Animadversions on the library and catalogues of the British Museum. A reply to Mr. Panizzi's statement; and a correspondence with that officer and the Trustees.
- Nicholas Harris Nicolas
- Date:
- 1846
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Animadversions on the library and catalogues of the British Museum. A reply to Mr. Panizzi's statement; and a correspondence with that officer and the Trustees. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
39/99
![marks ” from being misapprehended, we will state distinctly that our objection is not to their being added to the Catalogue, so that a particular book may be specified if a Reader think it necessary, but to its being made a sine qua non to the pro- duction of any book whatever, that the ticket shall contain the “ press-mark,” as well as the title, date, &c.; thereby compelling readers to refer, in every instance, to the present inconvenient Catalogue. In fifty out of fifty-five instances, the mere title of any book, taken from memory or from a memo- randum, ought to be sufficient. If a particular edition is wanted, the applicant will not fail to specify it. If he has any doubt on either point, he will refer to the Catalogue: but at present, even if the title and the press-mark be correctly given, and there happen to be an error as to the size or date, the book will neither be produced, nor will the application receive the slightest attention, even though there be only one edition of that book, and no other with a similar title in the English language. Let the applicant complain to ]\Ir. Panizzi, and he will find that the neglect is justified, and he is politely informed that it is his own fault. It may be said in defence both of the tickets and of the delays, that the number of Readers has much increased; but this is more than met by the increased facility which the concentration of the books in the new Library affords, and by an in- * It will be seen in page 86 that the Trustees entirely approve of Mr. Panizzi’s answer.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28038988_0039.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
