Fhird Edition

Donated to

GLENDALE COLLEGE LIBRARY

By

LUCILLE WHALEN

DATE DUE
 Elements of Bibliography
A Guide to Information Sources and
Practical Applications

Robert B. Harmon

The Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Lanham, Maryland, and London
1998
SCARECROW PRESS, INC.

Published in the United States of America

by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4720 Boston Way
Lanham, Maryland 20706
4 Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone
Kent CT20 2DN, England

Copyright © 1998 by Robert B. Harmon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-iri-Publication Data

Harmon, Robert B. (Robert Bartlett), 1932-
Elements of bibliography : a guide to information sources and
practical applications / Robert B. Harmon. — 3rd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 0-8108-3529-0 (alk. paper). — ISBN 0-8108-3540-1 (pbk.
alk. paper)
1. Bibliography—Methodology. 2. Bibliographical literature—
Bibliography. I. Title
Z1001.H29 1998
010'.44—dc21 98-8383
CIP

© ™The paper used in this publication meets the minimum

requirements of American National Standard for Information
Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,
ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America.
 Dedicated to the Memory of
Ralph R. Shaw
and
Richard H. Shoemaker

The bibliographical enterprise is the heart of the information

transfer process. Without it, human progress or development
would be impossible.
Anonymous
 Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/elementsofbiblioOOOOharm
 Contents

Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Selected Abbreviations Used in the Text xiii
1 The Dimensions of Bibliography 1
Introduction
Bibliography Defined
Organization and Structure
Uses and Functions of Bibliography
On Bibliographers
Conclusion
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes
2 Historical Survey 23
Beginnings
Middle Period
Modem Period
Contemporary Period
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes
3 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 37
A Brief Historical Survey of the Book and
Printing
Bookmaking Materials
Manuscripts
Nonprint Materials
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

v
VI Contents

4 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 63

Historical Development
Nature and Uses
Bibliographical Organization and Control
Types and Functions of Enumerative
Bibliographies
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

5 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 83

Structure of Analytical Bibliography
Current Status of Analytical Bibliography
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

6 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 99

Compiling a Systematic or Enumerative
Bibliography
Compiling a Descriptive Bibliography
Compiling Annotated Bibliographies: Some
Guidelines
Bibliographical Essays
Bibliographical Software
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

7 Bibliographical Citation Basics 131

Some General Observations
Basic Elements of Bibliographical Description
Some Problem Areas in Bibliographical Citation
Basic Elements for Bibliographical Description of
Electronic Materials
Style Manuals
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

8 Evaluating Bibliographical Sources 157

Evaluation of Bibliographies
Evaluating Bibliographical Sources on the Internet
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes
 Contents Vll

9 Electronic Information Sources and Bibliographical

Searching 167
Development of Electronic Sources
Elements of Online Searching
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

10 Careers Related to the Field of Bibliography 185

Library and Information Science
The Changing Library School
Summary
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

11 Reference Sources 193

Abstract Services
Bibliographies
Dictionaries and Thesauri
Directories
Encyclopedias
Guides to the Literature
Indexes
Yearbooks
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

12 Periodicals 209
Selected Periodicals
Periodical Directories
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes

13 Bibliography in the Information Age 221

Development of the Information Age
The Internet
Digital Technology
Whither the Paperless Society?
Conclusion: Some Perspectives on Bibliography
as a Field of Study
Selected Supplemental Resources
Notes
Vlll Contents

Appendixes
A. Abbreviations Used in Bibliography 233
B. Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 241
C. Major Bibliographical Organizations 255

Indexes
Name and Subject Index 261
Title Index 275

About the Author 295

 Preface

Since the first edition of this guide was published in 1981, the
study of bibliography as an intellectual and practical discipline
has taken on added importance in the information age. The dra¬
matic effect of the computer, particularly with respect to the stor¬
age and retrieval of bibliographical data, has been remarkable.
The introduction and development of online search services along
with CD-ROM technology has added greater depth to the biblio¬
graphical spectrum, and the Internet offers further enhancements
to the discipline as well.
During the twenty-first century, the importance of bibliographi¬
cal methods and applications will take on increased relevance in
information management and transfer, and librarians and informa¬
tion professionals will assume a greater involvement in this proc¬
ess. Although much has been written on this subject, no single
guide to the literature has been produced to assist in the develop¬
ment of bibliographical proficiency.
The need for bibliographical proficiency has been the impetus
for the creation of this guide, which will provide an introduction
to the study of bibliography and present some basic standards for
bibliographical compilation. The intended audience is the pro¬
spective librarian and anyone who needs to compile an enumera-
tive or elementary descriptive bibliography.
This edition has been thoroughly revised, taking into account
the influence of computers and technology on the field. Chapter 1
surveys the various definitions of the word “bibliography” and its
historical evolution. The emerging structure of the field with its
concomitant branches is also examined. Chapter 2 provides a his¬
torical survey of the study of bibliography and the influence of
those who have shaped its development. The fundamental objects

IX
X Preface

of bibliography, (e.g. the book, manuscripts, and nonprint materi¬

als) and their role in the bibliographic process are detailed in chap¬
ter 3. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss in detail the two main branches
of the field (enumerative and analytical bibliography). Chapters 6
through 9 review the practical applications of the bibliographical
process: Chapter 6 describes a method for compiling enumerative
and elementary descriptive bibliographies; chapter 7 describes the
basics of bibliographical citation; chapter 8 examines how to eval¬
uate print and nonprint bibliographcal instrumets; and chapter 9
looks at the use of electronic sources in bibliographical searching.
Career opportunities in fields related to the study of bibliography
such as librarianship and information studies are detailed in chap¬
ter 10. Chapters 11 and 12 describe reference sources and periodi¬
cals. The study of bibliography as it has developed in the
information age is examined in chapter 13. Three appendixes in¬
clude a list of abbreviations, a glossary of terms, and a list and
description of major bibliographical organizations.
Detailed access to the entire work is provided by name/subject
and title indexes.
Works cited in the body of the text have full bibliographical
data given either at the citation or in the notes at the end of the
chapter. Each chapter also has a selected list of supplemental ref¬
erences in a bibliographical essay format supplying supporting
documentation.
As with the earlier editions, the hope with this new edition is
that readers will gain a greater insight into the study of bibliogra¬
phy and achieve a higher level of understanding of things biblio¬
graphical.
 Acknowledgments

A work such as this depends on the assistance of a multitude of

individuals who patiently answered requests for information, rec¬
ommended works for inclusion, or offered advice and other assis¬
tance. In particular, I want to thank the following for their help
with this new edition: Sandra Belanger for reading several impor¬
tant chapters and offering sound advice; Bob McDermand who
expertly redesigned the illustrations; and the staff of the Inter Li¬
brary Loan Department in the Clark Library at San Jose State
University who were able to locate some difficult to find materials
for this project.
To the Grolier Club I express thanks for permission to use two
title pages of important early bibliographical works and the Vik¬
ing Press for the use of the title page from John Steinbeck’s novel
The Wayward Bus (1947).
To my wife, Merlynn, I express my deepest appreciation for her
patience and painstaking help in reviewing my work and provid¬
ing expert advice.
That I benefited from the advice of these individuals is an un¬
derstatement, but they must not be held accountable, individually
or collectively, for the ideas and selection of materials, or for any
errors; the responsibility for them—especially the errors—is mine
alone.

xi
 Selected Abbreviations Used
in the Text

AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2d ed.

AI Artificial Intelligence
ALA American Library Association
ARPANET Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (U.S.
Government Agency)
BIP Books in Print
CARL Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
CBE Council of Biology Editors
CBI Cumulative Book Index
CD-ROM Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory
CIS Congressional Information Service
DOS Disk Operating System
ERIC Educational Research Information Center
FTP File Transfer Protocol
HTML Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
ISP Internet Service Provider
ISSN International Standard Serial Number
LC Library of Congress
LCSH Library of Congress List of Subject Headings
LIS Library and Information Science
LISA Library and Information Science Abstracts (both
hardcopy abstracts and database)
MEDLARS Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System
MHRA Modem Humanities Research Association (U.K.)
MIME Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension
MLA Modem Language Association of America

xm
xiv Selected Abbreviations Used in the Text

OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.

(bibliographical utility)
OPAC Online Public Access Catalog
PPP Point-to-Point Protocol
PRECIS Preserved Context Index System
RLIN Research Libraries Information Network
(bibliographical utility)
SDC System Development Corporation
URL Uniform Resource Locator
WLN Western Library Network
WWW World Wide Web
 1

The Dimensions of Bibliography

Introduction

As a concept and application the term bibliography is difficult to

define and confusing in its usage. This condition is mostly attrib¬
utable to the changes in its meaning over the centuries and has
been further complicated by rapid advances in technology in re¬
cent years.
To some scholars, bibliography is a humanistic science: human¬
istic in the sense that it is devoted to the record of the minds of
men and women; scientific in the sense that it is exceedingly rigor¬
ous, systematic, and analytical in placing of a single work among
all the works of one person, of that person among all others who
ever lived and wrote; and of his or her works among those in all
fields of concern to humankind.1
The term is much misunderstood, signifying both the art and
craft as well as the artifact. Most of us fail to make the distinction
between “a bibliography” and bibliography. In practice, the word
has become pervasively associated with some kind of listing of
books and other forms of published writings, or with enumerating
materials in other recorded formats.2 However since the beginning
of the twentieth century, bibliography has branched out into many
areas that once were only the province of textual critics, printing
historians, and several branches of applied science. Indeed, in the
information age bibliography has assumed a much broader role
than that of a mere enumerative process.
Most human beings cannot go through life without using bibli¬
ographies somewhere along the way, whether it be doing research
in school or using a library of some kind to satisfy a particular
information need. Bibliographies are ubiquitous and are used for

1
2 Chapter 1

many things such as looking for a good book to read, seeking

further information on a subject treated in a scholarly journal, or
searching for the evaluations of a certain make of automobile.
There is hardly a human activity that does not require the use of
some bibliographical instrument to obtain useful information.
As an independent field of study, bibliography is vast and dy¬
namic, affecting almost every other area of knowledge. Bibliogra¬
phy has reaped all the advantages and disadvantages inherent in
today’s world of rapid technological change and increasing speci-
lization. Once practiced and understood by only a few, the field
now incorporates hundreds of specialists with degrees of sophisti¬
cation and maturity not anticipated a few short years ago. Of
course, specialization and diversity have created problems such
that bibliographers have difficulty communicating with one an¬
other.3 Despite this condition, however, bibliographical applica¬
tions and techniques continue to expand to meet human
information needs and to advance scholarship in many fields.
In the remainder of this chapter we will examine the meaning
of the term bibliography both as to its origins and current mean¬
ing. We will then identify the main aspects or branches that make
up the field currently and relate them to the entire structure. This
will be followed by a discussion of bibliography in its practical
and intellectual applications, the role of the bibliographer within
the bibliographical process, and the impact of advances in elec¬
tronic databases and media.

Bibliography Defined

The elements of the word bibliography originated in postclassical

Greece. It is derived from the Greek words biblion (book) and
g raphe in (to write)4 The Greek bibliographos was a copyist of
manuscripts.
The English word bibliography was originally defined as “the
mechanical writing and transcription of books, but not their con¬
struction.” Later on, bibliography included composition as well.
This meaning persisted as late as the eighteenth century when in
France its meaning changed from “the writing of books” to “writ¬
ing about books.” This new meaning did not take long to gain
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 3

acceptance throughout France and from there spread to such coun¬

tries as Germany and England.5
In attempting to ascertain current usage of the term, we find a
great diversity of opinion among practitioners. As G. Thomas
Tanselle has pointed out, “Everything in bibliography—including
the meaning of the word itself—seems to give rise to contro¬
versy.”6 Bibliography, according to Walter Wilson Greg “suffers
from its name.”7 The problem is not, however, that the word can
no longer be precisely defined on the basis of its etymologically
derived parts.8 Rather the problem today in English lies with the
multiplicity of meanings assigned to the term, as well as in the
relationship between them, for bibliography is not a single subject
but a related group of subjects that happen to be commonly re¬
ferred to by the same term.9 This multiplicity of meanings is well
documented by Percy Freer in a study published in 1954, wherein
he cites fifty definitions given since 1678—most of them appear¬
ing after 1900.10 Few of these definitions agree completely; many
differ widely. Even statements at different times by the same au¬
thor do not always agree.11
Looking at the term from a somewhat different perspective,
Terry Belanger indicates that to a book collector, the word bibliog¬
raphy properly means “the study of books”; a bibliographer is
one who studies them. Others believe that bibliography is an am¬
biguous and much-abused term and that it is difficult to character¬
ize because it is shared by all the humanities, the humanistic
components of all the subject areas, and librarianship.12 Bibliogra¬
phy has many common definitions, and because collectors, schol¬
ars, and librarians too often use the word indiscriminately, it lacks
precision. For this reason, bibliography often must be qualified by
adjectives like enumerative, systematic, analytical, critical, de¬
scriptive, historical, or textual.13
An obvious conclusion from the foregoing is that in attempting
to define the meaning of bibliography one has to contend with the
problem of controversy, a multiplicity of meanings, indiscriminate
usage, and some confusion between the techniques of compilation
and its end product. Out of this mess, however, we can detect
some elements of commonality. Most prominent of these is the
book and its development from ancient times to the present in all
of its physical aspects. There is also the recording and description
of all types of graphic materials to provide identification of ideal
4 Chapter 1

copies and to achieve some semblance of bibliographical order

or control over published and unpublished documents of various
kinds.

Organization and Structure

Since the 1960s the organization and structure of bibliography

have changed little except for the addition of new areas of special¬
ization. Essentially there are two main branches of the subject.
Analytical or critical bibliography is the study of books as physi¬
cal objects—the details of their production, the effects of the
method of manufacture on the text, and the like. As the science of
the transmission of literary documents, analytical bibliography
may deal with the history of printers and booksellers; with the
description of paper or binding; or with textual matters arising
during the progression from writer’s manuscript, through the edi¬
torial process, to published book.14 By contrast enumerative or
systematic bibliography involves the listing of books or other ma¬
terials in an orderly arrangement.15
In the past, bibliography has mostly concentrated on book mate¬
rials. However, today other branches are concerned with other ve¬
hicles of ideas as well as books. Microforms of all kinds, online
databases, CD-ROM databases, databases on the Internet and
World Wide Web, motion pictures, recordings of various kinds,
videotapes, and other graphic materials can all be studied biblio-
graphically.16
Three major subdivisions or specialized functions constitute an¬
alytical or critical bibliography: textual, historical, and descrip¬
tive. Textual bibliography is the study of the relationship between
the printed text and the text as conceived by the author. In essence
it deals with the study and comparison of texts and their transmis¬
sion through different printings and editions. It is synonymous
with textual criticism. Historical or material bibliography deals
mainly with the history of books and of the persons, institutions,
and machines producing them. This may range from technological
history to the history of art in its concern with the evidence books
provide about culture and society in specific eras of time. Along
with book production, this type of bibliographical study may also
include binding, papermaking, illustrating, and publishing.
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 5

Closely associated with these two branches of the field is descrip¬

tive bibliography which is the detailed physical study and descrip¬
tion of books, including details about the author; exact title; date,
place, and circumstances of format; pagination; illustrations; bind¬
ing and other physical details. A book or other material which is
the object of such a study is subjected to a full physical description
of works it includes, and normally deals with the output of a par¬
ticular author, illustrator, publisher, period, or place.17
As the practical branch of the field, enumerative or systematic
bibliography seeks to identify and describe in a systematic ar¬
rangement the books or other materials, or both, that may be suit¬
able for a particular purpose or that have other similar
characteristics.18 There are many types of enumerative bibliogra¬
phies,19 but some common characteristics can be associated with
most of them. Timelines is one, and many bibliographies are is¬
sued regularly and limit their listings to publications of recent
date. For example, the Cumulative Book Index dead American Book
Publishing Record are both periodical lists of new books. A sec¬
ond kind of listing, the retrospective list, includes whatever fits
within its scope. Joseph Sabin’s Biblioteca Americana: A Diction¬
ary of Books Relating to America is an example. Bibliographies
may also be comprehensive or narrow or anywhere in between.
The Cumulative Book Index, again, attempts to include all publi¬
cations in English no matter where published, while Booklist, a
review periodical published by the American Library Association
(Chicago) since 1905, reviews only titles of probable interest to
libraries. Bibliographies may or may not be annotated, but annota¬
tions usually enhance the usefulness of any bibliography.20

Uses and Functions of Bibliography

Both major branches of bibliography have similar as well as dif¬

fering functions and purposes. No discussion of bibliography, es¬
pecially in the modem context, can neglect to mention its
relationship to the increasing demand for rapid and accurate meth¬
ods of communicating information and of retrieving information
from the enormous accumulations of records on which contempo¬
rary civilization depends.21
Analytical bibliography serves as the vehicle of the textual critic
6 Chapter 1

in the continual quest to document changes that occur in a manu¬

script from its creation to its printed or published form. It also
provides a basic historical function by relating the mechanisms
and tools of the printing trade to a particular historical period.
In its descriptive function, analytical bibliography assists in the
identification process of specific documents. The tools and proce¬
dures of analytical bibliography have been useful in the exposure
of literary forgeries such as the work by John Carter and Graham
Pollard, published in 1934, uncovering the Thomas J. Wise forger¬
ies. Also in recent times these methods were applied in exposing
the Mark Hofmann forgeries of Mormon historical documents.22
Booksellers and collectors depend on descriptive bibliographies to
identify first editions and important literary works.
Enumerative or systematic bibliography attempts to bring order

I. Study of graphic materials as physical entities or material objects:

■\ *\ Textual Bibliography:
Study and comparison of texts and
their transmission through editions
and printings
PURPOSE Analytical
Accurate, precise or
identification and Historical Bibliography:
Critical
description > Bibliography > Placing and dating of individual
books or other graphic materials

Descriptive Bibliography:
Identification of the “ideal copy" and
all its variants
J

II. Study of graphic materials as intellectual entities:

“N -\

PURPOSE
Assembling of
Enumerative
information about
or
individual books
or other graphic
Systematic > Compilation of lists of books or other
graphic materials
Bibliography
materials into a
logical and useful
arrangement

J J

Figure 1. The study of bibliography.

 The Dimensions of Bibliography 1

out of chaos. Given the enormous number of extant printed re¬

cords, it seems almost impossible that bibliography can fully ac¬
complish this ordering function. William A. Katz, the author of a
widely used text in the schools of library and information studies,
has indicated that regardless of form, a bibliography is used pri¬
marily for three basic purposes: (1) to identify and verify, (2) to
locate, and (3) to select.

Identification and Verification

Most bibliographies provide standard information such as au¬

thor, title, edition, place of publication, publisher, date of publica¬
tion, a collation (i.e., number of pages, presence of illustrations,
size), and sometimes price. Other information may also be added,
depending upon the purposes of the bibliography. In seeking to
identify or verify any of these elements, a trained searcher will
turn to an appropriate bibliography, usually beginning with one of
the general titles, such as the Cumulative Book Index or American
Book Publishing Record, and moving to the particular, such as a
bibliography in a narrow subject area.23

Location

Location may refer to where a book is published, where it can

be found in a library, or where it can be purchased. Just knowing
that something exists is usually not enough. One needs to lay
hands on a specific item in order to be able to use it.24 Thus locat¬
ing material is extremely important.

Selection

Whether it is your own personal library or that of a particular

public, private, or academic institution, useful collecting accord¬
ing to some predetermined plan is of prime importance. In order
to assist the selector, certain bibliographies indicate what is avail¬
able in a given subject area, by a given author, in a given form, or
for given groups of readers. A bibliography may give an estimate
of the value of the particular work for a certain type of reader.25
A selector needs to be familiar with a wide variety of bibliogra¬
phies in order to be effective in the selection process.
8 Chapter 1

On Bibliographers

Bibliography may be among the oldest professions, for there have

been librarians, archivists, and bibliographers since there have
been written records.26 Relatively speaking, those who engage in
only bibliographical pursuits are few. Practicing bibliographers
are normally members of larger professional groups such as librar¬
ians, university professors, booksellers, collectors, and so on.

Librarians as Bibliographers

Many librarians, whether in public, school, academic, or special

libraries, are expected to participate in collection development.
Such a task, if it is to be done well, demands that one become
familiar with the collection. To do this the librarian can check
comprehensive and critical bibliographies against the card or on¬
line catalog to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the collec¬
tion. One needs as well to check the shelf list and abstracting and
indexing services. To carry out these activities, one must have
knowledge of trade bibliographies and other sources of authorita¬
tive bibliographic information. Many librarians have received
much of their preliminary training in the use of such tools in
schools of library and information science, but expertise in using
the tools is gained on the job.27 As a consequence one must keep
abreast of new sources as they become available and be able to
utilize them effectively. This includes new bibliographic data¬
bases that are available on CD-ROM such as Books in Print or
other library catalogs available on the Internet.
The term “bibliographer” can also be applied to librarians veri¬
fying bibliographic information for acquisitions purposes or to
catalogers, who must be able to use highly specialized biblio¬
graphical tools and mechanized information-retrieval systems,
such as the Research Library Information Network (RLIN) and
the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC).
Another major bibliographical activity that librarians perform is
helping patrons obtain information. This may be done in several
ways: by answering reference questions of varying degrees of dif¬
ficulty, by teaching their bibliographical specialties to others in
the classroom, by preparing ready reference lists, or point-of-use
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 9

guides, or by compiling different types of bibliographical lists on

specific subjects.

Booksellers as Bibliographers
Knowledge of and expertise in the use of bibliographical tools
are essential for a bookseller. Here the divisions of the field to
consider are trade-bibliography, author bibliography, and subject
bibliography. Each of these divisions requires mastery of tech¬
niques that are used as tools by those who are asked to compile
buying lists, to search for accurate information about published
material in book form, or to answer questions about books in
print.28
Booksellers must on occasion trace and record details of author¬
ship, editions, scope, contents, and grade of selected literature of
a subject. They may also be expected to evaluate books on sub¬
jects within their particular areas of expertise.29
Antiquarian booksellers will need to pursue this fascinating
topic even further, for the demands of book collectors are usually
more specialized and erudite than those of the average customer.
Dealers in first editions and secondhand, out-of-print, and scarce
books and manuscripts will be required to extend their studies to
descriptive or other aspects of analytical bibliography.30

Scholars as Bibliographers
Analytical bibliography is mostly the domain of the scholar and
is designed primarily to provide positive and incontrovertible
identification of books. Scholar-bibliographers must be ac¬
quainted with the physical characteristics of books: format, num¬
ber of pages, typography, and the number and description of
plates. They must know the important distinctions between edi¬
tions and the nature of omissions and additions and the reasons
for them. When books have been published anonymously or
pseudonymously, bibliographers must attempt to indicate the real
name of the concealed author and must expose the false attribution
when a book has been spuriously or erroneously ascribed to an¬
other author. They must provide date and place of publication
when it is omitted from the title page or colophon and correct
those important items when they have been purposely or inadver-
10 Chapter 1

tently altered. Bibliographers must know something about rare

books and the circumstances that have contributed to their scar¬
city. Finally they must have more than a nodding acquaintance
with the many kinds of literary fraud associated with printed edi¬
tions, and including, in one of its more reprehensible forms, edi¬
tions secretly issued by an unauthorized publisher.31
Much of the scholarly activity within analytical bibliography
seems to be carried on by literary critics, many of whom teach
English or literature at the college level.

Characteristics of the Bibliographer

No matter what their vocation, bibliographers seem to have a

penchant for detail and a tolerance for penury. Quoted below is a
doggerel written by a noted bibliographer that gives us some in¬
sight into the bibliographer’s plight.

TO A BIBLIOGRAPHER, WITH A
PRESENT OF DRIED BAY LEAVES
When Homer smote his bloomin’ lyre
The people flocked from croft and town
Most came to hear and to admire,
But one man came to write it down,
Another matched him, note for note.
Observing with a clerky air
Not what but how it was he wrote.
Thus Bard and scribe and bibliog-
Rapher began their endless race;
Sing, publish, and then catalogue
Whatever issues we can trace.
The poet won his wreath of bays;
The publisher gained cold hard cash;
The third man earned nor coin nor praise;
But old leaves out of Homer’s trash.
These leaves are withered, sere, and dry,
And if you flaunt them, men will stare;
So cook them in a pizza pie,
Don’t try to wear them in your hair.32

A bibliographer’s work is often quite technical. The search for

information, especially in the absence of definite clues, not only
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 11

consumes time, energy, and eyesight but causes great consterna¬

tion, often all out of proportion to the importance of the items
sought. But bibliography can hardly be recommended as an occu¬
pation for completely sane persons. What really intelligent indi¬
vidual would spend hours leafing through the files of a daily
newspaper or issues of periodicals for a single minor contribution
just to be able to list it? Or pay a high price for some piece of
trivia because there seemed to be no other way of locating a copy?
Or pester a publisher, printer, or binder in order to establish the
number of copies actually issued of a particular book?33
And all for what purpose? Not for financial gain, surely. As the
doggerel points out, there are very few bibliographers who have
earned substantial sums for either their compilers or their pub¬
lisher. And not for lasting fame either: most bibliographies are out
of date before they are published. Furthermore, if a bibliography
is published on a subject of continuing importance, it will soon be
superseded, and, otherwise, be quickly forgotten.34
In spite of all this, bibliographers seem determined to continue
their work, even though at times beset by ridiculous difficulties.
Elliott Coues, writing in 1897 about his monumental but never-
completed Universal Bibliography of Ornithology, stated:

I never did anything else in my life which brought me such . . .

praise . . . and immediate . . . recognition, at home and abroad, from
ornithologists who knew that bibliography was a necessary nuisance
and a horrible drudgery that no mere drudge could perform. It takes
a sort of inspired idiot to be a good bibliographer, and his inspiration
is as dangerous a gift as the appetite of the gambler or dipsoma¬
niac—it grows with what it feeds upon, and finally possesses its
victim like any other invincible vice.35

The prominent bibliographer Robert L. Collison has said that

there is something very satisfying in handling a well-constructed

bibliography; the care and enthusiasm with which the bibliographer
has applied himself to the task is reflected in the thoughtful annota¬
tions, the ample cross-references, and the careful selection of mate¬
rial, so that users are continually being directed to new and
unsuspected resources, their minds stimulated by new ideas, and
their conception of their subjects enriched by the indication of new
fields as yet unexplored. The finished product, if good, reads so
12 Chapter 1

easily that few give thought to the arduous and exacting nature of
the task that confronts every bibliographer anew.36

Every bibliographer, whether a student, a bookseller, a collec¬

tor, a librarian, or a scholar, faces the same series of questions.
When we pick up a book, for instance, we want to identify it as
precisely as possible, locate where it stands in the hierarchy of
editions, determine what its importance is, and generally settle its
status. Needless to say, we give the questions different weights
depending on whether we happen to want to buy the book, sell it,
or study some of its aspects. Bibliography provides the motive
power to move a book into a shop, out of a shop, into a private
collection or a library, and off the shelf into a critical or historical
study of an edition.37
Alfred William Pollard, in a presidential address to the Biblio¬
graphical Society (London), said: “What is the business of the
bibliographer? Primarily and essentially, I should say, the enumer¬
ation of books. His is the lowly task of finding out what books
exist, and thereby helping to secure their preservation, and fur¬
nishing the specialist with information as to the extent of the sub¬
ject matter with which he has to deal.”38 Daily, throughout the
world, a spate of books and other graphic materials is published
or produced. Within many subjects, in many languages, huge
numbers of ideas spill out in random order, much as do stock
trades at the New York Stock Exchange. So that most people can
understand them, the stock quotations must be arranged in a regu¬
lar alphabetical table on the high-speed ticker, with the day’s high,
lows, and closing prices indicated. Bibliographers do much the
same with the mass of material they find—they collect, classify,
describe, and arrange.39
The process of description of books in many cases involves ana¬
lytical bibliography, so that a true enumeration of the editions,
states, and issues of the same title may be made, for how can lists
be made unless the objects are really identified? Of books this is
true, but of ideas and words, not so. They are not physical objects
and therefore cannot be studied as such. Bibliography is now ex¬
tended to cover ideas. Here the idea is supreme, and the physical
object is all but forgotten.40
Enumeradve bibliography has become a tremendously broad
field and threatens to become even more extensive as books and
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 13

ideas multiply. The bibliographer in today’s world is faced with

an almost infinite number of tasks that might be undertaken. The
labor is often arduous and redundant and has minimal monetary
remuneration, but for those who like this kind of work, the satis¬
faction is great. Arundell J. K. Esdaile has written that the bibliog¬
rapher, in the seclusion of libraries, is not the dusty and bloodless
creature often imagined but a bonafide detective engaged in a
thrilling kind of hunt.41

Conclusion
Arising out of a basic need to bring order to and provide access to
the mass of written and printed documents produced by human
beings since the beginning of recorded time, bibliography has
emerged as a primary element in this ordering and access process.
Many definitions have been given to describe what bibliography
is and does, but there is still disagreement among practitioners as
to bibliography’s precise meaning and functions.
In practice, bibliography can be structured into two broad areas
of activity, one dealing with graphic materials as physical entities
or material objects (analytical or critical), the other treats materi¬
als as intellectual entities (enumerative or systematic), each with
various subdivisions.
Both analytical and enumerative bibliography have a variety of
functions all of which assist in the ordering and retrieval of infor¬
mation and the advancement of knowledge in almost every subject
field. With the activities of bibliographers working in a number of
related professions down through the centuries, we have seen the
development of vast information networks and sophisticated bib¬
liographical tools that aid in the ordering and dissemination of
recorded information.
For those whose work is concerned with these records, a knowl¬
edge of the forms and conventions of bibliography becomes a ne¬
cessity, because a bibliography is the line that links scholar to
scholar across geographical boundaries and offers unlimited pos¬
sibilities.42

Selected Supplemental Resources

In the 1990s there has been little written specifically about the
nature of bibliography, thus the sources cited below tend to be
14 Chapter 1

somewhat dated and nonreflective of the impact of technology on

the field.
Richard H. Shoemaker in “Bibliography (General),” Library
Trends 15 (January 1967), 340-346, provides one of the best and
most concise discussions on the structure and purpose of bibliog¬
raphy. Accompanying his general survey of the main branches of
the field are examples. This article is a good starting place for the
beginner. Within a historical context, D. W. Krummel’s “Bibliog¬
raphy,” in Encyclopedia of Library History, edited by Wayne A.
Wiegand and Donald G. Davis, Jr. (New York: Garland Publish¬
ing, 1994), 69-75, provides a useful outline of the field and the
major works that aided in its development.
David C. Greetham in Textual Scholarship: An Introduction
(New York: Garland Publishing, 1994), explores the full scope of
textual scholarship, including enumerative, analytical, and de¬
scriptive bibliography; textual bibliography and textual criticism;
and paleography and typography. Greetham also offers a histori¬
cal and methodological survey of textual scholarship, which is
supplemented with a useful glossary and bibliography of textual
criticism.
A short but excellent outline of bibliography as a field of study
is offered by H. R. Woudhuysen: “Bibliography,” in Antiquarian
Books: A Companion for Booksellers, Librarians and Collectors,
compiled and edited by Philippa Bernard with Leo Bernard and
Angus O’Neill (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
1994), 51-56. Fifty essays by leading scholars covering the major
branches and functions of bibliography are examined in Essays on
Bibliography (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1975), edited by
Vito J. Brenni. In the late 1960s Robert B. Downs and Frances B.
Jenkins edited a collection of studies Bibliography: Current State
and Future Trends (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1967).
These essays were designed to review the state and future outlook
of bibliography at that time.
M. L. Chakraborti presents a basic textbook discussion of bibli¬
ography and its various branches in Bibliography in Theory and
Practice, 3rd rev. and enl. ed. (Calcutta: World Press, 1987). From
an Indian perspective he offers a theoretical and practical ap¬
proach to the field which has some limitations. A basic overview
of how the field of bibliography is organized is given from another
Indian perspective by Girja Kumar and Krishan Kumar in chapter
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 15

2, “Branches of Bibliography,” of their work Bibliography, rev.

ed. (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1985).
Another basic organizational outline of the field is offered in
Esdaile’s Manual of Bibliography, 5th ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scare¬
crow Press, 1981), edited by Roy B. Stokes. The beginning chap¬
ter “The Nature of Bibliography” provides some clarification of
the term along with a discussion of the various branches and their
functions. A detailed examination of the branches and their func¬
tions is given by Stokes in The Function of Bibliography. 2nd ed.
(Aldershot, Eng.: Gower, 1982). Stokes also provides an excellent
treatment of how the term bibliography has evolved; in “Bibliog¬
raphy,” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science 1
(1969), 407-419, where he outlines the various aspects of the field
focusing on the differences that distinguish the two main
branches—enumerative or systematic and analytical or critical
bibliography.
In “Study of Bibliography and Its Role in the Academic
World,” Herald of Library Science 22 (July—October 1983),
204-215, Moti Lai Wali defines the transitional development of
the term, describes its various branches and prescribes a method
for analyzing its role in scholarly writing. B. C. Brookes synthe¬
sized Jesse Shera’s concepts of macrobibliography or social epis¬
temology and their implications for the study of bibliography in
“Jesse Shera and the Theory of Bibliography,” Journal ofLibrari-
anship 5 (October 1973), 233-245. Neal R. Harlow presents an
excellent overview of bibliography as it has developed over time,
citing the role of bibliographers, in “The Well-Tempered Bibliog¬
rapher,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 50
(1956), 28-39. Harlow provides some interesting insights into the
nature of bibliography along with the movements that established
its importance.
A study by Eric H. Boehm, “On the Second Knowledge,” Libri
22 (1972), 312-323, stresses the need for bibliographic resources
to provide more access points by using refined indexing methods.
Gustave O. Arlt considers bibliography as an important part of the
research process and scholarly communication in “Bibliography:
An Essential Piece of Equipment,” Library Journal 86 (April 16,
1961), 1539-1541. A comment on the importance of bibliography
and librarianship is given by Marcelino Menendez y Pelayo in
“Of Bibliographical Matters,” The American Book Collector 1
16 Chapter 1

(January 1957), 15-21. Citing uncertainties in both enumerative

and descriptive bibliographies in “Enumerative Bibliography and
the Physical Book,” Canadian Issues 15 (1993), 145-159, G.
Thomas Tanselle contends that the dichotomy between enumera¬
tive and analytical bibliographies is inadequate, noting that even
in taking the simple step of listing the title of a book, the bibliog¬
rapher enters a “community that struggles endlessly to disentangle
verbal works from physical texts.”
The meaning of the word bibliography has changed consider¬
ably over the years and difficulties in its current applications are
treated in the following works. Terry Belanger’s chapter “De¬
scriptive Bibliography” in Book Collecting, A Modern Guide, ed¬
ited by Jean Peters (New York: Bowker, 1977), 97-115, concisely
outlines the structure of the field as a discipline and reveals some
interesting reasons why the word is so difficult to define. After
tracing the use of “bibliographia” and its vemaculary derivatives
from antiquity, and relating the terminology to changing concepts
of bibliography, Rudolf Blum in Bibliographia: An Inquiry into
Its Definitions and Designations, translated from the German by
Mathilde V. Rovelstad (Folkestone, Eng.: Dawson; Chicago:
American Library Association, 1980) concludes that the interna¬
tional scholarly community had by roughly 1900 reached general
agreement: bibliography was the compilation of lists of books,
together with the theory behind the organization of those lists.
An extensive historical outline of the word bibliography is pro¬
vided by Percy Freer in the first chapter of his book Bibliography
and Modern Book Production: Notes and Sources for Student Li¬
brarians, Printers, Book Sellers, Book-Collectors (Johannesburg:
Witwatersrand University Press, 1954). An early twentieth cen¬
tury view of how the word has changed is given by David Murray
on pages 1-10 of Bibliography: Its Scope and Methods, with a
View of the Work of a Local Bibliographical Society (Glasgow,
Scotland: James Maclehose and Sons, 1917). Fred R. Shapiro in
“Earlier Uses of Bibliography and Related Terms,” Notes and
Queries, n.s., 31 (March 1984), 30, surveys the activities of per¬
sons and sources responsible for early definitions of the term. On
pages 2-3 of her short study Bibliography (Chicago: American
Library Association Publishing Board, 1915), Isadore Gilbert
Mudge presents a concise description of how the word has evolved
up to the modem age. Semiotics or the science of signs is applied
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 17

to the definitions of bibliography by Ross Atkinson in “An Appli¬

cation of Semiotics to the Definition of Bibliography,” Studies in
Bibliography 33 (1980), 54-73.
The field, as presently constituted, is the product of many per¬
sons many of whom are called bibliographers. In a somewhat hu¬
morous but scholarly vein, William H. Bond, in the recorded
speech “Bibliography and Bibliographers,” AB Bookman's
Weekly 47 (April 26, 1971), 1395-1397, examines the role of bib¬
liographers throughout history and scrutinizes their successes and
failures. In chapter 17, “The Making of a Bibliographer” in Bibli¬
ography rev. ed. (New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1985),
Girja Kumar and Krishan Kumar outline the qualities a bibliogra¬
pher must have to be effective, focusing on training, personality
and experience. Using Ezra Pound as an example, Donald Gallup
in Contemporary Bibliography, with Particular Reference to Ezra
Pound (Austin: Humanities Research Center, University of Texas,
1970) examines the tasks of bibliographers and the numerous dif¬
ficulties they encounter.
The activities of the librarian bibliographer are more complex
than usually conceived, according to Bimpe Aboyade in “Librar¬
ian as Bibliographer,” UNESCO Bulletin for Libraries 25 (No¬
vember/December 1971), 344-347. He also examines
bibliographical scholarship in various disciplines and defines the
needs of scholars in these fields. In “Bibliography and the Begin¬
ning Bibliographer,” Collection Building 6 (Summer 1984), 11-
19, Charles D’Aniello describes the major activities of the
academic librarian-bibliographer within the context of collection
development. He provides an excellent survey of these activities
covering a wide spectrum of literature.
Acquisitions work in libraries by its nature is highly dependent
on bibliography in its functions and therefore is an excellent train¬
ing ground for prospective bibliographers, according to Felix Re-
ichmann in “Acquisitions Librarian as Bibliographer,” College
and Research Libraries 10 (July 1949), 203-207. The problem
areas encountered by librarian-bibliographers and those in other
subject disciplines are defined and analyzed by G. Thomas
Tanselle in “Bibliographers and the Library,” Library Trends 25
(April 1977), 745-762. Tanselle also examines the scientifically
related functions of bibliographers in “Bibliographers and Sci¬
ence,” Studies in Bibliography 27 (1974), 55-89. In a well-bal-
18 Chapter 1

anced study, The Area Specialist Bibliographer: An Inquiry into

His Role (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1972), Robert D.
Stueart explores the ways in which area specialists in libraries
function as bibliographers and the difficulties they face.
The development of the subject bibliographers in both concept
and practice is examined by John Haar in “Scholar or Librarian?
How Academic Libraries’ Dualistic Concept of the Bibliographer
Affects Recruitment,” Collection Building 12, nos. 1-2 (1993),
18-23. Due to pressures of time and available resources, A. J.
Walford in “Plight of the Subject Bibliographer,” Library Review
14 (Summer 1960), 403-408, indicated that subject bibliogra¬
phers in libraries find it difficult to do their jobs effectively. He
outlines some possible solutions.
A vast literature of biographical works of persons intimately
involved in the development of bibliography is extant and grow¬
ing. A good example is John F. Fulton’s study The Great Medical
Bibliographers: A Study in Humanism (Westport, CT: Greenwood
Press, 1977) first published in 1951. Pioneers in Bibliography.
(Winchester, Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliographies, 1988), edited by
Robin Myers and Michael Harris, contains seven essays by schol¬
ars exploring the bibliographical activities of various individuals
and their influence on the field. A personal account of his develop¬
ment as a bibliographer is provided by Ernest A. Savage in “Ca¬
sual Amateur in Bibliography,” The Library Association Record
65 (October 1963), 361-365. Bibliographers, according to Joel
Myerson, seem only to talk and compile for themselves in “The
Bibliographer and His Public(s),” Library Research Newsletter 5
(Fall 1980), 163-170. He provides suggestions aimed at making
the use of bibliography more universal. Neal R. Harlow in “Bibli¬
ographers in an Age of Scientists,” Revue de TUniversite d’Ot-
tawa 23 (January/March 1953), 37-49, examines the effects of
some of the early electronic devices in the development of bibli¬
ography and the role of the bibliographer. Sir Stephen Gaselee in
“The Aims of Bibliography,” Transactions of the Bibliographical
Society of London (1932-1933), 225-238, outlines the historical
development of enumerative bibliography and examines the role
of various bibliographers.
Lawrence S. Thompson in “The Humanist Bibliographer,”
American Book Collector 6 (October 1955), 11, says that anyone
can bring together a collection of books and list them, but to make
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 19

bibliography meaningful is the task of the scholar. He elaborates

that whatever the task may be, the humanist bibliographer must
combine all the critical skills at his or her command to make the
end product useful.
The lack of bibliographical awareness and the failure by schol¬
ars to use proper techniques is lamented by Pierce Butler in “Bib¬
liography and Scholarship, ” Papers of the Bibliographic Society
of America 16 (1923), 53-63. Butler’s concerns are unfortunately
still prevalent in modem scholarship. The Collection Management
and Development Committee of the American Library Associa¬
tion’s Technical Services Division (now the ALA’s Association
for Library Collections and Technical Services) has published a
Guide for Writing a Bibliographer’s Manual (Chicago: American
Library Association, 1987) that is designed to assist in developing
guidelines for bibliographers who are involved in collection devel¬
opment in libraries.

Notes

1. David C. Weber, “Bibliographical Blessings,” Papers of the Bib¬

liographical Society of America 61 (October/December 1967), 307.
2. Michael Keresztesi, “The Science of Bibliography: Theoretical
Implications for Bibliographic Instruction,” in Theories of Bibliographic
Education, Designs for Teaching, edited by Cerise Oberman and Katarina
Strauch (New York: Bowker, 1982), 5.
3. Roy Stokes, The Function of Bibliography 2nd ed. (Aldershot,
Eng.: Gower, 1982), ix. Stokes deals somewhat with the problem of spe¬
cialization within the field, which is possibly more prevalent than we
realize.
4. Charles Barrett Brown, The Contribution of Greek to English
(Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press, 1942), 29, 78.
5. The origin and changes that have occurred in the use of the term
bibliography are extensively treated in several works cited in the selected
supplemental resources.
6. G. Thomas Tanselle, “The State of Bibliography Today,” Papers
of the Bibliographical Society of America 73 (July/September 1979), 289.
7. Walter Wilson Greg, “What is Bibliography?” Transactions of the
Bibliographical Society (London) 12 (1914), 40.
8. Ross Atkinson, “An Application of Semiotics to the Definition of
Bibliography,”Studies in Bibliography 33 (1980), 56.
20 Chapter 1

9. G. Thomas Tanselle, “Bibliography as a Sciencq,” Studies in Bibli¬

ography 27 (1974), 88.
10. Percy Freer, Bibliography and Modern Book Production (Johan¬
nesburg: Witwatersrand University Press, 1954), 1-13.
11. Paul S. Dunkin, Bibliography: Tiger or Fat Cat? (Hamden, CT:
Archon Books, 1975), 7. Dunkin further states that “any definition of
bibliography is a statement of personal experience and belief.”
12. Lawrence J. McCrank, “Analytical and Historical Bibliography: A
State of the Art Review,” in Annual Report of the American Rare and
Out-of-Print Book Trade, 1978/1979 edited by Denis Carbonneau (New
York: BCAR Publications, 1979), 175.
13. Terry Belanger, “Descriptive Bibliography,” in Book Collecting:
A Modern Guide edited by Jean Peters (New York: Bowker, 1977), 99.
14. Belanger, 99-100.
15. Vemer W. Clapp. “Bibliography,” Encyclopedia Americana (Chi¬
cago: Grolier, 1994), 3: 721.
16. Richard H. Shoemaker, “Bibliography (General),” Library Trends
15 (January 1967), 340.
17. The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science edited by
Heartsill Young, et al. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1983),
72.
18. Clapp, 721.
19. In the early 1950s it was estimated that there were possibly 9,600
to 147,456 different kinds of bibliographies. UNESCO/Library of Con¬
gress Bibliographic Survey. Bibliographical Services, Their Present State
and Possibilities of Improvement. . . (Washington, DC: 1950), para. 2.1.
Also cited in Neal R. Harlow, “Bibliographers in an Age of Science,”
Revue de VUniversite d’Ottawa 23 (January/March 1953), 41.
20. Clapp, 3: 722.
21. Clapp, 3: 724.
22. For a treatment of the Hofmann forgeries, see “A Scandal in
America: Part I,” (authorship unclear) appearing in The Book Collector
36 (Winter 1987), 449-470.
23. William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work: Volume I, Basic
Information Sources, 6th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992), 61.
24. Katz, 61-62.
25. Katz, 62.
26. Neal R. Harlow, “The Well-Tempered Bibliographer,” Papers of
the Bibliographical Society of America 50 (1956), 28.
27. Manuel D. Lopez, “A Guide for Beginning Bibliographers,” Li¬
brary Resources and Technical Services 13 (Fall 1969), 463-464.
28. F. Seymour Smith, Bibliography in the Bookshop, 2nd ed. (Lon¬
don: Deutsch, 1972), 18-19.
 The Dimensions of Bibliography 21

29. Smith, 18-19

30. Smith, 18-19
31. Gustave O. Arlt, “Bibliography: An Essential Piece of Equip¬
ment,” Library Journal 86 (April 15, 1961), 1540.
32. William H. Bond, “Bibliography and Bibliographers,” AB Book¬
man's Weekly 47 (April 26, 1971), 1395. Dr. Bond was the head librarian
at Harvard’s Houghton Library for many years. He is a true scholar-
librarian-bibliographer.
33. Donald Clifford Gallup, On Contemporary Bibliography, with
Particular Reference to Ezra Pound (Austin: Humanities Research Cen¬
ter, University of Texas, 1970), 7.
34. Gallup, 8.
35. Elliott Coues, “Dr. Coues’ Column,” The Osprey 2 (November
1897), 39.
36. Robert Collison, Bibliography, Subject and National 3rd ed. (New
York: Hafner, 1968), 158.
37. Bond, 1395.
38. Alfred William Pollard, “Practical Bibliography,” The Library
(London), n. s., 4 (April 1903), 158.
39. Shoemaker, 341.
40. Shoemaker, 341.
41. Arundell J. K. Esdaile, A Student's Manual of Bibliography, 3rd
ed., revised by Roy Stokes (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1954), 32.
42. Girja Kumar and Krishan Kumar, Bibliography (New Delhi: Vikas
Publishing House, 1985), 238-239.
 '

-
 2

Historical Survey

Although bibliography had its beginnings in antiquity, it has been

characterized by Lester Condit as a lusty infant in swaddling
clothes. Sired scarcely four centuries ago by Conrad Gesner and
christened during the eighteenth century by DeBure when he pro¬
duced his Bibliographie instructive (1763), the entry of bibliogra¬
phy into the field of learning has been comparatively recent.1

Beginnings

The listing of books is of ancient origin. There had been such lists
of clay tablets even in the library of Sennacherib at Nineveh in the
seventh century b.c.2 Thus, in tracing the beginnings of biblio¬
graphical study one can detect, in the compilation of catalogs of
books contained in the great collections of classical times, the
embryo of an aspiring discipline. Another example is the famous
library at Alexandria in the third century b.c., which contained the
most extensive collection of Greek literature in the ancient world.
At least two catalogs were prepared by the order of Ptolemy Phila-
delphus, one listing tragedies and the other comedies. Librarians
of the Alexandrian library were primarily bibliographers and this
was a major part of their responsibilities. It is certainly true that
collection building and the preparation of catalogs, both essen¬
tially bibliographical functions, were very highly developed arts
in Alexandria.3
For a period of time the Greek poet Callimachus was a librarian
at Alexandria. He compiled a critical catalog entitled Pinakes
“Lists”, that included the more important books in the library,
arranged under 120 subjects. Another well-known Greek, Galen,

23
24 Chapter 2

a physician of the second century a.d., on a somewhat smaller

scale compiled a list of his own books. Since Galen was such a
prolific writer, it is not at all surprising that he would need such a
catalog. This work, entitled De libris propriis liber, is a classified
arrangement of his writings into seventeen groups under such
headings as commentaries, moral philosophies, grammar, and so
on.4
As in Galen’s case, early bibliographies often had a close rela¬
tionship to biography. Most of these bibliographies were lists of
an author’s works included in a biography. It has not been possible
to determine at what point bibliographies became separated from
these biographies and became the main object of a compiler. We
do know, however, that during the fifth century a.d. St. Jerome
(347-420), the translator of the Vulgate Bible into Latin, and Gen-
nadius of Marseilles (fl. late 5th century), a theologian and priest,
both compiled separate bibliographies that bore the same title, De
viris illustribus (“On Famous Men”). St. Jerome did say that his
work should have been more correctly entitled De scriptoribus
ecclesiasticis (“On Ecclesiastical Writers”). Throughout succeed¬
ing centuries many bio-bibliographies made their appearance.5
The first known example of a bibliography appended to a book
other than a biography was The Ecclesiastical History of Britain
(731) by English historian and scholar the Venerable Bede.

Middle Period

The need to record the books contained in large collections was

felt even in early medieval times. This trend was well documented
by the catalogs that are known to have existed of various medieval
libraries. During this period there were also some isolated exam¬
ples of catalogs which recorded the existence of books on a much
wider scale. As an example, a catalog compiled by Franciscan
monks in the fourtenth century entitled Registarum librorum Ang-
laciae (“Register of English Books”) contains a list of manu¬
scripts in over 180 English monasteries.
Several years later a similar but single-handed attempt at the
same thing was made by John Boston, a Benedictine monk of
Bury, around 1410. In this work entitled Catalogus scriptorum
ecclesias (“Catalog of Church Writers”), Boston cataloged the
 Historical Survey 25

collections of some 195 religious houses in England and Scotland.

He listed, under their names, the writings of about seven hundred
authors and cross-referenced them under the books of the Bible
about which they had written. The locations of the books are
shown by numbers used to identify the holding libraries, a method
used by bibliographers today. Although it is far from complete,
many consider this work to be the first example of a union cata¬
log—a catalog showing locations of titles in several libraries.6
So far, the examples discussed above have been catalogs rather
than bibliographies. Unlike catalogs, a bibliography is not neces¬
sarily restricted to a single collection, library, or even a group of
libraries. Bibliographies may confine themselves in other
ways—to one topic, a particular period of time, works by or about
a particular author, and so on—but the works listed and described
may well be located throughout libraries in many countries. The
first true bibliographies, as separate entities, were those produced
by Johann Tritheim (1462-1516), abbot of Sponheim, toward the
end of the fifteenth century. He compiled an extensive bibliogra¬
phy of ecclesiastical writers, entitled Liber de scriptoribus ecclesi-
asticis (1494) published in Basel by Johann Amerbach.7 In this
work he lists about seven thousand books under their authors, ar¬
ranged in chronological order from Alexander, bishop of Cappo-
docia, down to himself. He also added an alphabetical index of
authors, arranged by their Christian names.8 In the following year,
Tritheim’s second bibliography, Catalogus illustrium virorum
Germaniae (1495), was published in Mainz at the press of Peter
von Frieberg, recording the writings of the most prominent Ger¬
man authors. Over two thousand works are listed by more than
three hundred authors, also arranged chronologically.9

Modern Period

Following the invention of the printing press toward the middle of

the fifteenth century, and the resulting increase in book produc¬
tion, the need to record and control this literary outpouring biblio-
graphically also increased. However, it was a number of years
before any significant attempt was made. Eventually, in 1545 Con¬
rad Gesner (1516-1566), the Swiss-German doctor, writer, and
naturalist, published his monumental Bibliotheca universalis
26 Chapter 2

“Universal Bibliography”, in which he recorded about 12,000

books written and printed in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. The en¬
tries are arranged alphabetically by author (complete with bio¬
graphical details) and include title, date, place of publication, and
name of the publisher. Gesner frequently gives an indication of a
book’s contents or includes extracts from the book itself. For
sources of information, Gesner visited many libraries and secured
booksellers’ catalogs and their published works, including Tri-
theim’s bibliography.10
In 1548 the first national bibliography, or one devoted to the
writers of one nation, entitled lllustrium maioris Brittaniae scrip-
torum hoc est Angliae, Cambriae ac Scotiae summarium (“Sum¬
mary of Distinguished Writers or Writers of Greater Britain,
Namely of England, Wales and also Scotland”), was compiled by
John Bale, chronicler and perhaps the earliest playwright in the
English language.11 This bio-bibliographical work, in which En¬
glish writers are arranged in chronological order, was prepared in
order to save from oblivion the rich resources of monastic libraries
that had been suppressed or partially destroyed. Bale, like Gesner,
visited libraries and corresponded with scholars when he did not
have access to specific books.
Of course, the most far-reaching impact upon the development
of bibliography was the invention of the movable-type printing
press in the fifteenth century and the resulting increase in the num¬
ber of published books. Trade bibliographies and book lists pre¬
pared by booksellers made their appearance in Germany, where
Frankfurt and Leipzig became the centers of the German and for¬
eign book trade. Along with the establishment of seasonal book
fairs in these cities, first the dealers and later city governments
published what can be considered genuine trade bibliographies.12
We find that by the eighteenth century, bibliography had be¬
come recognized as a distinct area of knowledge. The number of
bibliographical classification schemes increased, and the theoreti¬
cal foundations of the field were explored by various writers. Li¬
braries began printing catalogs of their collections. Among the
most notable of these were the Leyden (1710), Oxford (1738), and
Bibliotheque Royale (1743).13
Close on the heels of Germany in the development of bibliogra¬
phy was France, particularly after the book fairs had ceased in the
eighteenth century. One of the more important French bibliogra-
 Historical Survey 27

LIBER
Qaxftioncs uanass
Quxftiones K* I
inllbroi Etbi
infibroj Etbicoru:
In Pbtlofopbn moraiu
Hiccfjam compofuitoffi'dam ftigmatum fm&j Franctfci ordinis mmorom infK/
tutorts. In multos demcg Bibiix libros comecarios cdidiffe diritur: qoi ad m ana*
noftras adbuc mmimcaencrut.Oarmt fub Ludouico bauaro rmperatorc quarto
&rIobanncpapa.Jodj.Anno domtni Mtilefimo.CCCXXX.
IcoiausdeLyrarnadone Anglicusjordinis fracrum minoru: akin fcriptv*
o ns&ncb's ftudiofiffimus:<3: longa exercitadonc peritusibebrakalmgua
ad pcrfe&um inftruchjsnngenio promptus: fermonc fcbolafticusmcc mi
nets conuerfatione § fo'enda ucncrandus:SaripGtin facris uolummibus multa
prxetara opufcuia:qmbus nome fuum ad nodria pofteritatis dcucmt.QuLac <j uti/
fia quacg neccffaria lint otfubus facta fcriptura dtlcere cupienribus: nemo melius
nouitrq qui fc in corum ledione exerritautt.Sunt cm qm cum ob doqutj fimpEd
rate eftimer cotemnedu: qui rrubi uidetur & uani Sc impend ac facrx friendxfa/
I otaris pbilofopbix indignuquonia & fimpHcitate ecclefiaftica uitupcranti&f acr
ba non res amplechmtur. Dc opufcuUs autcmbuius dcuod& cmditi uin Cabie/
cbiferuntur:
Super fentendas: fi. iir)
In Genefrai ad Ettcta:
InExodum: It.
In Leuiticum: li.
In Nurocros: it. | Locotoseftdns&c.Ex.
In Deuteronomiff: IL Decbrado fermonfi tuo^i.
In lofue: li. Introduces eos Oc plan*
In ludteum: b. Sufritauitdns indices.
In Rutb: u. j In dieb* flc'c.Hic cofcque,
In Regam: If. ufj
In Paralipomenon: fa. %
In Efdram fir Necmta: It. »I
In Tobiam: if. j Hxc oportaic fa cere &c.
Inluditb: 1 Arfaxat &c.Poft biftorias.
In Heller: ] In dicbos &c.Poftqua m*
In lob: | Padcntia babe in me &c,
In Pfalterium: 1 - •
In Prouerbia ^ )
In Ecdefiaftcn
In Canricacani I Ofculetor me dec, Expcdi.
In libru Sapier j Port libros biftoriales.
In Ecclcfiaftia
In Efaiamppb
InHieremia:
In Tbrenosbii
in hbrtS Barnet
In E^ecbidcmi Apertifuntcaeli&c
InDanielcm: DanieliaSrdeditdetrs.
ln.xrj.ppbeta! Duodcdm ^pbetaru ofla,
In Macbabxoi Et faclu eft &c.Poft bifto.
!n eaangchu JV Quattuor facies uni ct*
In Marcum: Facies leonis a dextris.
In Lucam; Facies boats a fintftris.

