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.
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![5(3 “After having sent into the Reading-room four out of the five books asked for by Sir N. II. Nicolas —Avhich, as he states, took half au hour—and there- fore, as nearly as possible, at half-past three, the same attendant went in search of the fifth, marked 581 i. lie found that 581 i contained only folios^ and he did not, therefore, and very j)roperly, lose more of his time in looking for an octavo, which was written for; he had lost enough by being sent to a place where what was wanted could not be.”* So then, with all the boasted precision of his sys- tem, it depends neither upon the Title, nor u])on those vaunt(;d Press-marks, nor even upon both^ whether a book can be found—but the Librarian must first be told its size !!! Can folly or confusion go beyond this? and yet the Keeper of the Printed Rooks has held the appointment nearly nine years ! If the size of a book is so essential, why is it not made the -princi'pal entry in the ticket, instead of being left for a small column ? Why are the Read- ers deluded into disregarding it, by being told that the Press-mark identifies each work, when, as in this case, it points only to a shelf, containing—the Li- brarians alone know—how many other books ? It is said that by my having written the figure “ 8 ” in the column headed “ size,” the Attendant was directed to “ look for a work where it could not be.” T contend, that the figure “ 8 ” ought not to have been taken as any j)art of the direction, until the two cardinal points, viz., the Press-mark and the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28038988_0064.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
