets."

Some of the foregoing rules, relative to the preparation of the titles, have not been strictly observed in the case of publications of less than 100 pp.

When the surname of an author is given in full in the title, and the rest of the heading either in full or by abbreviation, the whole name has been omitted from the title: when the surname is given in full and the rest in part, so much of it, as the title contains, is retained: when no part of an author's name is given, it has been added in italics and enclosed in brackets.

Cross-references have been made from all editors, annotators, commentators, and translators. When a work is the production of more than one author, it is entered under the name of the first, the names of all given in the title, and crossreferences made from the second and each other, as "Joint Author."

HEADINGS consist for the most part of the surnames of the authors, which, with their Christian names, appear in their vernacular form, when this could be ascertained. When there was doubt as to the vernacular form, the form of the name expressed in the title has been made the heading. The following exceptions to this rule occur. The writings of canonized persons appear under their Christian names. Sovereigns are designated by their Christian names, in the usual English form. Names of ancient Greek authors, of Fathers of the Church, and of the writers of the Middle Ages who wrote wholly in Latin, with some others, are given in their Latin form.

The following rules have been observed with respect to surnames with prefixes. In English names the prefix is treated as a part of the surname. French surnames if preceded by La, Le, L', are entered under L; if preceded by Du or Des, they are entered under D. In other languages, and in French in other cases than are mentioned above, surnames are entered under the letter following the prefix.

Compound surnames, except English, have been generally entered under the first part of the names, e. g. Merle d'Aubigné, Simonde de Sismondi, etc. Englis noblemen and ecclesiastical dignitaries are catalogued under their family

names.

In other cases the titular appellation of the person is made the heading. It was almost impossible to have and follow in this particular any uniform system of enrollment. Cross-references have been made, to obviate any inconvenience arising from a non-observance of uniformity.

Parts of family names and prefixes not put in the headings, the maiden name of a married woman, and the original surname when a new one has been adopted by an author, are printed with the Christian name, in small capitals; as DUMOURIEZ, Charles François DUPERRIER; TOOKE, John HORNE; HEMANS, Mrs. Felicia Dorothea BRowNE.

THE plan of the Index of Subjects is intelligible at a cursory glance. The alphabetical arrangement is adopted here as on more accounts preferable. • The references throughout, from one subject to others of a related nature, and from a general subject to its special divisions, give it also much of the character of a classified arrangement. It is made as full and minute as circumstances would allow. Large classes of publications, which would add little value to the Index and largely increase the size of the volume, find no place in it; e. g. all miscellaneous sermons, pamphlets of a local or personal character and interest, etc.

ALL important errors, which have been discovered, are noticed upon the last page of the volume. It may be here remarked also, that the entries of a few classes of publications are more full, in some unimportant observances, in the first part of the Catalogue, than it was afterwards found expedient to make them. Other inconsistencies will no doubt appear; one must be perfect in

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judgment and knowledge, if his work is not to be imperfect. Biographical notices of authors are given in the Catalogue in all cases in which they could be obtained, and a few bibliographical notes.

THIS work will have claims to merit only as it shall meet its design, to direct the Student to such sources of knowledge as the Library is able to furnish. Every work in the Library, of whatever kind or size, is given its place in the Catalogue. The usefulness of the book may not be in proportion to the labor it has cost. It is not free from errors and imperfections, and of these no one can be more fully aware than the compiler. It must be judged by what is done, not by what is left undone. I have prepared it mostly alone, in such hours as were left from the requisite discharge of a full round of College duties as an Instructor. I bring it to a close with the hope only, that my labor has not been in vain.

WM. P. TUCKER, Librarian.

BRUNSWICK, July 11th, 1863.

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