Figure 2. Page from Tritheim’s

Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (1494)
(courtesy of the Grolier Club).
28 Chapter 2

BIBLIOTHECA
Vniuerfalis, fiueCatalogusomm*
umforiptorumloaipieriflimuSjtn tribus linguis,Laana, Gracca, &£ He*
braicarextantium 8c non extantiu, ucterum Be recenrioram in huncufqj
diem,do<fk>rum&indo(florum,publicatorum &in Bibliotheds laten*
tium. Opus nouum, & no Bibh'othcds tantum publiris priuatisucin*
ib'tucndis neceffarium,fed Audio fis omnibus cuiufcun<$ artis auc
fdenrise adftudia melius formanda uriliflimum; authore
■coNRADo gesnbro Tigurino doclore medico.

TIG VRI A P VD CHUIiTOPHORVM

frofchoumm Matfe Srptcmbri, Anno
M, D, XL V,

Figure 3.
Title page from Gesner’s
Bibliotheca universalis (1545)
(courtesy of the Grolier Club).
 Historical Survey 29

phies was J. C. Brunet’s Manuel du libraire et de Vamateur de

livres (“Bookdealer’s and Book Lover’s Manual”), first published
in 1810 but frequently enlarged. Brunet arranged his entries by
author and added an index of subjects. For each work he provided
a reasonably detailed description, which included technical infor¬
mation on the pagination, the number of lines to the page, the
signing of gatherings, and so forth, as well as notes on editions
and sale prices.14 The first bibliographies of bibliographies were
lists of library catalogs. Philippe Labbe’s Bibliotheca bibliotheca-
rum (1664; “Library of Book Collections”) is a good example.15
Julius Petzholdt published in 1866 his Bibliotheca bibliographica
(“Bibliographic Library”), which in arrangement, fullness of bib¬
liographical detail, accuracy, and reliability is still the authority
for the books included.
With the advent of the nineteenth century, bibliography had be¬
come firmly established as a major tool in academic research
which it continues to be today. Basic works on the theoretical
aspects of bibliography began to consider the problems of enu-
merative, critical, historical, and selective bibliographies. Also
bibliographical journals were created to keep abreast of current
trends.16
An important aspect in the development of bibliography as a
discipline was the emergence of the bibliographical society toward
the end of the nineteenth century. Generally these societies are
associations of professional scholars or amateurs interested in col¬
lecting information about books. Some promote the study of liter¬
ature, the art of bookmaking, book preservation, or book
collecting. Others sponsor historical research on books and issue
papers or transactions containing such research. The membership
of these groups includes college and university professors, librari¬
ans, teachers, rare-book dealers, and collectors.17
Of these societies the oldest is the Bibliographical Society, Lon¬
don, founded in 1892. The Bibliographical Society of America
was founded in 1904 as a continuation on a national scale of the
Bibliographical Society of Chicago, which was founded in 1899.18
Perhaps the most scholarly society in the United States is the Bib¬
liographical Society of the University of Virginia, founded in
1947, a leader in analytical bibliography, with worldwide mem¬
bership. As a whole these organizations provide a vehicle for
growth and development of their members within the discipline.
30 Chapter 2

Contemporary Period

At the beginning of the twentieth century came the next great

change in bibliographical study. The groundwork for the physical
examination and description of books had been laid by such ear¬
lier bibliographers as Ludwig Hain in his monumental four-vol¬
ume work Repertorium bibliographicum (1826-38); Henry
Bradshaw (1831-1866), for many years librarian of the Cam¬
bridge University Library; Robert Proctor, who in the 1890s was
engaged in cataloging incunabula in the Bodleian Library and
later in the British Museum; and numerous others of lesser note.19
Now instead of simply compiling lists, the bibliographer was
gradually being influenced to undertake a study of all the proc¬
esses involved in the making of books. This in turn led to the
belief that the bibliographer could, by such investigation, shed
some light on certain literary problems concerned with the trans¬
mission of text, from the author’s manuscript to the completed
printed book.20
This “new bibliography” is now the field of analytical or criti¬
cal bibliography. It flourished mostly in Great Britain during the
first years of the twentieth century with the works and writings of
such well-known bibliographers as Sir Walter Wilson Greg, Sir
Stephen Gaselee, Alfred William Pollard, and Ronald Brunlees
McKerrow. McKerrow’s An Introduction to Bibliography for Lit¬
erary Students (1927) was the first general attempt to examine the
use of printing materials and methods of Elizabethan times and
to relate them both to the transmission of text from the author’s
manuscript to the printed copy and to the changes appearing in
later editions.21 About mid-century the main activity in this area
of bibliographic study seemed to swing to the other side of the
Atlantic with the publication of Principles of Bibliographical De¬
scription (1949) by Fredson Bowers and other subsequent studies.
In recent years there have been a number of new works published,
the most notable of which is A New Introduction to Bibliography
by Philip Gaskell (1974).
Related to enumerative or systematic bibliography, there have
been several important works published over the past few decades.
There is Anthony M. L. Robinson’s Systematic Bibliography, now
in its 4th edition (1979), and more recently Donald W. Krummel’s
extensive study Bibliographies: Their Aims and Methods (1984).
 Historical Survey 31

The nature and functions of bibliography have expanded greatly

since the beginnings of recorded history. Even with this extensive
history of growth and development it has only been in the last
few decades that bibliographic study has achieved recognition as
a separate and distinct branch of scholarship. This trend indeed
reflects the current state of civilized society with its tremendous
expansion of scientific and technical knowledge. The result of this
information explosion is that the demands now made on bibliogra¬
phy are as vast as the scientific and technical advances themselves
that it must document and control.22
Perhaps the leading exponent of analytical bibliography today
is G. Thomas Tanselle, who believes that analytical bibliography
is not simply an ancillary discipline but is of interest in its own
right for providing statistical evidence about printing and publish¬
ing practices. He admonishes analytical bibliographers to integrate
their study into, and expand in conjunction with, the body of work
on printing, publishing, and booktrade history. Analytical bibliog¬
raphy, Tanselle asserts, must mature in developing a more rigor¬
ous self-discipline.23
In discussing the relationship between analytical and enumera-
tive bibliography, Marcia J. Bates indicates that there has been a
long-standing dispute among bibliographers as to the primacy of
each branch. She suggests that enumerative bibliography has pos¬
sibly earned disdain only because it has been woefully underde¬
veloped, not because it is intrinsically a trivial activity. Her
analysis attempts to establish a rationale for the disciplinary
equality of enumerative bibliography.24
A contrasting view is offered by Jackson R. Bryer, who con¬
tends that the value of enumerative bibliography surpasses that of
analytical bibliography in that the finished products are of more
practical use if they are done well. He points out that an enumera¬
tive bibliography is probably used by a wider readership than a
descriptive bibliography or textual study.25
There seems to be little doubt as to the status of bibliographical
study today regardless of the branch. Over the years there have
evolved many classic works in the field, a solid theoretical founda¬
tion, and a disciplinary self-awareness, all hallmarks of a vibrant
and valid field of application and study. Now with the addition of
electronic databases and information networks such as the In¬
ternet, bibliography is taking on new dimensions which have far-
reaching implications.
32 Chapter 2

Selected Supplemental Resources

The literature on the historical development of bibliography is not

extensive, except for a few studies, and is found in many other
works related to the field. The works cited below represent some
of the more closely related studies dealing with this subject.
In Bibliography: History of a Tradition (Berkeley, CA: Barnard
M. Rosenthal, 1990), translated by William A. Pettas, Luigi Bal-
samo explains the circumstances and objectives behind the evolu¬
tion of bibliographies. He includes chapters on books and book
distribution in the Middle Ages, the introduction of printing,
seventeenth-century libraries, and the bibliography of librarians
and historians in the nineteenth century. What is especially strik¬
ing about this book is its European perspective, which emphasizes
the degree to which bibliography has contributed to the making of
modem civilization.
Noted bibliographic historian Theodore Besterman provides an
authoritative historical account of bibliographical beginnings up
through the seventeenth century in his study The Beginnings of
Systematic Bibliography, 2d ed. (New York: Burt Franklin, 1968).
This is a reprint of the 1936 edition. Starting with Galen in the
second century a.d., Besterman shows the gradual development of
book lists in terms of successive classifications, which he supports
with notable examples. He lists and tabulates the earliest printed
bibliographies to demonstrate the intellectual interest of the fif¬
teenth and sixteenth centuries. He covers the activities and accom¬
plishments of Tritheim, the earliest medical and legal
bibliographers, Gesner, Bale, and others.
Rudolf Blum in Bibliographia: An Inquiry into Its Definitions
and Designations, translated from the German by Mathilde V. Ro-
velstad (Folkstone, Eng.: Dawson; Chicago: American Library
Association, 1980), chronicles the historical development of bibli¬
ography and the bibliographers who made major contributions.
Many of the significant works that were instrumental in the his¬
torical development of bibliography are covered in Bibliography:
Its History and Development (New York: Grolier Club, 1983), by
Bernard H. Breslauer and Roland Folter. Students can come to a
better understanding of libraries and the role of bibliography by
studying the historical documents illustrated in this valuable col¬
lection. Marianna Tax Choldin in “A Nineteenth Century Russian
 Historical Survey 33

View of Bibliography,” Journal of Library History 10 (October

1975), 311-322, examines extensive interest nineteenth century
Russian scholars in bibliography with a review of works and bibli¬
ographers.
Lester Condit provides a survey of the beginnings of bibliogra¬
phy from the early library catalogs up to the sixteenth century
in “Bibliography in Its Prenatal Existence,” Library Quarterly 1
(October 1937), 564-576. He discusses the contributions of vari¬
ous bibliographers and traces the development of the early union
catalogs. In “The Aims of Bibliography,” Transactions of the
Bibliograhical Society of London (1932-33), 225-258, Sir Ste¬
phen Gaselee outlines the history of bibliography and discusses
the role of bibliographers. Neal R. Harlow provides a general his¬
torical overview of bibliography from ancient times to the twenti¬
eth century in “The Well-Tempered Bibliographer,” Papers of the
Bibliographical Society of America 50 (1956), 28-39.
One of the most important historical treatments of bibliography
is Louise Noelle Malcles’ Bibliography. Translated by Theodore
Christian Hines. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Reprint, 1973). First
published in 1961. She includes, within each division, general or
summary comments about the contemporary state of the held, and
separate sections cover specialized, universal, national, and other
bibliographies of the period. Each division is devoted almost en¬
tirely to brief but pertinent information on the character and qual¬
ity of specific bibliographies and their compilers. The emphasis is
on European contributors to the held, although American accom¬
plishments are briefly mentioned.
N. Frederick Nash in “Enumerative Bibliography from Gesner
to James,” Library History 7 (1985), 10-20, surveys the contribu¬
tions of bibliographers from around 1545 through 1605. He covers
the development of enumerative bibliography, emphasizing inclu¬
sions and omissions.
A very useful overview of the development of bibliography as
a held of study is provided by E. W. Padwick in the hrst chapter
of Bibliographical Method: An Introductory Survey (Cambridge,
Eng.: James Clarke, 1969). The historical evolution of bibliogra¬
phy is treated by Georg Schneider in part 5 (pp. 271-293) of The¬
ory and History of Bibliography, translated by Ralph R. Shaw
(New York: Columbia University Press, 1934). Although decid¬
edly nationalistic, especially in the treatment of Conrad Gesner,
34 Chapter 2

this work does provide a valuable overview of historical move¬

ments in the field.
Archer Taylor in “The History of Bibliography,” in Essays in
History and Literature edited by Heins Bluhm (Chicago: New¬
berry Library, 1965), 193-199, discusses bibliographical achieve¬
ments in general, drawing upon the works of several noted
bibliographers. He offers significant insights into the nature of the
field. In another essay, “Three Epochs in Bibliographical His¬
tory,” The Library Chronicle 18 (1951-1952), 45-50, Taylor
points out that in the history of bibliography-making three epochs
are evident as they occupied the interest of bibliographers. First is
the name of the author, then the title or subject of the work, and
finally the circumstances of publication. Taylor describes each of
these epochs and evaluates their impact upon the history of bibli¬
ography. R. H. and M. A. Rouse in “Bibliography before Print:
The De Viris Illustribus,” in The Role of the Book in Medieval
Culture: Proceedings of the Oxford International Symposium 26
(September-October 1982), edited by Peter F. Ganz (Turnout, Bel¬
gium: Brepold, 1986), 133-153, examine the major types of bibli¬
ography that were created in the patristic era, with special
emphasis on St. Jerome’s De vivis illustribus, but with consider¬
ation of other genres as well, noting the significant changes in
form and function and examining some of the reasons for the
changes. Roderick Cave in “Besterman and Bibliography: An As¬
sessment,” Journal of Librarians hip 10 (July 3, 1978), 149-161,
examines Besterman’s role in the development of bibliography.
He concludes that Besterman’s part in historical bibliography was
profound.
Two scholars have focused their attention on the development
of systematic bibliography in America. Jesse H. Shera in “The
Beginnings of Systematic Bibliography in America, 1642-1799,”
in Essays Honoring Lawrence C. Wroth (Portland, ME: An-
thoensen Press, 1951), 263-278, examines the bibliographical
work of those who created bibliographical instruments and fos¬
tered their development and application in the early years in
America. Shera’s work was carried a step further by Robert B.
Winans in “The Beginnings of Systematic Bibliography in
America up to 1800: Further Explorations,” Papers of the Biblio¬
graphical Society of America 72 (First Quarter 1978), 15-35. Wi¬
nans further analyzes the structure of the bibliographical system
 Historical Survey 35

that led to the formation of libraries in America. The nineteenth

century produced a number of outstanding bibliographers who
had a profound influence in the historical development of bibliog¬
raphy. W. Boyd Rayward in “The Perils of Bibliography: Four
19th-Century Experiences,” Wilson Library Bulletin 56 (October
1981), 110-115, examines four of these individuals and the im¬
pact of their work on the field. A lively discussion of how bibliog¬
raphers operate in the scholarly world and influence the history of
bibliography is provided by Stanley Pargellis in “Gesner, Petz-
holdt, et al.,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America
53 (First Quarter 1959), 15-20. Fie also explores the problems
bibliographers face and suggests ways in which scholarship can
be improved through improved bibliographic practices.

Notes

1. Lester Condit, “Bibliography in its Prenatal Existence,” Library

Quarterly 7 (October 1937), 564. Condit is referring here to Guillaume
Francois DeBure (1731-1782).
2. M. L. Chakraborti, Bibliography in Theory and Practice. 2nd ed.,
rev. (Calcutta: World Press, 1975), 4.
3. Sir Stephen Gaselee, “The Aims of Bibliography,” The Library
13, no. 3 (December 1932), 229.
4. E. W. Padwick, Bibliographical Method: An Introductory Survey
(Cambridge: James Clarke, 1969), 1. A more detailed survey of Galen’s
bibliographical work is given by Theodore Besterman in The Beginnings
of Systematic Bibliography 2nd ed. rev. (New York: Burt Franklin, 1968),
2-3. The Library of Alexandria is covered in chapter 3 of Elmer D. John¬
son’s Communication 4th ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1973),
28-43. Other ancient libraries are discussed in this book as well.
5. Bohdan S. Wynar, Introduction to Bibliography and Reference
Work: A Guide to Materials and Sources 4th ed. (Rochester, NY: Librar¬
ies Unlimited, 1967), 44. See also Louise Noelle Malcles, Bibliography
(Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Reprint, 1973), 3.
6. Besterman, 6.
7. Padwick, 2.
8. Besterman, 8.
9. Padwick, 2. Since both of Tritheim’s works came equipped with
alphabetical indexes, they were practically works of reference. For further
discussion, see Besterman, 8-10, and N. Frederick Nash, “Enumerative
36 Chapter 2

Bibliography from Gesner to James,” Library History 7, no. 1 (1985),

12-13.
10. Malcles, 19-22. There is some disagreement among historical bib¬
liographers as to which man, Tritheim or Gesner, should be considered
the “Father of Bibliography.” Besterman argues (p. 10) that since Tri¬
theim was the first genuinely bibliographically minded scholar to compile
bibliographies, that the title rightfully belongs to him. On the other hand,
for perhaps nationalistic reasons, Georg Schneider, in his Theory and
History of Bibliography (New York: Columbia University Press, 1934),
273, emphatically states that the title belongs to Gesner.
11. Besterman, 22-23. An illustration of Bale’s Scriptorum illustrium
maioris Brytannie . . . Catalogus (1557) is included.
12. Schneider, 272-273.
13. Wynar, 45.
14. Padwick, 5-6.
15. Malcles, 31-32, 36, 133.
16. Wynar, 46.
17. John Cook Wyllie, “Bibliographical Societies,” Encyclopedia
Americana (Chicago, Grolier, 1994), 3:721.
18. Isadore Gilbert Mudge, Bibliography (Chicago: American Library
Association, 1915), 18-21.
19. Padwick, 6-8.
20. Padwick, 8.
21. Padwick, 12.
22. Wynar, 46.
23. G. Thomas Tanselle, “The State of Bibliography Today,” Papers
of the Bibliographical Society of America 73 (July/September 1979),
296-297. Keep in mind that Tanselle here is talking only about analytical
or critical bibliography.
24. Marcia J. Bates, “Rigorous Systematic Bibliography,” RQ 16 (Fall
1976), 7.
25. Jackson R. Bryer, “From Second-Class Citizenship to Respectabil¬
ity: The Odyssey of an Enumerative Bibliographer,” Literary Research
Newsletter 3 (Spring 1978), 60-61.
 3

The Objects and Artifacts

of Bibliography

Part of bibliography is the study of books as physical objects as

distinguished from their literary content. A book is basically a
written or printed record of some length and sustained purpose,
inscribed on materials light and compact enough to be carried
around by someone interested in its contents. Consequently, as
this kind of common transmitter of information and ideas, the
book has survived many radical changes in format over the centu¬
ries. No one knows for sure how old they really are, but it is
thought that books probably appeared in several places at the same
time.

A Brief Historical Survey of the Book and Printing

One of the earliest forms of the book was the cuneiform clay tablet
used in Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians,
and Persians somewhere between 3000 b.c. and 500 b.c., when it
was superseded by alphabetic writing on papyrus.1 We know that
the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (669-626 b.c.) had a library of
some thirty thousand clay tablets housed in his palace at Nineveh.2
Almost equally ancient was the Egyptian papyrus scroll used until
about a.d. 300. These scrolls were made by gluing sheets of papy¬
rus together on alternate edges. Spreading the scroll out horizon¬
tally, the scribe wrote in vertical columns, rolling up the finished
manuscript to make a book. In another area of the globe Chinese
books of the fifth century b.c. and earlier were constructed of bam¬
boo strips that were bound together by cords.

37
38 Chapter 3

Some of the world’s great literature was first recorded on these

obsolete materials. For example, Hammurabi’s code of laws and
the Gilgamesh epic were written on clay. Works of the great Greek
and Roman poets, dramatists, and philosophers, as well as the
books of the Bible, were inscribed on papyrus scrolls. The sayings
of Confucius were recorded on bamboo. Other early writing mate¬
rials included leather rolls, bark, and palm leaves.
The next major step in the history of the book was a product of
the early Christian era. The codex was developed by the Christian
writers to accommodate their more lengthy texts. Much like the
modem book, it consisted of vellum leaves piled on top of each
other and fastened on one end. This form of the book was much
handier than the scroll in that it did not need to be rolled out to
gain access to a complete text, and the vellum leaves could be
folded and could accommodate writing on both sides, which papy¬
rus could not.3
In most of the ancient civilizations, reading and writing were
mainly the domain of scholars and priests of court and temple.
The invention of the alphabet by the Phoenicians, and its improve¬
ment by the Greeks, simplified writing. By 400 b.c. reading was a
general, though surely not universal, accomplishment in Athens.
At its height the Roman Empire supported a thriving book trade,
with commercial writing rooms and many bookshops. Cultured
and wealthy Romans commonly had private libraries in their
homes. Following the famous Greek examples at Alexandria and
Pergamum the Roman emperors also established libraries. The
breakup of the Western Roman Empire after a.d. 476 brought an
end to that literary culture. In the centuries that followed, writing
again became the activity of the clergy, and it was a matter of
considerable note when a ruler such as Charlemagne or Alfred the
Great of England was literate or patronized scholarship.4
During the medieval period, from the sixth to the twelfth centu¬
ries, almost all of the centers of book production and use in West¬
ern Europe were in the monasteries. In fact, these monastic
scriptoria thrived from Italy to Ireland. Some of the books pro¬
duced by these monkish scribes, such as the Book of Kells (Ire¬
land, eighth century), are famous for their exquisite beauty in
lettering and illumination.5 The flowering of monastic learning
during the time of Charlemagne produced the Caroline minuscule
letter, the model for the modem printed Roman lowercase alpha-
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 39

bet. However, monastic books were restricted largely to Latin reli¬

gious texts. The development of vernacular tongues sharply
divided the written literary language from the spoken tongue of
the people.6
In the thirteenth century the flourishing of universities created
a book trade in university towns. Stationers supplied books for
students. At the same time the rising middle class in the expanding
cities provided the stimulus for the development of a broader com¬
mercial book trade.7 When Richard de Bury compiled his famous
treatise on book collecting, Philobiblon, in 1345, this trade was
well developed. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the
vernacular languages were at last firmly established as written lit¬
erary languages through the work of such writers as Dante, Boc¬
caccio, Petrarch, and Chaucer.
The social and cultural climate of the fifteenth century in Eu¬
rope provided the impetus for a revolution in the book trade. With
the rise of humanism came the development of vernacular litera¬
ture, which broadened the interest in books. Craft guilds of manu¬
script-book dealers were organized to supply the demand for
books from different classes of people.
Meanwhile technological advances matched cultural needs.
Paper, invented in China during the first century a.d., had reached
Europe by way of the Arab lands and by 1400 had replaced vellum
for manuscript books. It is possible that the block-printing proc¬
ess, first developed in China and exemplified in the Diamond
Sutra (868), also came to the West via the Orient, but it is gener¬
ally considered to have been independently discovered in Europe
around 1400. The screw press, used for wine crushing and other
jobs, was known to the Europeans and metallurgical skills and
techniques were developing. By sometime around 1450 Johann
Gutenberg of Mainz and his collaborators were printing with mov¬
able type. The use of this printing process spread rapidly, so that
by 1500 it was found in every major country in Europe except
Russia.8
With the growth of the book trade the scribes of the earlier
era were replaced by entrepreneurs of sufficient means to operate
printing establishments that could produce an edition and take the
risk of selling enough copies to make a profit. Although the Gu¬
tenberg Bible and other early printed books were imitations of
expensive manuscripts, printers soon learned that the advantage of
40 Chapter 3

the printing press was in producing large, cheap editions of books

in popular demand. For example, the small Latin grammar of Do-
natus was printed more frequently during the fifteenth century
than any other book.9
Printing and publishing during the sixteenth century were
marked by a flood of Reformation tracts. It is quite evident that
the printing press contributed to the endurance of that religious
revolt.10 Another innovation of the printing press was its ability to
reproduce drawings. In effect it was now possible to publish tech¬
nical books that depended on the accuracy of their illustrations for
their value. Consequently during the sixteenth century, anatomical
drawings, herbals, and maps were widely published. Great artists,
such as Albrecht Durer and Sebastian Brant, illustrated printed
books.11
Notable in the history of the book in the seventeenth century
was the flowering of literature in England, France, and Spain,
along with the issuance of early classics of modem science. An
accompanying development was the rise of the periodical press.
With its beginnings in Germany and the Netherlands the newspa¬
per experienced its greatest growth during the English Civil War
(1642-49). Magazines developed from the periodically published
reports of scientific societies organized after 1660.12
With the ever-increasing popularity of books by the early eigh¬
teenth century, it was possible for publishers to pay authors for
their efforts although it would be some time before successful
authors would be able to live comfortably on the royalties received
from their publications. The copyright law passed by the English
Parliament in 1709 established the basic modem relationship be¬
tween author and publisher.13
Another influence on the book in the eighteenth century was
the increasing literacy of women. Appealing to that new group of
readers, the novel as a literary form flourished during this time.
The belief in books as educational devices was reflected in the
growth of encyclopedias, of which the most famous was the En¬
cyclopedic of Denis Diderot and the French encyclopedists. An¬
other manifestation of this same belief was the growth of
subscription libraries in both England and America during the
eighteenth century.
In the wake of the nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution,
bookmaking was mechanized with paper-making machines.
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 41

power presses, sewing machines, mechanical typesetters, and pho¬

tographic techniques for reproducing illustrations. Accompanying
this mechanization was a great acceleration of book production,
which was stimulated by the spread of democracy and free public
education, the rapid advances in historical and scientific scholar¬
ship, the growth of cities with easy internal communication, and
the related increase in leisure time.14
The industrialization of publishing gave rise to a number of off¬
shoot developments. One of the most notable of these was the
private-press movement, introduced by William Morris and his
Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891. The attempt here was
to preserve the craft traditions of printing lost in the mechaniza¬
tion process. Later developments include the production of large
editions at low cost, aided by new inventions and processes such
as the offset press and perfect binding in producing the inexpen¬
sive paperback, and microprint and microform publications,
which mark the most radical change in the format of the book
since the invention of the codex.
From 1900 to the present, the book has been challenged by such
new media as the motion picture, radio, and television. On the
whole it is difficult to deny that there has been a decline in the
relative importance of the book. On the other hand, book produc¬
tion and the rate of literacy throughout the world are increasing.
The book continues to be a convenient means of communication
because it can be readily adapted to individual needs, is portable,
and can provide a medium of communication over which the indi¬
vidual has the greatest control.

Bookmaking Materials

As noted earlier books have been made out of a variety of materi¬

als in the past. Other than printing, the basic component of the
book is the paper on which the type impression is made. The fol¬
lowing is an overview of the history of paper, type, printing ink,
and bindings as they apply to the making of books.
Bibliographers are vitally interested in the history of printing,
papermaking, binding, and so on because they assist in the task of
identifying specific states, issues, and editions and of dating un-
42 Chapter 3

dated books. Bibliographers use the histories of these materials to

detect and expose literary forgeries.

Paper

Humankind’s intellectual achievements progressed with the de¬

velopment of writing. The early writing materials were both bulky
and often tended to be heavy which became an increasing problem
as a measure of portability became desirable. Clay, metal, wax,
and skins were in use around 4000 b.c., and papyrus around 2400
b.c. in Egypt. Papyrus is a tall reed that grows along such rivers
as the Nile, Tigris, and the Euphrates. The layers of fiber around
the plant’s pith can be stripped off, laid crosswise, and laminated
by means of a flour paste glue and pressure. Since papyrus is a
crosswise-layered product it is not tally paper that as later used in
books.15 An interesting parallel to the use of papyrus occurred in
Central America, where a very similar material was made by the
Maya and later by the Aztecs. The Maya’s haun paper, made from
wild fig tree bark, was superior to papyrus because of its flexibil¬
ity.16 It helped to advance the early Central American civilizations
as papyrus did those of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
It was about a.d. 75 that Tsi-Lun, a young Chinese scholar,
started experimenting on the development of a better writing sur¬
face. With the help of Emperor Hoti, himself a scientist, Tsi-Lun
succeeded by the year 105 in producing a fair grade of paper. He
didn’t leave us his recipe, but it is fairly certain that he used a
mixture of bamboo fiber and old rags, plus the inner fibers of the
mulberry tree. He beat the ingredients into a mass, mixed it with
water, and poured it on grass molds. The excess water seeped
through and left a flat film of matted fiber. This was pulp in sheet
form. When it was dried in the sun, then rubbed smooth with a
stone, the result was paper.17
(History records that the Chinese later used hand molds made
from horsehair cloth lashed to bamboo frames.) The magic for¬
mula for paper remained secret for six hundred years. But in 704,
when Arab armies captured the city of Samarkand in western
China, several papermakers were abducted to Baghdad and put to
work making their product. Various replacement raw materials
were tried. In 794 the Chinese workers of Baghdad made paper
from linen rags.18
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 43

Surprisingly, it was not until the eleventh century that paper

made its way to Europe, the delay was due mainly, according to
historians, to the socioreligious gulf existing between East and
West. Both Spain and Italy lay claim to being the first European
nations to establish paper mills, perhaps as early as the eleventh
century. Historians generally concede the edge to Spain, with
1150 given as the date for the appearance of a mill at Jativa. From
there, papermaking slowly spread through Europe. England did
not produce paper until around 1494, but the British recognized
paper’s importance and eventually took the lead in its manufac¬
ture. Paper was soon used for designing English ships.19
English settlements in America developed rapidly and soon
needed paper in ever-increasing amounts. In 1690 William Ritten-
house established the first American paper mill in Philadelphia.
Using linen rags as raw material, this plant averaged one hundred
pounds of paper per day even though the process was still very
crude: Paper pulp was prepared by letting wet rags ferment for six
to seven weeks. The rotting process loosened the fibers, although
it also gave the pulp a coffee-brown color. This stock was then
bleached in lime-water, broken up by stamping, placed in bags,
and washed in a stream. One-third of the original stock now thor¬
oughly rotten, would be washed away. The washed residue, after
again being bleached in the sun, was suspended in water and then
dipped from the water with a wooden frame that had a screen on
the bottom. The frame was shaken as the water drained, leaving a
wet mat. These mats were removed from the screens with felt
blankets, stacked between the blankets, pressed to remove the
water, and finally hung in a loft to dry into usable paper. Most
paper was made in this manner until the middle of the nineteenth
century. Since this process was painstakingly slow and rags were
hard to get, paper was always in short supply.20
In 1801 the Fourdrinier paper machine was invented. This in¬
volved a process in which a pulp suspension was spread on a mov¬
ing wire screen; after the water drained off, a continuous wet sheet
was removed. The paper machines on which most of our paper
is made today are simply improved versions of the Fourdrinier
mechanism.21
Another development occurred in the 1820s with the invention
of the cylinder machine. On this machine, sheets were formed on
rolls. Several sheets were pressed together when wet, and board-
44 Chapter 3

like laminate was formed. The resulting layers can be seen in card¬
board and book matches. Drying the wet sheets of paper and board
continued to be a serious problem until 1826, when steam-heated
cylinders were employed to dry them. Unfortunately, this equip¬
ment had to be cranked by hand or water power.22
As the process was improved, papermakers were limited mainly
by the scarcity of rags. During the Civil War some desperate paper
mill executives even imported mummies from Egypt to make pulp
from the wrappings. There was a constant search for other sources
of fiber, including straw, rope, and wood. Wood provided a good
source if the individual fibers could be separated. Mechanical and
chemical pulping processes, slowly developed during the last cen¬
tury, overcame the rag shortage and made the modem paper and
book industries possible.

Type

Although the processes of type production have been revolu¬

tionized many times over the years, the essential stages have actu¬
ally changed very little. After a typeface is designed, it is then cut
as a die, from which a matrix is made. Finished type is then cast
from this matrix. Each of these processes is subject to many
smaller operations and calculations before the font can be pro¬
duced either by machine or hand casting. A font of type is a com¬
plete range of one sort of a size and a uniform face, including
uppercase (capital) letters, lowercase (small) letters, punctuation
marks, small capital letters, italic letters (originally a font in itself
and not regarded as an integral part of any other), and anything
else that has been required at different times to produce a printed
page.23
Books printed before 1500 are termed incunabula, or “cradle”
books. Many of these are printed in black letter (Gothic) type.
Because printing started in Germany, where the Gothic letter was
standard for the scribes, Gothic was the first typeface used in
printing—including the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, which
had great impact on the new craft. This type was used for many
years, but with less and less frequency after 1500, usually for
books of a religious nature.24
In modem times photographic processes have for the most part
taken the place of type cast for the letterpress process. Most type
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 45

today is composed by highly specialized and intricate machines

that look much like large typewriters. Despite this, the bibliogra¬
pher should know something about both printing and type and the
history of their development.25

Printing Ink

Like paper, ink was first developed in China between 3000 and
2500 b.c. It is believed that these inks were made by mixing lamp¬
black with oil and gum. The prototypes of our modern printing
inks were first developed in Europe during the fifteenth century.
The ingredients, much the same as those thought to be used by
the ancient Chinese, consisted of carbon black that had been
ground into a varnish and was made by cooking linseed oil to¬
gether with a natural resin.26
Printing inks today must satisfy many more requirements than
those manufactured for writing purposes, and they vary widely in
composition depending on the printing method used. The kind and
speed of the press are important in the selection of ink. Also,
printing inks must be suitable for application to a great variety of
surfaces, such as paper, rubber, textiles, metal, wood, or plastic.
Printing inks must likewise serve widely diverse purposes from,
say, the creation of a brightly colored poster to the production of
a regular printed page. The inks in these cases are quite different
from each other in composition. Each must last for a different
period of time and must withstand different conditions during
use.27
Most modem printing inks are viscous liquids that contain syn¬
thetic pigments, binders, solvents, and ingredients to aid drying.
A necessary quality of all printing inks is the ability to remain wet
while on the press, sometimes for several hours, but then to dry
very quickly after being applied to the printing surface.
Inks dry in various ways, and the speed with which they dry
can be controlled to a great extent with additives or by special
treatment of the paper to be printed. Some inks dry by oxidation.
It was for this reason that the varnish of the original printing inks
was cooked. Heat partially oxidizes linseed oil and this enables
the air to complete the oxidation quite rapidly. In modem printing
inks chemical dryers, which frequently contain either lead or co¬
balt, are often used to accelerate the oxidation reaction.28
46 Chapter 3

Some inks dry by absorption into the material upon which they
are printed, as for example the ink used for printing newspapers.
In other inks the liquid portion of the ink evaporates, leaving the
solid matter as a dry film. Occasionally, low-boiling-point sol¬
vents, which disappear quickly at room temperature, are used, but
more often drying is accomplished by passing the printed surface
over an open flame or some other source of heat. Moisture in the
form of a jet of steam is used for drying some printing inks. Such
inks contain a resin that remains in solution as long as no moisture
is present. As soon as the ink absorbs water from the steam jet,
however, the resin precipitates to form an apparently dry solid.29

Bookbinding

Paradoxically, the beginnings of bookbinding came many cen¬

turies after the first book was made. One of the earliest known
books is a papyrus roll dating from the twenty-fifth century b.c.
and containing eighteen columns of Egyptian hieratic writing. The
roll form continued throughout 2,000 years of pre-Christian his¬
tory. Even after the birth of Christ, when parchment replaced pa¬
pyrus, the roll volume remained the standard form. But the
arrangement of the writing in parallel columns separated by verti¬
cal lines held the potential for the development of a new form.
The idea of cutting the roll into separate panels, each containing
three or four columns, eventually gave birth to the book as we
know it. The first bound book was constructed of single sheets,
hinged along one edge by means of sewing or lacing. In the Latin
codex, or manuscript book, the columnar arrangement of writing
continued, with typical examples from the Roman period having
three or four columns to the page. Down to the present day, two-
and three-column pages have proven practical and easy to read.30
It might come as a surprise to some to know that early bindings
had all of the basic construction elements that modem bindings
have. The early bindings were constructed of folded sheets, col¬
lected into gatherings, and sewn into cords running across their
backs. The leaves of the books were large, the size probably deter¬
mined by the size of the animal skins from which the parchment
was made. After a time wooden boards were placed on either side
of the book proper, in positions corresponding to the front and
back covers. Later it was discovered that the cords onto which the
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 47

gatherings were sewn could as easily be laced directly into the

edges of the boards to form a more compact, sturdy, and durable
unit. The evolution of bookbinding was completed when the
whole volume was covered with a sheet of leather to conceal the
sewing and provide additional reinforcement to the hinges.31
The history of bookbinding is thus part and parcel with that of
the book itself. But, in the past 1,800 years there has not been one
single change in the primary construction of the book. It is still
made up of a series of folded gatherings, or signatures, sewn to¬
gether at the folds and contained between two boards whose outer
surfaces are covered. Just as the development of any technique
cannot be isolated from concurrent factors, so bookbinding has
been influenced by many events having nothing to do with books,
or even literature.32
Most of the early bindings were the products of monastic orders
during the Middle Ages and therefore are closely allied with the
Church. There are many examples extant of the fine craftsmanship
of this era, with manuscript books bound in leather, richly tooled,
and frequently decorated with settings of gems and rare stones or
heavy gold-leaf designs.33
With the introduction from China of papermaking, the binder’s
art was extended to handle this new material. Good strong thread
was used in the sewing, and silk was employed in making head-
bands. Leather was attached to the wooden cover boards in its full
thickness; shaving it thin, or paring, was unknown.
The invention of printing from movable type in the middle of
the fifteenth century brought a revolution in bookbinding. With
the greatly increased popular demand for books, bookbinding was
transferred from the monasteries to printers’ shops, and later to
separate binding establishments. As a covering, leather continued
to be the most suitable and durable. Improvements in materials
and tooling gave bookbinding a fresh impetus. From this period
there are also many examples of fine bindings, especially from
among royalty and the aristocratic classes who sponsored the de¬
velopment of distinct binding styles.34
Naturally the bookbinding trade was greatly affected by the In¬
dustrial Revolution. To many connoisseurs of the binding art the
machines of mass production invented and developed during this
period undermined the quality of the finished product. Of course,
these machines did make it possible for every reader to own a
48 Chapter 3

book with the appearance of quality at a low price. The drive to

reduce costs resulted in cheaper materials and shortcuts in the
binding process. For example, when flat tapes were introduced to
replace cords, commercial bindings continued to be influenced by
the traditional look of elegance, even to the extent of attaching
false bands to the backbone. In true flexible leather binding, the
leather is glued directly to the backs of the gatherings or signa¬
tures. But a hollow back was invented for use with tape-sewing
that places almost all the strain upon the two hinges, instead of
distributing it over the backs of the signatures.35
Case bindings were developed to speed up the binding process.
Covers and backbone were made up independently of the sewn
signatures, in one flat unit consisting of the two cover boards, the
backbone stiffener, and the cloth or paper cover material. All ti¬
tling, decoration, and finishing were done while the case was flat.
Then the sewn signatures and case were brought together and fas¬
tened one to the other on a special machine. Most books today are
bound by this method.36
Until the seventeenth century bookbinding was a handicraft
practiced by skilled workers who used the finest materials avail¬
able. Following the changes brought about by the introduction of
machine technology, however, books lacked artistic taste and utili¬
tarian construction, according to critics. The art of fine bindings
now became a specialized craft practiced by only a few workers
catering to libraries and private collectors.

Manuscripts

Possibly greater than the mass of printed books accumulated

throughout history are the manuscript records of humankind. It is
almost impossible to estimate the physical bulk of the records of
businesses, institutions, official agencies, and individuals. Every¬
thing, from the records of the U.S. Department of State to acting
copies of Broadway plays, has its documentary value. Throughout
time the variety and complexity of manuscripts have been vastly
greater than that of the printed book and have remained a rela¬
tively homogeneous artifact for the last five centuries.37
The oldest manuscripts, those found in Egyptian tombs, were
written on papyrus. It has been estimated that the earliest of these
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 49

dates from around 3500 b.c. Parchment, which succeeded papyrus

as a writing material, was much more durable. Most extant ancient
manuscripts are of parchment. Both sides were used and many
sheets were erased and reused—these are called palimpsests. The
manuscripts of the Middle Ages were often beautifully illumi¬
nated in colors on vellum, a fine variety of parchment. Titles and
initial letters of first lines were often highly decorated.38
Some scholars study manuscripts as cultural artifacts for histori¬
cal purposes mainly as physical objects in order to identify the
workshops that produced them. This type of study is currently
known as codicology and is closely related to analytical bibliog¬
raphy.39

Nonprint Materials

Bibliography affects to some degree every available type and

source of knowledge. Nonprint materials are information-bearing
media that are not in the form of the conventional book, that is to
say normally written information in a continuous text organized
in a linear order. The kinds of nonprint media can be grouped into
broad categories depending upon their essential nature: micro¬
forms, sound recordings, audiovisual materials, databases, and so
forth.
Bibliographical techniques and devices have been created and
are being developed to provide improved access to nonprint mate¬
rials which are expanding both in numbers and types. It is not
improbable that in the near future, bibliographical control of non¬
print media will approach that of the other artifacts of bibliog¬
raphy.

Selected Supplemental Resources

Scattered among the many works related to the history of the book
and printing are several bibliographical compilations that are use¬
ful for locating additional information. Although a little dated,
Paul A. Winckler’s History of Books and Printing: A Guide to
Information Sources (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1979) lists and
annotates many books and articles related to this topic. In A Bib-
50 Chapter 3

liographic History of the Book: An Annotated Guide to the Litera¬

ture (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press; Pasadena, CA: Salem Press,
1995), Joseph Rosenblum updates Winckler, adding and annotat¬
ing more books and articles on all phases of the subject. A shorter
and unannotated listing of materials is found in Terry Belanger’s
The Exit List: A Structured List of Books and Articles Intended for
Students Interested in Descriptive Bibliography and the History
of Books (Charlottesville: Book Arts Press, University of Virginia,
1995) . An extensive but unannotated work published annually is
the Annual Bibliography of the History of the Printed Book and
Libraries (1970- ). It is uncertain if this publication continued
past 1985.
Two major dictionary/encyclopedic works supply an additional
dimension to the field. The Encyclopedia of the Book. 2nd ed.
(New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press; London: British Library,
1996) , edited by Geoffrey A. Glaister, is a standard in the field
with wide coverage, substantive entries and some bibliography. A
Dictionary of Book History (New York: Oxford University Press,
1986) by John Feather takes a historical approach and avoids tech¬
nical explanations. Entries focus on America and Britain and tend
to be short but informative.
General studies on the history of the book and printing abound.
The Smithsonian Book of Books (Washington, DC: Smithsonian
Books, 1992) by Michael Olmert is well illustrated and surveys
the history of the book from the cuneiform tablets of Mesopota¬
mia and hieroglyphs of Egypt to letterpress printing in the present
time. Another general compilation that covers materials in the Li¬
brary of Congress is provided by Alice D. Schreyer in The History
of Books: A Guide to Selected Resources in the Library of Con¬
gress (Washington, DC: Center for the Book, Library of Congress,
1987) .
Probably one of the most authoritative general histories on the
subject is Douglas C. McMurtrie’s The Book: The Story of Print¬
ing and Bookmaking, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press,
1943). William A. Katz has updated Svend Dahl’s book Dahl’s
History of the Book 3rd ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press,
1995), which focuses on linking the book to large cultural and
social movements. A collection of scholarly essays in Culture in
Print: Essays in the History of the Book (Amherst: University of
Massachusetts Press, 1996), by David D. Hall, considers the shape
of the field and provides cultural insights into the past.
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 51

Written from a printer’s perspective is A Short History of the

Printed Word (New York: Dorset Press, 1970) by Warren
Chappell. This is a clearly written assessment that is enriched with
personal anecdotes intended for the lay reader. Another study by
a practitioner is John Dreyfus’s Into Print: Selected Writings on
Printing History, Typography and Book Production (Boston:
David R. Godine, 1995), which provides insights into the develop¬
ment of book history.
Designed to provide readers with introductory material on the
field is a collection of essays in Reader in the History of Books
and Printing (Englewood, CO: Information Handling Services,
1978), edited by Paul A. Winckler. Leading scholars investigate
the ways in which the book as a physical artifact developed over
ten centuries in Millennium of the Book: Production, Design and
Illustration in Manuscript and Print, 900-1900 (Winchester: St.
Paul’s Bibliographies; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1994),
edited by Robin Myers and Michael Harris. In their landmark
study The Coming of the Book: The Impact of Printing, 1450-
1800, translated by David Gerard (London: Verso, 1990), Lucien
Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin contend that the printed book was
“one of the most potent agents at the disposal of western civilisa¬
tion in bringing together the scattered ideas of representative
thinkers.”
A detailed history of early books and bookmaking materials is
provided by David Diringer in his well-illustrated study The Book
Before Printing: Ancient, Medieval and Oriental (New York:
Dover Publications, 1982). Glenn A. Anderson in “The Emer¬
gence of the Book.” College and Research Libraries 49 (March
1988), 111-116, has clarified the use of the codex as one of the
earliest book forms. Another discussion by Jack Rau in a limited-
edition pamphlet The Codex as a Book Form: Three Maya Codi¬
ces: Dresden, Tro-Cortesianus, Peresianus (New York: Pre-Co¬
lumbian Press, 1979), examines three Maya codices and their use
as an early book form. An excellent study on how books were
produced during the medieval period is given in The Medieval
Book (Buffalo, NY: University of Toronto Press, in association
with the Medieval Academy of America, 1991) by Barbara A.
Shailor.
A collection of scholarly articles discussing a wide range of
issues and problems in book history can be found in Books and
52 Chapter 3

Society in History: Papers of the Association of College and Re¬

search Libraries, Rare Books and Manuscripts Preconference,
24-28 June. 1980, Boston, Massachusetts (New York: Bowker,
1983), edited by Kenneth E. Carpenter. Leila Arvin in Scribes,
Script, and Books: The Book Arts from Antiquity to the Renais¬
sance (Chicago: American Library Association, 1991), traces the
history of the book from ancient times until the invention of print¬
ing. Another short work Order and Connexion: Studies in Bibliog¬
raphy and Book History (Cambridge: D. S. Brewer, 1997) by R.
C. Alston examines the relationship of bibliography and the his¬
tory of the book.
The death of the book has been duly announced, and with it
the end of brick-and-mortar libraries, traditional publishers, linear
narrative, authorship, and disciplinarity, along with the emergence
of a more equitable discursive order. A collection of essays in The
Future of the Book edited by Geoffrey Nunberg. (Berkeley; Los
Angeles: University of California Press, 1996), suggest that this is
not so. While the contributors to this volume are enthusiastic
about the possibilities created by digital technologies, they also
see the new media raising serious critical issues that force us to
reexamine basic notions about rhetoric, reading, and the nature of
discourse itself. By reviewing the contributions to book historical
scholarship in The Book Encompassed: Studies in Twentieth-Cen¬
tury Bibliography (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1992), Joel Silver reviews this work in “Exploring the Book: A
Bibliographical Road Map,” AB Bookman s Weekly 22 (Novem¬
ber 22, 1993), 2117ff. and provides some expert evaluation of
other works that give great insight into the historical development
of the book. Charles T. Meadow in “On the Future of the Book,
or Does It Have a Future?” Journal of Scholarly Publishing 26
(July 1995), 248-256, examines the impact of technology on the
book and concludes that it will take some time for readers to be¬
come enamored with electronic versions.
Sigfrid H. Steinberg documents the pivotal role that printing has
played in the development of human civilization in Five Hundred
Years of Printing, new ed. revised by John Trevitt (London: Brit¬
ish Library; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1996). Printing
and the Written Word: The Social History of Books, circa 1450-
1520 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991), edited by San¬
dra Hindman, is a collection of articles that traces the social
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 53

impact of books in the later fifteenth to the early sixteenth centu¬

ries. The Printing Press as an Agent of Change: Communications
and Cultural Transformations in Early Modern Europe, 2 vols.
(New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979) by Elizabeth L.
Eisenstein is another landmark study that deals expertly with basic
problems in the discernment of culture. She traces the history of
books against a background of changing patterns, improving tech¬
nology, religious and social change, and the state of the arts
throughout the world.
A well-known early treatise on the development of printing is
Joseph Moxon’s work of 1683-4, Mechanick Exercises on the
Whole Art of Printing available in an updated version edited by
Herbert Davis and Harry Carter (New York: Dover Publications,
1978). An important bibliographical work by Carolyn Ulrich and
Karl Kup, Books and Printing, a Selected List of Periodicals,
1800-1942 (Woodstock, VT: W. E. Rudge; New York: The New
York Public Library, 1943) is an annotated and indexed list of
international journals covering all facets of book history. An au¬
thoritative work covering the development of the relief printing
press from its inception until approximately 1940 is provided in
Printing Presses: History and Development from the Fifteenth
Century to Modern Times (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University
of California Press, 1978), by James Moran. Among the many
works on the development of the book and printing in early
America is an informative study by John T. Winterich entitled
Early American Books and Printing (New York: Dover Publica¬
tions, 1981).
Norma Levarie in The Art and History of Books (New Castle,
DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995) encompasses both illustrated and un¬
illustrated books in great detail. In Anatomy of Printing: The In¬
fluences of Art and History in Its Design (New York: Watson-
Guptill, 1970) John Lewis traces the history of printing and book
illustration from Gutenberg to the twentieth century to show the
“interaction between the printing press and the artistic, social, re¬
ligious and economic backgrounds of the Western World”.
The role of papermaking throughout history has not changed
much, but the technology of producing it has. The major compre¬
hensive and authoritative study on the subject is Papermaking:
The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft,. 2nd ed. (New
York: Dover Publications, 1978) by Dard Hunter. A dated but use-
54 Chapter 3

ful chronology of papermaking is provided by Joel Munsell in his

Chronology of the Origin and Progress of Paper and Papermak¬
ing (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1980). Although it has
some errors and omissions, Irving P. Leif’s An International
Sourcebook of Paper History (Hamden, CT: Archon, 1978). is a
useful bibliography. A brief but important study of paper and its
influence on the spread of printing and engraving is provided by
Andre Blum in On the Origins of Paper translated from the French
by Harry M. Lydenberg (New York: Bowker, 1934). Paulette Long
and Robert Levering have edited a collection of essays in Paper:
Art and Technology (San Francisco: World Print Council, 1979).
Among these essays is an excellent overview on the history of
papermaking by Leonard B. Schlosser (pp. 2-19). Another brief
historical survey is given in Papermaking: Art and Craft (Wash¬
ington, DC: Library of Congress, 1968), compiled by the Library
of Congress. A more comprehensive study is given by Bo Rudin
in Making Paper: A Look into the History of an Ancient Craft
(Vallingby, Sweden: Rudins, 1990).
Two important studies deal with the development of papermak¬
ing in specific geographical areas. Alfred H. Shorter has written
Studies on the History of Papermaking in Britain edited by Rich¬
ard L. Hills (Aldershot, Eng.: Variorum, 1993), and Dard Hunter
has covered America in Papermaking in Pioneer America (Phila¬
delphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1952).
Some studies deal with how identification of paper is important
in the study of bibliography. F. O. Reerink in a work entitled
Old & Rare: Basic Knowledge of Paper History Necessary for the
Determination of Old and Rare Paper (Blithover, The Nether¬
lands: F. O. Reerink, 1992), deals with how paper description is
necessary in the field of descriptive bibliography. Several useful
works deal with the more technical aspects of papermaking. They
include: The Structure and Physical Properties of Paper (New
York: Elsevier Scientific, 1982), edited by H. F. Ranee; and Paper
Structure and Properties (New York: M. Dekker, 1986), edited by
J. Anthony Bristow and Peter Kolseth. A definitive study in the
early development of writing materials leading to the development
of paper is provided by Naphtali Lewis in Papyrus in Classical
Antiquity (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974).
Along with printing, typography has developed into a highly
artistic skill that enhances the printed word. A basic outline and
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 55

background study of the field is Fernand Baudin’s How Typogra¬

phy Works (and Why It Is Important) (New York: Design Press,
1989). The standard two-volume work in the field is Printing
Types: Their History, Forms, and Use 3rd ed. (Cambridge, MA:
Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1962) by Daniel B. Updike.
Updike explores not only what printers and typographers have
done over the years but also why certain experiments have suc¬
ceeded. For anyone interested in type design, Geoffrey Dowding’s
An Introduction to the History of Printing Types: An Illustrated
Summary of Main Stages in the Development of Type Design from
1440 to the Present Day: An Aid to Type Face Identification (Lon¬
don: British Library; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1997) is
invaluable.
In Typographic Milestones (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold,
1992), Allan Haley profiles eighteen typographers who made sig¬
nificant contributions to the field. In a related work, Alphabet: The
History, Evolution, and Design of the Letters We Use Today (New
York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1995), Haley presents a simple
introduction to systems of type classification and historical infor¬
mation on type design.
Alfred F. Johnson provides a readable and sound introduction
to typography in Type Designs: Their History and Development,
3rd ed. (London: Deutsch, 1967). Designed for the layperson is
Type and Typefaces: A Treasury of Typography Book, 2nd ed.
(New Rochelle, NY: Myriade Press, 1978) by J. Ben Lieberman.
It presents a basic and clearly written discussion on the evolution
of typefaces and their classification. Walter Tracy in Letters of
Credit: A View of Type Design (Boston: David R. Godine, 1986)
provides a well documented glimpse of the dizzying transforma¬
tion that is taking place in the field of type design.
The elements of typography from the letter to the design of an
entire book are presented by John A. Biggs in his work Basic
Typography (London: Faber and Faber, 1973). A historical survey
with illustrations and examples of typeface development is pre¬
sented by Alexander S. Lawson in his study Anatomy of a Type¬
face (Boston: David R. Godine, 1990). A work with a
concentration on a specific geographical area is The Evolution of
American Typography (Minneapolis, MN: Walker Art Center;
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1990) edited by Mildred Friedman
and others. It contains a collection of scholarly articles on the
subject.
56 Chapter 3

From a historical perspective, the development of printing ink

has been sparsely treated in the literature. The preponderance of
material seems to dwell on the chemical and technical aspects of
the subject. One of the major historical studies on printing ink
is Colin H. Bloy’s A History of Printing Ink, Balls and Rollers,
1440-1850 (London: Wynkyn de Worde Society; New York:
Sandstone Press, 1980). Another authoritative technical treatise is
Printing Ink: A History with a Treatise on Modern Methods of
Manufacture and Use (New York: Harper, 1926) by Frank B. Wi-
borg. An interesting essay on how modem chemical analysis of
Gutenberg’s printing ink made it possible to determine how his
famous Bible was created is related by J. Beard in “How Medieval
Printers Put Bibles Together,” New Scientist 114 (April 16, 1987),
15. A brief but useful overview of the development of printing ink
is presented by Earl K. Fischer in his published address Printing
Ink: An Address Before the Bibliographical Society of the Univer¬
sity of Virginia, November 17, 1947 (Charlottesville: University
of Virginia, 1947). A related work that is of special interest to
analytical bibliographers is Jack C. Thompson’s Manuscript Inks:
Being a Personal Exploration of the Materials and Modes of Pro¬
duction (Portland, OR: Caber Press, 1996). Thompson not only
examines the production of iron gall and other inks used in manu¬
scripts but offers examples of their use.
Of the more technical works on printing ink, the following are
representative. An extensive three-volume work was written by E.
A. Apps: Ink Technology for Printers and Students. (New York:
Chemical Publishing Co., 1964). Volume 1 covers manufacturing
and testing; volume 2 covers inks for major processes; and volume
3 deals with special applications. Another work. Chemical Tech¬
nology in Printing and Imaging Systems (Cambridge, Eng.: Royal
Society of Chemistry, 1993), edited by J. A. G. Drake, as the title
implies, deals with both printing and imaging systems. Covering
printing ink progress up to 1975 is Joan I. Duffy’s work Printing
Ink: Developments since 1975 (Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Data Corp.,
1979). Although dated, Carlton Ellis’s study Printing Inks, Their
Chemistry and Technology (New York: Reinhold Publishing
Corp., 1940) is still useful. More specialized in its subject matter
is Printing Ink and Overprint Varnish Formulations: Recent De¬
velopments (Park Ridge, NJ: Noyes Publications, 1991) by Ernest
W. Flick. Also valuable is an introductory work by Andries Voet
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 57

entitled Ink and Paper in the Printing Process (New York: Inter¬
science Publishers, 1952).
The literature on bookbinding is extensive. Although it is not
comprehensive, the best bibliography on the subject is Vito G.
Brenni’s Bookbinding: A Guide to the Literature (Westport, CT:
Greenwood Press, 1983). While not definitive, annotated, or cur¬
rent, it is still useful. In a bibliographical essay format, Bernard
H. Breslauer discusses The Uses of Bookbinding Literature (New
York: Book Arts Press, 1986), focusing on hand-bookbinding in
the West and its primary concerns with history and design. Vari¬
ous aspects of bookbinding history are discussed by William L.
Andrews in William Loring Andrews on Bookbinding History
(New York: Garland Publishing, 1990). Some historical perspec¬
tives are also found in An Introduction to Bookbinding (London:
Faber and Faber, 1976) by Lionel S. Darley. Edith Diehl provides
a combination of history and practical manual in her two-volume
work Bookbinding, Its Background and Technique (New York:
Dover Publications, 1980). A collection of essays by Mirjam M.
Foot in Studies in the History of Bookbinding (Aldershot, Eng.:
Scolar Press, 1994) offer valuable insights into the evolution of
the field. Roy H. Lewis in Fine Bookbindings in the Twentieth
Century (New York: Arco Publications, 1985), illustrates the best
works that show the fine development of the craft. The Craft of
Bookbinding: A Practical Handbook (New York: Pitman, 1975)
by Eric Burdett is a manual that discusses tools and the various
steps necessary for different types of book bindings. An excellent
guide for novices who want to bind a book is found in Aldren A.
Watson’s Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Illustration (New York:
Macmillan, 1986).
Manuscripts are bibliographical artifacts that flourished mostly
in medieval times. Medieval Manuscript Bookmaking: A Biblio¬
graphic Guide (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989) by Doris
H. Banks consists of bibliographical essays followed by an alpha¬
betical listing of 1,044 books and articles treated in the text. An
annotated bibliographical guide to manuscript materials from an¬
cient times to the Renaissance is provided by Laurel N. Braswell
in Western Manuscripts from Classical Antiquity to the Renais¬
sance: A Handbook (New York: Garland Publishing, 1981).
Christopher DeHamel offers a excellent survey of the field in A
History of Illustrated Manuscripts, 2nd ed. (London: Phaedon,
58 Chapter 3

1994). A valuable guide to the use of manuscript material in re¬

search is provided by James E. Thorpe in The Use of Manuscripts
in Literary Research: Problems of Access and Literary Property
Rights 2nd ed. (New York: Modem Language Association, 1979).
Malcolm B. Parkes in Scribes, Scripts, and Readers: Studies in
the Communication, Presentation, and Dissemination of Medieval
Texts (London: Hambledon Press, 1991), examines the problems
involved in the development of medieval texts. Books in Manu¬
script: A Short Introduction to Their Study and Use 2nd ed. (New
York: Haskell House Publishers, 1968) by Falconer Madan is de¬
signed as an introduction to the subject. An extensive two-volume
work containing essays on manuscript books in the medieval era
is Ancient and Medieval Book Materials and Techniques (Vatican
City: Biblioteca apostolica Vaticana, 1993) edited by Marilena
Maniaci and Paola F. Manufo. In a clearly written and thoroughly
documented study Testaments of Time: The Search for Lost Manu¬
scripts and Records (New York: Knopf, 1966), Leo Duel describes
the work being done to restore ancient texts and their use in dis¬
closing historical evidences of times past.
The bibliographical treatment of nonprint materials in the litera¬
ture has largely been the domain of the library cataloger. The ma¬
terials cited below reflect this trend. A useful bibliographical
study that describes the nature and uses of nonprint materials with
pertinent examples and an extensive list of references is A Biblio¬
graphic System for Non-Book Media: A Description and List of
Books 2nd ed. (London: Coburgh Publications, 1979) by Antony
Croghan. Mary Beth Fecko presents an excellent manual for cata¬
loging nonprint materials in her work Cataloging Nonbook Re¬
sources: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians (New York:
Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1993). A general guide to the nature
and uses of nonprint materials is provided in Non-Book Materials
in Libraries: A Practical Guide 3rd ed. (London: Bingley, 1990)
by Richard Fothergill and Ian Butchart. Pearce S. Grove provides
a good historical overview covering the use of nonprint materials
in Nonprint Materials in Academic Libraries (Chicago: American
Library Association, 1975). He discusses their bibliographical or¬
ganization and standards. According to Anthony H. Thompson in
“Knowledge or Format: Which Comes First?” Audiovisual Li¬
brarian 12 (November 1986), 184-188, libraries that put books
(printed formats) before audiovisual materials (nonprint formats)
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 59

and try to segregate the two, put format before knowledge. He

makes a good case for audiovisual materials being more effective
in the learning process. Thomas Wall in “Nonprint Materials: A
Definition and Some Practical Considerations in Their Mainte¬
nance,” Library Trends 34 (Summer 1985), 129-140, examines
the nature and scope of nonprint materials and suggests various
preservation practices and techniques.

Notes

1. Gertrude Buford Rawlings, The Story of Books (New York: Apple-

ton, 1904), 11-13.
2. Lester Condit, “Bibliography in Its Prenatal Existence,” Library
Quarterly 7 (October 1937), 564-565. For a somewhat more extensive
account, see Elmer D. Johnson and Michael H. Harris, History of Librar¬
ies in the Western World, 3rd ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1976),
19-21.
3. Arundell J. K. Esdaile, Esdaile's Manual of Bibliography, 4th ed.,
revised by Roy Stokes (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1967), 184-185.
Papyrus codices also exist as well as those made from vellum.
4. Alice Damon Rider, A Story of Books and Libraries. (Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1976), 51-55.
5. Rider, 77-79.
6. Daniel Gore, Bibliography for Beginners 2nd ed. (New York: Ap-
pleton-Century-Crofts, 1973), 20-23.
7. Derek Williamson, Historical Bibliography. (Hamden, CT: Ar-
chon, 1967), 93-94.
8. Douglas Crawford McMurtrie, The Book: The Story of Printing &
Bookmaking 3rd ed. (London: Oxford University Press, 1943), 132-135.
9. Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin, The Coming of the Book:
The Impact of Printing 1450-1800. (London: Humanities Press, 1976),
253.
10. Febvre and Martin, 287-290.
11. McMurtrie, 246.
12. Henry Bartlett Van Hoesen, Bibliography, Practical, Enumerative,
Historical: An Introductory Manual (New York: Scribner’s, 1928), 346.
13. Esdaile, 304.
14. Williamson, 41-48.
15. For a detailed examination of the papyrus manufacturing process
see Naphtali Lewis, Papyrus in Classical Antiquity (Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1974), 34-69.
16. Dard Hunter, Papermaking: The History and Technique of an An-
60 Chapter 3

cient Craft (New York: Dover Publications, 1978), 25. This is a reprint of
the 1947 second edition.
17. Crown Zellerbach Corp., Paper ... Its Story, rev. ed. (San Fran¬
cisco: Crown Zillerbach Corporation, 1952), 2.
18. The Paper Handbook 3rd ed. (Portland, OR: Boise Cascade Paper
Group, 1976), 8.
19. Leonard B. Schlosser, “A History of Paper,” in Paper: Art and
Technology (San Francisco: World Print Council, 1979), 4-7. See also
Hunter, 63-66. In many countries, especially in Europe and North
America, the use of paper preceded its manufacture by some years, which
accounts for paper’s commercial future and importation long before the
manufacturing process was developed.
20. The early development of papermaking in America is expertly
covered by Dard Hunter, Papermaking in Pioneer America (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 1952), 9-19. The Rittenhouse Mill is
discussed in some detail in chapter 3, p. 20.
21. Schlosser, 15-16.
22. Hunter, Papermaking: The History and Technique, 361.
23. David B. Boswell, A Text-Book on Bibliography (London: Grafton,
1952), 41.
24. J. Ben Lieberman, Type and Typefaces: A Treasury of Typography
Book. (New Rochelle, NY: The Myriade Press, 1978), 31-36.
25. For one of the better short treatments of typography see Esdaile,
74-99.
26. The history of printing ink from its invention in China to modem
times is well documented in Frank B. Wilborg, Printing Ink: A History
with a Treatise on Modern Methods of Manufacture and Use (New York:
Harper, 1926); see especially chapters 1 througn 7.
27. Thomas Landau, Encyclopedia of Librarianship 3rd ed. (London:
Bowes and Bowes, 1966), 358.
28. Andries Voet, Ink and Paper in the Printing Process (New York:
Interscience, 1952), 3-7.
29. Voet, 3-7
30. Aldren A. Watson, Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction
(New York: Bell, 1963), 9. Watson further indicates that since modem
trade books are predominantly single column, their pages are smaller, in
contrast to the much larger books of earlier times.
31. Watson, 9.
32. Watson, 9-10.
33. Douglas Cockrell, Some Notes on Bookbinding (London: Oxford
University; Press, 1929), 1.
34. Cockrell, 4.
35. Watson, 12.
 The Objects and Artifacts of Bibliography 61

36. Philip Gaskell, A New Introduction to Bibliography (New York:

Oxford University Press, 1972), 231-234.
37. Lawrence S. Thompson, “Manuscripts,” Encyclopedia of Library
and Information Science (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1976), 17:130.
38. The New Columbia Encyclopedia, edited by William H. Harris and
Judith S. Levey (New York: Columbia University Press, 1975), 1689.
39. For an excellent, concise discussion of codicology and bibliogra¬
phy, see Lawrence J. McCrank, “Analytical and Historical Bibliography:
A State of the Art Review,” in Annual Report of the American Rare,
Antiquarian and Out-of-Print Book Trade, 1978/1979 edited by Denis
Carbonneau (New York: BCAR Publications, 1979), 176-177.
 4

Enumerative or Systematic
Bibliography

The terms “enumerative” and “systematic” refer both to the tech¬

niques used by bibliographers and to the instruments they create.
Consequently Tritheim’s Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis,l the
result of a painstaking recording and numeration of titles, is an
enumerative bibliography. This, as we have seen, was the earliest
form of bibliographical activity, and it remains the starting point
of all bibliographical study, for unless a book or other item is
known to exist, it cannot be found for analysis or description.
Basically this type of bibliography implies a listing in alphabeti¬
cal or chronological order, but in many cases entries are arranged
systematically for a particular purpose such as a selection of
books by their subject matter to form a subject bibliography. Nor¬
mally the enumerative or systematic bibliography requires only
brief entries with enough information to identify the work and to
enable the user to evaluate the significance in their field of the
materials listed.2
Enumerative bibliography has become a tremendously broad
field and threatens to become even larger as books, other graphic
materials, and ideas multiply. The bibliographer today is faced
with an almost infinite number of tasks which might be under¬
taken.3 The major task is to identify all the materials on a given
topic, to arrange them in order of precedence to suggest their rela¬
tionship to one another, and in so doing to guide the user to those
that are most likely to be important and valuable for his or her
needs.4

63
64 Chapter 4

Historical Development

In order to better understand the dimensions of enumerative bibli¬

ography, it will be helpful to review some of the historical devel¬
opments that have lead to its present status. Both books and
readers were needed before bibliography could get well under
way, but as soon as cradle books evolved titles and dates (in the
mid-1460s), enumerative bibliography came into existence.5 Be¬
ginning with the first commercial book lists of the German pub¬
lishers, it was a short step to compilations for dealers and the
entire German book trade. Before the end of the sixteenth century,
national bibliographies also appeared in Italy, France, and En¬
gland. The earliest attempt at universal or world bibliography was
made in 1545, with the publication of Conrad Gesner’s Biblio¬
theca universalis.6
A number of these lists were elementary subject bibliographies,
being divided after the manner of contemporary university facul¬
ties into theology, philosophy, and medicine. About the middle of
the seventeenth century a French bookseller by the name of Louis
de Saint-Charles improved upon the German models by the addi¬
tion of critical notes. This was followed by Nicolas Antonio’s Bib¬
liotheca Hispana? England’s Term Catalogues8 was the first
successful book list issued periodically. True subject bibliogra¬
phies developed slowly, both as lists of material by specific sub¬
ject and by internal arrangement under leading entry words.9
In the early part of the eighteenth century, printed catalogs of
both public and private libraries became fairly numerous, and crit¬
ical bibliographies in the form of notes and book reviews appeared
first in the Journal des Savants.10 The earliest professional
scholar-bibliographers were found among the Jesuits and Benedic¬
tines in the same century. The first work on applied bibliography,
the Bibliographie instructive11 by the librarian Francois DeBure
was published during the years 1763-93; this title, which was
probably the first to use the term “bibliography” in its modem
sense, marked the birth of the profession of bibliography.12
From these simple beginnings, enumerative bibliography has
evolved to its present status. Once used only to link printer and
buyer, it is now employed in many ways to advance our intellec¬
tual horizons. It is concerned with the communication of all
knowledge; with the discovery, identification, description, and
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 65

classification of documents; with printing, publishing, and the

book arts; with book hunting and collecting; with library adminis¬
tration and use; and, in its most specialized sense, with the formal
application of bibliographical principles of arrangement with re¬
spect to content.13

Nature and Uses

Enumerative bibliography has long been considered the poor step¬

sister of analytical bibliography. Enumerative bibliographers have
too often conceded that the other branch involves more technical
complexity,14 but there are those who argue, with much substance,
that enumerative bibliography in its finest sense has always been
the basic discipline and will be more and more widely recognized
as such.15
Within the present context we are dealing with the most practi¬
cal product of the bibliographical art—a bibliography. Broadly
speaking, a bibliography is an intermediary instrument or device
that is the link in the transfer of information from the producer to
the user. More specifically, it is the list or sequence of descriptions
of graphic materials on a given subject or area.16 The arrangement
or sequence of descriptions varies widely, usually depending on
the use for which the bibliography is intended. For example, de¬
scriptions may simply be arranged alphabetically, chronologi¬
cally, or by major subdivisions of a subject. The descriptions also
may vary in completeness and style. At the lower end of the scale
of complexity—thought not necessarily of usefulness—the enu¬
merative bibliography can be simply a checklist, containing only
the essential information to identify the item and nothing more.17
Enumerative bibliographies usually have one or more common
characteristics. They may attempt to be comprehensive in the cov¬
erage of a subject area or be very selective; comprehensiveness or
selectivity is often the result of the bibliographer’s aim in compil¬
ing the bibliography. The bibliography may also be retrospective
or current in nature. Currency is at times difficult to achieve, since
most enumerative bibliographies are out of date even before they
are published. Bibliographies serve as bridges to a larger body of
information and ultimately also lead to more specialized types of
information.
66 Chapter 4

The main objective of an enumerative bibliography is to collate

and list information about individual books and related material
in a logical and useful order. This means that some sort of selec¬
tion has taken place to determine what to include. Enumerative or
systematic bibliography is basic to other areas of the field because
the prerequisite for studying a book or any other piece of graphic
material is that it be known to exist. This process of discovery
and verification is only accomplished with the assistance of an
enumerative or systematic bibliography.18
In terms of basic functions, enumerative bibliography is purely
that of recording. Therefore, the recording activity must be distin¬
guished from the selection activity. Selecting requires critical
evaluation of the subject content, which only a subject specialist
is capable of doing well. At the same time, the bibliography
should be as complete as possible and noncritical in its approach.
Naturally, selection in this case involves accepting those items for
inclusion which fall within the scope of the topic concerned or
meet the purpose for which the bibliography is being compiled.19

Bibliographical Organization and Control

Enumerative bibliographies have three basic functions: (1) to

identify and verify, (2) to locate, and (3) to select.20 The descrip¬
tions collected for the bibliography identify such things as author,
title, edition, coauthors, publisher, and place and date of publica¬
tion. Location refers to where the item can be found in a library
or some other place. And bibliographies serve as selection aids
for the user because they indicate where materials are available in
a certain area.
If bibliographies are indeed to accomplish these three functions,
then we must consider several related problems, of which biblio¬
graphical organization and control are paramount. The amount of
literature available today is vast and expanding rapidly especially
because of the Internet. In spite of efforts to solve the problem
created by the current information explosion, the situation contin¬
ues to worsen. Given this condition, librarians, information profes¬
sionals, and bibliographers are playing an important role in
attempting to bring order out of chaos. They are exerting every
effort to provide satisfactory service to scholars and other patrons
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 67

through existing bibliographical tools or are taking the initiative

in improving bibliographical service in all areas.21
Because recorded knowledge has grown so rapidly in size and
complexity, the need to have it organized in some systematic fash¬
ion has become imperative. As a consequence we are led to the
concept of bibliographical organization, which is the pattern of
effective arrangement that results from the systematic listing of
the records of human communication.22 These listings are, of
course, bibliographies of various kinds, mostly of an enumerative
nature—both in the form of printed graphic materials and elec¬
tronically through CD-ROMs, online databases and the Internet.
Related to the problem of bibliographical organization is that
of bibliographical control. Perfect bibliographical control would
imply a complete record of the existence and location of every
book, every document, every article, even every written thought.
The probability of ever reaching such a utopian goal is minute.
The problem of bibliographical control is as ancient as the begin¬
ning of writing.23 Bibliographical control emphasizes the need
for mastery over materials in all branches of knowledge through
enumerative bibliographies. However, in a broader sense, it im¬
plies the need for control in the bibliographical organization of
the publishing trade and library profession.24
Bibliographical organization is concerned with the pattern of
effective arrangement achieved by means of a systematic listing
of recorded knowledge. Satisfactory bibliographical organization
of recorded knowledge will automatically lead to proper biblio¬
graphical control; both attempt to achieve the same objective.25
Both of these problems are complex and immense and cannot be
adequately discussed in this short space.
The work of modem enumerative bibliographers is very exact¬
ing because the bibliographies they compile exhibit a wide range
of types designed to fulfill various needs. Generally speaking, the
types may cover universal, national, and trade bibliographies; au¬
thor and subject bibliographies; publisher’s catalogs; indexes to
periodicals; abstracting journals; bibliographies of bibliographies;
periodical-literature surveys; and machine-readable databases and
Internet sources. Such bibliographers have to make extensive
searches through the vast mass of graphic materials to compile
dependable repertories.26
Enumerative bibliographies expand the records of human civili-
68 Chapter 4

zation. They come to our aid whenever we try to verify a title, or

gather information regarding the literature available on a subject,
or appraise materials by annotations or references to critical and
evaluative reviews, or find out the basic and best books on a sub¬
ject, or ascertain bibliographical data about an author. The need
of such activity for everyone in pursuit of knowledge, direct or
indirect, is quite obvious.

Types and Functions of Enumerative Bibliographies

As the practical aspect of the discipline, enumerative or systematic

bibliography is concerned with the production and study of lists
of recorded knowledge. Variety of interest and purpose is reflected
in the production and use of bibliographies. One person just wants
to know some books to read on a particular subject or by an au¬
thor; another wants to know about everything written on a subject;
yet another is searching for the best or standard books.27 Some are
engaged in book selection; some want to investigate the record of
the printing output of a nation; some are interested in book rarities
and their location; and others need a general repertory, say, a com¬
bination of catalogs of several big libraries—so as to avoid con¬
sulting scattered sources; and there may be yet another group who
want to know about the existing bibliographies in a particular sub¬
ject discipline or on specific authors.
Bibliographies of various types are available to meet all such
needs. Arundell Esdaile has broadly classed them as primary bib¬
liographies—the original record of material—and secondary bib¬
liographies—those in which materials recorded in scattered works
have been rearranged to aid in research. Thus, the general, na¬
tional, and trade bibliographies, as well as the bibliographies of
bibliographies, are all primary and the subject, author, and per¬
sonal bibliographies are secondary.28
In considering the types of enumerative bibliographies, a useful
analogy is that of a sieve. Bibliographies are like a series of sieves
that sift and resift the books and other graphic materials of the
world, first coarsely and then more finely, until the desired materi¬
als are separated out. There are sieves for different purposes: au¬
thor, language, subject, nationality, period, or what you will.
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 69

Enumerative bibliography is the art of combining sieves to sepa¬

rate out the desired materials.29

General or Universal Bibliographies

A truly general or universal bibliography that is fully compre¬
hensive and unlimited by language, period, or subject is, practi¬
cally speaking, impossible because the material is too vast. A few
bibliographical utilities such as OCLC (Online Computer Library
Center, Inc.) and RLIN (Research Library Information Network),
however, come relatively close to the reality. Also, through the
Internet, union catalogs, which are the collective catalogs of two
or more libraries (e.g. The National Union Catalog), can be used
to identify the holdings of other libraries.

National Bibliographies
National bibliographies are those which list books and other
publications published, or distributed in significant quantity, in a
particular country. Most national bibliographies are the catalogs
of the country’s main library, issued in a printed or electronic
format. Two basic elements should be present for a work to qualify
as a national bibliography: (1) The issuer must have a legal deposit
copy of everything to be listed in the bibliography; and (2) the
records must be from direct examination of the materials, not from
the publisher or author. Most Western countries now have deposi¬
tory and direct examination as the foundation for their national
bibliographies.30
This term may also be used to designate a list of new publica¬
tions published within a specific period, or may refer to all those
published within a lengthy period of many years. It may also be
used to indicate a list of publications about a country (whether
written by its nationals or not) and those written in the language
of the country as well as those published in it.31
Many national bibliographies such as The National Union Cata¬
log for the United States,32 The British National Bibliography for
the United Kingdom33 and Canadiana: Canada ’s National Bibli¬
ography34 are available in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and online
formats. Since the format of these bibliographies tends to change,
it would be best to consult an up-to-date or annual directory such
70 Chapter 4

as the Gale Directory of Databases35 or CD-ROMS in Print36 for

the most current information. William A. Katz in the seventh edi¬
tion of his Introduction to Reference Work31 gives a good review
of the major national bibliographies in their various formats. The
major retrospective national bibliographies are listed and anno¬
tated by Kathleen A. Mitchell in The Reader’s Adviser3*

Trade Bibliographies

Most trade bibliographies can also be classified as a form of

national bibliography and there is not really a clear distinction
between them. Trade bibliographies are designed to provide librar¬
ians, bibliographers, and booksellers with information as to which
books are in print and when, where, by whom, and at what price
they were published and made available for sale. These bibliogra¬
phies also serve as a control device for bringing some order to the
books published in the United States and elsewhere each year, not
to mention pamphlets, reports, records, films, and the like.39
Trade bibliographies such as Books in Print for books published
in the United States40 and Whitaker’s Books in Print for books
published in Great Britain,41 are issued in print, CD-ROM, and
online formats. Annotated listings of these and other major trade
bibliographies can be found in the aforementioned Introduction to
Reference Work, by William A. Katz,42 and Reader’s Advisor, by
Kathleen A. Mitchell.43 It is, however, good practice to also check
the Gale Directory of Databases** and CD-ROMS in Print45 for
current information on the status of any trade bibliography.

Subject Bibliographies

Subject bibliographies are the most common form of printed

bibliographical instrument. They may treat a single topic or a
combination of related ones. They may attempt to be current or
retrospective, comprehensive or selective, and may or may not
include annotations. They may be issued as periodicals or mono¬
graphs, CD-ROM or as Internet web sites. Their arrangement may
vary considerably particularly when dictated by the nature of the
subject matter.
The least complex arrangement of entries for a subject bibliog¬
raphy is strictly alphabetical by author or title. An example of this
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 71

can be found in Reference Materials on Mexican Americans by

Richard D. Woods.46 This format is rarely used by compilers,
however, because most subjects are complex enough to require
subdivisions and consequently the straight alphabetical arrange¬
ment becomes too restrictive.
In guides to the literature on a particular topic, the general ar¬
rangement is by type of materials. A primary example is Ameri¬
can Popular Culture by Frank W. Hoffman.47 In this subject
bibliography the compiler concentrates on listing and annotating
general works, dictionaries, indexes, encyclopedias, bibliogra¬
phies, and the like. Some bibliographies of this kind also deal
with just one type of reference source such as Kenneth F. Kister’s
Kister’s Best Encyclopedias,48 which lists and compares the qual¬
ity of published encyclopedias for various groups as well as indi¬
viduals.
Chronological arrangement of entries is most commonly used
in subject bibliographies on historically related subjects. Japanese
History and Culture from Ancient to Modern Times utilizes this
format, covering the various historical periods related to Japan’s
development as a modem nation state.49
Recent Publications on Governmental Problems, is an example
of a type of bibliography that provides current coverage.50 It has a
classified format and is issued semimonthly. Primarily it is a
checklist that indexes articles, books, pamphlets, and other materi¬
als relating to state and local government. Since 1978 the annual
cumulation apparently has included a subject and author index.

Author Bibliographies

The basic purpose of modem author bibliographies is the loca¬

tion, identification, and recording of the significant forms of all a
writer’s utterances that have been disseminated through the
printed word. There are problems associated with achieving these
aims, however. The most obvious is attempting to establish anony¬
mous or pseudonymous contributions to the canon. There is also
a problem in discovering the existence of unknown attributions of
indeterminable size and depth.51
Over the past several decades, production of author bibliogra¬
phies has accelerated many fold. They appear in numerous publi¬
cations and formats—full-length books, journal articles.
72 Chapter 4

bibliographies attached to critical works, and so on. Of course,

these compilations vary in coverage from extensive to highly se¬
lective. They may include an author’s canon, works by and about
an author, criticism only, a special aspect of an author’s life and
works, or possibly a listing of the holdings of a particular library
or bookseller’s collection. Using John Steinbeck as an example,
the bibliographical works discussed below represent some of the
major forms that comprise this branch of enumerative bibliog¬
raphy.
Very few authors have the need for a separate bibliography of
bibliographies, but John Steinbeck is one of them that does be¬
cause of the large number of published bibliographies listing
works by and about him. An example is Steinbeck Bibliographies
by Robert B. Harmon.52
A very useful type of author bibliography is one that contains
entries that are both descriptive and enumerative. John Steinbeck:
A Bibliographical Catalog by Adrian Homer Goldstone and John
R. Payne contains both types of entries.53
Catalogs of special collections located in libraries containing
materials by and about a specific author are becoming more preva¬
lent. One of the more extensive relating to Steinbeck has been
published by the Salinas (California) Public Library entitled John
Steinbeck; A Guide to the Collection of the Salinas Public Li¬
brary.54
There are many bookseller’s catalogs that can be considered as
legitimate author bibliographies as well. Among those published
relating to John Steinbeck, perhaps the most extensive and a aes¬
thetically pleasing is Bradford Morrow, Bookseller, John Stein¬
beck: A Collection of Books and Manuscripts.55
Specialized bibliographies covering a particular aspect of an au¬
thor’s life and works are appearing in ever-greater numbers. A
relevant example concerning the development of John Steinbeck
as a writer is Robert J. DeMott’s Steinbeck's Reading.56 This com¬
pilation is the first full-length list of books that passed through
Steinbeck’s hands during his lifetime, some of which influenced
his writing.
Lists of critical works about authors are common and often
quite extensive. A bibliography of critical writings about Stein¬
beck can be found in “Criticism of John Steinbeck: A Selected
Checklist,” by Maurice Beebe and Jackson R. Bryer.57 This ex-
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 73

tensive list covers both critical books and articles about Steinbeck
and his writings.

Selective or Elective Bibliographies

Bibliographies of this kind list selected items arranged system¬

atically, usually according to subject. They are most useful in se¬
lecting retrospective material, especially for small and medium¬
sized libraries. Some of these are guides to best or standard works.
Selective or elective bibliographies may be either retrospective or
current, and they vary in terms of format and coverage.
For current materials, an excellent source is The Booklist.5* Is¬
sued five times a year, this periodical is a general review source
for all types of books, emphasis being on materials thought suit¬
able for small to medium-sized public libraries. It is arranged by
broad classes. Complete bibliographical information is given for
each entry, including price. Another excellent selective source is
Choice 59 which is published monthly and has an annual cumula¬
tive index. This work is specifically geared to college libraries.
This source is also available in the Uncover online database.60
Clifton Fadiman’s Lifetime Reading Plan 61 first published in
1960 has been a standard work to assist readers in finding and
maintaining good reading habits over the years was. There now is
a new edition, The New Lifetime Reading Plan,62 which is ar¬
ranged chronologically.
Since the early 1920s another standard reference guide to the
best in reading has been The Reader's Adviser. This work is a
guide to the best in print in different literary forms and subject
fields, such as literature, biography, and classics.

Bibliophilic Bibliographies

A bibliophile is someone who loves or collects books. Quite

often this person collects books because of books’ physical char¬
acteristics. Consequently a bibliophile may be interested in artisti¬
cally designed bindings, kinds of typefaces, illustrations, and so
on. Acquiring first editions is a particular interest of book collec¬
tors.63
Bibliophiles seem to have a personal attachment to each book
they obtain. Very often they are well-read persons or scholars. A
74 Chapter 4

book collector is able to acquire a passion for bibliographical

learning at times as great as the passion for the physical features
of books. Bibliophiles have assisted in the development of the
care, preservation, and decoration of books which has led to a
greater appreciation of them. In many ways they have contributed
a great deal to scholarship.64
There are numerous lists of books of interest to bibliophiles,
such as those dealing with first editions. Often the chief motive in
compiling such lists is self-satisfaction, though they may inciden¬
tally possess certain distributive value. These lists place great em¬
phasis on the description of books, which are outstanding from the
point of view of peculiarities in their physical makeup. Because
bibliophiles are mainly interested in early books, bibliophilic bib¬
liography forms an important part of early bibliography.65
Serious book collectors, libraries, scholars and booksellers as
well as the general reader will find Allen Aheam’s Collected
Books: The Guide to Values very useful.66 Entries are arranged
alphabetically by author, or title if the author is unknown. Inclu¬
sions are mostly limited to nineteenth and twentieth-century Brit¬
ish and American authors. For each item listed, a price range is
indicated for copies in good condition.

Specialized Catalogs
Catalogs could well fit within the universal or general classifi¬
cation; they are, however, a distinct type of enumerative bibliogra¬
phy. They are ordinarily lists, inventorial in character, of books
whose common characteristics are not that they have the same
author or subject matter (although either or both of these may be
true) but that they are issued by a particular publisher or group of
publishers, are offered for sale by a particular bookseller, or are
owned by a particular library or group of libraries.67
Because many library catalogs throughout the world are now
online and a large number are accessible via the Internet, catalogs
like the ones mentioned above are now rarely published. Only
those of specialized booksellers are now issued and even some of
these can be found on Internet sites.

Bibliographies of Bibliographies
The multiplication of bibliographies of different types in many
subject fields has resulted in the compilation of bibliographies of
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 75

bibliographies. These works illustrate the existence of materials

on particular subjects or on specific authors, sometimes from the
very beginning of printing to the present time. No one knows for
sure just how many separately published bibliographies have been
compiled—but the number must be immense. The bibliography of
bibliographies is particularly useful as a means of gaining access
to the literature of an obscure or limited topic or one not ade¬
quately covered in the standard bibliographies. The person who
has never consulted one of these works can have no conception of
the wealth and diversity of information provided by bibliographi¬
cal writing or the varied and complex forms in which such writ¬
ings occur.68

Guides to the Literature

These compilations are not subject bibliographies in the ordi¬

nary sense because they usually go beyond the normal limits of
enumerative bibliography in including not only lists of references
but also discussions of the functions and uses of the types of litera¬
ture. Some go even further, in providing information on careers,
instructions on how to use the library, or work assignments for
student development. Denis Grogan has identified two principal
types of guides to the literature: (1) textbook, and (2) reference
book. The chief difference between these two is the format: in the
textbook, sources are considered in the context of an essay on the
subject matter of a particular field or area, whereas the reference-
book guide is a subject bibliography often accompanied by very
brief introductions to each type of material listed.69
Elisabeth B. Davis and Diane Schmidt utilize the textbook ap¬
proach in their guide Using the Biological Literature: A Practical
Guide.10 Written in essay form, the chapters deal with different
types of reference works, describing their principal uses and citing
individual sources. Charlie D. Hurt uses the reference-book ap¬
proach in his book Information Sources in Science and Technol¬
ogy.71 The materials cited are well annotated and accessed by
author and subject indexes.
The standard guide to reference works is Guide to Reference
Books, edited by Robert Balay.72 The successor to Sheehy, Win¬
ched, and Mudge, Balay has carried on the excellent reputation of
this outstanding reference guide. While Balay uses the reference-
76 Chapter 4

book approach, the coverage is extensive and the annotations well

designed.

Selected Supplemental Resources

Drawing heavily upon the work of Patrick Wilson, Marcia J. Bates

in “Rigorous Systematic Bibliography,” RQ 16 (Fall 1976), 7-16,
establishes a theoretical foundation and framework for the enu-
merative branch of the discipline, which she claims is just as tech¬
nical, complex and important as the analytical branch. This study
makes an important contribution toward understanding the nature
of enumerative bibliography and its role in society.
Donald W. Krummel in “The Dialectics of Enumerative Bibli¬
ography: Observations on the Historical Study of the Practices
of Citation and Compilation,” Library Quarterly 58 (July 1988),
238-257, reviews the history of bibliography and the effects of
online bibliographical services on bibliographical practices. Some
of the practices he examines are delimitation by date span; re¬
gional and national delimitation; selectivity, internal organization;
citation practices and annotation styles.
Jackson J. Bryer’s view of enumerative bibliography in “From
Second-Class Citizenship to Respectability,” Literary Research
Newsletter 3 (Spring 1978), 55-61, is a radical departure from
that held by most of his colleagues who teach English or literature
at the college or university level. He is convinced that enumerative
bibliography has now become a respectable tool for the scholar.
In an outstanding collection of essays in Bibliography: Current
State and Future Trends (Urbana: University of Illinois Press,
1967), edited by Robert B. Downs and Frances B. Jenkins, the
state of the field is defined but the future trends discussed did not
foresee the full impact of the electronic revolution that has
changed the focus of the field. Martha L. Hackman in The Practi¬
cal Bibliographer (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1970)
provides an excellent overview of bibliography at the beginning
of the 1970s.
A basic discussion of enumerative bibliography and its applica¬
tions is given by Anthony M. L. Robinson in Systematic Bibliog¬
raphy: A Practical Guide to the Work of Compilation 4th ed.
(London: Clive Bingley; New York: K. G. Saur, 1979). A standard
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 77

but dated work is Bibliography: Practical, Enumerative, Histori¬

cal: An Introductory Manual (New York: Scribner’s, 1928) by
Henry B. Van Hoesen and Frank K. Walter. David G. Greetham,
in the first chapter of Textual Scholarship: An Introduction (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1994), expertly discusses the state of
enumerative or systematic bibliography citing, pertinent examples
and examining the impact of electronic databases on the field.
An outstanding discussion of bibliographies and how they are
used is available in the Design of Bibliographies: Observations,
References, and Examples (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press,
1991) by Sidney E. Berger. In “Bibliography: Queen or Servant
of Scholarship,” Book Club of California Quarterly News-Letter
54 (Spring 1989), 59-73, William P. Barlow, Jr., traces the his¬
toric development of enumerative bibliography, noting its great
influence on scholarship. Despite the impact of electronic biblio-
grapical resources, well-conceived and carefully executed print
bibliographies for interdisciplinary areas are still of vital impor¬
tance according to Joan B. Fiscella in “Bibliogrphy as an Interdis¬
ciplinary Information Service,” Library Trends 45 (Fall 1996),
280-295. In “Systematic Bibliography as the Reflection of Real¬
ity,” International Library Review 13 (January 1981), 17-24,
Martin H. Sable is concerned with sloppy coverage in bibliogra¬
phies that fail to adequately reflect the true nature and structure of
the topic they are attempting to define.
Some older studies are still relevant to the eternal problem of
bibliographical control. A work covering four approaches to uni¬
versal bibliographical control is Donald E. Davinson’s Biblio¬
graphic Control 2nd ed. (London: Bingley, 1981). In “Problems
of Bibliographical Control f Library Trends 2 (April 1954), 498-
508, Robert B. Downs provides some insight into the unsolvable
difficulties that make complete bibliographical control impossible
to achieve. The problems of bibliographical control are closely
associated with bibliographical management, according to Jesse
H. Shera in “Bibliographic Management,” American Documenta¬
tion 2 (January 1951), 47-54. Shera, along with Margaret E. Egan,
edited a collection of essays in Bibliographic Organization (Chi¬
cago: University of Chicago Press, 1951) that expand on this
theme. Roy B. Stokes in Bibliographical Control and Service
(New York: London House and Maxwell, 1965) claims that biblio¬
graphical control is essential to the advancement of knowledge
78 Chapter 4

and research. A powerful, rigorous, and detailed study of biblio¬

graphical control and its ramifications is provided by Patrick Wil¬
son in Two Kinds of Power: An Essay on Bibliographical Control
(Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1978).
This is not a book for beginning students because of its highly
abstract and theoretical approach to the subject. A more recent
examination of this bibliographical activity is provided by Pru¬
dence W. Dalrymple in “Bibliographic Control, Organization of
Information and Search Strategies,” in Reference and Information
Services: An Introduction, 2nd ed., edited by Richard Bopp and
Linda C. Smith (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1995),
55-83.
Over the last decade or so, national and trade bibliography has
changed dramatically because of new technology and approaches.
Several older works are still useful in understanding this trend.
Although dated, Barbara L. Bell’s An Annotated Guide to Na¬
tional Bibliographies (Alexandria, VA: Chadwyck-Healey, 1986)
is still useful because of its extensive coverage. Guide to Current
National Bibliographies in the Third World. 2nd rev. ed. (London:
Zell, 1987) by G. E. Gorman and J. J. Mills covers national bibli¬
ographies in underdeveloped countries. For a more updated list¬
ing, consult “National Bibliographies.” In World Encyclopedia of
Library and Information Service 3rd ed. (Chicago: American Li¬
brary Association, 1993), 600-605, by Abby Yochelson. Upon
examining the influences of bibliographical utilities, CD-ROMs,
and similar media on the production of literary bibliographies,
Geoffrey D. Smith in “National Bibliographies in the Electronic
Agt,”Analytical and Enumerative Bibliography n.s., 6, no. 1
(1992), 3-9, is encouraged that these systems can have a benefi¬
cial effect on national bibliographies in general.
Writings related to subject bibliography have not been exten¬
sive. A view covering a single discipline is offered by Dagmar H.
Perman in Bibliography and the Historian (Santa Barbara, CA:
ABC-Clio, 1968). Barbara M. Hale describes the various types
of subject bibliographies that have developed since the advent of
printing in The Study of Subject Bibliography of the Social Sci¬
ences and Humanities (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1970). Christo¬
pher D. Needham has edited The Study of Subject Bibliography
with Special Reference to the Social Sciences (College Park:
School of Library Services, University of Maryland, 1970), which
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 79

is a collection of student essays on the literature of the social sci¬

ences and their uses. In Notes on Subject Study (London: Deutsch,
1962), Ronald Staveley provides a basic overview of subject bibli¬
ography and examines related problems. Staveley along with la
and John Mcllwaine give an in-depth study of the difficulties and
functions of subject bibliography in Introduction to Subject Study
(London: Deutsch, 1967).
Like subject bibliography, the literature about the study of au¬
thor bibliography has been sparse. In “Some Problems in Modem
Enumerative Bibliography,” Text: Transactions of the Society for
Textual Scholarship 1 (1981), 327-336, Anthony Edwards exam¬
ines the problems associated with location, identification, and re¬
cording of significant forms of a writer’s work in the field. An
eloquent defense of the value of author bibliography and the plight
of compilers is given by Dan H. Laurence in “A Portrait of the
Author as a Bibliography,”The Book Collector 35 (Summer
1986), 165-177. An excellent survey of what makes author bibli¬
ographies valuable is given in “Author Bibliographies,” The Book
Collector 32 (Winter 1983), 391-406, by David McKitterick.

Notes

1. Johannes Trithemius, Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (Basel:

Johann Amerbach, 1494).
2. E. W. Padwick, Bibliographical Method: An Introductory Survey
(Cambridge, Eng.: James Clarke, 1969), 13.
3. Richard H. Shoemaker, “Bibliography (General),” Library Trends
15 (January 1967), 5.
4. William H. Bond. “Bibliography and Bibliographers,”AB Book¬
man's Weekly 47 (April 26, 1971), 1395.
5. Neal R. Harlow, “Bibliographers in an Age of Science,” Revue de
VUniversite d’Ottawa 23 (January/March 1953), 40.
6. Conrad Gesner, Bibliotheca universalis sive catalogus omnium
scriptorum locupletissmus in tribus linguis Latina, Graeca, et Hebraica
. . . (Zurich: Christoph Froschauer, 1545).
7. Nicolas Antonio, Bibliotheca Hispana ... (Rome: Nicolas Angelus
Tinassius and Antonius de Rubeis, 1672-1696), 4 vols.
8. Edward Arber, Term Catalogues, 1668-1709 . . . (London: Arber;
New York: Dodd, 1903-1906), 3 vols.
9. Harlow, 40.
80 Chapter 4

10. Journal des savants (Paris: Chez Jean Cvsson, 1665— ). This pub¬
lication is a French literary periodical.
11. Guillaume Francis DeBure, Bibliographic Instructive; ou traite
de la connoissance deliveres rares et singuliers . . . (Paris: G. F. DeBure,
1763-1782), 10 vols.
12. Georg Schneider, Theory and History of Bibliography translated
by Ralph R. Shaw. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1934), 5, 276.
13. Roy B. Stokes, The Function of Bibliography 2nd ed. (Aldershot,
Eng.: Gower, 1982), 44.
14. Marcia J. Bates, “Rigorous Systematic Bibliography,” RQ 16 (Fall
1976), 7.
15. Bates, 7.
16. Bates, 9.
17. Bond, 1395.
18. Girja Kumar and Krishan Kumar, Bibliography rev. ed. (New
Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1985), 10.
19. Kumar and Kumar, 10.
20. William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work, Volume 1: Basic
Information Sources 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997), x.
21. Kumar and Kumar, 190.
22. Verner W. Clapp, “The Role of Bibliographic Organization in Con¬
temporary Civilization,” in Bibliographic Organization edited by Jesse
H. Shera and Margaret E. Egan (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1951), 4.
23. Robert B. Downs and Frances B. Jenkins, “Introduction,” Library
Trends 15 (January 1967), 337.
24. Kumar and Kumar, 191.
25. Kumar and Kumar, 192.
26. Ajit Kumar Mukherjee, Book Selection and Systematic Bibliogra¬
phy. (Calcutta: World Press, 1960), 72.
27. Mukherjee, 74.
28. Arundell J. K. Esdaile, A Student's Manual of Bibliography 3rd
ed., revised by Roy B. Stokes (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1954), 283.
29. Raynard C. Swank, “Cataloging Cost Factors,” Library Quarterly
26 (October 1956), 305.
30. Katz, 90.
31. Ray Prytherch, comp., Harrod's Librarians' Glossary. 8th ed. (Al¬
dershot, Hauts, Eng.: Gower; Brookfield, VT: Ashgate Pub. Co., 1995),
431.
32. National Union Catalog . . . (Washington, DC: Library of Con¬
gress, 1953—to date). Since 1982 this catalog has been issued in a micro¬
fiche format only.
33. British National Bibliography (Boston Spa, Eng.: The British Na¬
tional Library, National Bibliographic Service, 1950— to date).
 Enumerative or Systematic Bibliography 81

34. Canadiana: Canada's National Bibliography (Ottawa: National

Library of Canada, 1867—to date).
35. Gale Directory of Databases (Detroit, MI: Gale Research,
1993—to date). Issued in two volumes and updated twice annually.
36. CD-ROMs in Print (Westport, CT: Meckler, 1987—to date). Up¬
dated annually.
37. Katz, 89-115.
38. See vol. 1, pp. 66-68, of The Reader's Adviser: An Annotated
Guide to the Best in Print. . . 14th ed. (New York: Bowker, 1994). Issued
in six volumes.
39. Katz, 98.
40. Books in Print (New York: Bowker, 1948—to date). There are
author, title, and subject volumes along with a directory of publishers.
41. Whitaker's Books in Print (London: J. Whitaker and Sons, 1988—
to date). Has author, title, and subject listings for British books in print.
42. Katz, 98-102.
43. The Reader's Adviser, 701-702.
44. Gale Directory of Databases (Detroit: Gale Research, 1993— to
date).
45. CD-ROMs in Print.
46. Richard D. Woods, Reference Materials on Mexican Americans:
An Annotated Bibliography (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1976).
47. Frank W. Hoffman, American Popular Culture: A Guide to the
Reference Literature (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1995).
48. Kenneth F. Kister, Kister's Best Encyclopedias: A Comparative
Guide to General and Specialized Encyclopedias, 2nd ed. (Phoenix: Oryx
Press, 1994).
49. John W. Dower and Timothy S. George, Japanese History and
Culture from Ancient to Modern Times: Seven Basic Bibliographies 2nd
ed. (Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Publishers, 1995).
50. Recent Publications on Governmental Problems (Chicago: Mer-
riam Center Library, University of Chicago, 1932—to date).
51. Anthony S. G. Edwards, “Some Problems in Modem Enumerative
Bibliography, ''Text: Transactions of the Society for Textual Scholarship
1 (1981), 327-328.
52. Robert B. Harmon, Steinbeck Bibliographies: An Annotated Guide
(Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1987).
53. Adrian Homer Goldstone and John R. Payne, John Steinbeck: A
Bibliographical Catalog of the Adrian H. Goldstone Collection (Austin:
Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas, 1974).
54. Salinas Public Library, John Steinbeck: A Guide to the Collection
of the Salinas Public Library, edited by John Gross and Lee Richard
Hayman (Salinas, CA: Salinas Public Library, 1979).
82 Chapter 4

55. Bradford Morrow, Bookseller, John Steinbeck: A Collection of

Books and Manuscripts Formed by Harry Valentine of Pacific Grove,
California (Santa Barbara: Bradford Morrow, Bookseller, 1980). This
work is labeled “Catalog Eight.”
56. Robert J. DeMott, Steinbeck's Reading: A Catalogue of Books
Owned and Borrowed (New York: Garland Publishing, 1984).
57. Maurice Beebe and Jackson R. Bryer, “Criticism of John Stein¬
beck: A Selected Checklist,"Modern Fiction Studies 11 (Spring 1965),
90-103.
58. Booklist (Chicago: American Library Association, 1905—to date).
59. Choice (Chicago: American Library Association, 1964—to date.).
60. Uncover (Denver, CO: CARL Systems, 1992—to date). This is an
online periodical database. See also Katz, 47.
61. Clifton Fadiman, Lifetime Reading Plan, rev. ed. (New York: Cro¬
well, 1978).
62. Clifton Fadiman, The New Lifetime Reading Plan 4th ed. (New
York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997).
63. Kumar, 84.
64. Kumar, 84.
65. Kumar, 84.
66. Allen Aheam, Collected Books: The Guide to Values (New York:
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1997).
67. Vemer W. Clapp, “Bibliography,” Encyclopedia Americana,
(Danbury, CT: Grolier Incorporated, 1994), 3: 722.
68. Clapp, “Bibliography,” 723.
69. Denis J. Grogan, Science and Technology: An Introduction to the
Literature 4th ed. (London: Bingley; Hamden, CT: Linnet, 1982), 33-40.
70. Elisabeth B. Davis and Diane Schmidt, Using the Biological Liter¬
ature: A Practical Guide 2nd ed. (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1995).
71. Charles D. Hurt, Information Sources in Science and Technology
2nd ed. (Englewood, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 1994).
72. Robert Balay, ed., Guide to Reference Books 11th ed (Chicago:
American Library Association, 1996).
 5

Analytical or Critical Bibliography

The primary distinction between enumerative bibliography and

analytical bibliography has been made previously, and the impor¬
tance of the former has been indicated with regard to the recording
of books so that they can be identified and located. After a book
has been discovered and obtained, a variety of different investiga¬
tions can be performed, depending upon the nature and purpose
for which the investigation is being conducted. It is these investi¬
gations to which the name of analytical or critical bibliography is
applied.1 Consequently, when we speak of analytical or critical
bibliography, we normally refer to the study of books as physical
objects, the details of their production and the effects of the
method of manufacture on the text. Therefore, when Sir Walter W.
Greg called bibliography the science of the transmission of liter¬
ary documents, he was referring to analytical bibliography.2
There was a time in the development of bibliographical studies
when it was considered useful to separate the analytical from the
critical work in the definition of this bibliographical form. The
process of analysis of the material under review was considered
to be essentially the first operation to discover the facts, following
which a critical process of explanation of these facts could be
applied. This latter process then would be the realm of critical as
distinct from analytical bibliography. In practice, the process of
analysis and critical comment on the facts are so intertwined that
no useful purpose is served by attempting to separate them.3
As an independent study, analytical bibliography is compara¬
tively new, and much of its activity has been directed toward find¬
ing out about itself, discovering its own procedures, testing its
own hypotheses, and increasing the scope of its own applications.
It is still growing and developing, but expert knowledge of it is not

83
84 Chapter 5

very widespread.4 Although it has historical antecedents several

centuries back, analytical bibliography has had its greatest devel¬
opment during the twentieth century. Most of this activity, which
took place early in this century, was centered on Shakespearean
texts in general, and with the nature and authority of the so-called
quarto texts and their relation to the text printed in the first folio in
particular. Associated with this movement were studies in English
literature by three eminent scholars, Alfred W. Pollard, Ronald B.
McKerrow, and Sir Walter W. Greg—all interested in bibliog¬
raphy.5
Following the work of English antiquarian scholar and librarian
Henry Bradshaw and librarian and incunabulist Robert Proctor,
Greg, McKerrow, and Pollard developed what is now called ana¬
lytical bibliography. It has had some notable successes, such as
the discovery of the true nature of the Pavier quartos and the reve¬
lation of the Wise forgeries, and it has played a significant role in
shaping a few of the best editions of recent years, including
Fredson Bowers’s collection of Dekker’s plays.6 It has also pro¬
duced some landmark studies such as Charlton Hinman’s study of
the Shakespeare first folio and other works by Bowers, Philip Gas-
kell, and G. Thomas Tanselle, to mention but a few.
Resulting from the work of these and other bibliographers,
much has been gained in the way of bibliographical scholarship
involving the critical analysis of the text and its presentation.
Using this approach, the analytical bibliographer examines the
physical form of a book, and all of its relations which claim to
transmit the same text, in order to ascertain exact identification,
confirm attributions, and determine changes that occurred as an
author communicated with an audience. Even though we speak
here of books, the analytical bibliographer is concerned also with
codices, pamphlets, unbound tracts, broadsides, placards, and the
like.7
Analytical bibliography is associated with printed books, not
with the study of manuscripts per se, although manuscripts and
intermediate printings such as galley proofs are studied whenever
found. An important distinction must be made with regard to
manuscripts. A manuscript text may not be the finished version
of an item, whereas the printed text is a standardized, fixed, and
preserved product. In effect, when something appears in print it
becomes codified. Consequently, publication of a text in printed
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 85

form is viewed as the dissemination of a finished product, but

prior to the modem ability to produce facsimile copies, variants
tended to change or, as some prefer, corrupt a text as it is further
removed from its author. Often authorial changes can be intro¬
duced following printing, and for that reason the bibliographer
finds it unproductive to collect only first editions or to ignore other
printed editions altogether in favor of a manuscript text, even
when the latter is autobiographical.8
An interesting counterpart of analytical bibliography is codicol-
ogy, which is an enlargement of the field of paleography and is
the study of manuscripts as cultural artifacts in the historical proc¬
ess. It is a post-World War II term coined by the French and is
only now becoming recognized as a viable discipline. In general,
the methodology of codicology is similar to that of analytical bib¬
liography in that both are based on the techniques developed first
in Biblical studies and textual criticism. Both codicology and ana¬
lytical bibliography may be divided into subsets of specialized
concerns or study described as historical, textual, and descriptive.
Codicology lacks the same vocabulary and hierarchy of concepts
based on the idea of an edition, but manuscript copies are simi¬
larly identified according to their relationships with prototypes
and archetypes. Here the approach is genealogical in nature, trac¬
ing ancestry through the descent of a text and constructing fami¬
lies of manuscripts which are identified by their variants.9

Structure of Analytical Bibliography

Descriptive Bibliography
The principal function of descriptive bibliography is the precise
physical description of material. It asks the questions: How is a
book put together? What type face is used and what kind of paper?
How are the illustrations incorporated into the book? How is it
bound and what materials make up the binding? What are the
main physical characteristics of the material being described if it
is not a book?
Like a textual bibliographer, the descriptive bibliographer must
have a good working knowledge of the state of the technology of
the period in order to describe a book’s physical appearance both
86 Chapter 5

accurately and economically. Descriptive bibliographies are list¬

ings that provide full physical descriptions of the books or other
material they list, enabling us to tell one edition from another and
to identify significant variations within a single edition.
Descriptive bibliography looks at books and other graphic mate¬
rials as physical specimens and includes structure and materials
in its description. Commonly the whole picture is sacrificed by
bibliographers whose concern is only the text. Descriptive bibliog¬
raphers tend to confine their focus to imprint data and the title
page. Here the bibliographer’s main concern is in providing evi¬
dence to distinguish between different editions (copies printed
from one setting of type), states (copies within an impression
identified by detailed changes such as correction of typographical
errors or replacement of worn type, also called variants), issues
(copies of an edition distributed at one time), and variant states
and editions produced respectively before and after publication. A
standardized approach to collation and the structure of collation
formulas allows the descriptive bibliographer to include structure
in a description. Quasi-facsimile transcription is widely practiced,
although photography and reprography are superseding transcrip¬
tion methods.10
Below is an illustration of a full standard bibliographical de¬
scription showing the various elements:

a) 82. 1755

b) THE | WAY of the WORLD: | A | COMEDY. | Written by

Mr.
CONGREVE. | [3-line motto from Horace and ack.] | EDIN¬
BURGH: ]
Printed for G. HAMILTON and J. BALFOUR. | [partial rule] |
M, DCC, LV.

c) Collation: 12°. A4 B-N4 01, 53 leaves, pp. 1-3 4-7 8

9 10-11 12-104 105 106, $1 signed
HT] THE | WAY OF THE WORLD.

d) Contents: Al: title (verso blank). A2: dedicatory epistle

(cap2). A4V: prologue (cap2). Blv: dramatis personae
(with cast). B2: HT with text (cap3). 01: epilogue (cap2).
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 87

RT] THE WAY OF THE WORLD

CW] A4v Some Clv Mira. [Mira] E4V Milla. G4V the
14v confident, L4V re olv’d M4V Sir

e) Type: text (C2): 39 11., 131 (139) x 70 mm., 66R

f) Notes: The edition follows the scene divisions of the 1710

works. The second portion of Scene III, Act II, is
misnumbered Scene IV, but Scene IV is properly numbered.
No press figures. Bound in blue cloth.

g) PR3364 .W3 1755

In this example, taken from the catalog of the John C. Hodges

Collection of the works of William Congreve,11 element (a) is the
assigned sequential number in the catalog, (b) gives a transcription
of the actual title page, (c) is the collation or physical description
using especially designed symbols signifying size and so forth,
(d) gives the contents of the book in sequential order, (e) desig¬
nates the typefaces used, (f) lists important additional information
including variations, and (g) is the Library of Congress call num¬
ber by which this volume is arranged on a shelf in the Hodges
collection.
Naturally this detailed method sometimes becomes very com¬
plex. The collational formula has a misleading scientific look
about it—plus signs and minus signs, superscript numbers, and an
occasional sprinkling of simple declarative sentences. No kind of
manipulation or mathematical analysis can cause it to divulge hid¬
den truth. Nevertheless, taken for what it is, the collational for¬
mula provides an international language converging in compact
form much useful information, and in working closely with books
published before 1900 one cannot operate without a good grasp
of the Greg-Bowers method.12 Donald Gallup has indicated, how¬
ever, that this method is unnecessary for most contemporary
books except in special cases, and to give such detail for a modem
book in a publisher’s binding is of little use.13

Textual Bibliography
The principal function of textual bibliography is the study of
the relationship between the printed text and that text as conceived
88 Chapter 5

by its author. Handwriting is quite often difficult to decipher.

Compositors occasionally make errors, and proofreaders some¬
times fail to catch them. But (especially in the period circa 1800)
we often have only the printed book itself to tell us what the author
intended. It is the basic task of the textual bibliographer to provide
us with the most accurate version of a writer’s work. The skills
that the textual bibliographer should possess are profound knowl¬
edge of the works of the writer being edited (and of the writer’s
time) and an equally profound knowledge of contemporary print¬
ing and publishing practices.14
In another sense, textual bibliography is the application of the
principles of analytical bibliography to the correction and inter¬
pretation of a text. For all practical purposes, this is the same as
textual criticism and it is most often applied in editing. The basic
assumption is that the text was unconsciously altered in the proc¬
ess of transmission, mainly through the introduction of variants in
printing, and that the removal of nonauthorized changes allows
one to edit text closer to the author’s original text than any single
variant. The resulting critical edition is often a codification of
what previously existed only as a hypothetical model.15

Historical Bibliography

Broadly speaking, historical bibliography involves the history

of books and of the people, institutions, and machines producing
them. As a study, historical bibliography ranges from technologi¬
cal history to the history of art in its concern with the evidence
books provide about culture and society.16 In this sense historical
bibliography becomes archaeological in nature, with a never-end¬
ing amount of dated physical evidence. How were these books
made? What forces and what options governed their manufacture?
There is still so much that we do not know about even quite mod¬
em books, let alone those of an earlier period, and there are so
many books to study.17
There has been much research conducted among extant records
to discover the past about books, but this kind of investigation
sometimes is hampered by records that have been destroyed. On
the other hand, some of the discoveries of historical bibliography
have immediate and practical application to large problems, such
as the dating of variant editions or the use of certain printing appli-
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 89

cations. As technology develops, what once was conjecture about

the manufacture of books can now be verified as fact. Historical
bibliography provides new weapons for the arsenal of the analyti¬
cal bibliographer.
Analytical or critical bibliography is, of its very nature, wide
ranging. It concerns itself with everything that can have some
bearing on the physical nature of the book or other graphic materi¬
als. The method by which this information is recorded for the
benefit of other researchers is the subject of descriptive bibliogra¬
phy, and the application of this evidence toward the understanding
of the text itself is the realm of textual bibliography.18 Along with
this we have the historical factor in the development of materials
related to the printed age which is covered under the aegis of his¬
torical bibliography.

Current Status of Analytical Bibliography

There are some observations concerning the status of analytical

bibliographical studies published in the late 1970s that are, for the
most part, valid today.19 Obviously the technology, methodology,
and supportive reference services for analytical bibliography have
changed considerably from the pioneering days of Greg, Pollard,
McKerrow and others of similar stature. With regard to methodol¬
ogy, there is the application of optics to textual studies by use
of the Hinman Collator,20 the Vinton Collating Machine,21 and
Rothman’s Houston Editing Desk and Editing Frame,22 all useful
for textual comparison. Today we have mechanical collation of
texts and computerized scanners that are capable of multi-edition
collation.23
Computer-assisted production of new editions as well as the
design of enumerative bibliographies is now well-developed in the
field of literary and historical editing. Advances in text processing
and inexpensive packaged programs such as ProCite in recent
years are rapidly revolutionizing the world of bibliographical
scholarship and text editing. By using computers, the ability to
control variants of minute detail has allowed analyses that were
unknown only a few years ago. For example, structural finger¬
printing is a method of comparing peculiarities of vocabulary,
syntax, and linguistics that builds an argument for authorship
90 Chapter 5

based on a mass of otherwise incalculable minutiae. The primary

assumption behind tagmemic clause-analysis is that a person’s
language and writing abilities provide patterns that can be identi¬
fied in a comparison of a text of questionable authorship with a
text of known authorship; hence its similarity to voice prints for
identification and its popular name of “fingerprinting.” The idea
has been applied to other forms of bibliographical analysis than
textual criticism, such as in the comparison of typographical vari¬
ant in various editions of a work and similar techniques used in
manuscript studies.24
Another exciting area of analytical bibliographical studies con¬
cerns the technical nature of books. For example rigorous studies
of parchment and vellum are influencing both conservation and
bibliography. Through certain identification techniques we can
now ascertain specimen skins and hides by type of animal, by
approximate age, breed, and by estimates of quality and texture.
But such data gathering has not yet allowed scholars to begin to
generalize about regional preferences, treatment, and finishing
processes or to relate these factors to definite periods.25 However,
identification techniques such as ultraviolet light to locate under¬
paintings and to decipher erased text26 spectroscopy in the study
of pigments, inks, and so on, in both script and type; blow-up
photography for critical examination of materials; and x-ray ex¬
amination for the study of structural patterns of a book without
taking it apart are all being used by bibliographers for paper iden¬
tification, determination of production methods and materials used
by certain printing houses, and so forth.
Some of the major roadblocks to bibliographical investigation
had been the inaccessibility of specimens, the need to examine
originals, and the lack of locations sources. Descriptive bibliogra¬
phies are now adding locations to their entries, which is instru¬
mental in providing access to ever-increasing amounts of valuable
material. Large bibliographical databases such as OCLC and
RLIN are making it possible to locate materials quickly. Other
area bibliographical networks such as WLN (Western Library Net¬
work) are also providing greater access to regional materials. Add
to this the ability to access regional materials via the Internet and
the opportunities for locating material becomes almost unlimited.
A final observation relates to the widespread use of microfilm
and technical advances in reprography, or facsimile reproduction
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 91

(as by photocopying) of graphic matter. Since many major re¬

search libraries are experiencing conservation problems, they are
adding to their collections more microform materials than ever
before. Microfilming projects presently concentrate on manu¬
scripts for preservation purposes, but a rapid deterioration of
books is forcing conservation via microfilming or digitalizing
printed materials as well.27 The Library of Congress and other
large research libraries are now engaged in large-scale microfilm¬
ing projects of deteriorating materials. It is obvious that the field
of analytical bibliography will remain a complex and rapidly de¬
veloping one replete with new techniques and technology.

Selected Supplemental Resources

Although there is no recognized standard work for the entire field

of analytical or critical bibliography a succinct, well-written short
study is An Introduction to Bibliographical and Textual Studies
2nd ed. (New York: Modem Language Association of America,
1989) by William Proctor Williams and Craig S. Abbott, which
provides useful information for both the beginning student and the
more advanced scholar. Also included in this work is an extensive
“reference bibliography” in bibliographical essay format. A more
current study, David C. Greetham’s Textual Scholarship: An In¬
troduction (New York: Garland Publishing, 1994), is rapidly gain¬
ing standard status. All of the elements of the field are well treated
and accompanied by extensive references that users will find
helpful.
Several less extensive studies provide an introductory overview
of the field. Sir Frank C. Francis’s “Bibliography,” The New En¬
cyclopaedia Britannica: Macropedia. 15th ed. (Chicago: Encyclo¬
paedia Britannica, 1997), 20: 579-582, is short but effective. A
somewhat more extensive discussion is given by Roy B. Stokes in
“Critical Bibliography,” Encyclopedia of Library and Informa¬
tion Science (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1971), 6:276-286,
wherein he examines various aspects of the field and includes bib¬
liographical references. Written primarily for students of literature
and printing history, The Uses of Bibliography (Hamden, CT:
Shoe String Press, 1957) by Edwin E. Willoughby provides a
92 Chapter 5

basic discussion of both major aspects of bibliography, focusing

mainly on the uses of analytical bibliography.
Two general surveys, “The State of Bibliography Today,” Pa¬
pers of the Bibliographical Society of America 73 (1979), 284-
304, by G. Thomas Tanselle, and “Analytical and Historical
Bibliography: State of the Art Review,” in Annual Report of the
American Rare, Antiquarian and Out-of-Print Book Trade, 1978/
1979 edited by Denis Carboneau (New York: BCAR, 1979), 175—
185, by Lawrence J. McCrank, present valuable perspectives on
the state of the field and are still valuable. Joel Myerson in “Bib¬
liographical and Textual Scholarship since World War II,” in Dic¬
tionary of Literary Biography Yearbook: 1989 , edited by J. M.
Brook. (Detroit: Gale Research, 1990), 133-137, provides an ex¬
cellent survey of outstanding works published since 1945, mostly
in the field of descriptive bibliography. David C. Greetham’s Tex¬
tual Transgressions: Essays Toward the Construction of a Biobib¬
liography (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998) is a series of
essays published in various sources chronicling Greetham’s career
as a bibliographical scholar.
For the enterprising student wanting to keep up to date on cur¬
rent developments and trends in the field there is the annual collec¬
tion of essays published by the Bibliographical Society of the
University of Virginia, entitled Studies in Bibliography (Char¬
lottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1946—to date), which
carries current research in various areas of the field. Also two
other sources, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America
(New York: Bibliographical Society of America, 1904—to date),
issued quarterly, and Text: Transactions of the Society for Textual
Scholarship (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1981—to
date), issued annually, also contain current research in the field.
For a concise and insightful overview of descriptive bibliogra¬
phy and its components, consult Terry Belanger’s “Descriptive
Bibliography,” in Book Collecting: A Modern Guide edited by
Jean Peters. (New York: Bowker, 1977), 97-115. A somewhat
more extensive overview is contained in “Descriptive Bibliogra¬
phy,” Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science (New
York: Marcel Dekker, 1972), 7: 1-17, by Roy B. Stokes.
Still the accepted standard work, however, is Fredson Bowers’s
Principles of Bibliographical Description (New Castle, DE: Oak
Knoll Press, 1994). First published in 1949, this reprint edition
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 93

contains a new introduction by bibliographical scholar G. Thomas

Tanselle. Various scholars have discussed this work and its rami¬
fications. Some of these are treated by Williams and Abbott on
pages 100-101 of An Introduction to Bibliographical and Textual
Studies. David F. Foxon in Thoughts on the History and Future
of Bibliographical Description (Los Angeles: School of Library
Service, University of California at Los Angeles; Berkeley:
School of Librarianship, University of California, 1970), for ex¬
ample, questions the value of quasi-facsimile transcriptions of title
pages.
Some of Fredson Bowers’s essays on descriptive bibliography
are contained in Essays in Bibliography, Text, and Editing (Char¬
lottesville: Published for the Bibliographical Society of the Uni¬
versity of Virginia by the University Press of Virginia, 1975).
Another collection of essays. Selected Studies in Bibliography
(Charlottesville: Published for the Bibliographical Society of the
University of Virginia by the University Press of Virginia, 1979),
by G. Thomas Tanselle, contains some of his writings pertaining
to descriptive bibliography. Another valuable collection of essays
is The Bibliographical Society of America, 1904-79: A Retrospec¬
tive Collection (Charlottesville: Published for the Bibliographical
Society of the University of Virginia, 1980), taken from Papers of
the Bibliographical Society of America (New York: Bibliographi¬
cal Society of America, 1904—to date). John B. Jones has edited
yet another collection of essays, Readings in Descriptive Bibliog¬
raphy (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1974), that focuses
on descriptive bibliographical methods. Except when a particular
book or problem is used to demonstrate method, the treatments
range from general and introductory to detailed and some relate
to various periods in the history of the book.
In Bibliographical Description and Cataloguing (New York:
Burt Franklin, 1970), John D. Cowley provides an accepted
method for the bibliographical description of graphic materials in
general although later and more specialized works have super¬
seded some of his work. The ins and outs of descriptive bibliogra¬
phy are highlighted by Paul S. Dunkin in Bibliography: Tiger or
Fat Cat? (Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1975). Dunkin’s views
will probably raise eyebrows as many times as he entertains read¬
ers along the way. A clear and insightful description of the value
of descriptive bibliography to the scholarly enterprise is offered
94 Chapter 5

in A Description of Descriptive Bibliography (Washington, DC:

Library of Congress, 1992), by G. Thomas Tanselle. In “Descrip¬
tive Bibliography: Its Definition and Function,” Papers of the Bib¬
liographical Society of Canada 18 (1979), 19-25, Roy B. Stokes
provides a broad perspective on what descriptive bibliography is
and what it does. James L. W. West III in “Descriptive Bibliogra¬
phy, Detective Fiction, and Knowing the Rules,” in Literary Re¬
viewing edited by James D. Hoge. (Charlottesville: University
Press of Virginia, 1987), 80-87, is very critical of reviewers of
descriptive bibliographies, citing evidence that some of them are
not very conversant with the rules governing the discipline. R.
C. Bald in “Evidence and Inference in Bibliography,” in English
Institute Annual, 1941 (New York: Columbia University Press,
1942), 159-183, examines some of the problems that scholars
have made in not using proper methods of evidence in their biblio¬
graphical works.
The evidence on which textual bibliography operates, the logi¬
cal forms of its reasoning, the techniques it uses and the results it
can achieve are examined by Fredson T. Bowers in Bibliography
and Textual Criticism (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964). A collec¬
tion of studies, Bibliography and Textual Criticism: English and
American Literature, 1700 to the Present (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1969), edited by O. M. Brack, Jr., and Warner
Barnes, provides a relatively cohesive and well balanced treatment
of elements in the field.
For anyone who has attempted to follow the often complicated
and difficult controversies in the field of textual criticism, G.
Thomas Tanselle’s Textual Criticism since Greg: A Chronicle,
1950-1985 (Charlottesville: Published for the Bibliographical So¬
ciety of the University of Virginia by the University Press of Vir¬
ginia, 1987) will serve as a lucid and judicious explication. The
application of descriptive bibliography to English and American
literature and incunabula are treated in Standards of Bibliographi¬
cal Description (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
1949), by Curt F. Biihler, James G. McManaday, and Lawrence C.
Wroth. Although it treats more than just textual bibliography
David C. Greetham’s Textual Scholarship: An Introduction (New
York: Garland Publishing, 1994) does provide an excellent intro¬
duction to the field and its relationship to the study of analytical
or critical bibliography.
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 95

According to Roy B. Stokes, if bibliography is the study of

books as physical objects, then historical bibliography is the his¬
tory of every aspect of that study. In “Historical Bibliography,”
Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science (New York:
Marcel Dekker, 1983), 36, Suppl. 1: 219-229, Stokes provides a
capsulated view of this important area of bibliographical study.
Two major works are recognized as standards in the field. The first
is An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students (Win¬
chester, Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliographies; New Castle, DE: Oak
Knoll Press, 1994), by Ronald B. McKerrow first published in
1927. Although it is mostly outdated, it remains a valuable primer.
This reprint edition includes a new introduction by David McKit-
terick. A successor to McKerrow is A New Introduction to Bibli¬
ography (Winchester, Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliographies; New
Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995) by Philip Gaskell which eluci¬
dates the transmission of texts beginning with the hand-press pe¬
riod of 1500-1800. This work was first published in 1972. An
important study is Norman E. Binns’s An Introduction to Histori¬
cal Bibliography, 2nd ed. (London: Association of Assistant Li¬
brarians, 1962). It covers the invention and spread of printing
accompanied by a discussion of the processes used in making
books. A short but useful introductory work is Derek William¬
son’s Historical Bibliography (Hamden, CT: Archon Books,
1967). Two other useful shorter studies are A Text-Book of Bibli¬
ography (London: Grafton and Co., 1954) by David Boswell and
George Mann’s Print: A Manual (London: Grafton and Co.,
1952). A commentary on bibliographical theories and printing-
house practices that is a landmark in bibliographical scholarship
is “Printers of the Mindf Studies in Bibliography 22 (1969),
1-75, by Donald F. McKenzie.
A carefully developed, thoughtful rationale of the vital role that
the analysis and description of the physical book plays in the study
of the transmission of texts and the wider study of publishing his¬
tory and the spread of ideas is provided by G. Thomas Tanselle in
The History of the Book as a Field of Study (Chapel Hill: Rare
Book Collection/Academic Affairs Library, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1981). Tanselle in “Bibliographical His¬
tory as a Field of Study,” Studies in Bibliography 41 (1988), 33-
63, examines the major works that have been important in the
history of bibliography. An excellent study of American historical
96 Chapter 5

bibliography is provided by Edwin Wolf, 2nd, in “Historical Grist

for the Bibliographical Mill,” Studies in Bibliography 25 (1972),
29-40. Wolf also outlines some suggestions for further investiga¬
tion. In “Thomas Bennet and the Origins of Analytical Bibliogra¬
phy, ''Journal of Library History 16 (Winter 1981), 177-186,
William L. Williamson provides a historical study of Bennet’s
contributions to analytical bibliography previous to Greg, Pollard
and others who have been credited for developing the discipline.

Notes

1. Roy B. Stokes, “Critical Bibliography,” Encyclopedia of Library

and Information Science (New York: Marcel Dekker,1971), 6: 277.
2. Terry Belanger, “Descriptive Bibliography,” in Book Collecting:
A Modern Guide, edited by Jean Peters (New York: Bowker, 1977), 99.
3. Stokes, 277. For the remainder of this chapter I will, for the sake
of convenience, refer simply to analytical bibliography instead of analyti¬
cal or critical bibliography.
4. Robert K. Turner, Jr., “Analytical Bibliography and Shakespeare’s
Text,” Modern Philology 62 (August 1964), 52.
5. Sir Frank C. Francis, “Bibliography,” The New Encyclopaedia
Britannica: Macropedia (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1997), 20:
579.
6. Turner, 51.
7. Lawrence J. McCrank, “Analytical and Historical Bibliography: A
State of the Art Review,” in Annual Report of the American Rare, Anti¬
quarian and Out-of-Print Book Trade, 1978/1979 edited by Denis Carbo-
neau (New York: BCAR Publications, 1979), 176.
8. McCrank, 176.
9. McCrank, 176-177.
10. McCrank, 177.
11. This example is taken from Tennessee. University. Libraries. The
John C. Hodges Collection of William Congreve in the University of Ten¬
nessee Library: A Bibliographical Catalog compiled by Albert M. Lyles
and John Dobson (Knoxville, TN: The Libraries, 1970), 53.
12. A number of scholars discuss the collation formula in considerable
detail, the most prominent of whom is Fredson Bowers in his Principles
of Bibliographic Description (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1994),
193-254. Others include Paul S. Dunkin, Bibliography: Tiger or Fat
Cat? (Hamden, CT: Archon Books, 1974), 23-34; Arundell J. K. Esdaile,
Esdaile’s Manual of Bibliography 5th ed., revised by Roy B. Stokes.
 Analytical or Critical Bibliography 97

(Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1981), 290-341; Philip Gaskell, A New

Introduction to Bibliography (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1994),
321-335; Ronald B. McKerrow, An Introduction to Bibliography for Lit¬
erary Students (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1994), 55-163; and E.
W. Padwick, Bibliographical Method (Cambridge, Eng.: James Clarke,
1969), 142-187.
13. Donald Clifford Gallup, On Contemporary Bibliography, with
Particular Reference to Ezra Pound (Austin: Humanities Research Cen¬
ter, University of Texas, 1970), 8-9.
14. Belanger, 100.
15. McCrank, 177.
16. Belanger, 101.
17. William H. Bond, “Bibliography and Bibliographers,” AB Book¬
man's Weekly 47 (April 26, 1971), 1396.
18. Stokes, 285.
19. McCrank emphasizes technological advances and their strong im¬
pact upon analytical bibliography.
20. Charlton Hinman invented this machine, which is an optical instru¬
ment for making detailed comparisons of theoretically identical docu¬
ments. It is used for finding variants in literary texts and for detecting
fakes and forgeries. See “Hinman Collator,” Bulletin of the New York
Public Library 75 (January 1971), 5-6.
21. See Vinton A. Dearing, “The Poor Man’s Mark IV or Ersatz Hin¬
man Collator,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 60
(1966), 149-158.
22. See Irving N. Rothman, “The Houston Editing Desk and Editing
Frame,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 72 (1978),
130-136. The Houston Editing Desk is a portable apparatus designed to
facilitate the organization of flat copy during the process of editing or
proofreading.
23. The use of computers in text editing and identifying of text variants
is expanding. For further information, see the following: “The Identifica¬
tion of Text Variant by Computer,” by Georgette Silva and Harold Love,
Information Storage and Retrieval 5 (October 1969), 89-108; two studies
of Trevor H. Howard-Hill the first of which is, “A Practical Scheme for
Editing Critical Texts with the Aid of a Computer,” in Proof: The Year¬
book of American Bibliographical and Textual Studies, edited by Joseph
Katz (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1973), 3: 335-356,
and the second, “Computer and Mechanical Aids to Editing,” in the same
source, 5:217-235; Robert L. Oakman’s, “The Present State of Compu¬
terized Collation: A Review Article,” also in Proof 2:333-348.
24. McCrank, 180. Word prints are treated to some degree in Andrew
Q. Morton, Literary Detection (New York: Scribners, 1978). An interest-
98 Chapter 5

ing use of computer wordprints is being applied by Mormon scholars in

an examination of the authorship of The Book of Mormon-, See Wayne A.
Larsen, Alvin C. Rencher, and Tim Layton, “Who Wrote The Book of
Mormon? An analysis of Wordprints,” Brigham Young University Studies
20 (Spring 1980), 225-251. A rebuttal to this study was made by James
D. Coft, “Book of Mormon Wordprints Re-examined fSunstone 6 (march/
April 1981), 15-21.
25. McCrank, 181.
26. For a current example of the use of this type of technology see
Ellen K. Coghlin, “Cameras, Computers Help Decipher Ancient Texts,
The Chronicle of Higher Education 34 (November 11, 1987), A6—A9.
27. McCrank, 184-185.
 6

Fundamentals of
Practical Bibliography Making

People compile bibliographies for many reasons. Students are

usually required to add bibliographies to term papers; scholars to
monographs, research studies, and essays; and organizations and
institutions to access documents, collections, or various graphic
materials. These are but a few reasons out of many. Over the years
bibliographies have most commonly been printed on paper, but
now many of them appear only in an electronic format. Bibliogra¬
phies have become absolutely indispensable instruments in to¬
day’s fast-paced world where updated information is required
constantly.
This chapter is designed as an introduction to basic bibliograph¬
ical compilation standards applicable to both systematic and de¬
scriptive bibliographies. Standards as explained below refer to the
quality and character of the elements included in a bibliography
with regard to such things as accuracy and sufficient detail to iden¬
tify each record included. There are many problems associated
with the simplest of bibliographical citations—what exactly is to
be said, in what sequence are the elements to be arranged, how
are they to be punctuated, and so on. For each of these problems,
there are many solutions in a bewildering range of models and
prescriptive style manuals.1
When it becomes necessary to compile a bibliography, whether
it be systematic or descriptive, where does one find a set of stan¬
dards for such a task? Luckily there are not as many systems or
manuals for this task as there are for citations, and what follows
is an attempt to synthesize these into a coherent set of introductory
standards that will at least get one started, with references to oth-

99
100 Chapter 6

ers for more complex compilations. Obviously there is no one

correct way to compile a bibliography, but consistency and com¬
mon sense dictated in part by the nature of the subject are of para¬
mount importance.

Compiling a Systematic or Enumerative Bibliography

Compiling systematic or enumerative bibliographies can be a sim¬

ple or complex undertaking, depending largely on the nature of
the subject and the extent to which one intends to treat it. Obvi¬
ously, a selective checklist on a topic will, in most cases, require
less time and effort than a book-length treatment with annotations.
The following discussion concerns only the basic standards of
bibliographical compilation from the planning stage to the com¬
pletion of the work. No matter what the purpose or the type of
bibliography being prepared, two things are absolutely essential—
accuracy and sufficient bibliographical detail to identify each item
recorded. Many precious hours have been lost or wasted by re¬
searchers who have been provided with faulty or insufficient infor¬
mation to identify an item. It makes no difference whether the
bibliography is current or retrospective; the fundamental methods
of compilation are the same. Although the following is particu¬
larly geared to the compiling of book-length bibliographies the
same procedure can be readily applied to compiling bibliographies
for term papers, reports, or any other written work.

Planning
It is not overstating the case to say that planning is not only the
first step in the bibliographical compilation process, it is perhaps
the most important. It is at this early stage that some necessary
decisions will be made that will guide progress in an orderly, sys¬
tematic manner. The success of the task undertaken depends
greatly upon the attention that is given to planning.
Essentially, what is at issue is the development of a provisional
plan. This plan will be subject to modification as one proceeds
through the compiling process. Such flexibility is essential. For
example, if a comprehensive bibliography is contemplated and it
is discovered later that the amount of material available is too
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 101

extensive, then one probably would opt for a selective bibliogra¬

phy instead.2
Following the selection of a topic, ask yourself these questions:
What types of bibliographical sources are already available on the
subject? Are these sources adequate? What level or levels do they
cover? Would another bibliography merely revise, supplement, or
duplicate? Are these sources retrospective? Do they cover only
out-of-print materials? What periods of time do they cover? Be
careful to consider the potential audience. Try to determine who
they are and what their level of education is—elementary, high
school, or college. What are their needs? Do these needs justify a
bibliography, or can they be satisfied with existing tools or other
means? What languages other than English should be considered?
What resources will the audience have available to them.
If the project is determined to be a viable one, following the
above approach, then several basic pre-compilation decisions
should be made:

1. What period of time will the bibliography cover?

2. Will the coverage be comphehensive, extensive, or selective?
3. What types of materials will be inluded (e.g., books, articles,
government publications, etc.)?
4. What style or format will be most useful for the entries?
5. Will the entries be annotated, and if so, should they be de¬
scriptive or evaluative?
6. What arrangement would be most suitable for the entires?
7. What types of indexes will provide the mest access to mate¬
rials included?

The answers to these questions will largely depend on the nature

of the subject, its size and the funds available.3

Period Coverage

Most bibliographies are retrospective and require a reasonable

consideration of the time span that can be reasonably be covered
by their entries. If a subject is too large and the amount of material
enormous, it will be essential to limit the period covered
102 Chapter 6

Material Coverage
The decision to make a bibliography comprehensive or selective
will be governed by the size and complexity of the subject as
well as the quantity of the materials available on it. The choice of
selectivity normally is dependent on the compiler’s familiarity
with the subject. Here, expert choice is essential so that important
works will not be omitted and bias may be minimized. Selective
coverage is most useful when it excludes no important material
and leaves no large gap.

Types of Materials
The majority of subjects will have a variety of sources, includ¬
ing books, or monographs, journal articles, government publica¬
tions, nonpublished and nonprint materials. Bibliographers should
attempt to search out those types of materials that will be particu¬
larly useful for the intended user.

Entry Format
Many style manuals exist for the major disciplines. For exam¬
ple, there is the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers4
for students of literature and A Uniform System of Citation5 for
legal materials. One must select a style manual for entries and
then stick with it in order to avoid confusion. Be careful, however,
that the format chosen is current and includes all pertinent detail
for bibliographical identification.

Annotations
It goes without saying that annotations add immeasurably to the
value of any bibliography. A major problem, however, will be the
immensity of the task, particularly if the bibliography is designed
to be comprehensive. It is necessary to decide on the nature of the
annotations—whether they will be simply descriptive, critical, or
both. Whatever the decision, strive for consistency.

Arrangements
In order to systematize the collection of material, a tentative
arrangement should be worked out based largely on the nature of
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 103

the subject. Since this is a critical decision, five of the more com¬
mon arrangements for enumerative bibliographies are listed
below:6

A. Alphabetical
Works may be listed in a simple alphabetical format by auntor,
title, subject, place of publication, or some other geographic fac¬
tor, or in a dictionary format (a combination of at least two of the
above). This type of arrangement is most useful for subjects that
do not lend themselves to subdivisions.

B. Classified
For systematic analysis of a subject that can be subdivided in
many ways, the compiler may adopt one of the existing schemes
(e.g., Library of Congress, Dewey Decimal System, or Universal
Decimal Classification) or devise a special scheme for the situa¬
tion. It may be difficult to set up divisions and to put all items into
them when a scheme is created. This format is most useful for
subjects that have many logical subdivisions.

C. Chronological
Obviously, the chronological arrangement is most adaptable for
author bibliographies and historical subjects when period of time
is the dominant factor. The chronological organization may be by
date of publication (individual author, local imprints) or dates that
cover long periods of time.

D. Regional
Another possible arrangment is regional, for example, by place
of publication (e.g., a list of imprints in New York) or area covered
(books related to states or regions).

E. Type of Material
A fifth method of organization is by medium—periodicals, mi¬
crofilm, phono-recordings and so on. This method is useful for
author lists or when the subject is limited and the types of materi¬
als are numerous.

Finalizing the Plan

Other considerations in creating the working plan include such
additional features as a list of abbreviations, table of contents,
104 Chapter 6

preface, credits, sources, and cross-references. Of course, any

thorough bibliography will have most or all of these.
During the final phase of the planning process, develop a clear,
orderly and convenient system for collecting, filing, and keeping
track of the entries to be located and recorded. Most experienced
bibliographers recommend 3x5 inch cards for recording informa¬
tion. They are handy to use because of their size and can be ar¬
ranged and rearranged quickly as research progresses. Set up files
so that they can be expanded or weeded, or their organizational
patterns modified as needed. There are also microcomputer pro¬
grams available today such as Pro-Cite,7 Bookends Pro,8 or other
file management programs that are useful for this purpose.

Collecting and Recording Entries

There are four major steps involved in collecting and recording

entries for systematic or enumerative bibliographies: (a) consult¬
ing bibliographical sources and identifying appropriate items, (b)
recording the bibliographical information according to a predes¬
tined and orderly format, (c) obtaining the material and verifying
the bibliographical information and recording needed changes,
and (d) writing annotations and/or other useful descriptive notes.9
At least the first three steps will undoubtedly be undertaken utiliz¬
ing a nearby library of some kind. Even if you are already familiar
with how libraries are organized and function, become acquainted
with members of the reference staff who will be more than willing
to assist in identifying and obtaining needed materials.
To achieve comprehensiveness within the limits you have estab¬
lished, you must be thorough in consulting all of the possible
sources related to the subject. The following discussion of major
sources offers a typology from which one can begin a search for
entries and perhaps branch out to consult lesser-used types if nec¬
essary.
A good starting point is the online catalog of available libraries.
Often called OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog), this compu¬
terized system offers numerous benefits over the old card catalog.
With only a few minutes required to learn the basic use of the
terminal, a complete search can be carried out from a single loca¬
tion. Moreover, terminals are increasingly found in convenient lo¬
cations throughout the library and even in other areas of a college
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 105

campus. Most convenient of all, you can carry out a catalog search
from home, using a personal computer hooked up to a modem.
Furthermore, OPAC, in addition to listing the books and periodi¬
cals in your library, is also the gateway to a large array of elec¬
tronic resources.10
A published bibliography on a subject or related subjects is an¬
other good source of information. These can usually be discovered
by using the online catalog of a library or a bibliography of bibli¬
ographies such as the Bibliographic Index.11 If there is a guide to
the literature on a topic or a related subject area, one is in luck,
because they are especially useful for identifying relevant bibliog¬
raphies and possibly collateral materials.
To expand the search for entries, universal, national, and trade
bibliographies are essential. Most of these have subject as well as
author/title access. For example the Cumulative Book Index lists
author, titles, and subjects in a handy dictionary arrangement.12
Since 1950 the National Union Catalog, has provided subject ac¬
cess;13 however, since 1983 it has been issued only on microfiche
and requires a machine in order to be searched. Major trade bibli¬
ographies are especially useful for identifying entries by and about
authors. A prime example is Books in Print, which is also avail¬
able in some libraries on CD-ROM or online.14 Some World Wide
Web sites can be used for this purpose, such as amazon.com and
bamesandnoble.com which are widely used by librarians to verify
bibliographical information on publications and to check on their
availability. These sites can be located at http://www.amazon.com
and http://www.bamesandnoble.com.
For the majority of subjects, periodical literature is extremely
important, especially if the topic is one that is continually devel¬
oping. The number of periodical indexes and abstracting services
covering both magazines and journal literature is large with new
ones being created to accommodate recent subjects such as com¬
puters. With the impact of modem technology, we are witnessing
a revolution from the printed index or abstract to those available
online, via CD-ROM, or on the Internet. Many academic libraries
offer their students and faculty access to multiple databases that
can be accessed from home through the World Wide Web. There
are also those database services that offer fee-based journal arti¬
cles such as OCLC’s FirstSearch^ and Uncover.16 The WorldCat
database on OCLC is also available through many academic li-
106 Chapter 6

braries. Check with the reference departments of these libraries to

see what services are available and under what circumstances.17
Frequently overlooked by many bibliographers are indexes to
government publications. The federal government as well as state
and local governments publish materials on almost every subject
imaginable. Index sources such as the Monthly Catalog of United
States Government Publications1* or CIS Index (Congressional In¬
formation Service)19 offer a wealth of possible entries. The
Monthly Catalog has also been available on the World Wide Web
at no cost since January 1994.
This, naturally, does not exhaust the list of possible sources for
entries. One will doubtless discover more as the search progresses.
The main point is that one must attempt to cover all bases and not
exclude some for whatever reason.
As one consults the sources for entries, begin to record the bib¬
liographical information immediately on cards according to the
format established for the specific type of material identified by
the style manual chosen for the project. It is important to remain
consistent in the recording process in order to avoid confusion
later on.
To illustrate some of the differences that exist in the various
systems, listed below are two examples—one citing a book and
the other a journal article—which contrast three different forms.20

Book Entry
1. Turabian: Mixter, Keith E. General Bibliography for Music
Research. 3d ed. Warren, MI: Harmonic Park
Press, 1996.
2. MLA: Mixter, Keith E. General Bibliography for Music
Research. 3d ed. Warren, MI: Harmonic Park
Press, 1996.

[MLA requires two spaces after periods or other punctuation sep¬

arating main sections of a listing.]
3. APA: Mixter, K. E. (1996). General bibliography for
music research. 3d ed. Warren, MI: Harmonic
Park Press.

[For APA style, include the surname and initials for all authors.
The year the work was copyrighted follows the author's name,
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 107

enclosed in parentheses. Capitalize only the first word and the

first letters of proper nouns and adjectives in titles and subtitles.]

Article Entry

1. Turabian: Nelles, William. “A Bibliography of Bibliogra¬

phies Appearing in Style, 1967-1994.” Style 28
(Winter 1994): 485-98.

2. MLA: Nelles, William. “A Bibliography of Bibliogra¬

phies Appearing in Style, 1967-1994.” Style
28 (Winter 1994): 485-98.

3. APA: Nelles, W. (1994). A bibliography of bibliogra¬

phies appearing in Style, 1967-1994. Style 28,
485-98.

Notice that there are minor differences in the spacing, element

location and punctuation. Again, it is important to remain consis¬
tent. The style manual being used will establish the bibliographi¬
cal format for other types of materials encountered in the search,
such as government publications, parts of compendiums, possibly
nonprint electronic references and the like.
There are also some basic principles to keep in mind when re¬
cording bibliographical information with respect to various ele¬
ments of the citation. In some instances, full description is not
important; however, in most it is vital. The subject will dictate,
but one may not see the importance until further along into the
project. It is safer, then, to begin with full information—full au¬
thor’s name, full imprint and collation—until one is sure of all the
uses that will be made of the entries. Eventually every item on the
list will be examined. Compare the description copied from the
sources with the material itself in order to make sure it is accu¬
rate.21
For author entries, provide the full name, if it can be found, or
at least include initials if the author has more than one given name.
At least this information is needed for positive identification. Tak¬
ing the full name will familiarize one with authorities in the field.
Also if there is an editor, translator, illustrator, coauthor, or other
contributor, that person is important and should be recorded as
part of the citation. If no author of a work is given, simply enter
108 Chapter 6

it under its title. In such instances the title is given in the same
place normally occupied by the author entry.
As a general rule, the full title of a work should always be given.
The full title is necessary to properly identify the work cited and is
often indicative of its contents. The Reader’s Guide to Periodical
Literature will mean nothing to the uninitiated if shortened to
Reader’s Guide.22 Very seldom is the beginning of a title abbrevi¬
ated, for that is the part by which it is alphabetized. However, if a
title is cumbersome and includes unnecessary words, insert an el¬
lipsis (. . .) to indicate the omission.
The edition should be noted if it is other than the first. First
editions are noted in the typical bibliography only in the case of
rare or otherwise very important books, such as the first editions
of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises23. The existence of a
new edition indicates that new material has been added and often
that old material has been deleted, so it is important to note which
edition is indicated. Also, pagination usually differs between edi¬
tions, so a page reference to one edition will not necessarily be
correct for another.
The imprint (that is, place of publication, publisher, and year of
publication or copyright year) should be given in full. List the
copyright year if it differs by more than a year from the year given
on the front or back of the title page. Decide whether the full
designation for a publisher is to be used or a shortened form, e.g..
Scarecrow or Scarecrow Press, Inc. When the decision has been
made, it must be adhered to for every entry included in the bibli¬
ography. If there are several cities of publication given on the title
page, use only the first in the entry.
Pamphlets published for free distribution normally are listed
with full address of the publisher if such can be located on the
publication or elsewhere. It is well to include this in the imprint,
because the user may need to obtain a copy.
Most bibliographies do not list the price of items unless the
purpose of the bibliography demands its inclusion. Prices vary
with time, locality, condition of the book trade, and so forth, so to
quote a definite price is risky at best.
The collation is the physical description of the material being
cited and can include volumes or paging, illustrations, portraits,
plates, maps, diagrams, and so on. The use made of the bibliogra¬
phy will determine how extensively one will want to indicate
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 109

physical features. In biography and history, portraits and maps are

important, while books on architecture or art depend on illustra¬
tions as a rule and require a notation of whether they are in color
or black-and-white. The subject and the way it is handled will
normally determine the completeness of collation desirable, but
this may not be realized until well into the project and much addi¬
tional time and effort can be wasted in retracing steps to record the
missing details. Consequently it is better to begin with extensive
collation data until all the uses to be made of the bibliography are
determined.
If the item being cited is part of a series, particularly a num¬
bered series, this should be noted in parentheses following the
collation, since the identification of a book with a series often
gives an idea of its importance. Unnumbered series are not as
important and usually can be omitted without causing any prob¬
lem with identification.
When notes or annotations are included they should be located
approximately two spaces below the entry so that they may be
easily found. Annotations will be discussed later on.
Indentions may vary; however, when one form has been se¬
lected and adopted, you must use it consistently throughout the
bibliography. Consistency in this instance will improve the ap¬
pearance of the bibliography and make it easier for the user to
select the entry desired.
Most of these standard elements will be covered in the style
manual adopted for the project, but it will be useful to have re¬
viewed them here in case they were overlooked.
The secondary sources from which one is selecting entries are
prone to error; consequently, every book, journal article, docu¬
ment, or item chosen for inclusion should be examined firsthand
if possible. Do not decide from the title that an item is worthless,
for titles are deceiving. Compare the information on the card with
the item itself to prevent errors. If one is annotating, examination
is mandatory.

Compiling a Descriptive Bibliography

The descriptive bibliography is a development or further evolu¬

tionary state of the catalog and therefore shares some of the prob¬
lems that arise in enumerative or systematic bibliography. A
110 Chapter 6

descriptive bibliography differs from an enumerative bibliography

in the quantity and kind of detail that is included. It has as its goal
the identification of books as physical objects, so that a person
who has never seen a particular book before can recognize it from
a written description presented in a systematic fashion. The essen¬
tial distinction is its concern with books as physical objects rather
than intellectual products.
The techniques of description used in this type of bibliography
include the following: (a) transcriptions (or reproductions) of the
title page or other parts of the book, which both record informa¬
tion and provide identification, (b) the collation or physical de¬
scription of the book, which may or may not include a formula
that analyzes its format in a conventional shorthand and, by ex¬
plaining its construction, says something about its manufacture,
(c) details of the contents of the book, (d) a description of the
binding material and the lettering and other matter that appear on
it, (e) a list of any variations that occur in the binding or other
elements of the book, and (f) notes on any other information that
may throw light on the book’s history.24
Although a descriptive bibliography will normally contain in¬
formation under all six of the above headings, the weight that is
attached to each of them will vary. For example, if the bibliogra¬
phy concerns books that are chiefly of interest for their texts, full
details of contents will be needed, but it may be unnecessary to
say much about typography or paper. On the other hand, if the
subject of the bibliography is the work of a particular printer, the
typography and paper of his or her book(s) will have to be fully
described, while details of their contents may be largely omitted.
In deciding what and how much to include, consider the follow¬
ing questions for each entry: What is the purpose of the descrip¬
tions? Who really needs each item of information? Can anything
be abbreviated? Only thus can one avoid burdensome and expen¬
sive superfluity and escape the ultimate absurdity of mistaking the
means of descriptive bibliography for its end—practicing bibliog¬
raphy for bibliography’s sake.
The conventions of bibliographical description in simplified
form are set out briefly in the following paragraphs. They have
been derived largely from the work of Fredson Bowers, whose
expertise in this area is recognized as authoritative.25 No one, of
course, would claim these conventions and rules are perfect in
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 111

every respect, but they serve their purpose, and they are the com¬
mon language of descriptive bibliography. Since these conven¬
tions have been greatly simplified, references to more detailed
treatments are included in the suggested sources for further inves¬
tigation at the end of this chapter. To illustrate each element in
the descriptive process, a well-known novel by John Steinbeck is
used.

Title Page
The bibliographical descriptive process normally begins with
the title page. The best descriptive device is reproducing the title
page in photographic facsimile. Failing that, you can transcribe a
book’s title page in full by the method known as “quasi-facsim¬
ile.” This step is important for two reasons: first because it brings
together in their original form all the necessary details of author,
title, printer, publisher, and place and date of publication; and sec¬
ond because it provides a wealth of arbitrary but characteristic
typographical detail that will usually serve to distinguish one set¬
ting of a title page from another.26
One common question is whether different typefaces should be
used to show that such differences occur in the original. On this
point, books of different periods call for different methods. In
early printed pages roman, italic, gothic (black letter) typefaces
may be used— all of which may use capitals and/or lowercase
letters; down to the end of the eighteenth century and even later,
the long 5 may occur; and so on.
Variant settings of the title page may indicate new issues or
editions and so may be of prime importance. Where these differ¬
ences are significant, they are best discussed in a footnote to the
transliteration of the title page, thus avoiding a clumsy and at best
inadequate method that often serves no useful purpose. In any
case most modem books can be adequately dealt with by the use
of ordinary roman type.
The following is an example of a transcribed title page of the
first trade edition of John Steinbeck’s The Wayward Bus.21 Com¬
pare this with the photoreproduction in figure 7.

[Enclosed within a rule] The | Wayward | Bus | JOHN STEINBECK

[row of fifteen ornaments] | THE VIKING PRESS NEW YORK
1947
112 Chapter 6

Such a transcription shows everything that is contained on the title

page and what is included on each line. The vertical strokes de¬
note where each line of the title page ends. The italicized informa¬
tion contained within brackets or parentheses describes markings
other than lettering that appear on the title page.

The Collation

In current practice, the collation expresses the pagination in the

proper order of the work being described. Also included is the size
of the printed leaf, usually expressed in millimeters. The collation
for this edition of The Wayward Bus is as follows:

Collation: pp. [i]—[viii] [1] [2] 3-313; 202 xl35 mm.

In this illustration those preliminary page numbers that do not

appear in type on any page are contained within brackets and are
expressed in lowercase Roman numerals. Brackets are also used to
show that certain pages of text do not appear in print. Descriptive
bibliographies of books and other materials published around
1900 and earlier normally express the collation in terms of signa¬
tures by an elaborate formula. Most modem descriptive bibliogra¬
phies do not employ this amount of detail in the collation. For
further information on this form of usage, consult either Bowers
or Pearce.28

Statement of Contents

In the contents statement, all of the pages are accounted for in

the order in which they appear. Each part is delineated with as
much detail as is necessary to identify it. The statement of con¬
tents for The Wayward Bus is as follows:

Contents: p. [i] half title. The Wayward Bus; [ii] blank; [iii] list of
books by the same author; [iv] quotation from Everyman; [v] title;
[vi] COPYRIGHT 1947 BY JOHN STEINBECK | PUBLISHED
BY THE VIKING PRESS IN FEBRUARY 1947 | PUBLISHED ON
THE SAME DAY IN THE DOMINION OF CANADA | BY THE
MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED | PRINTED
IN U.S.A. | BY THE HADDON CRAFTSMEN; [vii] For | GWYN;
[viii] blank; [1] fly title The Wayward Bus; [2] blank; 3-312 text.
Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 113

Figure 4.
Title page.
114 Chapter 6

COPYRIGHT I947 BY JOHN STEINBECK

PUBLISHED BY THE VIKING PRESS IN FEBRUARY 1947

PUBLISHED ON THE SAME DAY IN THE DOMINION OF CANADA

BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA LIMITED

PRINTED IN U. S. A
BY THE HADDON CRAFTSMEN

Figure 5.
Verso (back) of title page.
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 115

Note that, as in the collation, the page numbers that do not ap¬
pear in print are within brackets. The information on the verso
(that is, the back) of the title page is usually given in exact detail,
which can be important in identifying various issues or printings
of a particular work. The verso of the title page is very handy in
its own right. It virtually always contains the (valuable) copyright
information, Library of Congress Card Number, and sometimes
notices of printing, binding, presswork, and printing history.
Compare the above statement of contents with the illustration in
figure 4 and 5.

Exterior Description

Exterior description concerns the material in which the work

being cited is contained or bound and its color. Sometimes other
qualities of the binding material need description, such as the tex¬
ture of the cloth—sand-grain, pebble-grain, and so on. The letter¬
ing on the front, back, and spine of the binding should be fully
described and transcribed in a manner similar to that used for the
title page. If a book is issued in a box or casing of some kind, this
should also be described in the same way as the binding.
The description for the binding of The Wayward Bus is as fol¬
lows:

Binding: Dark reddish-orange cloth (Centroid 38). Front cover

stamped in gilt: The Wayward Bus | BY JOHN STEINBECK |
[blind-stamping of a bus on the front cover, showing up lighter than
the rest of the binding]. Spine stamped in gilt: JOHN | STEINBECK
| The | Wayward | Bus | [ornament] | THE VIKING PRESS. Top
edges stained green, all edges trimmed. Colored pictorial dust
jacket.

Included in the above is a description of the state of the edges of

the book—whether trimmed, smooth, rough-trimmed, or deckle
edge, for example, and whether gilded or edged with some other
color. In some cases it may be necessary to describe the dust
jacket in more detail, particularly if it is critical in delineating the
priority of issues or editions. If there are any variants in the bind¬
ing, these should also be described. The Wayward Bus has several
variants, and these are indicated as follows:
116 Chapter 6

Variants: 1. Browner than Centroid 38. Blind-stamping of a bus on

front cover is darker than rest of binding.
2. Pinker than Centroid 38. Blind-stamping of bus on front cover
is the same shade as the rest of the binding.

With all of the elements discussed above, the physical descrip¬

tion of the first trade edition of The Wayward Bus is complete;
sinificant things not already covered can be designated as notes.
There is no set rule as to what should be included as a note, except
that the information should aid the main function—that is, de¬
scription. For example, notes for The Wayward Bus include the
following:

Notes: 100,000 copies published at $2.75, February 1947. A copy of

unrevised galley proofs is in the Humanities Research Center at the
University of Texas.

It is here that points of variations in issues can be described in

appropriate detail.

Compiling Annotated Bibliographies: Some Guidelines

In a broad sense, an annotated bibliography is a list of books,

articles, or other materials accompanied by explanatory notes
which give some idea either of the content or value (or both) of
the items listed. Annotated bibliographies must be distinguished
from the related areas of descriptive and analytical bibliography,
both of which are based primarily on the study of physical format.
Bibliographers engaged in annotating are not concerned with de¬
scribing the format of a text or with drawing conclusions from
textual data about the origins of a book, but with the skills he or
she must employ are every bit as important and should be no less
precise.29
A fact of life in the scholarly world today is that there are more
and more annotated bibliographies being produced than ever be¬
fore. The advantages of annotated bibliographies are obvious. The
most prominent advantage is that annotations give the user an idea
of content and also often provide some evaluation of its value with
regard to the project at hand.
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 117

When contemplating the compilation of an annotated bibliogra¬

phy there are some general guidelines one should follow. The
most important requirement for a bibliography of this kind, and
the factor that most influences its value, is usefulness—the ease
with which accurate and complete information may be retrieved
from its listings. The compiler’s main responsibility is to ensure
that the user will be able to locate dependable information quickly
and efficiently. In order to achieve this effectively, one must have
a thorough knowledge of the subject and above all be a careful
and accurate reader of scholarship and criticism.30
Like any other branch of bibliography, the field of annotated
bibliography employs a wide range of formats, from checklists
which include only brief parenthetical comments to “running
commentary” bibliographical essays. Any specific suggestions
cannot possibly address all the variations. Many of the guidelines
that follow are general and can apply to most annotated bibliogra¬
phies.
Different bibliographies serve different purposes. One kind lists
(and credits) the sources of an author’s information; another lists
comprehensively the books and articles of a single writer; a third
kind lists works relevant to a specific subject area. The following
steps can be used to prepare annotations for bibliographies.

1. Obtain an overview of the project by examining the basic refer¬

ence tools: almost all broad subject areas have basic guides. Nar¬
row guides and current retrospective bibliographies treat the
subfields of these subject areas. Therefore:

a. Consult the general bibliographies for information on guides

to the literature.
b. Search the general guides for the bibliographies in your spe¬
cific field.
c. In the specific bibliographies, note the references relevant to
the subject area.
d. Check any author lists that may be available. If author X is
known to have written in the area of interest, search appro¬
priate indexes and abstracts under the author’s name for
more recent materials. Th^Science Citation Index,31 Social
Sciences Citation Index ,32 and Arts and Humanities Citation
118 Chapter 6

Index33 list authors whose papers cite work by X and the

appropriate source index gives further information about the
cited papers.
e. Institutional reports that list publications, such as the Annual
Report of Argonne National Laboratories for Isotope Re¬
search,34 can be very useful.
f. Check subject encyclopedias, handbooks, directories, and
the like. Specific research guides, such as Tze-chung Li’s
Social Science Reference Sources: A Practical Guide, 2nd
ed. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1990), can help at this
point.

2. Determine the scope of the bibliography: Will one include ret¬

rospective material, material in foreign languages, microforms,
periodical articles, or manuscript material? Will the bibliography
be comprehensive or selective? (Remember that the task here is to
compile an annotated bibliography of a restricted subject.)

3. Determine the arrangement whereby the material can most eas¬

ily be found and understood. The usual methods of arrangement
are: (a) alphabetical by author, (b) alphabetical by subject, (c)
classified, and (d) chronological.

4. Choose a format for entries. The usual elements for biblio¬

graphical citation and attribution include: use of given name, ini¬
tials, and internal punctuation should mirror the cited author’s use;
title; edition; imprint (place, publisher, date); collation (pages, il¬
lustrations, etc.); and possibly series note. The entries must be
consistent and complete so that others can locate exactly the
works cited.

5. In the annotations, distinguish fact, opinion, conclusion, judg¬

ment, inferences, and the like.

6. Use index cards or a file management program (if using a com¬

puter) to collect citations; they are easy to manipulate and re¬
arrange.35

An examination of several journals in a field of interest should

convince you that there is no universal standard for bibliographi-
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 119

cal citation. Most subject fields have style manuals, and one likely
exists for one’s particular field of interest. If not, there are many
excellent style manuals of a general nature such as A Manual for
Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Turabian,
now in its sixth edition.36 Consistency of format is one hallmark
of good bibliographical practice.37 For a list of style manuals, see
chapter 7.
In conjunction with item 5 above, there are some further consid¬
erations that will be helpful in writing annotations. Bibliography
users expect an annotation to be accurate and a complete summary
of the contents of an item. Consider the following guidelines:

1. Explain the main purpose of the work.

2. Briefly describe the contents.
3. Indicate the possible audience for the work.
4. Note any special features.
5. Warn of any defect, weakness, or bias.38

Direct value judgments such as “a most important study” or “a

worthless commentary” should be avoided; these often indicate
much more about the prejudices of the bibliographer than about
the work being annotated. The bibliographer should be willing to
give each scholar his or her due. Each argument should be given
objectively with a minimum of judgmental interpolation. If you
feel incapable of paraphrasing or summarizing an item accurately,
rely on direct quotation to capture the thrust of the argument.
Annotation need not be completely neutral, however. One can
indicate the value of a publication without an overt judgment.
Take advantage of the connotation of “annotation verbs.” For ex¬
ample, the verb “proves” (as in, “proves that Steinbeck knew the
works of the minor British novelist. . . .”) tells the reader that the
argument is convincing. “Suggests” in the same context is equally
demonstrative. There is a tendency to overuse “provide” and “ar¬
gues,” and the result is usually flat annotations. The language is
rich in strongly connotative verbs—“contends,” “asserts,” “dem¬
onstrates,” and in another vein, “supposes” and “speculates.”39
Other things to remember include: cross-reference items that
are derivative; avoid unnecessary detail; and attempt to capture
the argument of a work from the author’s point of view. Each
work cited and annotated should have been read carefully and
120 Chapter 6

completely and the documentation checked to discover relevant

citations. Annotations should be written cogently and lucidly. At
times a clipped or telegraphed sentence style can be used effec¬
tively; however, it is preferable that annotations be written in com¬
plete and understandable sentences.40
The following are some examples of annotated entries:

1. A Short Descriptive Annotation:

Levant, Howard. “The Unity of In Dubious Battle: Violence and

Dehumanization,” Modern Fiction Studies 11 (Spring 1965),
21-33.
A discussion of interwoven images, themes, and the use of lan¬
guage in this Steinbeck novel.

2. A Short Evaluative Annotation:

Lisca, Peter. The Wide World of John Steinbeck. New Brunswick,

NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1958.
For many years, this has remained the major critical study on
Steinbeck’s fiction. Lisca’s insights remain valid, and he couples
textual notation with perceptive analysis.

3. A Medium Length Description and/or Analytical Annotation:

Bendix, Reinhard. Kings of People: Power and the Mandate to Rule.

Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1978.
A general study of the evolution of political authority and the idea
of popular sovereignty. Uses a Weberian framework, and places
a heavy emphasis on the role of bureaucratic (and patrimonial)
officialdom in the process of historical transformation. Includes
detailed analyses of Britain, France, Germany (Prussia), the So¬
viet Union, and Japan.

4. A Medium Length Evaluative Annotation:

Burhans, Clinton S., Jr. The Would-Be Writer. Lexington, MA:

Xerox Corp., 1971.
This work assists students in writing courses to grasp the basic
writing process, thereby making more meaningful their subse¬
quent training in more advanced thinking and writing. The book
helps one to think through a topic with pre-writing, writing, and
re-writing steps.
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 121

Bibliographical Essays

A very specialized form of enumerative bibliography that has

been treated only sparsely in the literature is the bibliographical
essay. In format, this is a combination of a checklist and a briefly
annotated bibliography. Bibliographical essays are increasingly
utilized in the scholarly literature, mostly because they lend them¬
selves to wide coverage of a subject and take up less space than a
regular annotated bibliography.
More and more bibliographical essays attached to scholarly
works are selective and critical; they describe and evaluate pub¬
lished work, identify trends, and indicate areas ripe for research.
The citations are usually complete or some, like this work, provide
only the authors’ names and titles along with a date of publication
which refers the reader to a reference bibliography, usually at the
end of the book or paper.
The statement or annotation accompanying the bibliographical
citation should be brief. Most are usually one or two sentences in
length and descriptive in nature. The example below was taken
from the “Reference Bibliography” of An Introduction to Biblio¬
graphical and Textual Studies by Williams and Abbott.41

Among the basic means of access to bibliographical and textual

studies are the Dictionary Catalogue of the History of Printing from
the John M. Wing Foundation in the Newberry Library, 9 vols. (Bos¬
ton: Hall, 1961, 1970); the volumes of T. H. Howard-Hill’s Index to
British Literary Bibliography (Oxford: Clarendon, 1969-80), in¬
cluding Bibliography of British Literary Bibliographies 1969),
Shakespearean Bibliography and Textual Criticism (1971), and Brit¬
ish Bibliography and Textual Criticism (2 vols., 1979); and Robin
Myers’ The British Book Trade from Caxton to the Present (London:
Deutsch, 1973).

Note the format and design of the example as well as the punctua¬
tion and nature of the annotations. This bibliographical essay ex¬
ample is a good one to follow, although you may consider other
formats more suitable to your project.

Bibliographical Software

Bibliographical management or formatting software programs are

designed to store detailed reference information and export them
122 Chapter 6

in a wide variety of formats. These programs have been undergo¬

ing a kind of convergent evolution in recent years. Virtually all
offer important and central features needed by users. For example,
the ability to import data from a variety of sources and to export
references in the format required by dozens of journals or instruc¬
tors are features of most programs. These bibliographical applica¬
tions also are being adapted to different operating systems.
Software that was once available only on the Macintosh can now
be run on DOS-compatible machines, and companies that sold
only DOS-based programs have now created revisions for Win¬
dows and the Macintosh.
While the major features of the programs are converging, they
differ greatly in their details and styles of operation. Some pro¬
grams are beginning to export from at least one new source—the
World Wide Web. But although there are some differences in de¬
tail, all bibliographical software programs share one feature: They
are major time-savers. No longer are users responsible for the te¬
dious job of checking every reference to see that the periods, com¬
mas, and semicolons are in the right place and that the name of
each journal is abbreviated correctly.42
One feature of bibliographical software programs is particularly
useful when a journal format calls for sequential numbering in-
text citations. If adjustments that require renumbering occur, the
program will take care of these automatically. Another reason that
bibliographical software programs are important is that in general
they will improve the overall reliability of the literature of a sub¬
ject field by making it less likely that erroneous citations will see
print.
There are around fifty or so bibliographical management or for¬
matting programs on the market. They include Pro-Cite, EndNote,
Bookends Pro, Library Master, and others.43 Frequently the jour¬
nal Database44 will include articles by Sue Stigleman, who re¬
views these programs and updates advances. These review articles
are valuable in the selection of a program that will fulfill one’s
basic bibliographical needs. Bibliographical software progams are
also reviewed from time to time in the Library Software Review.*5
Other journals may also carry review articles and can be accessed
through the Library Literature index.46
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 123

Selected Supplemental Resources

Almost every work on how to do research will usually contain a

section on how to compile a bibliography. One example is Natalie
L. Sproull’s Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Prac¬
titioners and Students in the Social Sciences 2nd ed. (Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995). Other works contain chapters on bib¬
liography compilation. Chapter 16 “Mechanics of Compiling and
Arranging Bibliography,” in Bibliography. Rev. ed. (New Delhi:
Vikas Publishing House, 1985) by Girja and Krishan Kumar is a
good example. The two most extensive and detailed works are
Bibliographies: Their Aims and Methods (London: Mansell, 1984)
by Donald W. Krummel and Systematic Bibliography: A Practical
Guide to the Work of Compilation, 4th ed. (London: Clive Bin-
gley; New York: K. G. Saur, 1979) by Anthony M. L. Robinson.
An excellent guide in outline form has been developed by the
Reference and User Services Association of the American Library
Association and published as “Guidelines for the Preparation of a
Bibliography, 1992,” RQ 32 (Winter 1992), 194-196.
Some older works contain useful points that are important when
compiling a bibliography. Two of these are George Watson Cole’s
“Compiling a Bibliography,” Library Journal 26 (November/De¬
cember 1901), 791-795, 859-863, and Marion Viller Higgins’s
Bibliography: A Beginner’s Guide to the Making, Evaluation and
Use of Bibliographies (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1941).
A good review of standards for bibliographies is given by Don¬
ald W. Krummel and John B. Howell in “Bibliographic Standards
and Style,” Scholarly Publishing 10 (April 1979), 223-240. Mike
Haddock in “Are You Thinking About Writing a Bibliography?”
College and Research Libraries News 55 (September 1995), 471—
497, offers some valuable hints as to what constitutes a bibliogra¬
phy of distinction. In “A Taxonomy of Bibliographic
Relationships,” Library Resources and Technical Services 35
(April 1991), 150-158, Barbara B. Tillett examines in detail the
bibliographical relationships in catalog records that provide a the¬
oretical base for a conceptual model of the library catalog and its
value in locating specific records.
In surveying published bibliographies James L. W. West III in
124 Chapter 6

“ ‘Section B’ and the Bibliographer,”Analytical and Enumerative

Bibliography 7, nos. 1 and 2 (1983), 31-36, examines the problem
of category arrangement. After identifying specific problem areas,
West suggests six practical guidelines that will assist bibliogra¬
phers in effectively handling these difficulties.
Despite variances in interpretation, Fredson Bowers’s Princi¬
ples of Bibliographical Description (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll
Press, 1994), with an insightful introduction by G. Thomas
Tanselle, is still the Bible for descriptive bibliographers. This is
true despite the expansive work of Philip Gaskell in A New Intro¬
duction to Bibliography (Winchester, Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliogra¬
phies; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995). A companion
volume to both Bowers and Gaskell is the Workbook of Analytical
and Descriptive Bibliography (London: Bingley; Hamden, CT:
Linnet, 1970) by M. J. Pearce, which provides instruction, exam¬
ples, and exercises for the student of descriptive bibliography.
A very readable and introspective treatment on the elements of
descriptive bibliography is contained in Paul S. Dunkin’s study
Bibliography: Tiger or Fat Cat? (Hamden, CT: Archon Books,
1975). For those seeking an overview with good examples, there
is chapter 10 of Arundell J. K. Esdaile’s Esdaile’s Manual of Bib¬
liography, 5th ed., revised by Roy Stokes (Metuchen, NJ: Scare¬
crow Press, 1981). Many aspects of descriptive bibliography are
covered in Essays in Bibliography, Text, and Editing (Charlottes¬
ville: Published for the Bibliographical Society of the University
of Virginia by the University Press of Virginia, 1975) by Fredson
Bowers, and G. Thomas Tanselle’s Selected Studies in Bibliogra¬
phy (Charlottesville: Published for the Bibliographical Society of
the University of Virginia by the University Press of Virginia,
1979). Many other studies on various aspects of the field can be
found in Studies in Bibliography (Charlottesville: University Press
of Virginia, 1948—to date).
For the student of descriptive bibliography, several scholars
have provided an excellent array of specialized essays that will
assist in working on bibliographical descriptions. For example, G.
Thomas Tanselle offers some valuable advice in “The Arrange¬
ment of Descriptive Bibliographies,” Studies in Bibliography 37
(1984), 1-38; “A Sample Bibliographical Description with Com¬
mentary,” Studies in Bibliography 40 (1987), 1-30; “Tolerances
in Bibliographical Description,” The Library 5th series, 23
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 125

(1968), 1-12; and “The Bibliographical Concepts of Issue and

State,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 69
(1975), 17-66. Add to this David Shaw’s “A Sampling Theory
for Bibliographical Research,” The Library 5th series, 27 (1972),
310-319. Tanselle further gives some important guidance in “The
Concept of Ideal Copy,” Studies in Bibliography 33 (1980),
18-53.
For some help in describing title pages, consult Tanselle’s
“Title-Page Transcription and Signature Collation Reconsidered,”
Studies in Bibliography 38 (1985), 45-81. Assistance in describ¬
ing paper can be found in “The Bibliographical Description of
Paper,” Studies in Bibliography 24 (1971), 27-67, by G. Thomas
Tanselle and in “Paper as Bibliographical Evidence,” The Library
5th series. 17 (1962), 197-212, by Allen H. Stevenson. For de¬
scribing typefaces consult G. Thomas Tanselle’s “The Identifica¬
tion of Type Faces in Bibliographical Description,” Papers of the
Bibliographical Society of America 60 (1966), 185-202, reprinted
with a “Postscript,” in the Journal of Typographic Research 1
(1967), 427-447.
The description of color in descriptive bibliography is examined
by Craig S. Abbott in “Designing Color in Descriptive Bibliogra¬
phy: The ISCC-NBS Method in Practice,” Papers of the Biblio¬
graphical Society of America 84 (1990), 119-129; and G. Thomas
Tanselle in “A System of Color Identification for Bibliographical
Description,” Studies in Bibliography 20 (1967), 203-234. The
treatment of graphic materials is covered by Gavin D. R. Bridson
in “The Treatment of Plates in Bibliographical Description,”
Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 1
(1976), 469-488; and in “The Description of Non-Letterpress
Material in Books,” Studies in Bibliography 35 (1982), 1-42, by
G. Thomas Tanselle.
The value and use of annotated bibliographies has increased
exponentially over the years. Consequently, so has the number of
them. James L. Hamer in On Compiling an Annotated Bibliogra¬
phy, rev. ed.v (New York: Modem Language Association of
America, 1991) provides prospective bibliographers with prelimi¬
nary questions about bibliographical projects, as well as useful
organizational schemata for designing annotated bibliographies.
In addition to the tips offered for compiling such bibliographies,
Hamer also includes advice on using the computer in the composi¬
tion of annotated bibliographies.
126 Chapter 6

A workbook approach is taken by Michael J. Eula and Janet

Madden in Compiling the Annotated Bibliography 2nd ed. (Du¬
buque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1995). It is designed to
provide students with a theoretical explanation of compiling an
annotated bibliography and a step-by-step guide for its successful
completion. A brief but extremely valuable outline of annotation
elements and practices is contained in A. J. Colaianne’s “The
Aims and Methods of Annotated Bibliography,” Scholarly Pub¬
lishing 11 (July 1980), 321-331. John Menapace examines the
problem of annotating bibliographical references in his study
“Some Approaches to Annotations,” Scholarly Publishing 1 (Jan¬
uary 1970), 194-205. He also includes numerous examples with
a variety of formats.
Writing about constructing bibliographical essays is almost
nonexistent. Howard D. White does discuss bibliographical essays
in “Literary Forms in Information Work: Annotated Bibliogra¬
phies, Bibliographical Essays, and Reviews of Literatures,” in In¬
formation Specialists: Interpretations of Reference and
Bibliographic Work (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.,
1992), 131-149. The use of this bibliographical format was
mostly used by historians, but lately has been utilized by writers
in many other disciplines.
Bibliographical management or formatting software programs
have been increasing steadily in the past decade or so. The only
book length treatment on the subject is Bibliographic Software
and the Electronic Library (Hatfield, Eng.: University of Hertfor¬
dshire Press, 1995), edited by Terry Hanson. Sue Stigleman in
her article “Bibliography Programs Do Windows,” Database 19
(April/May 1996), 57-59, examines the application of several of
these programs in a Windows environment. Stigleman also writes
review articles on bibliographical software appearing regularly in
the same journal.
The use of library catalogs accessible via the Internet in creating
bibliographies through the use of bibliographical software pro¬
grams is explored by Christopher C. Brown in “Creating Auto¬
matic Bibliographies Using Internet Accessible Online Library
Catalogs,” Database 17 (February 1994), 67-71. Many reviews
of specific bibliographical software programs as well as those
comparing several programs frequently appear in the literature.
Two good examples are Suzanne Bjpmer’s “Bibliography Format-
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 127

ting Software for Managing Search Results,” Online 19 (Septem¬

ber/October 1995), 38-43, and Robert Finn’s “Bibliographic
Software Adding New Features,” The Scientist 10 (July 8, 1996),
18-19.

Notes

1. D. W. Krummel and John Bruce Howell, “Bibliographic Standards

and Style,” Scholarly Publishing 10 (April 1979), 223.
2. Girja Kumar and Kirshan Kumar, Bibliography. Rev. ed. (New
Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1985), 214.
3. Anthony M. L. Robinson, Systematic Bibliography . . . , 4th ed.
(New York: Saur, 1979), 19.
4. Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers,
4th ed. (New York: Modem Language Association of America, 1995).
5. The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 16th ed. compiled
by the editors of the Columbia Law Review, the University of Pennsylva¬
nia Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal (Cambridge: Harvard Law
Review Association, 1996)
6. These general arrangements are covered in some detail by Donald
W. Krummel in chapter 5 of his book Bibliographies: Their Aims and
Methods (London: Mansell, 1984), 85-95.
7. Pro-Cite is a bibliographical software program produced by Per¬
sonal Bibliographic Software, Inc., located in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
8. Bookends Pro is a bibliographical software program produced by
Westing Software of Tiburon, California.
9. Ralph R. Shaw, “Mechanical and Electronic Aids for Bibliogra¬
phy,” Library Trends 2 (April 1954), 523.
10. Antony Brundage, Going to the Source . . . 2nd ed. (Wheeling, IL:
Harlan Davidson, 1997), 30.
11. The Bibliographic Index: A Cumulative Bibliography of Bibliogra¬
phies (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1938—to date).
12. Cumulative Book Index (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1933—to
date).
13. National Union Catalog (Washington, DC: Library of Congress,
1953—to date).
14. Books in Print (New York: Bowker, 1948—to date).
15. FirstSearch is an online service provided by the Online Computer
Library Center, Inc. (OCLC), located in Dublin, Ohio, that offers access
to a variety of databases and indexes.
16. Uncover is an online periodical index to over 17,000 periodicals
and also a document delivery service. Located in Denver, Colorado, this
128 Chapter 6

service is provided by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries

(CARL).
17. Brundage, 30.
18. Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govement Printing Office,
Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, (Washing¬
ton, DC: Government Printing Office, 1900—to date).
19. CIS Index to Publications of the United States Congress (Washing¬
ton, DC: Congressional Information Service, 1970—to date).
20. The format for these illustrations was adapted from Gibaldi; Kate
L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Disser¬
tations, 6th ed. 1996; and the Publication Manual of the American Psy¬
chological Association, 4th ed. (1994).
21. These basic principles are also covered in greater detail by Marion
Villers Higgins in her practical guide Bibliography: A Beginner’s Guide
to the Making, Evaluation and Use of Bibliographies (New York: H. W.
Wilson, 1941), 18-23.
22. Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature (New York: H. W. Wilson,
Co., 1905—to date).
23. Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises (New York: Scribner’s
Sons, 1926).
24. Philip Gaskell, A New Introduction to Bibliography. (Winchester,
Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliographies; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995),
321.
25. Fredson Bowers, Principles of Bibliographical Description. (Win¬
chester, Eng.: St. Paul’s Bibliographies; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll
Press, 1994), 135.
26. Percival Horace Muir, Book-Collecting, More Letters to Everyman.
(London: Cassell, 1949), 44.
27. John Steinbeck, The Wayward Bus (New York: Viking Press,
1947).
28. Most of the works cited in the selected supplemental resources
relating to descriptive bibliography explain the collation formula in con¬
siderable detail, especially Bowers. Pearce also provides some excellent
examples for the enterprising student.
29. A. J. Colaianne. “The Aims and Methods of Annotated Bibliogra¬
phy,” Scholarly Publishing 11 (July 1980), 321.
30. Colaianne, 324.
31. Science Citation Index (Philadelphia: Institute for Scientific Infor¬
mation, 1961—to date).
32. Social Sciences Citation Index (Philadelphia: Institute for Scien¬
tific Information, 1966—to date).
33. Arts & Humanities Citation Index (Philadelphia: Institute for Sci¬
entific Information, 1976—to date).
 Fundamentals of Practical Bibliography Making 129

34. Argonne National Laboratory, Annual Report (Argonne, IL: Ar-

gonne National Laboratory, 1946—to date).
35. Peter Fenner and Martha C. Armstrong, Research: A Practical
Guide to Finding Information (Los Altos, CA: William Kaufman, 1981),
153, 158.
36. Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses,
and Dissertations, 6th ed., revised by John Grossman and Alice Bennett
(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996).
37. Fennerand Armstrong, 158.
38. James D. Lester, Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide.
(Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1984), 40.
39. Colaianne, 328-329.
40. Colaianne, 329-330.
41. William P. Williams and Craig S. Abbott, An Introduction to Bib¬
liographic and Textual Studies 2nd ed. (New York: Modem Language
Association of America, 1989).
42. Robert Finn, “Bibliographic Software Adding New Features, Be¬
coming Web Savvy,” The Scientist 10 (July 8, 1996), 18.
43. Sue Stigleman, “Bibliography Programs Do Windows,” Database
19 (April/May 1996), 57.
44. Database (Weston, CT: Online, Inc., 1978—to date).
45. Library Software Review (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications,
1984—to date).
46. Library Literature (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1934—to date).
,
 7

Bibliographical Citation Basics

Bibliographical citations are comprised of specialized elements—

such as author, title, edition, and imprint—arranged in a variety
of ways, depending on the style guide you are using when compil¬
ing your bibliography. The bibliographical terms citation or entry
are used interchangeably here and share the same meaning. The
general nature and arrangement of key elements within a citation
will be examined below accompanied by relevant examples. Since
the arrangement and number of elements vary in complexity, due
to the nature of the material being described, you will need to
consult your style manual for a more detailed citation structure.
Key bibliographical citation elements for traditional print materi¬
als and electronic sources will be examined in the following sec¬
tions. Footnote or endnote citations will not be treated.

Some General Observations

With regard to basic content and form, bibliographical citations

include: (1) elements of bibliographical information to identify
the cited work, (2) the arrangement of these elements within the
citation, (3) the linkage tying this information to the main text, (4)
the placement of the citations with respect to the main text, and (5)
the arrangement of the citations in the list. The primary purpose of
the citation thus becomes to identify works referenced to in a text
with sufficient accuracy so that the reader can retrieve the same or
equivalent document.1
The primary source of information for the bibliographical cita¬
tion of print material is usually the title page or other appropriate
parts of the work. For nonprint materials information must be

131
132 Chapter 7

drawn from the work, its container, or accompanying printed ma¬

terial.
Elements to be included in the citation and the level of detail
will vary according to the type of material being cited. The most
abbreviated form conveys only the minimum amount of informa¬
tion necessary to identify the work uniquely. Beyond this, various
other levels of detail may be included to convey something of the
nature or content of the work, or better facilitate its identification.
Organization or arrangement of the elements of the bibliograph¬
ical citation will depend on the style manual you are following.
With respect to punctuation and capitalization, various practices
are adopted under different circumstances. It is important that
punctuation and capitalization contribute to the legibility and/or
comprehension of the citation.2
With respect to abbreviations and the extent to which they are
used, most bibliographical citation standards subscribe to their
use. It is preferable to take into account the use of international
standards where these are available, e.g. standards for the abbrevi¬
ations of periodical titles.3

Basic Elements of Bibliographical Description

Each bibliographical citation is comprised of different descriptive

elements such as authors’ names, titles, edition statements, im¬
prints, and many others. An extensive list of these elements and
accompanying descriptions can be found in American National
Standards for Bibliographic References.4 A selected group of key
elements is examined below.

Authorship or Entry Element

An author or author statement is normally the first element in

the bibliographical citation and can be an important component in
the later identification of a work. The title page is usually the
source for the name of the author or authors. However, in some
instances the name of the author may appear elsewhere in the
document. When this occurs, use the name of the author as the
entry element as though it had appeared on the title page.5 When
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 133

authorship is shared among two or more persons, each person’s

name can occur in the same variety of locations and format.
The most common form of authorship is the single person. The
surname or family name is given first in a bibliographical citation,
followed by a comma and then the first or given name, such as:
Nuttle, Carol.
Many works, while actually written or put together by individu¬
als, have been issued by the agency employing or commissioning
them. This situation usually is referred to as corporate authorship.
Corporate authors can range from simple structured names (e.g.,
Florida) to more complete compounds (e.g., Great Britain). Such
corporate names are either single (New Zealand, or American Li¬
brary Association) or subdivided (U.S. Congress, Senate—i.e., the
Senate of the U.S. Congress). And for good measure, some corpo¬
rate agencies carry the names of persons (Smith and Son) or have
fictitious names (“Templars”).
Books and sets containing many works often are less the prod¬
ucts of a person’s imagination or creativity than of his skill in
bibliography and organization. In such instances, we speak of a
compiler or editor rather than an author in the strict sense. The
authorship element is sometimes further complicated by the fact
that certain publications are under the direction of an author acting
as editor. The complete document description for a book might
therefore require a statement of work authorship, a statement of
book editorship, and even a statement of set editorship. Another
distinction must be made occasionally between primary author
(original creator) and secondary author (interpreting or modifying
parts, such as a translator or adapter).6

Title Element

From a bibliographical perspective, the most important element

is probably the title. This element is a little more complicated than
one might suppose because there are subtitles, alternate titles, and
parallel titles that must be described bibliographically. Also, a title
may appear in the document description either as assigned by the
author or publisher, or it may appear in shortened form as con¬
densed by the bibliographer.
Some documents do not even have titles, and such works or
books must be assigned a suitable designation by the bibliogra-
134 Chapter 7

pher. A certain proclamation by the president of the United States,

reprinted in a collection of presidential documents, for example,
may be described by this assigned title:
Proclamation concerning immigration restrictions—1997
The foreword to another person’s book may simply be called
“Foreword.” Also book reviews often have no distinctive separate
titles. The bibliographer citing a book review treats the title of the
book reviewed as the title of the review:
Review of Cannery Row. Steinbeck, John
And occasionally one encounters works that are excerpts
from larger works. The description of such an excerpt would be
incomplete without a parenthetical reference to that effect. An ex¬
ample of this is:
Death in the Afternoon (excerpt). Hemingway . . P

Edition Element
Many publications exist in two or more editions. Since these
editions may vary in many details (e.g., coverage, arrangement,
and pagination), writers must specify the edition which is used or
a reader will not be able to follow up the reference. Sending the
reader to page 201 of Girja and Krishan Kumar’s work Bibliogra¬
phy without specifying the edition (1976 or 1985)8 could cause
considerable frustration because there is no guarantee that this
page holds the same information in both editions.9

Physical Description Element

Depending on the structure of the publication described, it may
be necessary to expand the physical element description. The
range of pages on which the work is found, the number of the
volume, or other part designation of the publication in which it is
recorded may be required.10

Imprint Elements
An imprint is a conventional term that refers to the place of
publication, the publisher’s name, and the date of publication usu¬
ally designated as a year or years. In some types of publications
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 135

the place of printing and the name of the printer have been added
or substituted.
For most published works (including the typical book), the
major sources for imprint information, like the author or title, is
taken from the front and back (recto and verso) of the title page.
If more than one date is given, the latest copyright date should be
used. It is usually found on the back (verso) of the title page pre¬
ceded by the symbol ©. For periodicals, the imprint information
is often limited to the date. Nonprint media, on the other hand,
frequently display no date, while certain nonbook publications
(e.g., Storage Report No. 689) require report or document num¬
bers for accurate identification.11

Notes

Some situations (e.g., video recordings) make it necessary to

tell the reader about availability, type of medium, performer, or
other information. Such miscellaneous information is added as a
parenthetical note following the imprint. A certain set of in-house
recorded audio cassettes containing readings from The Grapes of
Wrath, for example, bears no imprint information of any kind.
Holdings information added to the description as a note would be
very helpful in such a situation:

(Clark Library, San Jose State University,

San Jose, CA: HV 6005 .B63x 1996)

As another example necessitating the use of a note, one of the

essays in a one-volume collection is a reprint of a chapter from a
book published earlier. A notation following the imprint explains
this fact:

(Cleveland, OH: World Publishing Co., 1946.

Reprinted from his The Pastures of Heaven)

The Full Description

The examples below provide a general overview of how a few

key bibliographical citation elements can adequately describe
many publications:
136 Chapter 7

Elements Example
Title John Steinbeck
Author Warren French
Edition Second edition revised
Imprint Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975

Obviously there are materials that require more citation ele¬

ments to describe documents adequately, thus making the citation
more complex in composition. These additional elements may in¬
clude a part number, volume number, issue identification number,
document number, work pagination, or the name of a sponsoring
body.12 The precise arrangement of the elements of a bibliographi¬
cal citation depends on the style manual you are using.

Some Problem Areas in Bibliographical Citation

Persons who compile bibliographies, for whatever reason, are

faced with a number of possible problems. For example, it is dif¬
ficult for students writing term papers to be consistent in the bib¬
liographical citation process when faced with the bewildering
variety of styles and formats. Obviously one would prefer to lo¬
cate one good style manual and follow it; however, experience has
shown that not only are style manuals not consistent with each
other, they are frequently ambiguous.13 The problem often lies in
the interpretation of stylistic rules in the guides themselves where
difficult-to-understand or missing directions contribute to the
problem. This confusion is not likely to be remedied until a uni¬
form standard of citation is adopted generally, which is not likely
to happen anytime soon.14
Another major problem area results from incomplete or inaccu¬
rate bibliographical citations. Studies reveal that many researchers
cite publications that have not been carefully read, which leads to
faulty conclusions on the relationship of the material they are cit¬
ing to the topic at hand or inaccurate citation elements. This prob¬
lem seems to be very prevalent in the scientific field.15 Once an
inaccurately cited work appears in another publication, the error
becomes compounded. Obviously anyone documenting a project
with footnotes and/or a bibliography should examine the cited
matter carefully and verify the correctness of all of the citation
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 137

elements. Adopting a citation from a source other than the original

document is a risky business and should be avoided.
The use of abbreviations can also present some difficulties.
They are used very heavily in the legal and scientific disciplines.
Many researchers simply assume that their readers will know what
the abbreviations they are using mean. Such an assumption is fal¬
lacious. It is wise not to use undefined abbreviations in a docu¬
ment if there is any doubt about whether the readers will know
what they represent. There are a number of excellent abbreviation
directories which can be checked to see if the abbreviation is cor¬
rect. If not, either avoid it or spell it out.

Basic Elements for Bibliographical Description

of Electronic Materials

Printed materials are not going to become obsolete, but you can
now find electronic versions of hundreds of bibliographical data¬
bases, as well as entire books, encyclopedias, and other reference
sources. Most public and academic libraries have many CD-ROM
titles and provide access to online computer services and the In¬
ternet.16
Bibliographical citations for electronic sources mostly follow
those for print sources, but because of the inherent differences,
require additional information. When citing materials gleaned
from electronic sources, one should add a statement about the me¬
dium in which the material was located: for example, CD-ROM or
online. Information about the vendor or provider of the electronic
database Is also necessary. In the case of online or World Wide
Web—based databases, information must be included about the
electronic path taken to locate the information.17
Online databases, especially on the Internet, are increasing and
changing on a daily basis. The path you follow to find material
may, in fact, not work the next time you try to locate the materials;
however, it is essential that an “availability” statement be given
for the online works that are used and cited. Part of the purpose
of listing the works cited is to enable the reader to locate the mate¬
rials. Although it is possible that the databases you use via online
services will change locations, or disappear altogether at some
138 Chapter 7

point, it is important to document how you were able to locate and

use the information at the time you were conducting research.18
Citation elements and styles for electronic sources are still evol¬
ving. Unfortunately, there is little or no agreement with the elec¬
tronic community about how much information is enough. A
general feeling exists that “more is better.” In other words, when
in doubt, add information to ensure that the reader will be able to
identify and locate the material you are citing.19
The following are examples of general citations for selected
electronic media documents based on the MLA style. Keep in
mind that you will possibly be using a different style scheme and
media documents not included below. These examples will give
you some idea of the additional and different elements required
for electronic documents as compared to the printed ones dis¬
played earlier in this chapter.20

Individual Works

Commercial Supplier

Basic Form:
Author/editor. Title of Electronic Work. Medium. Information sup¬
plier. File identifier or number. Access date.

Example:
The American Heritage Talking Dictionary. 3rd ed. CD-ROM. Cam¬
bridge, MA: Softkey International, 1994.
In this case, there is no file identifier. Access date is not necessary
for CD-ROM formats.

Internet

Basic Form:
Author/editor. Title of Electronic Work. Medium. Information sup¬
plier. Available protocol (e.g., HTTP): site/path/file. Access date.

Example:
Coleman, Phil. Cannon Fodder: Growing Up for Vietnam. Online.
Internet. The Vietnam War Library, 1980, 1987. Available: http://
members.aol.com/veterans/cf.htm. 20 August 1997.
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 139

Parts of Works: Books and So Forth

Commercial Supplier

Basic Form:

Author/editor. “Part Title.” Title of Electronic Work. Edition (if

any). Medium. Information supplier. File identifier or number.
Access date.

Example:
Boyer, Paul, et al. “The Progressive Era.” The Enduring Vision: A
History of the American People. Interactive edition. CD-ROM.
Lexington, KY: D. C. Heath and Co., 1993.
Access date is not necessary for CD-ROM formats.

Internet

Basic Form:
Author/editor. “Part Title.” Title of Electronic Work. Medium. In¬
formation supplier. Available protocol (e.g., HTTP): site/path/file.
Access date.

Example:
Kahle, Brewster. “Internet.” Britannica Online: Micropedia. 1995.
Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Available:
http://www.eb.com: 180/cgi-bin/g?DocF = micro/
710/49.html. 20 August 1997.

Journal and Magazine Articles

Commercial Supplier

Basic Form:
Author. “Article Title.” Journal or Magazine Title Volume. Issue/
Number (Date): paging or indicator of length. Medium. Informa¬
tion supplier. Database name. File identifier or number. Accession
number. Access date.
140 Chapter 7

Example:

Henriksen, Kelly E. “Gays, the Military, and Judicial Deference:

When the Courts Must Reclaim Equal Protection as Their Area
of Expertise.” Administrative Law Journal 9 (Winter 1996):
1273-1306. Online. LEXIS/NEXIS. Library: lawrev. File: admlj.
20 August 1997.

Internet

Basic Form:

Author. “Article Title.” Journal or Magazine Title Volume. Issue/

Number (Date): paging or indicator of length. Medium. Informa¬
tion Supplier. Available protocol (e.g., HTTP): Site/Path/File. Ac¬
cess date.

Example:

Kersch, Ken L. “Full Faith and Credit for Same-Sex Marriages?”

Political Science Quarterly 112.1 (1997): 76 pars. Online. In¬
ternet. Available: http://epn.org/psq/kersch.html. 20 August 1997.

Newspapers

Commercial Supplier

Basic Form:

Author. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title. Date, Edition [if given]:

paging or indicator of length. Medium. Information supplier.
Database Name. File identifier or number. Accession number. Ac¬
cess date.

Example:

Bennet, James. “For Clinton Vacation, Star Guessing Game.” New

York Times. 21 August 1997: A28. Online. The New York Times
Company. LEXIS/NEXIS. Library: news. File: nyt. 21 August
1997.
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 141

Internet

Basic Form:

Author. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title. Date, Edition [if given]:

paging or indicator of length. Medium. Available protocol (e.g.,
HTTP): site/path/file. Access date.

Examples:

“Oakland Man Killed near Restaurant.” San Francisco Chronicle,

21 August 1997: A20. Online. Available: http://www.sfgate.com/.
21 August 1997.
In this example no author or editor was given.

Salladay, Robert. “Demos Challenge Wilson Budget Ploy.” San

Francisco Examiner, 21 August 1997:n.p. Online. Available:
http://www.examiner.com/. 21 August 1997.

Discussion List Messages: Discussion List

Basic Form:
Author. “Subject of Message.” Date. Online posting. Discussion
list. Available e-mail: DISCUSSION LIST@e-mail address. Ac¬
cess date.

Example:
RRECOME. “Top Ten Rules of Film Criticism.” 1 April 1995. On¬
line posting. Discussions on All Forms of Cinema. Available E-
mail: [email protected]. 1 April 1995.
Here the author’s login name, in uppercase, is given as the first ele¬
ment.

Discussion List: Listserv

Basic Form:
Author. “Subject of Message.” Date. Online posting. Discussion
list. Available e-mail: LISTSERV@e-mail address/get. Access
date.
142 Chapter 7

Example:
RRECOME. “Top Ten Rules of Film Criticism.” 1 Apr. 1995. On¬
line posting. Discussion on All Forms of Cinema. Available E-
mail: [email protected]/ Get cinema-1 log9504A. 1 Aug.
1995.
The reference is obtained by searching the list’s archive.

Discussion List: E-Mail

Basic Form:
Sender (Sender’s E-mail address). “Subject of Message.” E-mail to
recipient (Recipient’s E-mail address). Date of message.

Example:
Harmon, Robert B. ([email protected]). “Reply.” E-mail
to Natalie Regensberg ([email protected]). 14 Au¬
gust 1997.

Style Manuals

Style manuals or guides have evolved over the years from early
printers manuals into instruments for authors, editors, and stu¬
dents. There are many of them, ranging from general style manu¬
als to those intended for use by a specific discipline or by those
associated with a particular journal or periodical.21
Usually these manuals contain much more information than just
footnote or bibliographical citation descriptions. They offer guide¬
lines on grammar and punctuation, tips on conducting research,
and recommendations on formatting papers. Consequently the dis¬
tinction between the style manual and the writing guide is, in
many instances, somewhat vague.
Relatively few style manuals that describe only bibliographical
citations or footnote documentation have been published. In the
following list, the most important and current style guides for gen¬
eral use are briefly cited and annotated in approximately twenty-
eight subject areas of discipline. In most cases, other areas of writ¬
ing style beyond bibliographical and footnote citation elements
are also covered.
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 143

There are several bibliographies of style manuals such as John

B.‘Howell’s Style Manuals of the English-Speaking World22 and
one on the World Wide Web entitled Style Manuals 23 but both of
these are woefully out of date. A good way to keep up to date is
to check the online catalog of a major university on the Internet
under the suggested subject headings below:

Authorship—Style manuals
Bibliographical citation
Electronic publishing—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Manuscript preparation
Report writing—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Research—Handbooks, manuals, etc.

General

Because they are heavily used by many disciplines, two of the

specialized manuals are also included in this general category.
The one manual that enjoys an expanding usage is the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association 4th ed. (Wash¬
ington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1994). Another
that is used heavily in the humanities is The MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers 4th ed. (New York: The Modem Lan¬
guage Association of America, 1995), currently compiled by Jo¬
seph Gibaldi. The third leading general style guide is The Chicago
Manual of Style 14th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1993), which is used primarily in the social sciences. A shorter,
but heavily used style manual based on The Chicago Manual of
Style is A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Disser¬
tations. 6th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996) by
Kate L. Turabian, now revised by John Grossman and Alice Ben¬
nett. A dated but standard set of rules and guidelines for the prepa¬
ration of bibliographical references to both print and nonprint
works is contained in American National Standard for Biblio¬
graphic References (New York: American National Standards In¬
stitute, 1977).
The following works are examples of general style guides that
also provide guidelines for bibliographical citations: The Cross¬
way Stylebook: A Brief Style Guide to Good Writing for Authors
and Editors (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1997) by Leonard G. Gross;
144 Chapter 7

Bibliography without Footnotes 2nd ed. (Newport Beach, CA:

Headway Publications, 1978) by Herbert H. Hoffman; Successful
Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student Research
from Proposal to Completion 2nd ed. (San Francisco, CA: Josse-
Bass, 1992) by David Madsen; Style Manual: A Guide for the
Preparation of Reports and Dissertations (New York: Marcel De-
kker, 1973) by Martha L. Manheimer; The Complete Manuscript
Preparation Style Guide (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,
1982) by Carolyn J. Mullins; Where Credit Is Due? A Guide to
Proper Citing of Sources, Print and Nonprint. 2nd ed. (Lanham,
MD: Scarecrow Press, 1997) by Nancy E. Shields; Form and
Style: Research Papers, Reports, Theses 10th ed. (Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, Co., 1997) by Carole Slade; and Webster's
Standard American Style Manual (Springfield, MA: Merriam-
Webster, 1985).

Agriculture

Guidelines for the Preparation of Bibliographies (Beltsville,

MD: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Li¬
brary, 1982) is designed to assist writers and editors in the U.S.
Department of Agriculture in the preparation of bibliographies
and literature articles for agency publications and in the prepara¬
tion of lists of references for published papers.

Biological Sciences

The Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors,
Editors, and Publishers 6th ed. (New York: Cambridge University
Press, 1994), compiled by the Style Manual Committee of the
Council of Biology Editors at Cambridge actually covers all scien¬
tific disciplines except those technological fields not closely re¬
lated to experimental and observational science. The main focus,
however, is on the biological sciences.

Cartography

The primary style guide that exists for maps is Cartographic

Citations: A Style Guide (Chicago: Map and Geography Round
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 145

Table, American Library Association, 1992) by Suzanne M.

Clark, Mary Lynette Larsgaard and Cynthia M. Teague.

Chemistry

Two guides that provide some useful but dated information on

citing the chemical literature are The ACS Style Guide: A Manual
for Authors and Editors, edited by Janet S. Dodd (Washington,
DC: American Chemical Society, 1986) and the Handbook for
Authors of Papers in American Chemical Society Publications
(Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1978). These two
publications dovetail in coverage.

Communication Studies

The general style guide for communication studies is A Style

Manual for Communication Majors 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw-
Hill, 1996) by John Bourhis.

Education

Citing the education literature is treated in Style Manual: NEA

Style Manual for Writers and Editors (Washington, DC: National
Education Association, 1974). Unfortunately this guide is now
somewhat dated.

Electronic Sources

The most extensive treatment of electronic and online sources

is Electronic Styles: A Handbook for Citing Electronic Informa¬
tion, 2nd ed. (Medford, NJ: Information Today, 1996) by Xia Li
and Nancy B. Crane. This manual is based largely on the Ameri¬
can Psychological Association style. Designed for authors and
publishers who want to use computers in producing electronic
manuscripts is the Chicago Guide to Preparing Electronic Manu¬
scripts: For Authors and Publishers (Chicago: University of Chi¬
cago Press, 1987). A World Wide Web site for finding citation
guides for electronic sources is Style Manuals Online. Internet.
Duke University Library. Available: http://www. lib.duke.edu/
reference/style_manuals.html. Accessed: 16 August 1997.
146 Chapter 7

Engineering

A basic manual for engineering is Style for Students (and Oth¬

ers): A Manual for Sciences and Engineering (New York: Mc¬
Graw-Hill, 1993) by Joe Schall. Another is Form and Style for
ASTM Standards, 7th ed. (Philadelphia: American Society for
Testing and materials, 1986).

English and Literature

The major style manual for English and literature is the MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th ed. (New York:
The Modem Language Association of America, 1995) compiled
by Joseph Gibaldi. A related work is Joseph F. Trimmer’s A Guide
to MLA Documentation with an Appendix on APA Style, 4th ed.
(Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1996).

Government Publications

Diane L. Gamer and Diane H. Smith have compiled an excel¬

lent style manual, The Complete Guide to Citing Government In¬
formation Resources: A Manual for Writers and Librarians, rev.
ed. (Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service 1993).
This manual has extensive coverage of governmental publications.
For U.S. government publications there is A Manual of Style (New
York: Gramercy Publishing Co., 1986), prepared by the U.S. Gov¬
ernment Printing Office. For United Nations publications, there is
the Bibliographical Style Manual. (New York: United Nations,
1963) compiled by the Dag Hammarskjold Library.

History

Included in A New Research Guide in History (Pacific Pali¬

sades, CA: Palisades Publishers, 1986) by John R. M. Wilson is a
section covering bibliographical and footnote citations. The Style
Guide for Military History, rev. ed. (Washington, DC: Center of
Military History, Editorial Branch, 1981) covers military history,
and family history is treated in Richard S. Lackey’s Cite Your
Sources: A Manual for Documenting Family Histories and Genea¬
logical Records (Jackson: University of Mississippi Press, 1980).
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 147

A general social sciences guide with good coverage of historical

materials is Bibliography and Footnotes: A Style Guide for Stu¬
dents and Writers, 3rd ed. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University
of California Press, 1968) by Payton Hurt, revised by Mary L.
Hurt Richmond.

Humanities

The standard guide for graduate students, teachers, and scholars

is the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 2nd
ed. (New York: Modem Language Association, 1998) by Joseph
Gibaldi. For students preparing research papers there is the MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th ed. (New York:
Modem Language Association of America, 1995) by Joseph Gi¬
baldi. Its British cousin is the MHRA Style Book: Notes for Au¬
thors, Editors, and Writers of Dissertations, edited by A. S.
Maney and R. L. Small (London: Modem Humanities Research
Association, 1981). A dated but useful work is Livia Appel’s Bib¬
liographical Citation in the Social Sciences and the Humanities:
A Handbook of Style for Authors, Editors, and Students, 3rd ed.
(Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1949).

Journalism

There are many style guides in the journalistic field that are
designed to ensure consistency and conformity in matters as mun¬
dane as capitalization and as arcane as the use of acceptable termi¬
nology in news stories. Bibliographical citation usually receives
sparse treatment in these manuals. Some of the more heavily used
guides are: The Associated Press Style Book and Libel Manual:
Including Guidelines on Photo Captions, Filing the Wire, Proof¬
reader’s Marks, Copyright, edited by Norman Goldstein, fully re¬
vised and updated (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1994);
Broadcast Journalism Style Guide, 14th ed. (Fort Benjamin Har¬
rison, IN: Defense Information School, Broadcasting Dept.,
Broadcast Subjects Division, 1991); The Associated Press Broad¬
cast News Handbook 2nd ed. (New York: Associated Press, 1997)
by Brad Kalbfeld; Ronald H. MacDonald’s A Broadcast News
Manual of Style, 2nd ed. (New York: Longman, 1994); Doing It
In Style: A Manual for Journalists, P. R. Men and Copy-writers
148 Chapter 7

(Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1968) by Leslie Sellers; and The Wash¬

ington Post Deskbook on Style, 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill,
1989) compiled by Thomas W. Lippman.

Law

The most detailed treatment of legal citations is found in The

Blue Book: A Uniform System of Citation, 16th ed. (Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Law Review Association, 1996) compiled by the
editors of the Columbia Law Review, The Harvard Law Review,
the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Yale Law
Journal The guide covers both federal and state legal publica¬
tions. An excellent guide to constructing legal citation is con¬
tained in Elaine C. Maier’s How to Prepare a Legal Citation
(Woodbury, NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 1986). Two addi¬
tional, but not as detailed, guides are Citing and Typing the Law:
A Guide to Legal Citation and Style, 3rd ed. (Charlottesville, VA:
Legal Education, Ltd., 1992) by C. Edward Good, and Legal Re¬
search and Citation, 4th ed. (St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.,
1992) by Larry C. Teply.

Mathematics

Basic coverage of the mathematical literature can be gained

from A Manual for Authors of Mathematical Papers, rev. ed.
(Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society, 1990) and from
Mathematics into Type: Copy Editing and Proofreading of Mathe¬
matics for Editorial Assistants and Authors, rev. ed. (Providence,
RI: American Mathematical Society, 1986) by Ellen Swanson.

Medicine

The primary style guide for the medical field is the American
Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th ed. (Baltimore: Wil¬
liams and Wilkins, 1997). Two additional guides are Medical Style
Format: An International Manual for Authors, Editors, and Pub¬
lishers (Philadelphia: ISI Press, 1987) by Edward J. Huth, and
Karen Patrias’s National Library of Medicine Recommended For¬
mat for Bibliographic Citation (Bethesda, MD: U.S. Dept, of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National In-
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 149

stitutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Reference Sec¬

tion, 1991). This latter work contains an excellent review of how
to cite electronic sources.

Microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology has published The

ASM Style Manual for Journals and Books (Washington, DC:
American Society for Microbiology, 1991). This field is also cov¬
ered in The Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Au¬
thors, Editors, and Publishers. Style Manual Committee, Council
of Biology Editors. 6th ed. (New York: Cambridge University
Press, 1994).

Music

The most current style guide for music is Richard J. Winged’s

Writing about Music: An Introductory Guide (Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1990). Several older works are also useful:
Words and Music: Form and Procedure in Theses, Dissertations,
Research Papers, Book Reports, Program Theses in Composition,
rev. ed. (Totowa, NJ: European American Music Corp., 1982) by
Ernest E. Helm; and Writing about Music: A Style Book for Re¬
ports and Theses, 2nd ed. (Seattle: University of Washington
Press, 1968) by Demar B. Irving.

Nonprint Materials

One of the few full-length works to cover nonprint, nonelec¬

tronic formats is Eugene B. Fleischer’s A Style Manual for Citing
Microform and Nonprint Media (Chicago: American Library As¬
sociation, 1978). A more current work that includes nonprint ma¬
terials is Where Credit Is Due? A Guide to Proper Citing of
Sources, Print and Nonprint, 2nd ed. (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow
Press, 1997) by Nancy E. Shields.

Nursing

The only specialized guide for nursing is Writing for Nursing

Publication (Thorofare, NJ: C. B. Slack, 1981) by Andrew B.
150 Chapter 7

O’Connor which is a little dated. The style guides for medicine

are also applicable to nursing.

Physics

The general style guide for physics is the AIP Style Manual, 4th
ed. (New York: American Institute of Physics, 1990) prepared
under the direction of the AIP Publication Board.

Political Science

The American Political Science Association has published the

Style Manual for Political Science, rev. ed. (Washington, DC:
American Political Science Association, Committee on Publica¬
tions, 1993). Materials related to political science are also well
covered in Bibliography and Footnotes: A Style Guide for Stu¬
dents and Writers, 3rd ed. (Berkeley and Los Agneles: University
of California Press, 1968) by Payton Hurt, revised by Mary L.
Hurt Richmond.

Psychology

The major style manual for psychology is the Publication Man¬

ual of the American Psychological Association, 4th ed. (Washing¬
ton, DC: American Psychological Association, 1994). An
additional useful guide is by Robert J. Sternberg, The Psycholo¬
gist's Companion: A Guide to Scientific Writing for Students and
Researchers. 3rd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1993).

Religion

An interesting style guide published by the Catholic News Ser¬

vice covering the religious literature is Stylebook on Religion: A
Reference Guide and Usage Manual (Washington, DC: Catholic
News Service, 1990).

Science

Philip Ruben has edited Science and Technical Writing: A Man¬

ual of Style (New York: Henry Holt, 1994). The field, in general, is
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 151

also covered by The Style Manual Committee, Council of Biology

Editors of Cambridge University in The Scientific Style and For¬
mat: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th
ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994).

Social Science

A dated but useful guide is Livia Appel’s Bibliographical Cita¬

tion in the Social Sciences and the Humanities: A Handbook of
Style for Authors, Editors, and Students, 3rd ed. (Madison: Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin Press, 1949). Another dated work is Bibliog¬
raphy and Footnotes: A Style Guide for Students and Writers, 3rd
ed. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,
1968) by Payton Hurt, revised by Mary L. Hurt Richmond.

Sociology

The American Sociological Association has published the ASA

Style Guide (Washington, DC: American Sociological Associa¬
tion, 1996). Bibliographical citations are also treated in The Soci¬
ology Student Writer’s Manual (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-
Hall, 1998). Also applicable to sociology is Payton Hurt’s Bibli¬
ography and Footnotes: A Style Guide for Students and Writers,
3rd ed. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press,
1968) revised by Mary L. Hurt Richmond.

Technical Publications

Several useful style guides that treat technical publications are

available. One of the more current works is The Microsoft Manual
of Style for Technical Publications (Redmond, WA: Microsoft
Press, 1995). Two more dated but useful guides are A Style Man¬
ual for Technical Writers and Editors (New York: Macmillan,
1962) by S. J. Reisman and Style Guide for Technical Publica¬
tions, rev. ed. (Denver: Engineering and Research Center, Techni¬
cal Publications Branch, Division of Management Support, U.S.
Dept, of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, 1985) by Robert D.
Mohrbacher.
152 Chapter 7

Selected Supplemental Resources

Individual studies on the elements of bibliographical citation are

limited at best. What has been written usually appears as part of a
work covering a much larger area of interest. An older but mean¬
ingful study relating to the citation process John F. Fulton’s “The
Principles of Bibliographical Citation: An Informal Discourse Ad¬
dressed to Writers of Scientific Papers,” Medical Library Associa¬
tion Bulletin 22 (April 1934), 183-197. A more recent work is by
Blaise Cronin, The Citation Process: The Role and Significance of
Citations in Scientific Communication, (London: Taylor Graham,
1984). In this work Cronin examines a wide variety of viewpoints
about the complexity of the citation process and its uses by schol¬
ars to disseminate information. An excellent, albeit brief, exami¬
nation of citation basics of both print and electronic sources is
provided by Renee M. Prestegard in “Citing Print and Electronic
Sources,” in Using the Internet, Online Services, and CD-ROMs
for Writing Research and Term Papers, edited by Charles Harmon
(New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1996), 145-158.
The need for standardization of citation elements in the biblio¬
graphical process is examined by Eugene Garfield in “Style in
Cited References,” in Essays of an Information Scientist (Phila¬
delphia: ISI Press, 1980), 440-447. Another analysis of biblio¬
graphical citation standards is provided in “Bibliographic
Standards and Style,” Scholarly Publishing 10 (April 1979), 223-
240, by Donald W. Krummel and John Bruce Howell. Norman
Mangouni expores citation standards on the international level in
“An International Style for Bibliographic References,” Scholarly
Publishing 5 (April 1974), 239-245.
In chapter 3, “Bibliographic References,” of Abstracting and
Indexing (London: Clive Bingley, 1982), 28-42, Jennifer E. Row-
ley provides a concise examination of bibliographical citation ele¬
ments. Although Carolyn O. Frost’s “The Use of Citations in
Literary Research: A Preliminary Classification of Citation Func¬
tions,” Library Quarterly 49 (October 1979), 399-414 deals
mainly with citation analysis, it does reveal some important impli¬
cations of citation use and their ramifications for all disciplines.
Raymond G. Mclnnis and Dal Symas examine how, over time,
both the concept and the function of the bibliographical citation
has changed, and correlate the concept or changes with sociologist
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 153

David Riesman’s three types of personal character in “David

Riesman and the Concept of Bibliographic Citation,” College and
Research Libraries 49 (September 1988), 387-399. “When to
Cite,” Library Quarterly 66 (October 1996), 449-458, by Eugene
Garfield is an excellent study of when citations are necessary in
documenting scholarly research.
The application of pertinent rules for compiling effective biblio¬
graphical citations is expertly detailed by Charles Terbille in “Stu¬
dents and Rules of Style for Reference Citations,” Libri 40
(September 1996), 242-254. Somewhat on this same theme is
“Clarifying Bibliographic Citations,” College and Research Li¬
braries 6 (June 1945), 249-288, in which William D. Postell
points out some common rules helpful in compiling good bibliog¬
raphies.
The problem of extraneous citations which have not been ade¬
quately screened is lamented by C. M. Steel in “Read Before You
Cite,” The Lancet 348 (July 20, 1996), 144. The complications
from erroneous bibliographical citations in scholarly works is ex¬
plored by James Rudolph and Deborah Brackstone in “Too Many
Scholars Ignore the Basic Rules of Documentation,” The Chroni¬
cle of Higher Education 36 (April 11, 1990), A36. A way to com¬
bat this problem is discussed in “Citation Training: Why and
How,” Reference Services Review 10 (Winter 1982), 89-91, by
Stuart M. Bosefsky. Student difficulties with appropriate biblio¬
graphical skills is treated in “Student Problems with Documenta¬
tion,” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 11 (January 1986),
350-353, by Gloria R. Freimer and Margaret M. Perry. The diffi¬
culties caused by bibliographical citation errors over time are ex¬
amined by James H. Sweetland in “Errors in Bibliographic
Citations: A Continuing Problem,” Library Quarterly 59 (October
1989), 291-304.
Cataloging Nonbook Resources: A How-to-Do-lt Manual for
Librarians (New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 1993) by Mary
Beth Fecko provides some excellent guidance not only for non¬
print materials but also for electronic sources. This work, while
mainly geared toward catalogers is still valuable for its many illus¬
trations of bibliographical citations. Although the evaluating liter¬
ature on style guides is limited, a doctoral dissertation, by Maria
Jose Therese deAmorim “Bibliographic Reference: A Critique of
Style Manuals for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations,”
154 Chapter 7

Ph.D diss., Case Western Reserve University, 1980, provides

some important insights as to style guide composition and effec¬
tive use.

Notes

1. Charles Terbille, “Students and Rules of Style for Reference Liter¬

ature,” Libri 40 (September 1990), 246.
2. Terbille, 246.
3. Jennifer E. Rowley, “Bibliographic References,” in Jennifer E.
Rowley, Abstracting and Indexing (London: Clive Bingley, 1982), 29.
4. American National Standards Institute. American National Stan¬
dard for Bibliographic References (New York: American National Stan¬
dards Institute, 1977).
5. Martha L. Manheimer, Style Manual: A Guide for the Preparation
of Reports and Dissertations (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1973), 67.
6. Herbert H. Hoffman, Bibliography without Footnotes, 2nd ed.
(Newport Beach, CA: Headway Publications, 1978), 18-19. See also
Manheimer, 67-99.
7. Hoffman, 17-18.
8. This title was first published by the Vikas Publishing House in
New Delhi, India in 1976. A revised edition was issued by the same
publisher in 1985.
9. Manheimer, 54-56.
10. Hoffman, 19.
11. Hoffman, 20. See also Manheimer, 56-60.
12. Hoffman, 20-22.
13. Gloria R„ Freimar and Margaret M. Perry, “Student Problems with
Documentation,” Journal of Academic Lib rarianship 11 (January 1986),
351
14. Donald W. Krummel and John Bruce Howell, “Bibliographic Stan¬
dards and Style,” Scholarly Publishing 10 (April 1979), 288.
15. C. M. Steel, “Read Before You Cite,” The Lancet 348 (July 30,
1996), 144.
16. Renee M. Prestegard, “Citing Print and Electronic Sources.” in
Using the Internet, Online Services and CD-ROMs for Writing Research
and Term Papers, edited by Charles Harmon. (New York: Neal-Schumann
Publishers, Inc., 1996), 148-149.
17. Prestegard, 149.
18. Prestegard, 149.
19. George H. Hoemann, Electronic Style: Elements of Citation.
 Bibliographical Citation Basics 155

Online. Internet. Available: http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~hoemann/

elements.html. 18 August 1997.
20. This secction is based on Patricia Gray’s website: Citing Elec¬
tronic Sources'. MLA, online Internet, accessed 18 August 1997, Avail¬
able: http://www.middlebury.edu/~lib/citing.mla.html
21. For a good historical introduction to the development of style man¬
uals and their uses, consult John Bruce Howell’s Style Manuals of the
English-Speaking World: A Guide (Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1983), ix-
xii.
22. Howell, ix-xii.
23. Style Manuals. Online. World Wide Web. Available: http://
www.lib.duke.edu/. Accessed 17 December 1997.
r
 8

Evaluating Bibliographical Sources

Most of us use bibliographies as bridges to information needed

for research projects, personal information, and so on, while oth¬
ers use them to verify the accuracy of bibliographical information.
It is not difficult, therefore, to imagine what disruptions would
result in the transfer of information without bibliographies in their
various formats. It is also important to realize that bibliographies
that contain errors, have difficult arrangements, or have insuffi¬
cient entry detail can also cause a significant disruption in the
process of information transfer. It becomes obvious that evalua¬
tion of the bibliographies we use becomes an essential factor in
satisfying our information needs.

Evaluation of Bibliographies

When using a bibliography to find information on a topic we

mostly use the words in the title of a bibliographical entry. We
generally pay little or no attention to the credentials of the com¬
piler, what the purpose of the bibliography is, the currency of the
entries, or whether or not the entries are detailed enough that the
material we are looking for can be located easily. The following
evaluation criteria can be of assistance in making the most bene¬
ficial decisions to improve the usefulness of the bibliography you
are using.

Aim or Objective

The aim or objective of a bibliography should be evident from

the title or form. The user must determine if the author or compiler

157
158 Chapter 8

has fulfilled the aim or objective as stated in the text of the bibli¬
ography. If these have not been clearly stated, this is a good indi¬
cation the bibliography’s usefulness is questionable. Aims and
objectives are often further indicated in a table of contents, intro¬
duction, preface, or index, which will tell what subjects are cov¬
ered.1 A quick check of one or all of these will indicate the
bibliography’s possible utility.

Authority

Closely related to aims and objectives are a set of questions

concerning the qualifications and expertise of the authors or com¬
pilers of the bibliography. What are the compiler’s qualifications
for the fulfillment of his or her aims or objectives? If the author is
a recognized scholar, there is usually little problem with authority,
but how does one determine the qualifications of a bibliography’s
author? Most contemporary published works, including bibliogra¬
phies, provide a brief statement either on the dust jacket or some¬
where in the book about an author’s background and present
activities.2 Of course, you may also rely on your own understand¬
ing and depth of knowledge. And finally there are numerous bib¬
liographical sources available which might yield the needed
biographical information.
Another aspect of authority involves the sources used by the
compiler. Did he or she utilize primary source materials or rely
on secondary material? If secondary sources were mainly used in
compiling the bibliography, then the chances for error are greatly
increased and the resulting bibliographical information can be
highly unreliable. If new sources were explored, were they well
chosen and sufficient.3 Even if highly respected sources were used,
one should be prepared to check the original source for accuracy.
A secondary but nevertheless important clue is the imprint of a
publisher, which may indicate the relative worth of a published
bibliography. Some publishers have excellent reputations for issu¬
ing bibliographies, and others are known for their fair-to-untrust-
worthy titles.4 Even publishers such as Scarecrow Press,
Greenwood Press, Garland Publishing, Libraries Unlimited, and
others which specialize in bibliographical works cannot always
maintain the quality of their publications at as high a level as they
would like.
 Evaluating Bibliographical Sources 159

Thus, authority is a matter of reputation of the author and/or the

publisher. But neither is infallible. Authority, in a sense, can be
measured only by careful scrutiny. In compiling bibliographies
there is no excuse for poor presentation. Furthermore, objectivity
should be a prime goal, even though it is not completely attain¬
able.5 When one detects sloppy or biased presentation in biblio¬
graphical works, they should be used only with great care.

Scope

The term “scope” can be misleading because of its various

meanings. Here, scope refers to the extent of a bibliography. For
example, if a bibliography claims to be comprehensive in its cov¬
erage of journal articles on American literature published from
1900 to 1950, and it includes only two thousand entries, then one
would be a little suspicious of its stated scope especially when
compared to similar bibliographies. Since most bibliographies are
selective in nature, there should be a clear statement by the com¬
piler of what is and what is not included and what criteria were
used to determine selection or rejection. And the compiler must
ensure that the selection criteria fit the audience claimed in the
bibliography.
Other questions involving scope are almost as numerous as
there are types of bibliographies. Users should study the scope of
any bibliography in terms of number of entries, length, language,
timeliness, access points, and so on. Currency is one of the most
important features of many bibliographies, particularly if de¬
signed for ready reference. Undeniably one of the facts of life is
that all bibliographies are dated before they are even off the
presses. Always check when a bibliography was published and
compare it with the most current date in its inclusive entries. This
will provide a clue to currency if it is important in the selection
of materials.

Usefulness

One of the major determinants of usefulness is the degree to

which the bibliography in hand meets the basic needs of its in¬
tended audience. This obviously includes the factors that have al¬
ready been discussed, plus a number of other important elements.
160 Chapter 8

Among these elements, arrangement is highly important. En¬

tries should be organized in a manner suitable to the subject
treated. This makes it easy to use without having to consult an
index. It is essential, however, that multiple means of access be
provided. Overall, the arrangement for a classified bibliography
should be logical and easy for users to understand.1 2 3 4 5 6 The inde
should be sufficiently detailed to provide acceptable levels of re¬
call and precision. Appropriate cross-references should provide
guidance to additional sources. The entries should reflect stan¬
dards established by a style system adopted for the subject matter
and adhered to consistently.
Accuracy is another element that is very important to useful¬
ness. If frequent errors occur, the bibliography’s usability be¬
comes highly suspect. And finally, annotations render
bibliographies very helpful in assisting users in selecting materials
quickly and effectively to satisfy specific needs.

Evaluation Methodology

Beyond the general considerations discussed above, the follow¬

ing suggested methodology can be used in evaluating bibliogra¬
phies:7

1. Purpose. If the bibliography does not fill a real need or is

esoteric, it will probably be of marginal value. Check the
title and the preface to see if the subject is well defined.
2. Scope. To fulfill its stated purpose the bibliography should
be as complete as possible.
3. Methodology. Consider the method used by the compiler in
selecting entries for the bibliography. Note particularly if the
compiler has examined each item included. If not stated, you
should be careful not to cite any item that you have not ex¬
amined yourself.
4. Organization. Depending on the subject matter, the bibliog¬
raphy should be organized in a logical and easy-to-use fash¬
ion with adequate indexing to provide optimal access to cited
materials.
5. Annotations and abstracts. If descriptive or critical notes are
used for entries, they should be clear, succinct, and informa¬
tive.
 Evaluating Bibliographical Sources 161

6. Bibliographical form. All entries in the bibliography should

conform to a standard format with sufficient detail that the
item can be identified and located easily.
7. Currency. In line with the purpose of the bibliography, the
entries should be current, unless the bibliography only deals
with an earlier period of time.
8. Accuracy. Obviously all of the material cited in a bibliogra¬
phy must be accurate. One way to avoid error is for the com¬
piler to examine first hand each item cited.
9. Format. The format must be appropriate for the suject and
one that you are able to make use of fully. Is the bibliogra¬
phy available in print, on CD-ROM, online, or in another
format? If in machine-readable form, is the software ade¬
quate to easily retrieve the necessary information? If only in
print, is it easy to read?

Evaluating Bibliographical Sources on the Internet

There is a trend toward putting more bibliographical instruments
(especially indexes) on the Internet. Those currently available
vary much in quality and accessibility, which has created a need
for methods of critical evaluation.
Researchers need to use the same basic criteria evaluation skills
in looking for bibliographical information on the Internet that they
would use for a printed bibliographical instrument. The content of
the Internet is only more diverse because of the potential of inter¬
active media. With the growth of information on the Internet and
the development of more sophisticated searching tools, there is a
better possibility of finding information and answers to real ques¬
tions. On the other hand, with the morass of network data there
are both valuable nuggets and an incredible amount of junk.8
The primary issues that should be considered when evaluating
an Internet bibliographical resource are:

1) Authority
2) Intended audience
3) Currency
4) Accessibility
5) Coverage and Accuracy
6) Objectivity
162 Chapter 8

The qualifications of an author or compiler (individual or orga¬

nization) of a bibliographical instrument on the Internet is a prime
concern of anyone doing research. The reliability of the informa¬
tion retrieved can usually be determined based solely on these
qualifications. A good webpage will indicate the producer’s name
and qualifications. Checking the individual’s e-mail address or the
page’s URL should yield the producer’s position and affiliation
with an institution or organization. If this information is not found,
or if there is still uncertainty about the producer’s affiliation,
check the links from the page to a host page or e-mail the page’s
host institution to obtain verification of the qualifications and af¬
filiation.
It is also helpful to evaluate the host institution or publisher, if
there is one. Is there an official logo or name that appears on the
page, or some other indication that the information provided is
supplied by an organization? In evaluating a bibliographical site,
also consider the reputation, qualifications, and objective of the
host institution or organization such as SilverPlatter.9
Another important factor in determining the value of an Internet
bibliographical instrument is the intended audience. Consider the
following: Is it meant for scholars or for the general public? Are
the materials cited too general or scholarly? In some instances, the
intended audience is identified within the text of the document. A
good indication that a bibliographical site is directed toward an
academic audience is the inclusion of scholarly annotations or
commentary.10
If current information is needed on a topic, it is important to
identify and locate timely bibliographical resources that contain
the most recent references on a topic. The more reliable biblio¬
graphical resources will indicate the currency of the information
presented in addition to the dates attached to entries. A good web¬
page bibliographical resource will also indicate when the page
was created and/or updated. Usually this information can be found
either at the top or bottom of the webpage. If you are using the
Netscape browser you can get the last modification date of a web¬
page by using the “Document Info” feature in the “View” menu.
It is important to search for resources that have been updated re¬
cently or appear to be maintained regularly. Webpages that have
not been updated tend to contain outdated links or have been aban¬
doned or superseded by more current pages. If questions still per-
 Evaluating Bibliographical Sources 163

sist about a particular site, try e-mailing the site’s webmaster for
additional information.11
Accessibility of information from Internet bibliographical in¬
struments usually depends on the arrangement of entries or the
nature of the search engine. If entries are arranged in a logical
sequence, you should have no problem in locating the information
you need. Bibliographical databases with search engines present
another problem. A good search engine for a bibliographical data¬
base on the Internet will provide at least keyword access along
with the ability to use Boolean and proximity operators. Searching
bibliographical databases with just keyword access tends to yield
a lot of nonrelevant items.
In determining the coverage of an online bibliographical source,
compare it to print resources that cover the same topic asking the
following questions: Does it present equivalent information? Is
the scope or breadth of coverage similar? And most importantly:
Does it suit your research needs? It is vitally important that accu¬
racy be verified by comparing the bibliographical information
found on an Internet site to reliable print resources. As in most
bibliographical instruments, if an online resource is in error, this
error will more than likely be perpetuated.12
Anyone using the Internet soon realizes that there are many
sites that are not objective. Obviously the purpose of advertise¬
ments (particularly in commercial websites) and persuasive pages
is to alter the thinking of the reader, and only secondarily (if at
all!) to inform. Therefore one should always consider the purpose
of the site in relation to the research needs.13

Selected Supplemental Resources

The literature on the evaluation of bibliographies is encased for

the most part within larger works or as some aspect of a related
study. The Reference and User Services Association of the Ameri¬
can Library Association has produced “Criteria for Evaluating a
Bibliography,” RQ 11 (Summer 1972), 359-360. Presented in
outline form, this brief work presents an excellent guide, particu¬
larly for printed works. A more concise treatment of a similar
nature is given on pages 59-60 of Introduction to Bibliography
164 Chapter 8

and Reference Work,. 4th ed. (Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited,

1967) by Bohdan S. Wynar.
In the larger arena of reference sources Jovian Lang provides a
more detailed analysis of the evaluation process in “Evaluation of
Reference Sources Published or to Be Published,” The Reference
Librarian no. 15 (Fall 1986), 55-64. Also discussed in this study
is the evaluation of online sources. A comparative treatment on
theory and practice in evaluating reference sources is given in
“Evaluating Reference Books in Theory and Practice,” The Refer¬
ence Librarian no. 15 (Fall 1986), 9-19, by Norman Stevens.
A detailed worksheet for evaluating systematic bibliographies
is presented by Sharon Tabachnick in “Reviewing Printed Subject
Bibliographies: A Worksheet,” The Journal of Academic Librari-
anship 15 (November 1989),. 279-284. “Toward a Methodology
for Evaluating Research Paper Bibliographies,” Research Strate¬
gies 3 (Fall 1985), 170-177, is a specialized study on the evalua¬
tion of student bibliographies by Bonnie Gratch. Richard D.
Altick in “Bibliographies: How Much Should a Reviewer Tell?”
in Literary Reviewing edited by James O. Hoge (Charlottesville:
University Press of Virginia, 1987), 68-79, expresses his displea¬
sure at the large number of published bibliographies that do not
meet stringent scholarly standards. He indicates what is needed to
correct this problem.

Notes

1. William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work, Volume 1: Basic

Information Sources 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997), 24-25.
2. Kenneth Whittaker, Systematic Evaluation: Methods and Sources
for Assessing Books (London: Bingley, 1982), 66-67.
3. Katz, 24.
4. Katz, 24.
5. Jean Key Gates, Guide to the Use of Libraries and Information
Sources, 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994), 78.
6. Katz, 26-27.
7. Katz provides an excellent outline methodology of the evaluation
process for bibliographical works on p. 68-69.
8. Hope N. Tillman, “Evaluating Quality on the Net,” 11/8/97. Avail¬
able: http://www.tiac.net/users/hope/findqual.html. Accessed 7 January
1998.
 Evaluating Bibliographical Sources 165

9. Shawn Patterson, “Evaluating and Citing Internet Resources.” 2/

3/97. Available: http://www.udmercy.edu/htmls/Academics/library/urls.
Accessed 7 January 1998.
10. Patterson.
11. Patterson.
12. Patterson.
13. Patterson.
N
 9

Electronic Information Sources

and Bibliographical Searching

An eighth-grade student sits at a computer enthusiastically search¬

ing for information to support a theory on the effect of sunlight
on animals. In less than ten minutes, hundreds of references from
popular magazines and research journals are uncovered. At the
same time, a graduate business student intently studies market
trends and financial analysis, instantly retrieved from online, In¬
ternet, or CD-ROM databases to support a group project in invest¬
ment analyses. Likewise, a college instructor is seated at a
computer, carefully studying entries from the online catalog of a
university library located in a foreign country, related to a re¬
search project on German naval operations during World War II.
Students and professionals like these are among the increasing
number of users who are discovering newer, faster, and better
ways to meet the growing challenges of the information age.
Imagine being able to sit at a computer and with a few keystrokes
access information on virtually any subject, all in a matter of min¬
utes, with astounding success and at reasonable cost. It is as if you
had the world at your fingertips.

Development of Electronic Sources

This new era of information storage and processing began back

in 1946 when the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Calculator) computer became operational at the University of
Pennsylvania. This machine was designed originally as a high¬
speed calculating device that would aid scientists in solving corn-

167
168 Chapter 9

plex equations. The generations of computers descending from

ENIAC, however, have evolved into powerful general- purpose
logic machines capable of storing and manipulating enormous
amounts of data. It is nearly impossible to grasp the impact of this
new technology on society as well as the methods for conducting
research.1
Within a library context, the influence of the computer has had
a great effect on the way research is carried out on all levels. A
traditional starting place used to be the card catalog, with three-
by-five-inch cards for author, title, and subject constituting a vir¬
tual index to the library’s collections. When a particular subject
could not be found, researchers needed to consult with the Library
of Congress List of Subject Headings (LCSH), 4 vols., 20th ed.,
1997, or a reference librarian. Today, card catalogs are being re¬
placed by online catalogs with multiple access points and the ca¬
pability to print and download needed references. For books not
available locally, large cataloging databases (e.g., union catalogs)
or other online catalogs can be consulted to locate and retrieve
needed sources.
The extensive use of online computer search systems is a rela¬
tively recent phenomenon. During the 1960s, experimental sys¬
tems were being developed by organizations facing problems with
the storage and retrieval of their own in-house information. In
1964, the U.S. National Library of Medicine offered ondemand
batch searching of the MEDLARS to the medical profession, and
by the following year the Lockheed Missiles Corporation, the Sys¬
tem Development Corporation (SDC), and Chemical Abstracts
Service were all developing computer search services with fund¬
ing from the federal government. In 1968 the first online access
was accomplished from the State University of New York Bio-
Medical Network in Albany to the MEDLARS database in
Bethesda, Maryland, using dedicated lines. By 1969, the first
packet-switched data communications network (ARPAnet) had
begun test operations, and the necessary components for online
access were falling gradually into place.2
The first major online dial-up service using telephone lines was
MEDLINE, the online version of MEDLARS, which was swiftly
followed in 1972 by the offer of commercial online services to the
general public by DIALOG (Lockheed)3 and ORBIT (SDC). In
the 1970s, Bibliographic Retrieval Service (BRS) became the
 Electronic Information Sources 169

third major online service. It began operation in 1976 with the

purpose of filling the gap between the inexpensive database search
services from the public sector and the costly ones offered through
the private sector. BRS was characterized by its competitively low
costs, dot-dot command structure (commands proceded with two
dots), cross-database search features, and full-text databases. In
1989, BRS was acquired by Maxwell Communications Corpora¬
tion. In 1994, CDP Technologies (now Ovid Technologies) took
it over, renaming it CDP Online and then more recently, Ovid
Online.4
From the early 1970s, systems have proliferated; LEXIS/
NEXIS from Mead Data Central,5 The New York Times Informa¬
tion Bank, and the Dow Jones News/Retrieval Services arrived in
swift succession. By 1975 more than three hundred public-access
databases were available from a range of different vendors, and
online services were finally established in both North America
and western Europe.
Using these early systems required considerable training, with
most use delegated to professional searchers and librarians. But
gradually the notion of direct user access developed, and by 1979
two systems were initiated that directly targeted individual busi¬
ness or the home user—The Source and CompuServe.6
Since the early seventies, the rate of growth of all aspects of
online data availability has been truly extraordinary. The impact
of online systems on information searching and worldwide infor¬
mation use has been profound. By 1995 the number of different
search services available worldwide had grown to 838, offering
5,467 databases from 2,239 different database producers.7
When searching for magazine or journal articles in the past, it
was painful and time-consuming to plow through a number of
printed indexes, year by year, copying down entries and checking
library holdings. In the mid-1960s a number of computer systems
were developed comprising multiple databases of various disci¬
plines that made possible rapid retrieval and manipulation of bib¬
liographical information.
In the mid-1980s, librarians were introduced to a new informa¬
tion technology: the CD-ROM (compact disk, read-only mem¬
ory). At conferences and workshops across the United States,
librarians and publishers proclaimed that this small disk would
forever change the way in which information was stored and re-
170 Chapter 9

trieved. It was predicted that the CD-ROM would, in fact, revolu¬

tionize the very nature of bibliographical retrieval and public
services.
Such claims were greeted with at least a measure of skepticism
by the library community. After all, the printed page had received
numerous challenges over the years, and yet still remained the
format of choice. By the end of that decade, however, the enor¬
mous impact of the CD-ROM was undeniable. For the 1990s, and
at least for the forseeable future, it has become the revolutionary
medium that the publishers and vendors had predicted that it
would. Librarians, in every type of library, have scrambled to un¬
derstand CD-ROMs and to integrate them into their collections.
By the early 1990s, few libraries were without them,8 and in 1997
there were over 11,500 CD-ROMs in print produced by some
4,000 companies.9 By the latter 1990s, although the CD-ROM is
still a powerful tool in libraries, the Internet had encroached on its
domain. Large bibliographical databases available on CD-ROM
are now appearing online via this emerging technology.
While the CD-ROM technology was developing, another quiet
revolution was taking place that would have a dramatic effect upon
the dissemination of bibliographical information. Back in the era
of the Cold War the Internet had its beginnings, particularly in
1970 when ARPAnet, the network of the Advanced Research Proj¬
ect Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, began operation.
This system was based on packet-switching technology, which
allows data to be transmitted in electronic envelopes, or packets,
from one computer to another following the quickest route.
Packet switching can be well demonstrated through the analogy
of passing notes in school. If I am sitting in the right front comer
of the classroom, and I want to pass a note to my friend in the left
back comer of the room, I don’t need to plot the entire route from
my seat to my friend’s. I just write his name on the note, and pass
it to the person behind me. That person notices which direction
the note needs to go, and sends it off in the right direction. The
note travels from hand to hand until it reaches my friend. Each
person who handles the note acts as a router, deciding which way
to pass it, based on who is sitting in a seat and who is willing to
assist in the process. On three different days, the note could travel
three different routes and still wind up in the right place.10
This is how traffic travels on the Internet as well. The Internet
 Electronic Information Sources 171

is comprised of a complex web of phone lines, owned by various

governmental agencies and other organizations, with many differ¬
ent paths between two points and no central switching station.
Each point along the Internet utilizes electronic routes pro¬
grammed to know about nearby routers; Internet traffic, such as
e-mail, passes from router to router, finding the quickest path.11
Passing through a number of developmental stages by the
1980s, the Internet emerged into a system of interconnected re¬
gions of networks. Now it is a network of networks, with commer¬
cial systems currently as much a part of the system as the
government, military, and educational institutions that formed the
original system. The Internet has also become global, not national,
in scope with systems and networks linked around the world.12
This network of networks has had and will continue to have a
tremendous impact upon the bibliographical spectrum.

Elements of Online Searching

Online databases are searched in much the same way as printed

works. The basic difference is that the technology provides many
added avenues of searching. No longer is one mostly dependent
on assigned subject headings as in a card catalog; many more
varied approaches can now be used. One can, for example, scan
for keywords in the title, abstract, annotation, or text, or limit
searches by date, format, and language. This can provide a tre¬
mendous time savings, avoiding the searching of multiple volumes
of a printed index and laborious copying of citations. Many data¬
bases also offer the complete text of articles, reports, and the
like—another time-saving feature.13

Online Databases

A database is information stored in such a way that it can be

retrieved. Ideally it is organized for ease of use by the target audi¬
ence. A computerized database is simply information stored
electronically, to be retrieved via a computer terminal or micro¬
computer. Such databases greatly increase the flexibility for infor¬
mation retrieval.
It is important to distinguish between electronic databases.
172 Chapter 9

which are fully searchable, and electronic publications, whose text

can be retrieved but not searched electronically. Many resources
now available are a combination of both. For the sake of discus¬
sion here, databases are broadly categorized as bibliographical,
referral, and source databases.14
Referral databases correspond to printed directories and con¬
tain references to organizations, people, grants, archives, research
projects, and so on. Although some referral databases contain
summaries or abstracts, researchers most often use them to locate
an information source. A good example that is heavily used in
libraries is the Encyclopedia of Associations, 33rd ed., 4 vols.
(Detroit: Gale Research, 1998)15
In contrast, source databases contain such complete informa¬
tion that after consulting them you may not need to continue the
search. This category includes numeric, full-text, image and mul¬
timedia databases.
Numeric databases consist primarily of statistical or other nu¬
merical data and are somewhat equivalent to statistical compendia
such as yearbooks and almanacs. Disclosure (available online and
via CD-ROM and the World Wide Web), which contains financial
data on publicly held companies, is a prime example of a numeric
source database.16
Full-text databases contain the complete text of publications
such as journals, newspapers, wire-service stories, court deci¬
sions, books, and encyclopedias. The over 2,500 databases on
LEXIS/NEXIS, for example, include the fulltext of articles from
The New York Times back to 1980 and from many other newspa¬
pers, magazines,wire-services, court cases and so on.17
Image databases consist of graphic images, such as photo¬
graphs, representations of works of art, and textual materials. Tex¬
tual material available in this manner is usually a reproduction of
a printed page and cannot be searched interactively. Many periodi¬
cals are now available as part of image databases, such as General
Periodicals On Disc produced by University Microfilm Interna¬
tional.18
Multimedia databases include, in addition to text and graphics,
audio and video components. A number of reference works on
CD-ROM, such as encyclopedias, for example, now incorporate
additional media.19
 Electronic Information Sources 173

Searching Online Databases

Searches via computerized databases are now heavily used by

researchers on all levels to find needed information. It has been
the practice in most libraries to train librarians in system protocols
to provide mediated searchers for patrons. This section provides a
general overview of the basic features of online searches, systems,
Online, CD-ROM, and Internet searches are described.
Most online databases on DIALOG or Ovid Online such as
ERIC or Psychinfo, allow the user to enter search statements sim¬
ply by typing in everyday words or phrases. The system then re¬
trieves citations which contain the words or phrases entered.
These words or phrases may have matched language in almost
any part of the retrieved record: the title, journal title, publisher,
abstract, or subject headings. Searching in this way using natural
language, is called free-text searching.20
Although free-text searching is effective in locating relevant ci¬
tations, it does have certain limitations. Because language is im¬
precise, it is likely that at least some of the records will not be on
the intended topic retrieved even though they matched the word
pattern searched. At the same time, the searcher may miss a num¬
ber of relevant citations that did not contain the terms used; per¬
haps the citation contained a synonym of one of the search terms
instead, as in aged or older rather than elderly.
For these reasons, online databases generally have established a
controlled vocabulary that is used systematically to describe the
subject. These subject terms (called headings or descriptors) are
assigned and listed in each record. The example in figure 6 repre¬
sents a record from the ERIC database. Computerized database
producers publish lists of subject headings or descriptors (often
called a thesaurus) such as the Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors.21
Another basic feature of online bibliographical searching is the
use of Boolean logic or operators. Searchers can use these special
words to combine search words and concepts in specific ways. The
most common logical or Boolean operators are AND, OR, and
NOT. The AND operator retrieves only those citations that include
all of the stated search terms. As an example, supose that, librar¬
ies and automation are two terms that might be contained in the
bibliographical records of interest. In figure 7 the shaded area rep¬
resents the search results for “libraries AND automation”: those
174 Chapter 9

ACCESSION NUMBER ERIC CLEARINGHOUSE CODE

\
EJ 119702 IR 501974

MEDLARS II: A THIRD GENERATION BIBLIOGRAPHIC -TITLE

PRODUCTION SYSTEM
KATTER, ROBERT V.; PEARSON, KARL M. ^ ■AUTHORS
JOURNAL OF LIBRARY AUTOMATION, 8, 2, 87-97 1975 JOURNAL TITLE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH

GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF MEDLARS II AS AN EXAMPLE OF A

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC PROCESSING SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS
ON-LINE ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF VERY LARGE FILES, HAS ABSTRACT
EFFICIENT THROUGHPUT, AND IS OPERATED ON A SINGLE
LARGE-SCALE COMPUTER. (AUTHOR/PF) —

DESCRIPTORS: 'DATA BASES/ 'INFORMATION RETRIEVAL/ i THESAURUS

1
INFORMATION STORAGE/ 'LIBRARY AUTOMATION/ MANAGEMENTi^Aee.GNFD e.m ,FrT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS. 'ONLINE SYSTEMS _| TERMS
IDENTIFIERS: MEDLARS

t
UNCONTROLLED SUBJECT TERM(S)

Figure 6.
Sample citation from
the Eric Database.

Figure 7.
Libraries AND Automation.
 Electronic Information Sources 175

retrieved records in which both the words “libraries” and “auto¬

mation” appear.
The OR operator (figure 8) retrieves all records in which at least
one of the designated terms has been located—either “libraries+
or “automation.” As they need not both appear in the same docu¬
ment, this operator is generally used to combine synonyms, re¬
lated terms, alternate spellings, and acronyms. Consequently
many more records will be found with the OR operator than with
the AND operator.
The NOT operator is employed to exclude a particular term
from the search results. For instance, a search for “libraries NOT
automation” (figure 9) excludes all records that contain the term
“automation.” This operator is used much less often than AND
and OR, and should be exercised with care. In the example in
figure 9, records that contain valuable information on libraries
could be missed simply because they also mention automation.
Other operators frequently available for use with search systems
are called proximity operators. These allow the searcher to specify
the physical proximity of the terms being searched. Unfortunately,

Figure 8.
Libraries OR Automation.
176 Chapter 9

Figure 9.
Libraries NOT Automation.

proximity operators have not been standardized among search sys¬

tems.22
The final product of an online search is usually a printed list of
bibliographical records. Or, if you may have conducted your own
search via a computer you have an additional option available to
you. Modem equipped microcomputers using suitable communi¬
cation software programs are capable of capturing the results of a
remote search and storing them in their memory so that they can
be downloaded to computer hard drive and disks for storage. CD-
ROM systems also offer this capability. With an appropriate data¬
base management software program such as Pro-Cite, the citations
can be added to others and entered in a database, either manually
or through downloading. In this way a personal online database
can be created.23

Online Searching Problems: Recall, Precision, and Relevance

Recall refers to all citations retrieved in response to a given
search statement. Precision, conversely, refers to the number of
 Electronic Information Sources 177

records relevant to a given search statement retrieved out of the

total number known (or believed) to be in the file. Central to all
discussions of online searching is the idea of relevance, or the
situational and often idiosyncratic value of the information de¬
rived from the search to the person (the end user) who first posed
the question. It is important to remember that relevance is a highly
subjective concept.
Of these three aspects of online searching, it is relevance that
most concerns us. Because searches can run into large sums of
money, it is essential that a search be structured logically and
objectively. Logical strategies will optimize the choices (although
never ensure) that retrieved citations will be on target.24
One of the most dreaded enemies of the online searcher is the
false drop or false cognate, an unintended consequence of a logi¬
cal association of search terms. These are retrieved records that
do not directly relate to a specific search statement. False drops
have long been a source of amusement in the literature of online
searching, but they are no laughing matter. Keeping such occur¬
rences to a minimum is an essential presearch consideration when
concepts and vocabulary are being considered.25
Truncation is a two-edged sword. It is using a mark such as a
question mark that will retrieve a set of terms such as in wom?n
that will retrieve records containing the words woman and women.
Although it is an extremely useful device in electronic searching,
it presents its own set of perils. For example, truncating the word
cat in an online search in hopes of locating entries with either the
singular or plural form would be disastrous, as all incidences of
terms beginning with cat (e.g., catalog, catamaran, catalique, Cat¬
alonia, Catherine the Great) would be retrieved. However, failing
to employ truncation can result in the omission of important or
relevant terms or phrases. Then, too, the words cat and cats have
many other meanings beyond “feline domestic house pet.” For
example, movie titles like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Cat Ballou or
the musical, Cats, confuse the issue and could result in meaning¬
less, unproductive searches.26

Searching CD-ROM Databases

The growth in the use of CD-ROM in the 1990s has been phe¬
nomenal. Libraries now have many periodical indexes and other
178 Chapter 9

reference works available on CD-ROM which improves access to

information and makes the search process easier and less time-
consuming.
Searches through CD-ROM indexes are performed in much the
same manner as online searches except that the databases often
cover a shorter time period due to space limitations. Many periodi¬
cal indexes on CD-ROM do offer retrospective disks; however,
the search strategies must be repeated. Another problem area is
that different CD-ROM producers have developed variant search
engines and retrieval software. For example, the commands for
the SilverPlatter indexes is slightly different from that of UMI’s
ABI/Inform CD-ROM database.
As with any technology, there are numerous difficulties associ¬
ated with the online or CD-ROM searches. The basic ones are:
cost, lack of standardization, and complexity of searching.27 Over¬
all, however, these systems do save time and provide access to a
wider spectrum of information.
There are both similarities and differences between online and
CD-ROM files. The most important similarity lies in the verisimil¬
itude between the types. Most CD-ROMs attempt to simulate (or
emulate) the experience of online searching. If properly designed,
the experience is close enough to make the CD-ROM a literal
“database on a disk.” Full Boolean capability is an important fea¬
ture, permitting a CD-ROM version to simulate the online experi¬
ence.
The most important difference lies in the fact that once the CD-
ROM disk has been purchased, assuming that all necessary equip¬
ment is present and in proper working order, there are few addi¬
tional costs; there may be relatively small osts for electricity, ink
cartridges, and printer paper, for examble, but no suscription costs
or pay-per use as in online searching. Another difference is that
the CD-ROM version is a “snapshot” of a file as of a certain
date—one that cannot be modified, added to, or deleted from. Re¬
placement by an updated disk through subscription or additional
purchase is the only way to update or expand coverage.28

Searching the Internet

The Internet is a large and complex environment. Many re¬

sources are available at Internet locations which have been likened
 Electronic Information Sources 179

to information warehouses. Yet traversing this global village in the

search of specific information can be a time-consuming task. As
was pointed out earlier, the Internet has developed in a piecemeal
fashion. Many people around the world have suggested ways of
locating information to those searching the Internet, but there is
no single searching tool that will lead effectively to all online re¬
sources. And no such tool appears to be on the horizon.
Most of the original Internet searching tools were developed to
access only one element of the Internet such as anonymous FTP
(File Transfer Protocol) servers, Gopherspace and the World Wide
Web.29 Many of the newer (or revised) searching utilities can ac¬
cess more content, spanning seven protocols from HTTP (Hyper¬
text Transfer Protocol), and FTP to Gophers. Non-Web resources
are noticeably absent from the various indexes that claim to have
indexed multiple protocols, often with retrieved items that are out-
of-date or bear little or no correlation to the desired results.
Searching for relevant current information on the Internet remains
problematical for novices and advanced users alike.30
The huge volume of traffic over the Internet is now largely dom¬
inated by the World Wide Web. Web users locate resources readily
by following the hypertext links provided. An end user reads a
screen of information, then follows links to more general or spe¬
cific data, as desired, on a word or concept of interest. This non-
structured approach to locating information is commonly referred
to as browsing or surfing the Net. It may be likened to browsing
the bookshelf of a library or bookstore. Surfing the Net can be
fruitful and enjoyable, leading to information that you may not
otherwise have found. On the other hand, browsing can also be
time-consuming with search success dependent on chance and the
subjective inclusion of links by the creator of the webpage. To
assist in the process, searching tools are being developed.31
The most important aids for searching the Net are browsers,
that is, software that allows or directs use of the World Wide Web.
Some browsers such as Lynx, allow you to view only text fields,
while others (e.g., Netscape and Internet Explorer) allow access
to multimedia such as pictures, source files, and videos. Browsers
also connect to a growing number of search engines. Search en¬
gines (e. g., Yahoo, Lycos, Infoseek, Alta Vista, and others) use
proprietary software to create databases of records in which each
record is an information source (not necessarily a World Wide
180 Chapter 9

Web page) on the Internet. As with commercial bibliographical

databases, each Internet search engine has its own specialty and
scope, so several search engines should be consulted to ensure
comprehensive coverage of Internet resources.
Internet search engines are similar to bibliographical databases
in that a series of search terms must be specified. Some are sophis¬
ticated enough to use logical operators such as AND, OR and
NOT. What will be retrieved as the result of the search is a series
of URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), often ranked according to
some measure of relevancy. Since there is little standardization
among the search engines as to how search terms can be com¬
bined, the help screens should be consulted to determine how to
search effectively.
Another important feature of the World Wide Web is the grow¬
ing availability of bibliographical and fulltext resources, particu¬
larly periodical and newspaper indexes, that can be accessed
through gateway terminals in public and academic libraries. Also
available are other reference tools such as Books in Print Online
and various encyclopedias, dictionaries, and so on. The prospect
for more access to information resources is almost unlimited for
the foreseeable future.

Selected Supplemental Resources

An effective guide to the literature of electronic bibliographical

searching can be found in Keyguide to Information Sources in
Online and CD-ROM Database Searching 2nd ed. (London:
Mansell, 1997) by C. J. Armstrong. The early history and develop¬
ment of online searching is described by Charles L. Gilreath in
Computerized Literature Searching: Research Strategies and
Databases (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1984).
The following three works are examples of general treatments
of online searching: Online Retrieval: A Dialogue of Theory and
Practice (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993) by Geral-
dene Walker and Joseph Janes; Online Searching: Principles and
Practice (London: Bowker-Saur, 1990) by Richard J. Hartley, et
al.; and Vocabulary Control and Search Strategies in Online
Searching (New York: Greenwood Press, 1991) by Alice Y.
Chamis. Case studies of online searching strategies are provided
 Electronic Information Sources 181

by Bruce A. Shuman in Cases in Online Search Strategy (Engle¬

wood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993). A detailed examination of
CD-ROM searching techniques is offered in Introductory CD-
ROM Searching: The Key to Effective Ondisc Searching (New
York: Haworth Press, 1994) by Joseph Meloche. In Communica¬
tion Research: Strategies and Sources, 4th ed. (Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996), Rebecca B. Rubin, et al., pro¬
vide two excellent chapters with an effective overview of online
searching basics.
The major online services—DIALOG (M. A. I. D. or Market
Analysis Information Database), ORBIT InfoLine (Maxwell
Communication Corp.), and Ovid Online (Ovid Technologies)—
provide training manuals for accessing the databases they provide
online, but these manuals are rarely recorded bibliographically
anywhere. There are, however, some publications put out by these
online services and others that are helpful such as: Hot Copy:
Searching DIALOG Tutorial (Mountain View, CA: Knight-Ridder
Information DisCopy Labs., 1997); On-line Information Services:
DIALOG Manual (Columbia: Distance Education at the Univer¬
sity of South Carolina, 1994); KR Information OnDisc User's
Guide (Mountain View, CA: Knight-Ridder Information, 1995);
ORBIT Search Service User Guide (McLean, VA: ORBIT Search
Service, 1989); and Ovid Online: Getting Started (New York:
Ovid Technologies, 1995).
The problem of retrieving needed information from electronic
databases and the Internet is discussed by Gary Chapman in
“What the On-Line World Really Needs Is an Old-Fashioned Li¬
brarian,” San Jose Mercury News (August 21, 1995), 3D. He cites
the lack of standardization and general dis-organization of elec¬
tronic sources that could be drastically improved with the help of
information professionals such as librarians.
Searching the Internet to satisfy an information need can be a
tricky business. The following sources can be of help along with
Internet search engine help screens. A basic how-to guide is edited
by Donald A. Barclay in Teaching Electronic Information Liter¬
acy: A How-To-Do-It Manual (New York: Neal-Schuman Publish¬
ers, 1995). Another helpful tool is Basic Internet Tools: Telnet,
Export, FTP, Gopher and the World Wide Web: A Training Work¬
book. 2nd ed. (Burnaby, BC: Electronic Library Network, Open
Learning Agency, 1995) by Jacqueline Bradshaw. A good online
182 Chapter 9

source is “Finding Information on the Web.” Online. http://w\vw.-

nlc-bnc.ca/pubs/netnotes/notes 15.htm (accessed: 8 September
1997) by David Jakob.

Notes

1. Charles L. Gilreath, Computerized Literature Searching: Research

Strategies and Databases (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1984), 1.
2. Geraldene Walker and Joseph Janes, Online Retrieval: A Dialogue
of Theory and Practice (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993), 17.
3. DIALOG is now the Dialog Corporation, which is owned by M.
A. I. D. (Market Analysis and Information Database) It offered over 650
databases for online searching as of late 1997. ORBIT is now owned by
Maxwell Communications Corporation.
4. Tze-chung Li, “The New Generation of BRS: Ovid Online.” On¬
line 19 (September/October 1995), 26.
5. LEXIS/NEXIS is a division of Reed Elsevier, Inc., and operates
out of Dayton, Ohio.
6. Walker and Janes, 17-18.
7. Gale Directory of Databases (Detroit: Gale Research, 1995), 1: ix.
8. John Maxymuk, ed., Government CD-ROMs: A Practical Guide to
Searching Electronic Documents Databases (Westport, CT:
Mecklermedia, 1994), xiii.
9. CD-ROMs in Print (Detroit: Gale Research, 1997), vi.
10. Elizabeth Thomsen, Reference and Collection Development on the
Internet (New York: Neal-Schuman Publications, 1996), 1-2. See also
John R. Levine, Carol Barondi, and Margaret Levine Young, The Internet
for Dummies, 4th ed. (Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, 1997),
21-22.
11. Thomsen, 2.
12. Thomsen, 2.
13. William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work, Volume 1, Basic
Information Sources 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997), 34.
14. Rebecca B. Rubin, Alan B. Rubin, and Linda J. Piele, Communica¬
tion Research: Research Strategies and Sources. 4th ed. (Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996), 43-44.
15. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 44. See also Richard J. Hartley, et al..
Online Searching: Principles and Practice (London: Bowker-Saur,
1990), 35.
16. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 44-45. See also Hartley, et ah, 35.
17. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 44-45. See also Walker and Janes, 158.
18. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 44-45. See also Katz, 135, 136.
 Electronic Information Sources 183

19. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 44-45. See also Katz, 37-39.
20. For a detailed discussion on natural-language and free-text search¬
ing, see Walker and Janes, 10, 80-110.
21. James E. Houston, ed. Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors. 13th ed.
(Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1995). Controlled vocabularies are discussed in
Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 46-49. For a more detailed examination of con¬
trolled vocabulary searching, see Walker and Janes, 57-79.
22. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 49-51. A good general discussion of on¬
line search strategies is contained in chapters 4 through 6 of Hartley, et
al.
23. Rubin, Rubin, and Piele, 58-59.
24. Bruce A. Schuman, Cases in Online Search Strategy (Englewood,
CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1993), xiii.
25. Schuman, xiii-ix.
26. Schuman, xv.
27. Katz, 42.
28. Schuman, xii.
29. File Transfer Protocol is a way for Internet users to obtain files
from other computers. Many Internet computers keep large collections of
files that are free for the taking, providing anything from financial statis¬
tics to hints about computers. See Internet Anywhere: All You Need to
Test Drive Internet Mail and Usenet News for 30 Days (Englewood Cliffs,
NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1995), 5. “Gopherspace” is a term used to describe
using gophers to access information. A gopher is a computer server con¬
taining many files that can be accessed via means of the Internet includ¬
ing the World Wide Web. Many of these files are full-text. See Doneen
Frazier, Internet for Kids 2d ed. (San Francisco: Sybex, 1996), 10.
30. David Jakob, “Finding Information on the Web.” Online. Avail¬
able: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/pubs/netnotes/notel5.htm. Accessed 8 Sep¬
tember 1997. HTTP or Hypertext Transfer Protocol is simply the way in
which World Wide Web pages are transferred over the Internet.
31. Jakob. There are many search engines available for searching the
World Wide Web including Alta Vista, Infoseek, Excite, Yahoo, and
Lycos. Each of these search engines has help screens to assist in accessing
desired information.
 10

Careers Related to the Field

of Bibliography

Obtaining access to and appropriately using information is in¬

creasingly essential in all aspects of an individual’s personal and
professional activities. Today more than ever before, industry, sci¬
ence, education, public services, business, government, and many
other enterprises require quick access to information that has been
selected and organized. Information professionals, working either
in the context of a library or archival institution or independently,
must be prepared to identify, organize, store, retrieve, and provide
access to the world’s burgeoning information. As a result, career
opportunities in the information professions have grown in diver¬
sity, have become more challenging, and are increasingly reliant
upon competence in the use of modem electronic technologies.

Library and Information Science

Bibliography as a separate subject discipline is not offered as a

degree program in any institution of higher education in the
United States or Canada. Since bibliographical processes and pro¬
cedures lie at the heart of the discipline, however, training in li¬
brary and information studies offers one the best opportunities for
bibliographical education.
Career opportunities for those educated in library and informa¬
tion studies are expanding into a wide variety of fields. Some ex¬
amples are:

Information specialist in the automotive industry

Director of a county library system

185
186 Chapter 10

Archivist for a historical society

Database searcher for a governmental agency
Coordinator of children’s services for a public library
Media specialist at an elementary or secondary school
Product support specialist for a bibliographical utility
Cataloger of Asian-language material at an academic library

Any work that requires the organization, analysis, and dissemi¬

nation of information falls into the domain of the library and in¬
formation scientist and involves bibliographical processes and
procedures. Traditionally work has been done with printed materi¬
als, but increasingly the organizational skills are applied to elec¬
tronic, visual, audio, and digital formats as well. In addition to
assembling material, information professionals activate its use for
diverse and specialized clientele.1
As technology has made more information available than can
be found in books or cataloged by the Library of Congress classi¬
fication system, the field of library and information studies has
changed drastically. While it is still a discipline dedicated to find¬
ing, filtering, organizing, evaluating, and presenting information,
it now requires a great deal more technical expertise with elec¬
tronic information and computer networks. These new demands,
in turn, have opened a raft of new career opportunities, attracting
considerably more people to the information professions over the
past few years.2
Armed with their technological expertise, fewer recent gradu¬
ates of library and information studies school programs are actu¬
ally becoming librarians. There is high demand for people who
understand how to find, organize, and distribute information.
There are even companies who have begun to intensively recruit
library and information studies graduates to fill such positions as
scientific searcher, configuration manager, records management
analyist, and graphic multimedia designer.3
As purveyors of information, today’s alternative librarians and
information professionals are working in many different ways,
testing and expanding the boundaries of the profession. A lot of
people in more-traditional positions consider these people to be
primarily information brokers and online researchers. However, a
check into the actual situation reveals that not only information
broker but also association manager, cataloger, editor, publisher,
 Careers Related to the Field of Bibliography 187

writer, indexer and abstracter, marketing consultant, personnel re¬

cruiter, record manager, researcher, and even storyteller are some
of the alternative careers for information professionals.4

The Changing Library School

There are over fifty schools of library and information science

(LIS) located in the United States and Canada whose programs
are accredited by the American Library Association (ALA), and
are providing education for information professionals. Ideally
their goal is to prepare personnel with the knowledge and under¬
standing to join the ranks of the demanding information profes¬
sions.
Programs taught in most schools of library and information
studies have undergone major curricular reform in the last decade.
For example, only a few years ago there were many courses with
the word “bibliography” in their titles. Now there are almost
none.5 Some of this change is driven by the need to integrate tech¬
nology into coursework, but some schools have totally revised
their curricula. Instruction is no longer confined to the lecture
method; students learn in electronic classrooms and through mod¬
ular, self-paced, computer-based instruction, either on- or off-site.
The distinction between classroom learning and real life blurs as
students undertake group and community outreach projects.6
Because there is an uneven geographic distribution of LIS pro¬
grams, some schools have instituted distance education programs.
Distance education has done much in the past few years to in¬
crease access to accredited master’s programs in underserved
areas.7
The role of the librarian or information professional in the twen-
tyfirst century will bear little resemblance to that of the typical
librarian or information professional today—on this there is nearly
universal agreement. And there is no shortage of visionaries offer¬
ing depictions of the new-style librarian or information profes¬
sional. These descriptions share certain common elements:
Librarians or information professionals of the future will be
knowledge or information navigators. They will understand digi¬
tal resources as well as printed books and other formats. Their
services will not be restricted by physical location, either of the
materials or of themselves.8
188 Chapter 10

Library and information studies school programs have re¬

sponded to society’s need for library and information profession¬
als who are able to meet the needs of individuals, industry,
educational institutions, and government. Their mission, accord¬
ing to Prudence W. Dalrymple, has remained the same—only the
pathways to accomplish it have changed. An LIS education pre¬
pares professionals to empower others to find and use information
effectively.9
Even though a number of library schools have been discon¬
tinued over the last few years, most geographical regions of the
United States and Canada have accredited programs within a rea¬
sonable distance from most areas.
The Library and Information Studies Directory of Institutions
Offering Accredited Master’s Programs, published by the ALA
Office of Accreditation, is available for $8 from the American
Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois
60611. This directory is also available free on the ALA website
(http://www.ala.org/accreditation.html). An alphabetical listing
can be found on the back pages of the Journal of Education for
Library and Information Science, which is published by (Ann
Arbor: Association for Library and Information Science Educa¬
tion, School of Information, University of Michigan, 1984—to
date) issued five times a year. Another regional list can be found
in the Bowker Annual. Another website provided by the Internet
Training and Consulting Services can be located at http://www.
itcs.com/topten/libschools.html.

Summary

As you can see, the library and information professions are as

diverse as information itself. Information professionals work with
developing technologies, facilitate the use of information for poli¬
cymaking and problem solving, manage complex and growing in¬
stitutions, and use intellectual and personal skills to assist persons
of all ages to gain access to the world’s knowledge to enrich their
lives and work. The library and information professions offer ex¬
citing opportunities and challenges to individuals interested in the
selection, organization, retrieval, preservation, utilization, and dis-
 Careers Related to the Field of Bibliography 189

semination of information in various educational, recreational,

business, technological, and cultural settings.10 In a very signifi¬
cant way, the study of bibliography plays a vital role in the success
of the information professional’s ability to meet these lofty goals.

Selected Supplemental Reources

An overview on library and information studies as a career can be

found in the biennial publication Occupational Outlook Handbook
(Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 1933—to date). It indicates opportunities for advance¬
ment, employment, location, earnings and working conditions for
the library field among others. It also emphasizes trends and the
outlook which provide some indication of growth possibilities.
This work is also available on CD-ROM. It is updated by the Oc¬
cupational Outlook Quarterly (Washington, DC: U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1971—to date).
Kathleen de la Pena McCook and Margaret Myers in Opportu¬
nities in Library and Information Science Careers (Lincolnwood,
IL: VGM Career Horizons, 1997) provide descriptions of many
career options, expert guidance on how to choose a specialization
and where to find education and training, a listing of professional
organizations and educational programs in library and information
studies, and much more. Although now somewhat dated, Barbara
I. Dewey’s Library Jobs: How to Fill Them, How to Find Them
(Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1987) not only provides helpful hints on
finding library jobs but elaborates on educational requirements
and professional qualifications.
Many issues with regard to education and careers in library and
information studies are examined in considerable detail, including
job searching and the benefits of the new technology, in Career
Planning and Job Searching in the Information Age (Binghamton,
NY: Haworth Press, 1966), edited by Elizabeth A. Lorenzen. This
monograph first appeared in No. 55 (1997) of The Reference Li¬
brarian (periodical).
Much has been written on the dramatic changes now occurring
and that will occur in the future with respect to library and infor¬
mation studies education. The published proceedings of a confer¬
ence entitled Education for the Library/Information Profession:
190 Chapter 10

Strategies for the Mid-1990s, edited by Patricia G. Reeling (Jeffer¬

son, NC: McFarland & Co., 1993) covers the major impact of the
computer and emerging technologies on the education of informa¬
tion professionals. The question of whether students of library and
information studies should be computer-literate is examined by
Kay E. Lowell in “Computer Literacy as a Formal Requirement
in Library Science Education,” Journal of Education for Library
and Information Science 38 (Summer 1997), 191-199. She con¬
cludes that a base-level computer literacy competency be required
by students prior to admission to a LIS program.
Given the changing nature of the information professions and
the impact of emerging technologies, the curriculum in schools of
library and information studies must adapt to reflect the needs of
future practitioners, according to Jeffrey T. Huber in “Library and
Information Studies Education for the 21st Century Practitioner,”
Journal of Library Administration 20, nos. 3/4 (1995), 119-130.
Barbara B. Moran takes a look at what the information profes¬
sional will be doing in the future in “Educating the Information
Professionals of Tomorrow,” The Southeastern Librarian 45
(Summer 1995), 63-67. Margaret F. Stieg in Change and Chal¬
lenges in Library and Information Science Education (Chicago:
American Library Association, 1992) comes to grips with the im¬
portant issues facing library and information studies educators.
She suggests a number of responses to these issues and in the
process raises additional questions. Jeffrey H. Bair and Janice C.
Barrons in “The Academic Elite in Library Science: Linkages
Among the Top-Rated Graduate Programs,” College and Re¬
search Libraries 58 (May 1997), 233-235, report that a national
survey of deans, top administrators, and senior faculty the ten top-
rated graduate programs in library and information studies in the
United States were substantially linked to one another by hiring
one another’s graduates Their findings suggest that this linkage
helps these programs to maintain and enhance their prestige.
In today’s marketplace, librarians and other information profes¬
sionals are being employed in a wide variety of jobs other than in
the traditional library setting. Susanne Bjpmer gives a good over¬
view of this trend in an editorial, “Day of Epiphany,” Online 21
(March/April 1997), 6-7, which She expects the trend will expand
with the advances of technology.
Betty-Carol Sellen has edited a collection of brief autobiogra-
 Careers Related to the Field of Bibliography 191

phies of individuals trained in library and information studies who

have found lucrative careers in alternative jobs. This collection is
contained in What Else You Can Do with a Library Degree: Ca¬
reer Options for the 90s and Beyond (New York: Neal-Schuman
Publishers, 1997). An earlier work of a similar nature edited by
Ellis Mount is Opening New Doors: Alternative Careers for Li¬
brarians (Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association, 1993),
which also presents twenty-eight autobiographical success stories
of librarians who have established successful alternative careers.
Two examples of vocational guides for specific alternative career
paths are: Guide to Careers in Abstracting and Indexing, by Ann
Marie Cunningham and Wendy Wicks (Philadelphia: National
Federation of Abstracting and Information Services, 1992); Ca¬
reer as a Bookseller, Book Store Owner and Manager: Retailing
Jobs (Chicago: The Institute for Research, 1995).
The teaching of bibliography as a distinct subject has almost
disappeared from library and information studies schools’ curric¬
ula. This trend is explored by Chris Needham in “If Bibliography
Is Out, What is In?” in Bibliography and Reading: A Festschrift
in Honour of Ronald Staveley, edited by la Mcllwaine, John Mcll-
waine and Peter G. New. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1983),
106-117. This trend according to Needham, is partly due to
changes in emphasis and the effects of technology. A look at this
trend from a European perspective is offered by Pieco Innocenti
in “Bibliography: Teaching and Profession,” Libraries and Cul¬
ture: A Journal of Library History 25 (Summer 1990), 461-473.
In tracing the history of bibliography as an academic subject in
institutions of higher education, Trevor H. Howard-Hill in “The
Institutionalization of Bibliography,” Analytical & Enumerative
Bibliography, n.s., 7, no. 4 (1993), 181-191, examines the demise
of bibliography courses, which are now being replaced by those
relating to the history of the book.
A collection of essays edited by Cerise Oberman and Katarina
Strauch, Theories of Bibliographic Education: Designs for Teach¬
ing (New York: Bowker, 1982), examines and explains the biblio¬
graphical vehicles by which scholars in various disciplines
communicate among themselves and how training programs help
in the process. Knud Larsen, in On the Teaching of Bibliography,
with a Survey of its Aims and Methods (Copenhagen: Royal
School of Librarianship, 1961), argues for an instructional ap-
192 Chapter 10

proach designed to give students an overall view of bibliography

as a system. Richard G. Landon in “Education for Descripive Bib¬
liography,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada 18
(1979), 27-29, outlines what he considers to be important areas
in training a person for descriptive bibliography from a Canadian
perspective. Prior to the impact of the electronic era Roy B. Stokes
in “The Teaching of Bibliography,” Library Trends 7 (April
1959), 582-591, elaborates on bibliographical training for literary
students, librarians, and those entering the book trade. Arthur F.
Kenney in “New Tricks for an Old Dog: Some Fresh Approaches
to the Bibliography Course,”College English 32 (December
1970), 276-278, outlines some methods for teaching graduate En¬
glish students bibliographical techniques by using workshops,
team teaching, and simulated library research.

Notes

1. Kathleen de la Pena McCook, and Margaret Myers, Opportunities

in Library and Information Science Careers (Lincolnwood, IL: VGN Ca¬
reer Horizons, 1997), 1-2.
2. Kate Murphy, “Moving from the Card Catalogue to the Internet,”
The New York Times, January 6, 1997, D5.
3. Murphy, 5.
4. Wilda W. Williams, “You Can Take Your MLS Out of the Li¬
brary,” Library Journal 119 (November 15, 1994), 44
5. Chris Needham, “If Bibliography is Out, What is In?” In: Bibliog¬
raphy and Reading: A Festschrift in Honour of Ronald Staveley, Edited
by la Mcllwlaine, John Mcllwaine, and Peter G. New. (Metuchen, NJ:
Scarecrow Press, 1983), 106-107.
6. Prudence W. Dalrymple, “The State of the Schools,” American
Libraries 27 (January 1997), 34.
7. Dalrymple, 34.
8. Deanna B. Marcum, “Transforming the Curriculum: Transforming
the Profession,” American Libraries 27 (January 1997), 35.
9. Dalrymple, 34.
10. The University of Southern Mississippi, SLIS Bulletin. “The Li¬
brary and Information Professions.” Available: www-dept.usm.edu7slis/
bulletin.html#3. Accessed: 4 December 1997.
 11

Reference Sources

Reference materials related to the study of bibliography fall into

two broad classifications: (1) basic reference works such as gen¬
eral encyclopedias that provides bibliographical and factual infor¬
mation on a variety of subjects within a field; and (2) specific
reference works such as dictionaries that include definitions for a
specific area within a field. Both areas are examined below with
representative examples from each area accompanied by an indi¬
cation of their relevance to the field of bibliography.

Abstract Services

Abstract services publish summaries of original articles, books,

and so on, and are more explicit guides to bibliographical litera¬
ture than indexes. Since the gist of an article or book is given
along with a complete reference, one may quickly gather a bibli¬
ography on a particular subject and eliminate unsuitable material
without having to refer to the original publication.1 There are two
abstract services related to library and information studies that are
valuable for the study of bibliography.
Information Science Abstracts (New York: Plenum Publishing,
1966 to date) provides abstracts of journal literature, books, and
reports focusing on the information science aspect of the field.
Entries are arranged in a classified scheme with author and subject
indexes in each issue that are cumulated annually. Coverage of
bibliographical literature is difficult to evaluate, but examination
of random volumes reveals a reasonable number of related entries
on various aspects of the field. This work was originally (1966-
67) titled Documentation Abstracts, then for one year (1968) ap-

193
194 Chapter 11

peared as Documentation Abstracts and Information Science

Abstracts. This service is also available online as File 202 on DI¬
ALOG and includes records back to 1966.
Library and Information Science Abstracts (London: Library
Association, 1969—to date), also known as LISA, includes en¬
tries in a classified arrangement. All abstracts are in the English
language. The monthly author and subject indexes are cumulated
annually. Coverage is international in scope and second only to
Library Literature in importance to bibliographers. Types of ma¬
terials scanned for abstracting include a large number of journals,
as well as books, theses, conferences and other reports. LISA is
also available online as File 61 on DIALOG covering records back
to 1969.

Bibliographies

The primary function of the bibliography is to broaden the contact

between users and the masses of information available to them.2
The bibliographies discussed below are indicative of those cover¬
ing various aspects of the field.
The most extensive bibliography on the field as a whole is G.
Thomas Tanselle’s Introduction to Bibliography: A Syllabus 18th
revision (Charlottesville: Book Arts Press, University of Virginia,
1996). Designed as a syllabus for a literature course at Columbia
University this compilation is a reading list for the course dealing
with the analysis and description of books as physical objects.
Also listed are reference materials, articles and general works. The
lists are arranged under nine broad topical areas with many subdi¬
visions. There is also a subject index.
Another bibliographical reading list is The Exit List: A Struc¬
tured List of Books and Articles Intended for Students Interested
in Descriptive Bibliography and the History of the Book (Char¬
lottesville: Book Arts Press, University of Virginia, 1995) by
Terry Belanger. This classified listing includes 349 entries, some
of which are briefly annotated. Under the seven broad topical
areas, there are some subdivisions. There is also a personal and
corporate author index.
Annual Bibliography of the History of the Printed Book and
Libraries (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1970—to date) attempts
 Reference Sources 195

to record “all books and articles of scholarly value which relate

to the history of the printed book, to the history of the arts, crafts,
techniques, and equipment, and of the economic, social, and cul¬
tural environment involved in its production, distribution, conser¬
vation, and description.” Each volume contains over 2,000 entries
in a classified arrangement and includes relevant doctoral disserta¬
tions and book reviews but excludes writings on the modem tech¬
nical processes. Major access is provided by a name index only.
There is a large gap between publication date and date of coverage
(e.g., vol. 9, covering 1978 was published in 1982). There are no
annotations.
A series of bibliographical articles entitled “Recent Work in
Bibliography,” by William Baker and Kenneth Womack has ap¬
peared in Analytical & Enumerative Bibliography since 1989 in
the following issues: n.s., 3, nos. 3 and4 (1989), 108-138; n.s., 5,
no. 2 (1991), 126-155; n.s., 6, nos. 3 and 4 (1992), 261-288; n.s.,
7, nos. 2 and 3 (1993), 69-117; n.s., 8, nos. 3 and 4 (1994), 176—
206. These bibliographies are arranged alphabetically by author,
except for the first one which was in bibliographical essay format,
and include descriptive annotations. They include bibliographical
works received by the Northern Illinois University Libraries for a
year, including the contents of major bibliographical journals.
The history of books as it is studied in the United States gener¬
ally implies post-Gutenberg products. Medieval manuscript
books, which provided the pattern adopted for the earliest printed
books, receive rather cursory treatment except by specialists in a
field such as art history or paleography. Doris H. Banks’s Medie¬
val Manuscript Bookmaking: A Bibliographic Guide (Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989) assists the researcher who wishes to
pursue investigations into the forerunners of printed books by
presenting a selected bibliography of just over 1,000 works, de¬
scribed in a series of bibliographical essays.
Theodore Besterman’s Bibliography, Library Science, and Ref¬
erence Books: A Bibliography of Bibliographies (Totowa, NJ:
Rowman and Littlefield, 1971) was extracted from his monumen¬
tal World Bibliography of Bibliographies, 4th ed. (1965-66). Al¬
though out of date, this work includes many relevant items related
to the study of bibliography. Some entries have brief comments.
From the perspective of an experienced antiquarian bookseller
who has had a long relationship with historic bookbinding, Ber-
196 Chapter 11

nard H. Breslauer in The Uses of Bookbinding Literature (New

York: Book Arts Press, 1986) discusses the best literature of book¬
binding covering both English and foreign titles. The author’s crit¬
ical evaluations are accompanied by an alphabetical section
entitled “Lists of Books and Articles Mentioned in the Text,”
compiled by Martin Antonetti. This work will be particularly val¬
uable for historians of the book, especially those whose research
leads them into the study of early international bookbindings.
Irving P. Leif’s An International Sourcebook of Paper History
(Hamden, CT: Archon, 1978) contains more than 2,180 items in
several languages making this bibliography international in scope.
Despite the lack of annotations and some omissions and typo¬
graphical errors, this work will be valuable for paper historians
and bibliographers.
Although now well out of date, Robert L. Collison’s Bibliogra¬
phies, Subject and National: A Guide to Their Contents, Arrange¬
ment and Use, 3rd ed. (New York: Hafner Publishing Co., 1968)
is a concise handbook that is a good introduction to the field for
the beginner.
Anyone trying to learn about textual editing or attempting to
organize a course on the subject can quickly become mired in the
quantity of the material published in the last fifty years. Beth Luey
and Kathleen Gorman in Editing Documents and Texts: An Anno¬
tated Bibliography (Madison, WI: Madison House Publishers,
1990) provide a valuable guide and introduction to the subject.
Most of this book is an alphabetical list, lightly annotated, of
books and articles dealing with the scholarly editing of literary
and historical texts and documents.
Mary K. Sellen in Bibliometrics: An Annotated Bibliography,
1970-1990 (New York: G. K. Hall, 1993) provides a useful refer¬
ence guide to the study of bibliometrics, or citation analysis. Sel¬
len examines the current criticism of bibliometric research, as well
as contemporary methodologies for measuring citation patterns
and how frequently journals and authors are cited in seminal
pieces of research.

Dictionaries and Thesauri

The correct use of words is the basis of communication in any

field of knowledge. Bibliography is no exception, and the need
 Reference Sources 197

for a thorough knowledge of terminology is important.3 Several

dictionaries and thesauri are discussed below that provide mean¬
ing to bibliographical terminology.
The ALA Glossary of Library and Information Science, edited
by Heartsill Young (Chicago: American Library Association,
1983) was compiled with the assistance of area specialists. It con¬
tributes “toward the development of standard terminology, or a
set of terms, which will enable librarians and other information
scientists better to communicate with each other and with special¬
ists in related fields” such as bibliography. Included are many
terms related to the study of bibliography.
The Bookman's Glossary; 6th ed., edited by Jean Peters (New
York: Bowker, 1983) defines some 1,800 terms “used in book
publishing, book manufacturing, bookselling, the antiquarian
trade, and librarianship.” Many of these terms relate to the study
of bibliography. Also included are brief biographical sketches of
persons of note in the fields of bibliography, graphic arts, and
book publishing.
John Feather in A Dictionary of Book History (New York: Ox¬
ford University Press, 1986) provides, in a single alphabetical se¬
quence, not only a glossary of the technical terms of printing and
bibliography, but also details of private presses, illustrators, col¬
lectors, libraries, the history of the book trade and of book produc¬
tion. Feather also gives information which cannot be found in any
other single volume. This, coupled with notes for further reading,
makes this work very useful. There are, of course, exclusions and
some errors that are unavoidable in a work of this nature.
The second edition of Geoffrey Ashall Glaister’s Encyclopedia
of the Book (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1996) has been
published with a new introduction by Donald Farren. Serving pri¬
marily as an encyclopedic dictionary, this work covers 2,000 years
of book-production history, explaining the terms used in paper¬
making, printing, bookbinding, and the book trade. Also included
are biographical entries for prominent craftspeople and notes on
schools of illumination, famous manuscripts, private presses,
printing societies, literary prizes, and wellknown book collectors.
Many terms defined are related to the study of bibliography.
Harrod's Librarians' Glossary: Nine Thousand Terms Used in
Information Management, Library Science, Publishing, the Book
Trades, and Archive Management. 8th ed. (Aldershot, Eng.: Ash-
198 Chapter 11

gate Publishing Co., 1995) by Ray Prytherch provides definitions

of “standard librarianship terms, printing and publishing terms,
archival terms and terms in related fields” such as bibliography.
It is one of the most useful sources for current definitions in the
field. Although largely oriented toward British usage, this work
gives much attention to American practice and terminology.
Axel Moth’s Technical Terms Used in Bibliographies and by
the Book and Printing Trade (Boston: Longwood, 1977) is poly¬
glot in nature and includes many terms related to bibliography in
English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin, Spanish,
and Swedish. It is useful mostly for older terms.
The terms contained in Bookbinding and the Conservation of
Books: A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology (Washington,
DC: Library of Congress, 1982) by Matt T. Roberts and Don
Etherington cover all aspects of the book as a physical entity, in¬
cluding papermaking, printing, binding, and conservation. Non¬
specialists will find the entries well written and concise, but there
is enough detail to make them useful to the specialist. For some
definitions, there are helpful line drawings, and there are extensive
cross-references to guide the user to appropriate entries. This work
will be useful to librarians, conservators, and students of bibliog¬
raphy.
A significant contribution to the study and practice of the book
arts as well as providing an essential guide for all who handle rare
books is Jane Greenfield’s ABC of Bookbinding: An Illustrated
Glossary of Terms for Collectors and Conservators (New Castle,
DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1998). Locating accurate descriptions of
bookbindings from various periods has been frustrating for those
who work with rare and antiquarian books, especially for descrip¬
tive bibliographers. This work helps to ease this frustration.
John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors now in its seventh edi¬
tion with corrections, additions, and an introduction by Nicolas
Barker (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1995) has been the
preeminent reference work for book collectors for over forty
years. While providing excellent definitions the illustrations pro¬
vide book collectors and bibliographers with a wealth of informa¬
tion.
Related to Carter’s work is The Book Collector's Fact Book
(New York: Arco Publishing Co., 1976) by Margaret Haller. Ar¬
ranged as a glossary this work contains definitions of the terms
 Reference Sources 199

used to describe antiquarian books in dealer’s catalogs, practical

guidelines for determining book values, and tips on buying and
selling.
A quasi-dictionary work is Antiquarian Books: A Companion
for Booksellers, Librarians, and Collectors (Philadelphia: Univer¬
sity of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), compiled and edited by Philippa
Bernard with Leo Bernard and Angus O’Neil. Although geared
to British sources, the authors provide essential information for
handling antiquarian books. Included are scholarly articles on var¬
ious aspects of the field, many pertinent illustrations, biographies
of preeminent individuals, and bibliographical references in the
text.
In The Librarian’s Thesaurus: A Concise Guide to Library and
Information Terms (Chicago: American Library Association,
1990), Mary Ellen Soper, et al., provide a very thorough explana¬
tion of terms that are arranged systematically within sections cov¬
ering general concepts, procedures and processes, and technology.
Terms are also indexed and well cross-referenced. It is very useful
as an introduction to the basic structure of library science (includ¬
ing bibliography) and for investigating a particular but only
vaguely defined area of interest.
Although designed for rare-book catalogers, there are four the¬
sauri prepared by the Standards Committee of the Rare Books and
Manuscripts Section (ACRL/ALA) and published in Chicago by
the Association of College and Research Libraries that descriptive
bibliographers will find useful: Binding Terms: A Thesaurus for
Use in Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloguing.
(1988);7y/?£ Evidence: A Thesaurus for Use in Rare Book and
Special Collections Cataloguing (1990); Printing and Publishing
Evidence: Thesauri for Use in Rare Book and Special Collections
Cataloguing (1986); Provenance Evidence: Thesaurus for Use in
Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloguing (1988).
Roy B. Stokes’s A Bibliographic Companion (Metuchen, NJ:
Scarecrow Press, 1989) describes bibliographical terms and their
definitions in a way designed to meet the needs of students who
are at an early stage of their bibliographical interests. One of the
major problems with this dictionary is the lack of illustrations,
which would have made it more useful.
Dealer's Thesaurus: Six Thousand Ways to Describe Books and
Historical Papers (Montclair, NJ: Maps of Antiquity, 1993), ed-
200 Chapter 11

ited by Lynn Vigeant, provides booksellers, collectors, writers,

and information professionals with a variety of phrases to describe
antiquarian books, prints, and other historical paper which they
can use to enliven their bibliographical records.
Philip H. Vitale’s Bibliography; Historical and Bibliothecal; A
Handbook of Terms and Names (Chicago: Loyola University
Press, 1971) includes definitions of terms and brief biographical
sketches of individuals connected to the history of writing, pub¬
lishing, bibliography, and other related fields. Entries are arranged
under two broad areas: part 1 is a glossary of terms and part 2
contains the biographical sketches.
Because the field of classical studies and related fields flourish
in academic institutions, there has been a need to provide better
access to published materials. Jean S. Wellington, in Dictionary of
Bibliographic Abbreviations Found in the Scholarship of Classi¬
cal Studies and Related Disciplines (Westport, CT: Greenwood
Press, 1983), assists in the location of literature through this com¬
pilation, which is valuable for humanistic and historical scholar¬
ship by identifying many obscure titles.

Directories

When one is looking for names, addresses, telephone numbers, or

other factual information on individuals or organizations related
to bibliography, directories then become a most useful source.
Naturally one should check the source in hand for currency; other¬
wise, the information provided will most likely be out-of-date.
Directories, in general, tend to become outdated quickly. For di¬
rectory-type information in the field of bibliography, there is no
single source. There are, however, a number of specialized direc¬
tories, issued annually or kept reasonably current, that one will
find useful.4 Some of these are published by bibliographical socie¬
ties and others by commercial presses covering the book trade,
book collecting, librarians, and so forth. Below are some represen¬
tative examples.
The American Book Trade Directory (New Providence, N.J.:
Bowker, 1915—to date) contains listings that cover retailers,
wholesalers, antiquarian book sellers etc., both in the United
States and Canada. The index in this work is excellent.
 Reference Sources 201

The American Library Association issues the ALA Membership

Directory (Chicago: American Library Association, 1996/97—to
date), which includes names and brief addresses of personal and
organizational members. Also included (where applicable) are
telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses.
A directory of names and addresses of members of the Biblio¬
graphical Society, London, contained in their List of Members
(London: The Society, 19??—to date) is probably issued annually,
although the frequency is not indicated.
Members of the Bibliographical Society of America are in¬
cluded in the List of Members (New York: The Society, 1904—to
date) that is issued annually as a supplement to the Papers of the
Bibliographical Society of America. Members are listed alphabeti¬
cally by surname along with their addresses. Institutional mem¬
bers are listed separately at the end of the main alphabetical
listing.
Geographically arranged by state or province, the Directory of
Specialized American Bookdealers, 1987-1988, 3rd ed. (New
York: Moretus Press, 1987) lists each store, its hours, and brief
comments about its special interests and offerings. Provided is an
index of dealer specialties unfortunately without cross-references.
The International Directory of Book Collectors: 1993-1995: A
Directory of Book Collectors in United Kingdom, Ireland,
America, Canada and the Rest of the World, 5th ed. (Beckham
Eng.: Trigon, 1992) lists collectors alphabetically, with each entry
providing the collector’s name, address, subjects collected, and
book club or book society membership (if any). A subject index
and an author and illustrator index provide access to the collectors
and their specialty interests. This directory includes many well-
known bibliographers.
Of a different nature from the above, but useful for librarians
nevertheless, is InPrint: Publishing Opportunities for College Li¬
brarians, edited by Lynn W. Livingston (Chicago: Research for
College Librarianship Committee, College Libraries Section of
the Association of College and Research Libraries, 1997). This
work profiles eighty two journals in library and information stud¬
ies, higher education, and computer technology, and reports their
acceptance rate, preferred article length, and whether the publica¬
tion is refereed or not. Each journal description also details edito¬
rial policy, topics covered by the publication, style, audience, and
contact information.
202 Chapter 11

Encyclopedias

There are general encyclopedias as well as those on particular

subjects or groups of related subjects. Editors and contributors of
a good encyclopedia will be specialists in their respective fields.5
The encyclopedic works cited below provide much useful infor¬
mation related to the study of bibliography.
Although one would expect the subject of bibliography to be
covered extensively in the World Encyclopedia of Library and In¬
formation Services 3rd., edited by Robert Wedge worth (Chicago:
American Library Association, 1993), there is surprisingly little
coverage, and most of that is included in articles on other subjects.
There are, however, some articles on such noted bibliographers as
Conrad Gesner, Charles Evans, Alfred William Pollard, Ralph R.
Shaw, and others, which make this volume useful for those inter¬
ested in bibliographical topics.
The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, edited
by Allen Kent and Harold Lancour. (New York: Marcel Dekker,
1968—to date) contains rather lengthy, signed articles by special¬
ists, which makes this set extremely valuable. Within each vol¬
ume, the articles are organized in a dictionary arrangement,
usually with extensive bibliographies appended to them. Many of
these articles cover specific aspects of bibliography in consider¬
able detail. Also included are some biographical sketches of
deceased bibliographers. It is now issued with updating supple¬
ments.
Edited by Thomas Landau, the Encyclopedia of Librarianship ,
3rd ed. (London: Bowes and Bowes; New York: Hafner, 1966)
provides articles that range from a few words to signed pieces
covering several pages. Slanted toward British usage, some arti¬
cles have bibliographies appended to them. Many entries cover
bibliographical topics.
International Book Publishing: An Encyclopedia, edited by
Philip G. Altback and Edith S. Hoshino (New York: Garland Pub¬
lishing, 1995) provides sixty-four detailed essays that review pub¬
lishing in various countries on five continents and topics such as
editing, copyright, the paperback industry, book design and manu¬
facture, small presses, textbooks, and university presses. These
scholarly essays are often data-laden, generally have a historical
 Reference Sources 203

and interpretative approach, and maintain a much higher standard

of scholarship and readability than do most such compilations.

Guides to the Literature

Broadly defined, a guide to the literature refers to any work that

assists someone in the use of other books, periodicals, and so on.
In a narrower sense, it can refer to the type of source designed
to chart or map one’s way through the literature of a reasonably
extensive area of knowledge and in the process help the user to
evaluate, organize, and introduce the literature. This distinguishes
it from either a bibliographical list or an introductory treatise. By
nature, it is much more versatile and more informative than the
former, and, unlike the latter, it introduces the literature, not the
content or the subject. There is no guide to the literature for bibli¬
ography per se, except for this guide and possibly Donald W.
Krummel’s Bibliographies: Their Aims and Methods (London:
Mansell, 1984). The guides to reference books discussed below
relate to the field of bibliography because they list numerous types
of bibliographical instruments.6
A good example of a specific guide to the literature is provided
by Vito J. Brenni in his Bookbinding: A Guide to the Literature
(Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1983). Brenni lists 1,527 books,
theses, sales and exhibit catalogs, periodical articles, and essays
in books dealing with bookbinding. The entries follow standard
bibliographical form, and some are annotated to indicate coverage
of particular bookbinders or to note editions, special features, con¬
tents, people and places, and book reviews.
Joseph Rosenblum’s A Bibliographic History of the Book: An
Annotated Guide to the Literature (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow
Press; Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1995) presents some 1,400 ti¬
tles along with annotations. There is an excellent introduction and
the entries focus on twentieth-century materials.
Since the study of bibliography has been enormously affected
by the development of printing and books, Paul A. Winckler’s
History of Books and Printing: A Guide to Information Sources
(Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1979) is valuable. It includes 776
entries (mostly annotated) under nine broad sections. Most sec-
204 Chapter 11

tions have more specific subdivisions. Separate author, title, and

subject indexes provide excellent access points.

Indexes

We have long since learned that information is lost without index¬

ing. Ancient book lists have been discovered on stone tablets from
long before the Christian era. Monasteries of the Middle Ages
maintained elaborate book lists and information inventories. As
the volume and complexity of information has increased over the
years, it has been necessary to develop more sophisticated means
to adequately index information sources. This has given impetus
to the development of online systems to handle this explosion. The
published indexes cited below are perhaps most closely related to
the study of bibliography.7
Issued twice a year with annual cumulations, the Bibliographic
Index; A Cumulative Bibliography of Bibliographies (New York:
H. W. Wilson, Co., 1937—to date) includes bibliographies found
in the periodicals scanned for the various Wilson indexes, as well
as significant books and pamphlets. In order to be included a bibli¬
ography must contain at least 50 entries. Subjects and authors are
organized in a single alphabetical sequence. There are frequent
subheadings.
Three separate publications have attempted to index, at least to
some extent, the scholarly literature of bibliography. George Wat¬
son Cole’s An Index to Bibliographical Papers Published by the
Bibliographical Society and the Library Association, 1877-1932
(Chicago: Published for the Bibliographical Society of America at
the University of Chicago Press, 1933) was the first of these. The
Bibliographical Society (London) supplemented Cole’s index
with Index to Selected Bibliographical Journals, 1933-1970
(London: The Bibliographical Society, 1982) which was based on
a card index compiled in the Bodleian Library (Oxford) covering
eleven bibliographical journals. Unfortunately this compilation,
although certainly useful, was riddled with errors and inconsisten¬
cies. The most recent supplement An Index to Selected Biblio¬
graphical Journals, 1971-1985 (Oxford, Eng.: Oxford
Bibliographical Society, 1991) was compiled by John Feather cov¬
ering only eight bibliographical journals. One major problem with
 Reference Sources 205

Feather’s index is that he does not give inclusive page numbers of

the articles cited.
The Index to Reviews of Bibliographical Publications: An Inter¬
national Annual (Troy, NY: Whitson Publishing Co., (publisher
varies), 1976-1991), 10 vols. was designed for graduate students,
professional librarians, and teaching faculty in the fields of En¬
glish and American literary bibliography and contained an exten¬
sive listing of reviews of significant bibliographical publications
in English and several other languages. This work is no longer
published.
For students of library and information studies in general and
bibliography in particular Library Literature (New York: H. W.
Wilson, Co., 1921/37 to date) is perhaps the most extensive listing
of materials related to the study of bibliography. Arrangement of
entries is alphabetical by author and subject. Materials scanned
for inclusion are books, pamphlets, theses, etc., as well as profes¬
sional journals. This index is also available online on the Wilson-
Line service.

Yearbooks

A yearbook is usually an annual publication that appears under

the same editorship and contains the information that is current in
a particular field of knowledge.8 Several of the works cited below,
while not yearbooks in a strict sense, do present new research on
subjects related to the study and practice of bibliography.
Each volume of The ALA Yearbook of Library and Information
Services (Chicago: American Library Association, 1976-1990)
included an article on “Bibliographies and Indexes.” Reviewed
were a number of published bibliographies, the progress toward
bibliographical control, and the status of bibliographical services.
From time to time articles relating to some aspect of bibliography
were included, especially on the subject of national bibliogra¬
phies. This work is no longer published.
Proof: The Yearbook of American and Textual Studies. Edited
by Joseph Katz. (Columbia, SC: Faust, etc., 1971-1977) is no
longer published; during its short life the publisher and place of
publication varied. The extant volumes contain a number of excel-
206 Chapter 11

lent articles on various aspect of textual criticism, plus some bib¬

liographical surveys.
Studies in Bibliography (Charlottesville, VA: University Press
of Virginia, 1948—to date) is issued annually and is also an indis¬
pensable source of information for those interested in the theory
and history of bibliography. For many years this series of volumes
was edited by the late Fredson Bowers, possibly one of the most
outstanding analytical bibliographers of the twentieth century.
The articles are of exceptionally high quality written by experts
in the field and they collectively contribute to the expansion of
bibliographical research.

Selected Supplemental Resources

Several important works related to reference materials in general

are useful. Perhaps the most well known is Guide to Reference
Books 11th ed. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1996)
currently edited by Robert Balay. Over the years under different
editors this work has been the premier guide with international
coverage of reference materials. The general arrangement is by
subject chapters with many subdivisions. The annotations are
mostly descriptive and the excellent index provides easy access to
contents.
The British equivalent is Walford’s Guide to Reference Material
7th ed. Edited by Marilyn Mullay and Priscilla Schlicke. (London:
Library Asssociation Publishers, 1996 +). It is now issued in three
volumes: 1). Science and Technology', 2). Social and Historical
Sciences, Philosophy and Religion', and 3). Generalia, Lan¬
guage & Literature, the Arts. There are specific subject chapters
with many subdivisions. Emphasis is on English-language publi¬
cations. Each volume has its own index of authors, titles, and sub¬
jects.
Although out of date in terms of coverage Reference Books:
How to Select and Use Them (New York: Random House, 1969)
by Saul Galin and Peter Spielberg provides an excellent method
for selecting the most reliable reference materials. Another valu¬
able work listing and evaluating reference books is Guide to the
Use of Libraries and Information Sources 7th ed. (New York: Mc¬
Graw-Hill, 1994) by Jean Key Gates. For many information pro-
 Reference Sources 207

fessionals William A. Katz’s two volume work Introduction to

Reference Work 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997) has been
the standard for the field for some time. Katz’s fluid and clear
understanding of reference materials makes this work indispens¬
able. For keeping informed on new reference material related to
the study of bibliography American Reference Books Annual (Lit¬
tleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1970—to date) is an excellent
source which provides extensive annotations.

Notes

1. The basic functions and uses of abstracting services are explained

by William A. Katz in Introduction to Reference Work, Volume I, Basic
Information Sources. 7th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997), 120. This
citation applies to all of the notes below except No. 6.
2. The nature of bibliographies generally and their various types and
applications are also treated in Katz, pages 63-88.
3. Katz discusses the value of dictionaries as communicative instru¬
ments on pages 327-328.
4. The importance, purpose and scope of directories is examined by
Katz on pages 283-285.
5. The elements that make encyclopedias valuable are discussed by
Katz on pages 195-250. He covers both print and electronic encyclope¬
dias.
6. Although geared toward the scientific literature Denis Grogan in
Science and Technology: An Introduction to the Literature. 4th ed. (Lon¬
don: Clive Blingley, 1982), 33-40, defines the structure, purposes and
functions of guides to the literature along with relevant illustrations.
7. A discussion of print versus electronic indexes and searching in¬
dexes is covered by Katz on pages 118-119.
8. The basic types of yearbooks are briefly discussed by Katz on page
262.
 .

R»

N
 12

Periodicals

Today new research in most fields of knowledge is first reported

in the periodical literature and only later consolidated into books
or monographs. This situation is particularly true in the study of
bibliography. Given the nature of the discipline, many contribu¬
tions inevitably consist of brief notes or articles on individual cop¬
ies of a book, providing facts that supplement a previously
published bibliography or augment the accumulated evidence
about a given printing, binding, or publishing practice. With the
passage of time, a sizable body of information develops, and a
new book, drawing the scattered material together, may be called
for, but until that time those periodical pieces represent the current
state of knowledge.1 Older volumes of periodicals are never en¬
tirely obsolete, since they provide contemporary opinions and
judgments of persons, events, subjects, and books, and can be
used to trace the historical development of a subject.
Obviously the degree of access to the periodical literature of
bibliography depends largely on the quality of the indexing and
abstract services available to the user. Up to about the middle of
the twentieth century, these types of services were, at best, spo¬
radic and fragmented.2 Currently the picture is much brighter. Ac¬
cess to the periodical literature has been increased greatly with the
creation of cumulating indexes, such as Library Literature, which
is a good example of the subject approach. This index can be
contrasted with such standard general periodical indexes as the
Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, which are based on fixed
groups of journals. Abstract services are particularly useful be¬
cause they summarize the article cited. Of major significance to
bibliography is Library and Information Science Abstracts. This
abstract service has a classified arrangement and covers periodi-

209
210 Chapter 12

cals containing articles on various aspects of bibliography. Add to

this both the LISA and Information Science Abstracts databases
available online and there is fairly reasonable coverage of the liter¬
ature. Library Literature is also available online on the Wilson-
Line service. Of course, there will always be fugitive materials
not covered by indexing sources which are only known through
personal contact between bibliographers and scholars.

Selected Periodicals

The thirty-seven periodicals cited and briefly annotated below

have been classified into seven broad subject categories. They
were selected primarily on their applicability to the study of bibli¬
ography out of many that could have been included. Consequently
they are representative of those available in the classified areas.
Where applicable, abbreviations are given for indexes and/or ab¬
stracts for which they are scanned. The abbreviations and their
sources are as follows:

ABHB Annual Bibliography of the History of the Printed

Book and Library
AHL America: History and Life
HA Historical Abstracts
HI Humanities Index
ISA Information Science Abstracts
LISA Library and Information Science Abstracts (formerly
Library Science Abstracts.; also available online)
LL Library Literature
MLA MLA International Bibliography (also available online
and on CD-ROM)
SA Sociological Abstracts (also available on CD-ROM as
SocioFile)

General Periodicals
Those periodicals cited in this section constitute the broader
spectrum of the discipline. They cover both scholarly research and
items of importance to bibliographers including conferences, new
publications, and bibliographies of various kinds.
 Periodicals 211

Analytical and Enumerative Bibliography (DeKalb: Biblio¬

graphical Society of Northern Illinois, 1977—to date, quarterly)
includes scholarly articles, notes, and reviews on analytical bibli¬
ography, textual criticism, enumerative bibliography, and the his¬
tory of the book trade, especially with regard to English and
American literature. It includes book reviews. Indexed in: MLA.
Bulletin of Bibliography (Westwood, MA: F. W. Faxon Co.,
1897—to date, quarterly) offers guidance for both scholarly and
general research, providing annotated bibliographies on various
writers and topics. Indexed in: MLA.
The Direction Line: A Newsletter for Bibliographers and Tex¬
tual Critics (Austin: Department of English, University of Texas,
1975-1980, issued twice yearly.) was designed as a clearing¬
house for ideas. This newsletter features articles, notes, and list¬
ings of works in progress, the use of new techniques, proposed
investigations, and the minutiae of research in the field of analyti¬
cal bibliography. Unfortunately, this newsletter is no longer pub¬
lished. Indexed in: Selectively in MLA.
Libraries and Culture: A Journal of Library History (Austin:
University of Texas Press, 1966—to date, quarterly) contains arti¬
cles of an interdisciplinary nature that explain the significance of
collections of recorded knowledge—their creation, organization,
preservation, and utilization—in the context of culture and social
history. Indexed in: HA, LISA, LL.

Bibliographical Society Journals

The organs of bibliographical societies naturally constitute the

central group of journals for bibliographical study, both because
they are scholarly in approach and because they are not usually
limited to any one aspect of the book. Because of their nature,
these journals will be of limited interest to the enumerative bibli¬
ographer but of immense interest to analytical and descriptive bib¬
liographers.
The Library (London: Oxford University Press, 1899—to date,
quarterly) contains the transactions of the Bibliographical Society
(London). The primary focus is on all aspects of the history of
books, publishing, printing, libraries, and book collecting. Indexed
in: LISA, LL, MLA.
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America (New York:
212 Chapter 12

The Society, 1904—to date, quarterly) provides scholarly articles

and book reviews on bibliographical material, chiefly in the field
of literature. Contributions focus on descriptive or analytical bibli¬
ography, the history of printing, textual editing, publishing, manu¬
script studies, and so forth. Indexed in: HI, LL, MLA.
Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada (Toronto: The
Society, 1962—to date, annual) offers scholarly articles and re¬
views on all aspects of bibliography, including printing, publish¬
ing, and textual studies. There is special emphasis on Canadian
study. Indexed in: MLA.
Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society (Cam¬
bridge: Cambridge Bibliographical Society, 1949—to date, an¬
nual) contains highly specialized bibliographical research, usually
in literature and history. Emphasis is on English, with detailed
articles by subject specialists. Indexed in: ABHB, HA, MLA.

Book Collecting Journals

Including book collecting journals among those associated with

the study of bibliography should not be surprising. They are not
necessarily less scholarly than those issued by bibliographical so¬
cieties, and indeed many of them are notable for their learned
commentary. Consequently the dividing line between this group
and the previous one is not distinct, but it makes some sense, for
purposes of classification, to separate those journals associated
with book collecting—by virtue of their title, their content, their
sponsoring organization—from those journals associated with
bibliographical societies.
American Book Collector (Arlington Heights, IL: American
Book Collector, 1950-1976) For the twenty-six years of its exis¬
tence, this publication chronicled trends and interests of American
book collectors, both in authors and types of materials collected.
The nature of its articles is relaxed yet authoritative. Among the
regular features are excellent book reviews, bibliographies of au¬
thor’s or illustrator’s works, summary reviews of auction sales,
lists of dealers’ catalogs recently published, and so on. It also
contains many excellent illustrations and photographs in each
issue. It was incorporated into the Book Collector’s Market for
three issues: v.4, nos. 4-6, July/August 1979—November/Decem¬
ber 1979. First issued as The Amateur Book Collector, September
 Periodicals 213

1950 to December 1955, vols. 1-6, no. 4. It has the following

cumulative indexes: vols. 1-5 (September 1950—June 1955);
vols. 6-10 (September 1955—June 1960); vols. 11-15 (Septem¬
ber 1960—June 1965); vols. 16-20 (September 1965—June
1970); vols. 21-25 (September 1970—April 1975). A cumulative
index for the entire set is in preparation. Indexed in: MLA
American Book Collector—New Series. (Ossing, NY: Moretus
Press, 1980—to date, monthly) This publication has changed title
four times: (a) Bibliognost: The Book Collector's Little Magazine,
vol. 1, no. 1, February 1975—vol.2, no. 2, May 1976; (b) Book
Collector's Market, vol.2, no. 3, August 1976—v.3, no. 6, No¬
vember/December 1978; (c) incorporated American Book Collec¬
tor into its title for three issues, vol.4, nos. 4-6, July/August
1979—November/December 1979; (d) became the American
Book Collector, vol. 1, no. 1, January/February 1980. The focus
of this new series is to provide news, articles, interviews, and
reviews about book collecting to all book collectors. The articles
are well written, and many should be of great interest to bibliogra¬
phers. Ii includes a bibliographical checklist of leading authors in
a new series. Indexed in: MLA.
Biblio: The Magazine for Collectors of Books, Manuscripts, and
Ephemera (Eugene, OR: Aster Publishing Co., 1996—to date,
monthly) This magazine is sumptuously illustrated and includes
articles on all aspects of book collecting, written mostly by prac¬
titioners. Some articles relating to descriptive bibliography are
particularly useful.
The Book Collector (London: The Collector, 1952—to date,
quarterly) is one of the most important journals in its field, with
scholarly articles, written by leading bibliographers and biblio¬
philes, of interest to the learned librarian, researcher, and the gen¬
eral collector. Some articles continue through the series, since
1952 providing valuable reference material, such as Howard Nix¬
on’s series “English Book Bindings”. Bibliographical Notes and
Queries and several excellent book reviews appear in each issue.
Indexed in: ABHB, LL, MLA.
Firsts: The Book Collector's Magazine (Tucson: Firsts Maga¬
zine, 1991—to date, eleven issues per year) Loaded with excellent
illustations Firsts includes articles on all aspects of book collect¬
ing contributed by practitioners and some scholars.
214 Chapter 12

Book Trade Journals

The periodicals cited in this section are only representative of

the large number that fall within this category. They do, however,
provide an excellent sample of those that are particularly useful
to bibliographers. Quite frequently they carry articles by special¬
ists on such topics as typography, bookbinding, papermaking, and
others related to the study of bibliography.
A B Bookman's Weekly (Clifton, NJ: Jacob Chemofsky,
1948—to date, weekly) forms the connecting link between the
library world and the specialist and antiquarian book trade. It
seeks to focus on the areas of librarianship that concern books and
consequently bibliography. Indexed in: LL.
Antiquarian Book Monthly (Farmham Royal, Eng.: Country¬
wide Editions, 1974—to date, monthly) continues the Antiquarian
Book Monthly Review. Considered a basic journal for book deal¬
ers, librarians and private collectors as well as bibliographers, it
has a separate index.
Printing History: The Social, Economic and Literary History
of Books, Newspaper, and Magazine Publishing (Alexandria, VA:
Chadwyck-Healey, 1977—to date, semiannual) has scholarly con¬
tributions focus on the history of publishing and relate to the so¬
cial and literary history of the time. Many articles relate The
Journal of the American Printing History Association (New York:
American Printing History Association, 1979—to date, semian¬
nual) contains scholarly articles focusing on such topics as the
history of printing or the book arts, along with shorter pieces on
sources and documentation in these areas of study. Indexed in:
LL, MLA.
Publishing History: The Social, Economic and Literary History
of Books, Newspaper, and Magazine Publishing (Alexandria, VA:
Chadwyck-Healey, 1977—to date, semiannual) has scholarly con¬
tributions that focus on the history of publishing and relate to the
social and literary history of the time. Many articles relate to the
study of bibliography. Indexed in: ABHA, AH, HA, MLA.

Information Science Journals

The field of library science over the last decade has become
immensely involved with information science to the extent that
 V

Periodicals 215

they dovetail in purpose and application. Consequently the period¬

ical literature of information science is very important in the study
of bibliography.
Information Processing and Management (New York: Perga-
mon Press, 1963—to date, bimonthly) contains reports covering
three broad areas of information science and computer science:
basic and applied research, experimental and advanced procedures
and their evaluation, and management of information. Indexed in:
ISA, LL.
The Information Society: An International Journal (Washing¬
ton, DC: Taylor and Francis, 1981—to date, quarterly) serves as a
forum for thought-provoking contributions relating to accessing
information. There is a tendency to deal with information policy
issues. Indexed in: ISA, LISA SA.
Information Technology and Libraries (Chicago: Library and
Information Technology Association, 1982—to date, quarterly)
was formerly Journal of Library Automation. Contributions cover
most technology topics, the Internet, information access and sys¬
tems, and the like. Indexed in: ISA, LISA LL.
Journal of Information Science (East Grinstead, Eng.: Bowker-
Saur, 1967 —to date, bimonthly) includes scholarly contributions
on all aspects of information science. A particular focus is on
materials relating to government information systems. Indexed in:
LISA, LL.
Journal of the American Society for Information Science (New
York: Wiley, 1970—to date, fourteen issues a year) is a scholarly
journal that offers intellectually stimulating articles of high qual¬
ity on all aspects of the field. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
Library & Information Science Research: An International
Journal (Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Co., 1979—to date,
quarterly) has as its purpose, according to the editors, “to chal¬
lenge, to aid in decision making, and to present new ways of think¬
ing and new methods of studying problems.” Contributions are of
high quality, treating all areas of library and information science.
Indexed in: ISA, LISA, LL.

Library Journals

The broad field of library-oriented publications—including

general studies of librarianship as well as accounts of individual
216 Chapter 12

libraries—is immense and, since any materials dealing with books

may potentially be of significance to bibliographers, cannot be
ignored. It is true that most of the general journals deal almost
exclusively with matters of library administration, but they occa¬
sionally have articles of a historical nature, and they frequently
review books of bibliographical interest.
The British Library Journal. (London: Oxford University Press,
1975—to date, five issues per year) contains articles that focus on
the books and manuscript collections of the British Library which
cover various aspects of book and manuscript history. Indexed in:
ABHB, AHL, HA, MLA.
Harvard Library Bulletin (Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1947—to date, quarterly) is a well-designed scholarly pub¬
lication that combines literature and bibliography with history and
other disciplines. Indexed in: LL, MLA.
Library Chronicle. (Austin: Humanities Research Center, Uni¬
versity of Texas, 1944-1970; new series, 1971—to date, semian¬
nual) is one of the more elaborate, if not luxurious, of the library-
oriented bibliographical periodicals. Ii includes well-researched
articles along with some news notes and sketches. Indexed in:
LISA, LL, MLA.
Library Quarterly (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
1931—to date, quarterly) is considered by many to be the most
prestigious and scholarly in the field of librarianship. Contribu¬
tions concentrate on current research in a wide spectrum of the
discipline. The quality of the critical reviews by information pro¬
fessionals is excellent. The bibliographer will find much here that
is thought-provoking and informative. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
Library Trends (Urbana: Graduate School of Library and Infor¬
mation Science, University of Illinois, 1952—to date, quarterly)
is an excellent monographic series, each issue containing six to
eight articles written by specialists accompanied with an introduc¬
tion by the editor. Since its inception, many of the studies have
focused on many aspects of bibliography. Indexed in: LL.
Princeton University Library Chronicle (Princeton: Friends of
the Princeton University Library, 1939—to date, quarterly) con¬
tains two or three bibliographical articles on history, art, literature
and related subjects in each issue. Indexed in: LL.
Private Library (Pinner, Eng.: Private Libraries Association,
1957—to date quarterly) tends to be a more popular version of
 Periodicals 217

The Book Collector. Articles are less esoteric and more inclined
to emphasize the joys of book collecting without too much stress
on bibliographical detail. It focuses on the work of private presses
in England and elsewhere. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
Serials Librarian (New York: Haworth Press, 1976—to date,
quarterly) has contributions on such topics as copyright, indexing,
and bibliographical control as well as topics related to serials. In¬
dexed in: LL.
Yale University Gazette (New Haven, CT: Yale University Li¬
brary, 1926—to date quarterly) is a major journal in the field. It
contains scholarly contributions with a focus on materials located
in the Yale University Libraries. Indexed in: ABHB, AHL, HA,
LL, MLA.

Online Searching and Resources Journals

Periodicals dealing with various aspects of searching for infor¬

mation online are growing rapidly especially with the advent of
the Internet.
Database: The Magazine of Electronic Research and Resources
(Wilton, CT: Online, 1978—to date, bimonthly) provides exten¬
sive indepth articles on database usage, accompanied by compari¬
sons and evaluations. Articles are well documented and there are
valuable additional features related to database developments and
book reviews. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
The Electronic Library (Oxford, Eng.: Learned Information,
1985—to date, bimonthly) focuses on the effects of technology
on libraries. Contributions cover computer hardware and applica¬
tions. Articles tend to be practical in nature and report mostly on
technological applications. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
Online: The Leading Magazine for Information Professionals
(Wilton, CT: Online, 1977—to date, quarterly) contains articles
on the practical aspects of online searching. There is a broad
focus, along with material related to total-library integrated auto¬
mation and strategies for training managers. It includes well docu¬
mented and illustrated articles along with informative additional
features. Indexed in: LISA, LL.
Online and CD-ROM Review: The International Journal of On¬
line, Optical and Networked Information (Oxford, Eng.: Learned
Information Europe, 1977—to date, bimonthly) covers the use and
218 Chapter 12

management of online and optical information retrieval systems,

the training and education of online users, and more. Indexed in:
LISA, LL.

Periodical Directories

Several of the major periodical directories are helpful in a number

of ways. They provide information for ordering subscriptions,
supply complete bibliographical data, and indicate where a peri¬
odical is indexed.
Now in its ninth edition is Magazines for Libraries (New Provi¬
dence, NJ: Bowker, 1997) by William A. and Linda Sternberg
Katz. This guide to magazine selection for public, school and col¬
lege librarians gives descriptive and critical annotations of the edi¬
torial content, point of view, and other significant features of
nearly 7,000 periodicals. Arrangement is by subject, and each
entry provides full bibliographical data. One must be careful,
however, as some of the periodicals listed have ceased publication,
and many of the subscription prices have increased.
One of the most extensive sources for periodical information is
Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory (New Providence,
NJ: Bowker, 1932—to date). In-depth information is provided on
thousands of periodicals from all over the world. They are ar¬
ranged alphabetically under 250 or more subject headings. Cover¬
age of publications on microfilm, along with abstracting and
indexing information, has been expanded. International Standard
Serial Number (ISSN) with country code and Dewey decimal clas¬
sification numbers are noted in the main entries, together with
subscription price, frequency of issue, name and address of pub¬
lisher, circulation, languages used in text, year first published, and
whether advertisements, reviews, bibliographies, illustrations, and
so forth are carried. Periodicals that have changed name since the
last edition of Ulrich’s are listed under both the old and new
names. Separate listings are provided for ceased publications
since the last edition and for new periodicals launched since 1975.
Ulrich’s includes separate listings of publications available from
international organizations, congresses, and the United Nations.
It is revised annually. Also published in the interim is Ulrich’s
Quarterly, with much the same information as the parent volume.
 Periodicals 219

It is now available on CD-ROM and online through DIALOG,

(File 480).
Of a similar nature to Ulrich’s is The Standard Periodical Di¬
rectory, 21st ed. (New York: Oxbridge, 1997). It overlaps with
Ulrich’s but includes more elusive titles, house organs, yearbooks,
and government publications and more descriptions of content.
The newest entry into this market is The Serials Directory (Bir¬
mingham, AL: EBSCO Publishing, 1997), 5 vols. It lists approxi¬
mately 160,000 periodicals, giving full bibliographical and
ordering information and brief descriptions of contents for some
titles.

Selected Supplemental Resources

An extensive treatment of English-language periodicals related to

the study of bibliography, with a discussion of their value and
limitations, is provided in “The Periodical Literature of English
and American Bibliography,” Studies in Bibliography 26 (1973),
167-191 by G. Thomas Tanselle. Tanselle also provides insights
into the problems of access and bibliographical control by com¬
paring historical attempts to index the literature.
George S. Bobinski examines the library periodical literature in
“An Analysis of 105 Major U.S. Journals in Library and Informa¬
tion Science,” in Library Science Annual, edited by Bohdan S.
Wynar. (Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1985), 29-41, con¬
cluding that access, distribution and so on are prime factors that
need standardization. In “Indexing the Periodical Literature of
Anglo-American Bibliography, ’’Studies in Bibliography 33
(1980), 1-17, B. J. McMullin studies a series of linked observa¬
tions on the indexing of bibliographical periodicals designed to
show how much is being indexed and how appropriately the in¬
dexing is being accomplished.
The process of getting published in the library and information
science literature is examined in “Publication in Library and In¬
formation Science,” Library Journal 113 (September 1, 1988),
125-131, by John Budd. He evaluates the quality of the literature
and offers suggestions for improvement. Another view of this
issue is given by Barbara J. Via in “Publishing in the Journal
Literature of Library and Information Science: A Survey of
220 Chapter 12

Manuscript Review Process and Acceptance,” College and Re¬

search Libraries 57 (July 1996), 365-376.

Notes

1. G. Thomas Tanselle, “The Periodical Literature of English and

American Bibliography,” Studies in Bibliography 26 (1973), 167.
2. Jacquelyn M. Morris and Elizabeth A. Elkins. Library Searching:
Resources and Strategies (New York: Jeffrey Norton, 1978), 45-46.

S
 13

Bibliography in the Information Age

When considering the present status and the future prospects for
the study of bibliography, one cannot help but be impressed with
the impact of technological advances over the past thirty years.
More than ever before technology is changing our way of doing
many things, and the study of bibliography is no exception. We
have come a long way. The arduous and tedious labor associated
with the manual gathering and compiling of data has advanced to
the optical disk and online systems with printing of instantaneous
bibliographical citations or full-text documents. As we approach
the year 2000, technological developments will continue to im¬
prove information transfer.

Development of the Information Age

New developments in electronics—from information storage and

generic information manipulation to communication and dis¬
play—as well as societal trends were the major contributing fac¬
tors of the revolution that began in the early 1970s. These pieces
are bound together by one common thread—information—which
has led to the information age.
Information processing now occupies a preeminent position in
our culture and computer technology for its own sake fascinates
many people. The value society attaches to information has in¬
creased not only because it has become a commodity, but because
related technology and computers are considered the cutting edge
of technological progress. Software and computers are viewed as
the magic of the modem world. More than any other technology,
the possibilities seem unlimited for computers.

221
222 Chapter 13

Information and information technology have altered our view

of the world, forming a new metaphor for reality. In today’s world,
the human mind is pictured as a type of sophisticated computer.
Parallel processing and neutral networks are considered emula¬
tions of the way the nervous system operates, and many research¬
ers in artificial intelligence (AI) believe that field will ultimately
lead to better understanding of the human mind.1
Since bibliographical processes and applications are at the heart
of the information transfer process, implications for the study of
bibliography are immense. Throughout history, the work of bibli¬
ographers consisted predominantly of arranging thousands of en¬
tries in different sequences manually. This method of compilation
was extremely time-consuming and vulnerable to inaccuracies.
The technological revolution has opened up new and wide-rang¬
ing possibilities in coverage, arrangement, speed, consistency, ac¬
curacy, and, most importantly, accessibility of information. With
the advent of extensive online and optical disk databases and the
Internet, it now becomes possible to scan and manipulate unit re¬
cords. This allows compilation of bibliographies that, in terms of
its scope, can both accommodate a required combination of char¬
acteristics and also provide various access points.
The earliest application of computers to information storage and
retrieval occurred in the 1950s, but it was not until the early 1960s
that they proliferated and were used by librarians, publishers,
booksellers, scholars, and many others. It was during this period
that a number of major bibliographical systems were developed in
the United States. The most notable were those from the Defense
Documents Center (then known as the Armed Services Technical
Information Agency), the National Aeronautics and Space Admin¬
istration, and the National Library of Medicine. The largest one
was that developed by the National Library of Medicine—the
Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MED¬
LARS)—and implemented in 1964.2
Because so much of what librarians do is rooted in bibliographi¬
cal practice, with functions facilitated by computer applications,
we find that computers are playing an increasing role in library
operations. Library automation is commonplace today. Sophisti¬
cated circulation systems control checkout processes while pro¬
viding a wealth of data on operations that can be used to improve
library services. Large database networks (e. g., OCLC, RLIN,
 Bibliography in the Information Age 223

and WLN) provide catalogers with important cataloging informa¬

tion and a large measure of bibliographical control. These data¬
bases also facilitate the search for elusive scholarly materials
through interlibrary loans. Furthermore, with the prevalence of
online catalogs, especially in academic libraries, more information
than ever can be accessed from personal home or office com¬
puters.
Reference librarians have adapted computer-oriented processes
to assist patrons in finding needed information. First, the introduc¬
tion of CD-ROM indexes decreased demand for mediated online
searches, and now passworded, Internet-based, remotely accessi¬
ble databases are reducing the use of CD-ROM indexes.
Analytical bibliography has, since the middle 1960s when com¬
puters were introduced into the manufacture of books, become
increasingly more complicated. For one thing, the eye is now a
less reliable witness and bibliographers must develop a knowledge
of the various processes used in the production of books, espe¬
cially where the text is held in electronic form and can be trans¬
formed into various formats and with different typography.
Settings of text which appear to be dissimilar can often turn out
to be electronically identical. This raises a problem for descriptive
bibliography because we do not yet have an adequate vocabulary
to deal with electronic transformations.3

The Internet

From the early 1990s, the Internet—and especially the World

Wide Web—has become the most important method with which
to communicate and manage information. The Internet has
changed much in the two decades since it came into existence in
the era of time-sharing. It has not only survived but is beginning
to dominate an era filled with personal computers, client-servers,
peer-to-peer computing, and networked computers.
The Internet has not finished changing or affecting both our
personal and professional lives. Although a network of networks
in name and geography, it is unlike the traditional networks of
the telephone and television industries. It will continue to evolve,
pushed by the rapidity of changes in the computer industry. For
bibliographical instruments, here is the chance to offer new ser-
224 Chapter 13

vices, as real-time transport, to support digitized materials and

digital libraries.
While the Internet has a lot to offer the library and information
science profession, it is also subject to weaknesses, most notably
in the efficiency of its search engines. With an increase of avail¬
able databases, expansion of subsets, and price reductions, online
searching through the Internet seems to have a secure future.
However, there needs to be a vast improvement in the quality of
search-engine indexing.4 While search engines likely will improve
over time, it is impossible to predict just how effective they will
become before a new means of communicating information is de¬
veloped.

Digital Technology

The development of digital technology has been an important

facet of the information revolution and also has significant impli¬
cations for bibliographical processes and applications. Many insti¬
tutions worldwide are committing substantial resources to
digitizing collections with the primary object of providing wider
access to library and archival materials. Online catalogs identify
and provide references to materials. Image databases contain digi¬
tal representations of the materials, a distinct advantage to the end
user. In the digital world, preservation and access become synony¬
mous providing for the preservation of graphic materials while
supplementing traditional preservation practices.5
In order to access digital information, it is necessary to use ei¬
ther special-purpose multimedia “reader” stations or a computer
system. This equipment may be located within the confines of a
communal reading room or in individual private study rooms or
carrels. The information also can be searched and retrieved re¬
motely via telephone modems or computer networks. Naturally,
the great advantage in the digital form is the instantaneous sharing
of information at relatively low cost.6
The research libraries of the United States sit on a vast quantity
of published and primary materials. The system used to make the
bibliographical information about those resources generally and
widely available has been the object of much attention, time and
money for nearly a century. The efforts of the Library of Congress
 Bibliography in the Information Age 225

to develop standards for machine-readable cataloging in the late

1960s, followed by the creation of bibliographical networks—
OCLC and RLIN—to facilitate the use of bibliographical records
by all libraries, has resulted in a massive and complex national
bibliographical system that is envied by librarians the world over.
Content, the very essence of each research library’s contribution
to the national system, is a local asset, with access possible
through a national web of bibliographical information, interlibrary
loan procedures, and physical visitation arrangements. Biblio-
graphically, the focus of attention has been on making locations
of collection strengths known in standard ways so that physical
access to content is possible.7
The distributed nature of electronic information on the Internet
and its lack of coherent organization make access available but
extremely difficult and time-consuming. The bibliographical
structure that guided researchers to the location of printed infor¬
mation simply has no analogy in the digital realm. Information
does not remain in a fixed location, and information, though re¬
trieved once, will not necessarily be found again.8
Recognizing the changes imposed by digital technology,
schools of library and information studies have transformed the
portion of their curricula that emphasizes information and its man¬
agement. These information management programs stress the re¬
trieval of information by individuals or by software to meet user
needs. The information that the user wants should necessarily be
available on the World Wide Web, and information managers must
devise the various ways of ferreting it out.9 With search engines
still very much in the developmental stage, it will take a great
deal of effort to make Internet information more easily accessible,
uniform, and reliable.

Whither the Paperless Society?

The concept of a paperless society is a creature of the computer

age, evolving primarily in the 1970s when computer makers pre¬
dicted that the spread of word-processing technology would elimi¬
nate the need for paper.10
The leading scholar in the conceptualization of the paperless
society has been Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster. His ideas and inves-
226 Chapter 13

tigations of computer applications in the field of information stud¬

ies are well documented in the literature. Lancaster noted the
advances in the past thirty years in providing access to indexes
and abstracts not only in urban areas but in small communities by
means of personal computers equipped with modems for remote
access.
The effect of computers and telecommunications on libraries
has been felt in two ways. In the first case, computers have been
utilized for information recordkeeping in such areas as acquisi¬
tions, receipt of serials, circulation systems, and cataloging. As a
result we find a reduction in paper records, including the disap¬
pearance of the card catalog and the formation of networks to
share and exchange records. The second effect is the use of com¬
puters and telecommunications to allow libraries to access remote
databases. This permits libraries to increase greatly their capabili¬
ties for literature searching and question answering. Lancaster in¬
dicates that in many instances the librarian’s role could be
dramatically affected by the possibility that all of the information
needs for a particular institution could be obtained online. This in
fact is happening now. Thus in the future, librarians may operate
from an office through a terminal or even freelance remotely or
form into group practices and partnerships as attorneys currently
do.11
The concept of a paperless society has come under a great deal
of criticism. Brian Alley points out that “only a few short years
ago we were contemplating what the notion of a paperless society
could do to books, libraries and our nation’s timber resources. As
it turned out, the PC [personal computer] only served to create the
need for more paper and today, logging proceeds at a frantic pace
to produce even greater quantities of the mainstay of American
civilization: twenty-pound bond.”12
Lancaster may be right, but only up to a point. There is much
evidence that society still uses a lot of paper, even with so much
information available in electronic formats, and that the demand
for it is increasing. So long as the process of people helping peo¬
ple is effective, librarians and information professionals will be
around, and their use of paper will continue to increase.
Another critic indicates that librarians are skeptical of yet an¬
other “scientific solution” to all of their problems and that the use
of scientific jargon is a little suspect in light of current realities.
 Bibliography in the Information Age 227

This critic also points out that Lancaster’s views apply mainly to
scientific literature.13

Conclusion: Some Perspectives on Bibliography

as a Field of Study

It can be readily seen from the foregoing chapters that the study
of bibliography is much more than just delineating the various
types of bibliographical instalments and their characteristics.
Whenever information is transferred from a producer to a con¬
sumer or user, there usually is some form of bibliographical proc¬
ess or application involved. For example, whenever a search
engine is used on the Internet to find information, the indexing
that makes it possible to locate the information is bibliographical
in nature and lies at the heart of the process.
The study of things bibliographical is in a state of transforma¬
tion. Bibliographical instruments involved in the transfer of infor¬
mation are advancing in efficiency. This transformation also
involves libraries which have been unique in our society. They not
only select, organize, store, and retrieve information, but they also
subsidize access, protect intellectual freedom, and provide direct
assistance and instruction to users.14
Bibliographical services supported by libraries for centuries
will likely continue. These include access to collections world¬
wide and assistance to users, including responses to specific infor¬
mation needs and questions, information guidance, and formal
instructional resources and in database use. These services call for
an array of capable information professionals, specialists, and
staff in a library which may have a physical location or exist
“without walls.”15
New skills in the organization, storage, and retrieval of informa¬
tion are being stressed by schools of library and information sci¬
ence. These skills are likely to promote and enhance the
development of improved bibliographical access to information in
the future. Conventional bibliographical production, coupled with
the developing technology, offers exciting prospects for the future
of the study of bibliography in its various forms and applications.
228 Chapter 13

Selected Supplemental Resources

There has been an immense amount written about the information

revolution and age, most of it dealing with the organization, man¬
agement, storage, and retrieval of information. The New Informa¬
tion Revolution: A Reference Handbook (Santa Barbara: ABC-
CLIO, 1996) by Martin K. Gay provides a detailed introduction to
the origin, development, and social implications of the revolution.
The rest of the work includes a chronology of important events
which shaped the revolution, biographical sketches of key people
and organizations, representative charts and groups depicted, an¬
notated bibliographical references for print, and audiovisual and
digitally available resources.
Herbert S. White bemoans the lack of leadership in managing
information by the library and information studies professionals
in “The Passion to Be in Fashion,” Library Journal 122 (June 15,
1997), 48-49. Another critical evaluation of information manage¬
ment is offered by Charles A. Seavey in “A Failure of Vision:
Librarians Are Losing the War for Electronic Professional Turf,”
American Libraries 24 (November 1993), 943-944. Joel Silver in
“Technology and the World of Books Revisited,” AB Bookman’s
Weekly 95 (April 17, 1995), 1729-1734, discusses the impact of
technology on the world of antiquarian books.
More and more works concerned with the effect of information
access on society have appeared. Michael L. Dertouzos’s What
Will Be: How the New World of Information Will Change Our
Lives (San Francisco: HarperEdge, 1997) explores the ways in
which new electronic tools will assist in retrieving and using in¬
formation. In Data Smog: Surviving the Information Glut (San
Francisco: HarperEdge, 1997), David Shenk analyzes the effect of
information overload. He claims that the glut of information no
longer adds to our quality of life but rather cultivates stress. Other
writers believe that Shenk is wrong in this view. Arthur and Mari-
louise Kroker have edited Digital Delirium, (New York: St. Mar¬
tin’s Press, 1997), a collection of essays written by various experts
detailing the effects of information and technology on society.
Trends in analytical or critical bibliography have been treated in
only a handful of studies since the early 1960s. One of the earliest
of these was Frederick Noel Lawrence Poynter’s Bibliography:
Some Achievements and Perspectives (Berkeley and Los Angeles:
 Bibliography in the Information Age 229

University of California Press, 1961). He emphasizes cooperation

between printing historians, editors of literary texts, and library
catalogers in bibliographical studies. Two other trend studies ap¬
peared almost simultaneously in 1979. G. Thomas Tanselle’s
“The State of Bibliography Today,” Papers of the Bibliographical
Society of America 73 (Third Quarter 1979), 289-304, is an excel¬
lent review of analytical bibliography’s progress and achieve¬
ments up to 1979. With discussions of the nature and function of
analytical bibliography, Lawrence J. McCrank’s “Analytical and
Historical Bibliography: A State of the Art Review,” in Annual
Report of the American Rare, Antiquarian and Out-of-Print Book
Trade, 1978/79, edited by Denis Carbonneau (New York: BCAR
Publications, 1979), 175-185, surveys developments in the field,
including codicology and its relation to analytical bibliography,
collation techniques in textual studies, computer applications,
conservation techniques, the analysis of book materials and the
development of microfilm collections.
A more current work that can be considered a trend or survey
work is provided by David C. Greetham in Textual Scholarship:
An Introduction (New York: Garland Publishing, 1994). Designed
for graduates and upper-level undergraduates, editors, and literary
and textual critics, this historical and methodological survey is
richly illustrated with line drawings and photographs. There is
also a bibliography of scholarship (including a list of standard
editions in various fields) and an appendix of illustrated types of
scholarly editions with interpretive commentary.
The essays in The Book Encompassed: Studies in Twentieth-
Century Bibliography, edited by Peter Davison (Cambridge: Cam¬
bridge University Press, 1992), commemorating the centenary of
the Bibliographical Society (London), examine trends in biblio¬
graphical and textual studies during the twentieth century. In¬
cluded are essays about manuscript studies, enumerative and
descriptive bibliography, developments in the theory and practice
of editing texts, and the implications of computer technology on
bibliography.
Studies on the Internet and bibliography are largely limited to
bibliographical sources in various fields. “Bibliography on the In¬
ternet and World Wide Web,” Microcomputers in Information
Management 12 (March 1, 1995), 145, by Ching-Chih Chen
briefly examines the types of bibliographies available on the Web.
230 Chapter 13

Christopher C. Brown in “Creating Automated Bibliographies

Using Internet-Accessible Online Library Catalogs,” Database 17
(February 1994), 61-12, describes how bibliographies can quickly
be compiled using bibliographical formatting software such as
EndNote with records obtained from the Internet through public
access catalogs. Chuck Koutnik notes that the World Wide Web
can offer reference librarians some help in locating the answers to
reference questions in “The World Wide Web Is Here: Is the End
of Printed Reference Sources Near?” RQ 36 (Spring 1997), 422-
425. However, he is not quite convinced that the answer to his
titular question is yes.
The weaknesses of the Internet are explored by Colin S. John¬
ston in “Assessing the Impact of Electronic Information in the
Hot Zone 3: Republic of Meshnoon in the Year 2013,” Online and
CDROM Review 20 (October 1996), 254-256. The problems of
Web search engine effectiveness are defined by Xiaoying Doug
and Louise T. Su in “Search Engines on the World Wide Web and
Information Retrieval from the Internet: A Review and Evalua-
tion "Online and CD-ROM Review 21 (April 1997), 67-81. In it
several search engines are analyzed with respect to various criteria
and compared regarding their ability to retrieve certain types of
information.
One of the major factors affecting the transfer of information in
the information age has been the progress of digital information.
The dramatic effect of digitalization and its effect on society and
the access and use of information is treated by Nicholas Negro-
ponte in Being Digital (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996). He
explores the endless possibilities of the future of the digital revo¬
lution in clear and understandable language. Eric C. Shoaf indi¬
cates that the digital age is no longer in the future—it is here now
and will play an important part in the preservation of historical
documents and make them readily available in “Preservation and
Digitalization: Trends and Implications” in Advances in Librari-
anship, edited by Irene Godden (San Diego: Academic Press,
1996), 20: 223-239. The many challenges of the digital revolu¬
tion, including standardization, redefinition of roles, and improve¬
ment of bibliographical management techniques, are discussed by
Douglas E. Van Houweling in “Knowledge Services in the Digi¬
tized World: Possibilities and Strategies” in Electronic Access to
Information: A New Service Paradigm (Mountain View, CA: Re¬
search Libraries Group, 1994), 5-16.
 Bibliography in the Information Age 231

The implications of digital libraries are expertly presented by

Deanna B. Marcum in “Digital Libraries: For When? For What?”
Journal of Academic Librarianship 23 (March 1997), 81-84.
Susan Alden offers beginning guide to digital applications for li¬
brarians in “Digital Imaging on a Shoestring: A Primer for Librar¬
ians,” Information Technology and Libraries 15 (December
1996), 247-250.
Writings on the paperless society are numerous and mostly neg¬
ative. The leading scholar supporting the concept has been Freder¬
ick Wilfrid Lancaster, whose first major work on the subject was
Toward Paperless Information Systems (New York: Academic
Press, 1978). This was followed by other articles, including “The
Paperless Society Revisited,” American Libraries 16 (September
1985), 553-555. An extensive survey article by Nancy L. Herron,
“The Paperless Society,” Encyclopedia of Library and Informa¬
tion Science (New York: Marcel Dekker, 1986), 41 suppl. 6: 277-
289, focuses on Lancaster’s views and comments on their impact
upon library and information studies. There have been many who
dispute Lancaster’s views, such as noted economist Robert J.
Samuelson in “The Endless Paper Chase,” Newsweek 130 (De¬
cember 1, 1997), 53. Samuelson claims that the paperless society
is an idea whose time has come and gone and who is happy that
it will not come to pass.

Notes

1. Bryan Bunch and Alexander Heilmans. The Timetables of Technol¬

ogy: A Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in the His¬
tory of Technology (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993), 410. This
work contains an excellent chapter on “The Information Age” (p. 410-
417) that is a good overview of the subject.
2. Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster, The Dissemination of Scientific and
Technical Information: Toward a Paperless System (Urbana: Graduate
School of Library Science, University of Illinois, 1977), 4.
3. Robin Alston, “Bibliography in the Computer Age, ” Canadian Is¬
sues 15 (1993), 57.
4. Colin S. Johnston, “Assessing the Impact of Electronic Informa¬
tion in the Hot Zone 3: Republic of Meshnoon in the Year 2013,” Online
and CDROM Review 20 (October 1996), 254-255.
5. Susan Alden, “Digital Imaging on a Shoestring: A Primer for Li-
232 Chapter 13

brarians,” Information Technology and Libraries 15 (December 1996),

247.
6. Philip Barker, “Electronic Libraries of the Future, ” Encyclopedia
of Library and Information Science, edited by Allen Kent (New York:
Marcel Dekker, 1997), 59, suppl. 22; 146.
7. Deanna B. Marcum, “Digital Libraries: For Whom? For What?”
Journal of Academic Librarianship 23 (March 1997), 82-83.
8. Marcum, 83.
9. Marcum, 83.
10. Michael Johnson, Business Buzzwords: The Tough New Jargon of
Modern Business (Oxford: Blackwell, 1990), 107.
11. Lancaster, 390. Lancaster reports progress toward the paperless
society in his article, “The Paperless Society Revisited,” American Li¬
braries 16 (September 1985), 553-555.
12. Brian Alley, “The Electronic Scholar vs. the Electronic Reader,
Technicalities 11 (June 1991), 1.
13. Gabriel Austin, “To the Editor,” College and Research Libraries
40 (May 1979), 267-268.
14. See Robin Alston, “Bibliography in the Computer Age,” in The
Book Encompassed: Studies in Twentieth-Century Bibliography, edited
by Peter Davison (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 276-
289. This essay was a paper originally read to the Bibliographical Society
(London) in 1990.
15. The Academic Library in The Information Age: Changing Roles
(Seal Beach, CA: Trustees of The California State University, 1997), 1.
This study was produced by the Consortium for Education Technology
for University Systems, California State University, State University of
New York, and City University of New York as part of their discussion
series.
16. The Academic Library, 2.
 Appendix A

Abbreviations Used in Bibliography

General Abbreviations

• . • ellipsis (omission)
abr abridged
Acs autograph card, signed
ad, adv advertisement
AD autograph document, not signed
ADs autograph document, signed
Adds additions
a. e. g. all edges gilt
AL autograph letter, not signed
ALs autograph letter, signed
AMs s autograph manuscript, signed
anon anonymous
anr another
ANs autograph note, signed
ap author’s proof

b bom; or back of page (verso)

bd bound
bdg binding
bds boards
bev beveled
bf bold face (type)
bib bibliography
bkrm buckrum (binding material)
bkstrp backstrip
bl black letter

233
234 Appendix A

b/w black and white

bxd boxed, as it came from the publisher

c copyright; or circa
ca circa (about, approximately)
cap collated and perfect
capt caption
cat catalog
cent century
cf calf (binding material)
chpd chipped
cl cloth
cm centimeter (approx. 2/5 inch)
col color or colored; column; colophon
cond condition
cont contemporary (not continued)
cor corrected
cov cover(s)
cpl complete
cr crown octavo (a book size)
cvr cover(s)

D° duodecimo (12 mo) (a book size)

d died
dec decorated
dj. dw (d/w) dust jacket, dust wrapper
doc document
Ds document, signed
dup duplicate

ed edition, editor
ed dl de luxe edition
ee edges
eg edges gilt
eng engraved or engraving
ep endpaper(s)
est established
ex exchange allowed
ex-ill extra-illustrated
ex-lib ex-library copy
 Abbreviations Used in Bibliography 235

f in fine condition (not fair)

F folio (a book size)
facs facsimile(s)
fcp foolscap (a British book size)
fdc first-day cover
fe fore-edge
ff folios (leaves); or following
fg fine-grain (leather)
fig figure(s)
fly flyleaf
fo folio
fp or front(is) frontispiece
fs facsimile
fx foxed or foxing

g gilt; or in good condition

gb gilt back
gbe gilt beveled back
ge gilt edge
gl gothic letter
glo glossary
gr grain
gt gilt top

he hardcover
hf bd half-bound in leather
hf cf half-bound in calf
hm handmade

id idem (the same)

IFT indexed, folio’d, and titled
ihm imitation handmade (paper)
ill illustrated or illustration(s)
imit imitation
imp imperfect (a book condition)
Imp Imperial (a British book size)
impr imprint
insc inscribed or inscription
IPT indexed, paged, and titled
ital italics or italic letter
236 Appendix A

JP Japanese vellum

1 leaf; or lower
le limited edition
lea leather
lev levant morocco (a type of bookbinding)
lg large (as in large-paper copy)
litho lithographed
11 leaves
loc located
lp large paper
Ls letter, signed
ltd limited

m marbled
mco morocco
me marbled edge(s)
mor morocco
mps marbled paper sides
ms(s) manuscript(s)
mtd mounted

nb nota bene (mark well)

nd no date given
nep or NE/nd new edition in preparation
np no place, publisher, or printer given
nu name unknown
ny no year indicated

o° Octavo (8vo) (a book size)

ob oblong
op out of print
opp out of print, at present
orig original
os out of stock
o/w otherwise

p (for pp) page (for pages)

P paper; or post (after); or a poor copy
pdp paste-down endpaper(s)
 Abbreviations Used in Bibliography 237

pict pictorial
Pi plate
pol polished (leather)
port portrait(s)
PP printed pages
PP privately printed; or private press
pref preface
prelims preliminary leaves
pres presentation copy
prtg printing or printed
pseud pseudonym
Pt part or in parts
ptd printed
pub published, publisher, or publication

Q quarto (4to) (a book size)

qto quarto

rb rubbed; or rebound or rebinding

ref reference
rev revision or revised
rpt reprint or reprinted

s signed; or sprinkled
sa sine anno (no date)
ser series
sg or sgd signed or signature
sig signature
sm small
s n sine nomine (no publsher indicated)
spec bdg special binding
spr sprinkled
sq square book
stns stains
stp stamped
swd sewed

t title page; or translated

teg top edge gilt
thk thick (volume)
238 Appendix A

TLs typed letter, signed

tP title page
tpd tipped in
trans translator
ts typescript

uc upper cover (top, in British use); or upper case

unb unbound
up university press

vd various dates, years

vg a very good (copy or condition)
vol volume
vp various places

w/ with
w af with all faults; as is
wrps wrappers

X Christian
xc excellent condition
x-lib ex-library copy

ye yellow edges

Book Size Abbreviations

American
F Folio 13 inches or taller
4to quarto between 11 and 13 inches
8 vo octavo 8 to 9 inches
12mo duodecimo around 7 inches or slightly taller
16mo septoecimo 6 to 7 inches
24mo vigesimoquarto 5 to 6 inches
32mo trigesimosecundo 4 to 5 inches
48mo fortyeightmo less than 4 inches tall
64mo sixtyfourmo about 3 inches tall
 Abbreviations Used in Bibliography 239

British

Im Fol Imperial Folio 22 x 1572

Ry Fol Royal Folio 20 x 1272
Cr Fol Crown Folio 15 x 10
Fo Fol Foolscap Folio 1372 x 10
Imp 4to Imperial Quarto 15 x 11
Ry 4to Royal Quarto 1272 x 10
Med 4to Medium Quarto 12 x 972
Dy 4to Demy Quarto 1172 x 874
Cr 4to Crown Quarato 872 x 63/4
Imp 8vo Imperial Octavo 11 x 772
Ry 8 vo Royal Octavo 10 x 672
M 8vo Medium Octavo 972 x 6
Dy 8 vo Demy Octavo 83/4 x 5Vs
L Cr 8vo Large Crown Octavo 8 x 572
Cr 8vo Crown Octavo 772 x 5
E 8vo Foolscap Octavo 672 x 472
■V ' *<.

,
 Appendix B

Glossary of Bibliographical Terms

This glossary includes a list of common terms and expressions

used in bibliography and bibliographical searching. Terms in the
following definitions that have separate entries are shown in
italics.

Abridgment: A shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and

unity of the original.
Abstract: A brief summary or description of a book or journal article.
Abstracting Service: Abstracts in a particular field or on a particular sub¬
ject prepared by an individual or company and supplied regularly to
subscribers or on request.
Access Point: A data element used to retrieve a particular file or record.
For example, a keyword assigned to a record by an indexer is one
access point, among several others, to that record in the file.
Acronym: A word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the
words in an organization or group name or term, e.g., UNESCO is
the acronym for United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization.
Analytical Bibliography: Analytical, or critical, bibliography involves the
critical analysis of the text and its presentation. As such it is vitally
concerned with the text in various stages of transmission. See also Tex¬
tual Bibliography.
Analytical Entry: The entry of some part of a work or of some article
contained in a collection (volume of essays, serial, etc.), including a
reference to the publication that contains the article or work entered.
Annotation: A note accompanying an entry in a bibliography or catalog,
intended to describe or evaluate the work cited.
Anonymous: Authorship unknown or unavowed.
Appendix: Matter that follows the text of a book, which it usually illus¬
trates, enlarges on, or supports by statistics.
Archives: (1) The organized body of records made or received in connec-

241
242 Appendix B

tion with the transaction of affairs by a government or a governmental

agency, institution, organization, or establishment, or a family or indi¬
vidual, and preserved for record purposes in its custody or that of its
legal successors (collective noun used properly only in the plural). (2)
An institution for the preservation and servicing of noncurrent archival
material.
Author: The original writer or composer of a book, treatise, or document,
as distinguished from an editor, compiler, or translator.
Author Bibliography: A bibliography that lists the works by or about an
author.
Baud Rate: A standard measure for rating the speed of data communica¬
tions. For example, a terminal operating at 1200 baud (generally equiv¬
alent to 1,200 bits per second) can send or receive data at roughly 120
characters per second or about 1,200 words per minute.
Bibliographer: (1) A person who describes the physical characteristics of
books by recognized methods. ( 2) One who prepares bibliographies
by recognized principles.
Bibliographical Control: The uniform identification of items or recorded
information in various media and the mechanism for gaining subse¬
quent access to such information.
Bibliographical Database: A database of information in the form of re¬
cords that identify works, documents, or bibliographical items.
Bibliographical Form: The style used for arranging information in a cita¬
tion or bibliography.
Bibliographical Organization: The pattern of effective arrangement
achieved by means of a systematic listing of recorded knowledge.
Bibliography: (1) The art or science of the description and history of
books, including their physical makeup, authorship, editions, printing,
publication, and so forth. (2) An intermediary instrument or device
that assists in the transmission of information from the producer to the
ultimate consumer.
Bibliography of Bibliographies: A bibliographies that lists useful bibliog¬
raphies, normally by subject, place, or individual.
Bibliophilic Bibliography: A listing of materials related to and for book
collectors.
Binding: The process of folding, trimming, and assembling various ele¬
ments of a printed folder, brochure, or book.
Bits and Bytes: Computers code all information, including text, graphics,
and sound, into digits. The smallest unit of computer information is a
one or zero, called a bit. Eight bits make up one byte. A byte, which
can have 256 different values, usually represents one character of text.
Bits per Second (bps): A unit that measures how fast computer informa¬
tion is transmitted.
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 243

Book: A number of sheets of paper, parchment, or other material with

writing or printing on them, fastened together along one edge, usually
between protective covers.
Boolean Logic: A method of logic developed by George Boole, an En¬
glish mathematician, which uses the logical operators—for example,
AND, OR, and NOT—to show relationships between sets or terms.
Most online systems (but not all) allow the searcher the use of Boolean
logic in developing search strategies.
Browser see Web Browser
Byte see Bits and Bytes
Catalog: (1) A list or enumeration of names, titles, or articles arranged
methodically, often in alphabetical order and usually with descriptive
details, number or price accompanying each item. (2) A book or pam¬
phlet containing such a list, together with other information, as a uni¬
versity, library, or museum catalog.
CD-ROM: The acronym for compact disk, read only memory.
Citation: The segment of a record that gives sufficient details to locate
the document that the record represents.
Citation Index: A list of articles that, subsequent to the appearance of an
original article, refer to (cite) that article.
Classification: A systematic scheme or arrangement of books and other
material according to a subject or form.
Codex: A manuscript in book form.
Codicology: A counterpart of analytical bibliography, codicology is the
study of literary texts and narrative history, and sometimes with liturgi¬
cal texts, but not necessarily of discrete documents, even when these
are bound in codex form.
Collation: (1) The technical description of a book, including pagination,
format, signatures, and plates; that is, the examination of the sheets of
a book that is to be bound in order to ensure that the pages, plates,
indexes, etc., are in proper order. (2) The act of comparing a book or
set of sheets or signatures.
Colophon: A statement given in a book at the end of the text proper
(common in early printed works though only occasionally seen in mod¬
em ones) giving some or all of the following particulars: the title or
subject of the work, the name of the author, the name of the printer or
the publisher (or both), the place and date of printing, and often the
typeface and paper used. In addition there may be the device of the
printer or the publisher, which alone would not constitute a colophon.
Command Language: The set of instructions used by a searcher to com¬
municate with a computer in a particular search system.
Concordance: An alphabetical index of words showing the places in the
text of a book or an author’s complete works where each may be found.
244 Appendix B

Connect Time: The amount of time a remote terminal is connected to a

host computer. This measure is usually one of the major elements in
the costs associated with online searching.
Controlled Vocabulary: A specific and exclusive list of subject terms that
are selected to represent concepts. Access to the controlled vocabulary
of a database is usually available via a thesaurus.
Coordinate Index: An index that links references in such a way as to
relate all references pertinent to a particular subject. The index allows
a user to find those references that share two or more common charac¬
teristics of interest for a given search.
Copyright: The exclusive privilege of publishing and selling a work,
granted by a government to an author, composer, artist, etc.
Corporate Entry: Catalog or index entry under the name of an organiza¬
tion or an institution, rather than an individual.
Cradle Books see Incunabula
Critical Bibliography see Analytical Bibliography
Cross-Reference: A reference made from one part of a book to another,
or from one catalog or index entry to another.
Cumulative Index: An index in periodical form which combines succes¬
sively the entries of earlier issues in volumes into a single index.
Data Element: A category of information within a record. For example,
the title of an article is a standard data element in a bibliographical
record. This term is often used interchangeably with fields.
Database: An organized collection of related records. See also file.
Descriptive Bibliography: This branch of analytical bibliography is con¬
cerned with the precise description of books as physical objects.
Descriptor: A term (one or more words) which is assigned to describe
the content of an item in a database. Although often used interchange¬
ably with identifier, descriptor has come to mean a term chosen from a
controlled vocabulary list or thesaurus, whereas identifier is a “natu¬
ral-language” term; i.e., it is assigned by the indexer but not chosen
from a controlled vocabulary list.
Document: (1) An original or official paper relied upon as the basis of
proof or support of something else. (2) Any writing, book, or other
instrument conveying information.
Documentation: (1) The systematic collection, classification, recording,
storage, and dissemination of specialized information, generally of a
technical or scientific nature. ( 2) Written description of a computerized
system’s operating programs and facilities. A full and complete docu¬
mentation is very important to a system’s maintenance and often is the
only means of finding out how to change the system when it becomes
desirable to do so after its installation.
Downloading: The process that allows one to transfer or copy a retrieved
record to a floppy disk or hard drive.
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 245

Edition: All copies of a book, magazine, or newspaper produced from

one setting of type.
Editor: One who prepares for publication a work or collection of works
or articles by another person.
Elective Bibliography see Selective Bibliography
End User: The individual who ultimately uses the information retrieved
in a search. This person may or may not be the terminal operator.
Entry: A record of a book or other piece of graphic material in a catalog
or list.
Enumerative Bibliography: (1) One of the main branches of the study of
bibliography dealing with graphic materials as intellectual entities. (2)
A listing of materials with some recognized relationship to one another.
Also called a systematic bibliography.
False Drop see False Hit
False Hit: A citation retrieved in a computer search that meets the re¬
quirements of the stated logic, yet is irrelevant because of semantic or
syntactic variations that were either unanticipated in the original profile
or were unavoidable. Sometimes called a false drop.
Field: A set of characters in a database treated as a unit which denotes a
particular kind of data (e.g., author field, title field). This term is often
used interchangeably with data element.
File: A database or a collection of related records. Some computer spe¬
cialists refer to a database as a group of files, but in the online field
these terms have become virtually synonymous.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP): A software procedure that provides a sim¬
ple way for users to transfer files to and from remote servers. Data files
are stored in a DOS-like directory structure with a short file name
describing what is contained within the file. FTP can transfer files in
two modes: binary or ASCII format.
Format: An ordered arrangement of a computer disk for storage that ar¬
ranges locations for information into sections or sectors.
Free-Text Searching: Searching without the use of a thesaurus or con¬
trolled vocabulary. Words in an abstract, for example, are often search¬
able in an online system, but successful retrieval of an item using full-
text searching of the abstract would depend on both the presence of the
term in the abstract and the thoughtfulness of the searcher in choosing
that term for searching.
Full-Text: Refers to databases containing the entire text of articles, cases,
or other original information sources. These files are distinguished
from bibliographical databases, which contain only bibliographical ref¬
erences and perhaps summaries.
General Bibliography: A bibliography that is not necessarily limited by
time, geographical area, language, subject, or form. Also called a uni¬
versal bibliography.
246 Appendix B

Gopher: A way of storing and transfering files in the Internet using full
descriptions of files and directories to make transferring files more
user-friendly. Gopher search utilities can be built into Web browsers
such as Microsoft Explorer and Netscape or can be a separate applica¬
tion such as TurboGopher for the Macintosh.
Graphic Database: A database that consists primarily of images or pic¬
tures rather than text.
Historical Bibliography: A branch of analytical bibliography largely fo¬
cused on the origin of the book, first printings, printers of the exem¬
plary works, and the historical background of literary works.
Hits see Postings
Homepage: The opening screen of any website.
Host Computer: An online vendor’s computer to which terminals are
connected through the communications network.
Hot Links: Transfer mechanisms built into websites for automatic transi¬
tion to other related websites.
Hyper text Mark-up Language (HTML): The standard text document for¬
mat on the Internet.
Identifiers: Keywords added to a bibliographical citation to improve its
retrievability. Identifiers differ from descriptors in that they are terms
usually drawn from the original text and do not conform to a standard
or controlled vocabulary list. In many databases identifiers are used to
highlight either new concepts for which no commonly agreed upon
subject terms exist or specific names (e.g., of tests) for which a general
subject term has been deemed inappropriate.
Imprint: (1) The name of a publisher, usually with the place and the date
of issue, generally placed at the bottom of the title page; (2) The name
of the publisher’s subsidiary or division under which a book is issued.
Incunabula: Books printed before 1501, or roughly, during the first fifty
years following the invention of printing and publication of the Guten¬
berg Bible in 1455. The word means “cradle” or “swaddling clothes,”
indicating works produced during the infancy period of printing with
movable type.
Index: (1) A table or list, usually alphabetical, of topics, names, etc., in a
book, giving the number of the page or pages where each can be found,
commonly placed at the end of the work; (2) A list of periodicals or
books, or a guide to them.
Interactive System: An online system which allows the user to input
instructions, receive a response, and then modify or manipulate the
retrieved results. All online database systems currently are considered
to be interactive systems. They are also referred to as conversational
systems.
Intermediary: A specialist who performs searches on behalf of the end
user of the information thereby retrieved.
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 247

Internet: The global network that connects thousands of computer net¬

works together. After one computer is connected to the Internet with a
cable or a modem that computer may communicate directly with any
other computer connected to the Internet.
Internet Protocol (IP): The special communications language that com¬
puters connected to the Internet use to communicate with each other.
An IP connection provides complete access to all services available on
the Internet, including sound and graphics.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): A company that supplies public access
to the Internet using modems. ISPs are directly connected to the In¬
ternet using special high-speed telephone lines.
Introduction: A preliminary portion of a book leading to the main subject
matter. An introduction is usually an attempt to define the organization
and limits of a work; a preface, by contrast, may explain the author’s
reason for undertaking the work, his or her qualifications, or indebted¬
ness to other authorities for their help, etc.
Inverted Index (.Inverted File): The computer index containing each ac¬
cess point in a machine-readable record on which a search can be
made. Inverted indexes are central to online computer systems, allow¬
ing them to search vast numbers of terms without having to scan long
strings of textual matter.
Issue: (1)A distinct group of copies of an edition. (2) A single part of a
volume such as an issue of a journal.
Items see postings
Joint Author: A person who writes a book in collaboration with one or
more associates. Also called a coauthor.
Keyword: A word or term that refers to a subject concept or a particular
person, place, or thing; typically a noun.
Leaf: A sheet of paper, usually in a book, having a page on each side.
Limiting: A method of restricting or narrowing a search by use of Bool¬
ean logic, field-specific searching, or a combination of the two
methods.
Location Symbol: An identifying mark, such as a combination of letters,
used in a bibliography, union list, or union catalog to indicate a library
or collection where a copy of a given work may be found.
Logical Operators see Boolean Logic
Logging Off: The procedure used to end an online search session.
Logging On: The procedure used to begin an online search session.
Machine-Readable: Recorded in a form which a computer or other elec¬
tronic device can read and process.
Main Entry: In a card catalog or index, the entry under which full infor¬
mation is given, usually the author entry.
Microcomputer: A complete computing system which utilizes a micro-
248 Appendix B

processor as its central processing unit and which also includes mem¬
ory; circuitry for input, output, and other functions; a power supply,
and a keyboard or control panel.
Microprocessor: A central processing unit using large-scale integration
technology. Sometimes referred to as a “computer on a chip.”
Modem: A telecommunications device linking computer terminals and
computer systems through telephone circuits.
Monograph: A systematic and complete treatise on a particular subject,
usually detailed in treatment but not extensive in scope. It need not be
bibliographically independent.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME): Used to send pictures,
wordprocessing files, and other nontext information through e-mail.
National Bibliography: A bibliography that is limited to materials pub¬
lished within a given country. Compare Trade Bibliography.
Netscape: A popular World Wide Web browser.
Network: Two or more computers connected together by cables, tele¬
phone lines or radio transmissions.
Node: Any device connected to the network.
Non-Bibliographical Database: A collection of data which is numeric,
full-text, or directory in nature rather than bibliographical.
Numerical Database see Statistical Database
Offline: A method of data processing in which all search requirements
are processed without interaction between a computer and the user;
also referred to as batch mode processing since it is most economical
to process a large number of computer jobs together in this manner.
Online: A method of processing information in which the user is able to
interact with a computer during the searching process, that is, while the
equipment is on the line to the computer.
Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC): Formerly known as the
Ohio College Library Center established in the mid-1970s, this biblio¬
graphical utility provides computer-based services organized by and
for libraries whereby members contribute to and modify the resource
databases as needed to provide various library and information ser¬
vices.
Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC): An automated catalog system
used to locate and retrieve library holdings.
Online Searching: A methof of searching wherein the search is processed
while the user is connected to the computer, thereby allowing the user
to interact with the computer and adapt the search according to the
computer’s responses.
Open Entry: A catalog entry that provides for the addition of information
concerning a work of which the library does not have a complete set,
or about which complete information is lacking.
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 249

Pagination: The numbering of the pages of a book. In electronic composi¬

tion systems, pagination includes most or all functions of page makeup.
Password: A unique identification code, usually a set of letters and/or
numbers, which gives individual users access to an online system and
which the online vendors use to charge their users.
Permuterm Index: A subject index of keywords aligned alphabetically,
providing multiple indexing points for significant words in the title.
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP): A type of Internet protocol dial-up ac¬
count with an Internet service provider.
Postings: The group of unique records in a given set of search results;
used almost interchangeably with hits and items.
Preface see Introduction
Primary Literature: Manuscripts, records, or documents of original re¬
search. Also called source documents, or original sources. Compare
Secondary Literature and Tertiary Literature.
Printout: A record on paper of the results of a computer’s computations
and processing.
Proceedings'. The published record of a meeting of a society or other
organization, frequently accompanied by abstracts or reports of papers
presented. Compare transactions.
Proximity Operators: Terms, such as with, near, and same, used to asso¬
ciate two or more search terms and establish an approximate relation¬
ship, typically within a number of words, a sentence, or a paragraph.
Pseudonym: A name used by an author, other than his or her real name.
Also called a pen name or nom de plume.
Publisher: Person, firm, or corporate body responsible for the issuing of
a book or other printed matter.
Query see Search
Random Access: A term used in computer storage systems which refers
to a method of retrieval, used in virtually all online systems, wherein
the time required to access a piece of information is independent of its
position in a sequential set of records on the storage medium. Previous
to random access technology, a database would be searched in a se¬
quential fashion (i.e., each item in a file would have to be examined in
order and in turn).
Record: A unit of related information in a database. In a bibliographical
database, a record generally refers to all of the information stored in
one document (e.g., a book or journal article).
Reference: The information (e.g., author, title, journal title, page) which
identifies a source document.
Reprint: (1) A new printing of a book. (2) An edition in cheaper form
than the original and often issued by another publisher specializing in
such popular editions.
250 Appendix B

Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN): Founded in 1974 by

the Research Libraries Group (RLG), this major bibliographical utility,
like OCLC, provides computer-based bibliographical services to mem¬
ber libraries.
Response Time: The amount of time it takes the computer to respond to
a user’s query.
Resume: A summary of the chief points of a work.
Retrospective Search: A search that traces literature of a subject back¬
ward in time.
Revised Edition: A book that has been reissued with changes from the
original or previous edition.
Scope Note: A brief statement, often added to an index term or subject
heading, that clarifies the range of meaning.
Scroll: (1) A roll of papyrus or parchment and also, later, of paper. ( 2)
A writing formed into a roll, such as the engrossed proceedings of a
public body or court.
Search: The act of requesting the computer to respond to a specific infor¬
mation need through use of a search statement, or query.
Search Analyst see Searcher
Search Key see Access Point
Search Strategy: The method selected in using a retrieval system for a
particular search.
Search Term: Subject heading or keyword used to locate material in in¬
dexes or the card catalog.
Searcher: An individual who analyzes a reference question, formulates a
search strategy, and operates a terminal. This person may or may not
be the end user of the search results.
Secondary Literature: Sources that contain worked-over information
(textbooks, encyclopedias, reviews, indexes, abstracts, and so on) and
can help lead to primary literature. See also Tertiary Literature.
“See Also” Reference: A direction in a catalog or index from one entry
to another term or name under which additional or allied information
may be found. Compare “See” Reference.
“See ” Reference: A direction in a catalog or index from a term or name
under which no substantive entries are listed to the term or name under
which the entry sought is listed. Compare “See Also ” Reference.
Selective Bibliography: A bibliography with a limited, well-defined
scope. Examples are special reading lists issued by a library and books
devoted to the “best” works for adults, children, students, business
people, and others. Also called an elective bibliography.
Serial: A publication issued in successive parts, usually at regular inter¬
vals and generally intended to be continued indefinitely. (Serials may
include magazines, periodicals, annals, proceedings, transactions, etc.)
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 251

Series: Separate and successive publications on a given subject, having a

collective series title and uniform format, and usually all issued by the
same publisher.
Series Statement: The name of a series to which a book belongs, enclosed
in parentheses on the catalog card or bibliographical entry.
Server: A computer connected to the Internet that provides information
to other computers connected to the Internet.
Set: The group of records which is retrieved at any one step of a search
process. See also Postings.
Software: The set of programs, procedures, and languages used in a com¬
puter system. The term often connotes the availability of the programs
for purchase or lease.
Source Documents: The journal articles, monographs, or other original
or primary literature which is indexed by or accessed through the data¬
base.
Statistical Database: A database of information that primarily consists of
statistical or numerical data. Also called a numerical database.
Style Manual: A manual that ensures consistency in spelling, capitaliza¬
tion, punctuation, abbreviations, footnoting, and bibliographical form
within a work or series of works..
Subheading: A secondary heading or title, usually set in less prominent
type than the main subject heading to divide the entries under a subject.
Subject Bibliography: A bibliography that is restricted to one subject or
to one subject field.
Subject Heading: A word, or group of words, under which all materials
dealing with a given subject are entered in an index, catalog, orbibliog-
raphy. See also Subheading.
Subtitle: An additional, or second, title to a book.
Systematic Bibliography see Enumerative Bibliography
Table of Contents: A list of preliminary sections, chapter titles, and other
parts of a book, or of articles in a periodical, with references to pages
on which they begin. Often simply called contents.
Telnet: Terminal emulation which gives a user remote access to a com¬
puter on the Internet.
Terminal: A data communications device which enters data into and re¬
ceives data from a computer.
Tertiary Literature: Material which provides access to secondary litera¬
ture and primary literature.
Text: The main matter of a book or similar work, as distinguished from
display matter, front matter, notes, appendix, and index.
Textual Bibliography: The application of the principles of analytical bib¬
liography to the correction and interpretation of a text. It is much the
same as textual criticism and is most often applied in editing literary
works.
252 Appendix B

Thesaurus: A list of controlled vocabulary terms, usually cross-refer¬

enced and often showing relationships among terms.
Thesis: A substantial paper (usually based on original research) presented
by a candidate in partial fulfillment of the requirement for an academic
degree or diploma.
Title Entry: A catalog or index filed under the title of a work.
Title Page: A page at the beginning of a book, usually on the right (recto),
giving the work’s title, its author (if acknowledged), and usually its
publisher, with place and date of publication.
Trade Bibliography: A bibliography issued for, and usually by, the book¬
sellers and publishers of a particular nation; often used as a syno9nym
for national bibliography
Transactions: Published papers and abstracts of papers presented at a
meeting of a learned society. The distinction between transactions and
proceedings is that generally transactions are the papers of a meeting,
which proceedings are the deliberations and results of the meeting.
Truncation: The shortening of a word being searched for rather than using
the whole word.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL): An “address” used by Web browsers
to receive information published by a server. URLs usually refer to
WWW servers using a form like http://www.clybertoday.com/, but
they may also refer to File Transfer Protocol servers.
Union List: A complete record of the holdings for a group of libraries of
material of a given type, in a certain field, or on a subject, sometimes
known as a union finding list.
Unit Record see Record.
Universal Bibliography see General Bibliography
Update: (1) The material most recently added to a database. (2)The proc¬
ess of adding material to a database: e.g., the database is updated
monthly.
Upload: The process of transmitting a file stored locally (usually on a
microcomputer) to a remote computer (usually a large mainframe). In
the context of information storage and retrieval, this usually means a
private database is created on an in-house computer and then is trans¬
mitted via telecommunications to an online vendor (uploaded) for stor¬
age and future retrieval.
Venn Diagrams: Drawings in which circles are used to represent sets to
demonstrate the effect of Boolean operators.
Web Browser: A program used on a personal computer to access the
World Wide Web, File Transfer Protocol, and other servers. Requires
an Internet Protocol connection to the Internet. A good example of a
Web browser is Netscape.
Western Library Network (WLN): Formerly known as the Washington
 Glossary of Bibliographical Terms 253

Library Network this bibliographical utility provides services on a re¬

gional basis. There are a number of these networks in the United States.
World Wide Web: A business-oriented, multimedia network of interlinked
sites on the Internet. To access the Web one is required to go through
an Internet Service Provider using a Web browser.
 Appendix C

Major Bibliographical Organizations

Most bibliographical organizations are groups of professional

scholars and others engaged in gathering information about liter¬
ary works. Some specialize in promoting literary criticism, the
art of bookmaking, or book collecting. Many promote historical
research on books and publish studies containing the results of
such research. Below is a selected list of major organizations. Ad¬
dresses have been verified from current directories.

American Antiquarian Society

185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609
Founded in 1812, this organization attempts to gather, present,
and promote serious study of the materials of early American his¬
tory and life. As part of its publishing program, the society issues
bibliographical works of great value relating to early American
publishing and its impact on American civilization. The society’s
proceedings are published semiannually.

American Society of Indexers

P.O. Box 48267
Seattle, WA 98148-0267
Founded in 1968, this organization includes professional index¬
ers, librarians, editors, publishers, and organizations employing
indexers. The ASI works to improve the quality of indexing and
adherence to indexing standards and to promote research on new
indexing methods. The society issues a number of publications
including a newsletter.

Association for the Bibliography of History

c/o Charles D’Aniello
Lockwood Library

255
256 Appendix C

State University of New York at Buffalo

Amherst, NY 14260
(Latest address 1996)
Founded in 1978, membership includes historians, bibliogra¬
phers, librarians, and others who promote the development of bib¬
liographical skills and tools to facilitate the study of history. The
association also seeks to uphold professional standards in the dis¬
semination of information through bibliography and to support
education and the building of careers in historical bibliography.
The ABH publishes a semiannual newsletter.

Bibliographical Society (London)

c/o National Art Library
Victoria & Albert Museum
South Kensington
London SW7 2RL, England
Founded in 1892, membership includes bibliographers, book¬
sellers, book collectors, academics of all kinds, and anyone inter¬
ested in historical and critical bibliography. The society promotes
and encourages study and research in the fields of historical, ana¬
lytical, descriptive and textual bibliography, and the history of
printing, publishing, bookselling, bookbinding and collections.
The society also publishes a well-known quarterly journal. The
Library. Website URL: http://crane.ukc.ac.uk/secl/bibsoc/

Bibliographical Society of America

RO. Box 1537
Lenox Hill Station
New York, NY 10021
As the oldest American bibliographical group founded in 1904,
the society includes in its membership scholars, collectors, librari¬
ans, rare book dealers, and others interested in books and biblio¬
graphical studies. It encourages bibliographical research and
issues bibliographical publications, including its quarterly Papers.
Web site URL: http://www.cla.sc.edu/engl/bsa/

Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand

c/o Sec. Margaret Dent
National Library of Australia
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
 Major Bibliographical Organizations 257

The society was founded in 1969 to promote research in bibli¬

ography. Its membership includes individuals from many different
professions. It publishes a journal called The Bulletin and issues a
newsletter The Broadsheet. Web site URL: http://www.curtin.edu-
.alu/curtin/dept/sils/bsanz.htm.

Bibliographical Society of Canada

c/o Secretary
RO. Box 575
Postal Station P
Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 2T1
Founded in 1946, the principal aims of the society are to pro¬
mote bibliographical publications; to encourage the preservation
and to extend the knowledge of printed works and manuscripts,
particularly those relating to Canada; to facilitate the exchange of
information concerning rare Canadiana; and to coordinate biblio¬
graphical activity and set standards. The society publishes two
issues annually of its Papers/Cahiers and a Bulletin, as well as
other bibliographical works. Website URL: http://library.utoron-
to.ca/~bsc/index.htm.

Bibliographical Society of Northern Illinois

c/o Department of English
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL60115
The society was founded in 1971 to promote bibliographical
projects on literary works. It publishes the quarterly AEB: Analyti¬
cal and Enumerative Bibliography (1971-to date).

Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia

c/o Penelope Weiss
Alderman Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Founded in 1947 to promote interest in books and manuscripts,
maps, printing, the graphic arts, bibliography, and textual criti¬
cism, the society publishes various bibliographical works as well
as the annual Studies in Bibliography. This latter work is also
available online at http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/bsuva/sb/. The soci¬
ety’s homepage is at http:.//etext.lib.virginia.edu/bsuva/.
258 Appendix C

Cambridge Bibliographical Society

University Library, Cambridge
Cambridge CB3 9DR, England
Founded in 1949 to promote historical bibliography and the his¬
tory of the book trade, the society publishes occasional mono¬
graphs and its annual Transactions.

Edinburgh Bibliographical Society

c/o Edinburgh University Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ, Scotland
Founded in 1890, this society is the oldest of its kind in Great
Britain. The society promotes discussion and education of ques¬
tions connected with books, printed or manuscript, especially
Scottish; bibliographical studies; the printing of bibliographical
works. It publishes Transactions every two years.

The Grolier Club

47 East 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
Founded in 1884 to promote the study of literature, book col¬
lecting, and the study of the art of bookmaking, the club publishes
various catalogs, scholarly studies, and an annual entitled The Ga¬
zette of the Grolier Club.

Institute for Bibliography and Editing

1118 Library Bidg.
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242
The institute was founded in 1966 to promote “bibliographical
and textual studies of English and American literature, including
edition and publication, computer collation, and text processing of
major works of William Shakespeare, Charles Brockden Brown,
Robert Browning, and Joseph Conrad. It provides space, a Hin-
man collator, and a Lindstrand comparator to anyone qualified to
do bibliographical and textual work.”

Oxford Bibliographical Society

c/o Mrs. M. Szurko
The Honorary Secretary
 Major Bibliographical Organizations 259

Keble College
Oxford 0X1 3PG England
The society was founded in 1923 to encourage bibliographical
research. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the
history of the book, bibliography, etc. It issues various biblio¬
graphical publications. Website URL: http://aultnis.rutgers.edu/
texts/oxbisoc.html.

Society for Textual Scholarship

c/o Richard J. Finneran
243 Evangeline Dr.
Mandeville, LA 70448-1875
Founded in 1979 for scholars interested in interdisciplinary dis¬
cussion of textual theory and practice, and literary documentary
editors, the society issues an annual publication entitled Text: An
Interdisciplinary Annual of Textual Studies.
 v

'

- '

'

-
 Name and Subject Index

Names and subjects are interfiled. Names or subjects found in notes are
indicated by the lowercase letter “n”.

Abbott, Craig S., 91, 93, 121, 125 83; development, 83-85; struc¬
abbreviations: as used in bibliogra¬ ture, 85-89: descriptive, 85-87,
phy, 233-238; as used in the historical, 88-89, textual,
text, xii-xiv; book sizes, 87-88; trends, 223
238-239 Anderson, Glenn A., 51
ABI/Inform (online database), 178 Andrews, William L., 57
Aboyade, Bimpe, 17 annotated bibliographies, 116-120
abstract services, 193-194 Antonio, Nicolas, 64, 79n7
Advanced Research Projects Appel, Livia, 147, 151
Agency Network (ARPAnet), Apps, E. A., 56
168, 170 Arber, Edward, 79n8
Aheam, Allen, 74, 82n66 Arlt, Gustave O., 15, 321n30
Alden, Susan, 231 Armed Services Technical Infor¬
Alexandrian library, 23 mation Agency, 222
Alfred the Great, 38 Armstrong, C. I, 180
Alley, Brian, 226, 232nl2 Arnstrong, Martha C., 129n35
Alston, R. C., 52 artificial intelligence, 222
Alston, Robin, 231n3, 232nl4 Arvin, Leila, 52
Alta Vista (Internet search engine), Ashurbanipal, 37
179 Association for the Bibliography
Altback, Philip G., 202 of History, 255-256
American Antiquarian Society, Assyrians, 37
255 Atkinson, Ross, 17, 19n8
American Library Association, 5, Austin, Gabriel, 232nl3
19 author bibliographies, 71-73
American Society of Indexers, 255
analytical or critical bibliography: Babylonians, 37
current status, 89-91; defined, Bair, Jeffrey H., 190

261
262 Name and Subject Index

Baker, William, 195 Searching, bibliographical or

Balay, Robert, 75, 82n72, 206 online
Bald, R. C., 94 Bibliographical Society (London),
Bale, John, 26, 32, 36nll 12, 29, 256
Balsamo, Luigi, 32 Bibliographical Society of
Banks, Doris H., 57, 195 America, 29, 256
Barclay, Donald A., 181 Bibliographical Society of Austra¬
Barker, Philip, 232n6 lia and New Zealand, 256-257
Barlow, William P., Jr., 77 Bibliographical Society of Canada,
Bates, Marcia J., 31, 36n24, 76, 257
80nl4 Bibliographical Society of Chicago
Baudin, Fernand, 55 29
Beard, J., 56 Bibliographical Society journals,
Bede (Venerable), 24 211-212
Beebe, Maurice, 72, 82n57 Bibliographical Society of North¬
Belanger, Terry, 3, 16, 20nl3, 50, ern Illinois, 257
92, 96, 194 Bibliographical Society of the Uni¬
Bell, Barbara L., 78 versity of Virginia, 29, 257
Bendix, Reinhard, 120 bibliographical software, 121-122
Benedictines, 64 bibliographies (reference works),
Bennett, Alice, 143 194-196
Bennot, Thomas, 96 bibliographies of bibliographies,
Berger, Sidney E., 77 74-75
Bernard, Leo, 14, 199 bibliography: analytical of critical,
Bernard, Philippa, 14, 199 6; defined, 2-4; descriptive, 6,
Besterman, Theodore, 32, 34, 85-87; enumerative, 6, 63-82;
35n4, 36nl0, 195 historical, 6, 88-89; organiza¬
bibliographers: booksellers, 9; tion and structure, 4-5; textual,
characteristics, 10-13; librari¬ 4, 6, 87-88; uses and functions,
ans, 8-9; scholars, 9-10 5-7
Bibliographic Retrieval Service bibliography as a field of study,
(BRS), 168, 169 227
bibliographical citations, 131-151; bibliophilic bibliographies, 73-74
basic elements, 132-136; elec¬ black letter (Gothic) type, 44
tronic sources, 137-142; prob¬ Biggs, John A., 55
lem areas, 136-137; style Binns, Norman E., 95
manuals, 142-151 Bjpmer, Susanne, 126, 190
bibliographical essays, 121 Bloy, Colin H., 56
bibliographical organization and Bluhm, Heins, 34
control, 66-68 Blum, Andre, 54
bibliographical organizations, Blum, Rudolf, 16, 32
255-259 Bobinski, George S., 219
bibliographical searching. See Boccaccio, Giovanni, 39
 Name and Subject Index 263

Bodleian Library (Oxford), 30 Brook, J. M., 92

Boehm, Eric H., 15 Brookes, B. C., 15
Bond, William H., 17, 21n32, Brown, Charles Barrett, 19n4
79n4,97nl7 Brown, Christopher C., 126, 229,
book collecting journals, 212-213 230
book fairs, 26 browsers, Internet: Internet Ex¬
Book of Kells, 38 plorer, 179; Lynx, 179; Nets¬
book sizes, abbreviations: Amer- cape, 179
can, 238-239; British, 239 browsing (Internet), 179
book trade journals, 214 Brundage, Antony, 127nl0
bookbinding, 46-48: descriptions Brunet, J. C., 29
of, 46; materials, 46-48 Bryer, Jackson R., 31, 36n25, 72,
Bookends Pro (bibliographical 76,82n57
software program), 104, 122 Budd, John, 219
bookmaking: during the industrial Btihler, Curt F., 94
Bunch, Bryan, 231nl
revolution, 40-41; materials,
Burdett, Eric, 57
41-48
Burhans, Clinton S., Jr., 120
booksellers as bibliographers, 9
Burrons, Janice C., 190
Boolean logic: in CD-ROM
Bury, Richard de, 39
searching, 178; in online
Butchart, Ian, 58
searching, 173, 180
Butler, Pierce, 19
Bopp, Richard, 78
Boston, John, 24
Callimachus, 23
Boswell, David B., 60n23, 95
Cambridge Bibliographical Soci¬
Bourhis, John, 145
ety, 258
Bowers, Fredson Thayer, 30, 84,
Carbonneau, Denis, 20nl2, 92, 229
92, 93, 94, 96, 124
careers in bibliography, 186-192;
Brack, O. M., Jr., 94
alternative careers, 186-187;
Brackstone, Deborah, 153
changing library school, 187-
Brackstone, James Rudolph, 153 186; library and information
Bradford Morrow, Bookseller, 72, science, 185-187
81n55 Caroline miniscule letter, 38
Bradshaw, Henry, 30, 84 Carpenter, Kenneth E., 52
Bradshaw, Jacqueline, 181 Carter, Harry, 53
Brant, Sebastian, 40 Carter, John, 6, 198
Braswell, Laurel N., 57 case bindings, 48
Brenni, Vito J., 14, 57, 203 catalogs, 26
Breslauer, Bernard H., 32, 57, Catherine the Great, 177
195-196 Cave, Roderick, 34
Bridson, Gavin D. R., 125 CDP Technologies (now Ovid
Bristow, J. Anthony, 54 Technologies), 169
British Museum, 30 CD-ROM, ix, 67, 69, 70, 105, 137,
264 Name and Subject Index

167, 170, 172, 173,219, 223; CompuServe (online service pro¬

databases, 4, 8; searching, vider), 169
177-178 Condit, Lester, 23, 33, 35nl, 59n2
Chakraborti, M. L. (Mukunda Lai), Confucius, 38
14,35n2 Congreve, William, 86, 87
Chamis, Alice Y., 180 controlled vocabulary, 173
Chapman, Gary, 181 Coues, Elliott, 11, 21n35
Chappell, Warren, 51 Cowley, John D., 93
Charlemagne, 38 cradle books, 44
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 34 craft guilds, 39
Chemical Abstracts Service, 168 Crane, Nancy B., 145
Chen, Ching-shih, 229 Croghan, Antony, 58
Choldin, Marianna Tax, 32 Cronin, Blaise, 152
citation elements: authorship or Crown Zellerback Corp., 60nl7
entry, 132-133; edition, 134; cunefirm clay tablets, 37
full description, 135-136; im¬ Cunningham, Ann Marie, 191
print, 134-135; notes, 135;
physical description, 135-136;
Dahl, Sevend, 50
title, 33-134
Dalrymple, Prudence W., 78, 188,
citations. See Bibliographical cita¬
192n6
tions
D’Aniello, Charles, 17
citing electronic sources, 137-142
Dante Alighieri, 39
Clapp, Vemer W., 20nl5, 80n22,
Darley, Lionel S., 57
82n67
Davinson, Donald E., 77
Clark, Suzanne M., 145
Davis, Donald G., Jr., 14
clay tablets, 37
Cockrell, Douglas, 60n33 Davis, Elisabeth B., 75, 82n70
codex, 38 Davis, Herbert, 53
codicology, 49 Davison, Peter, 229, 232nl4
Coft, James D., 98n24 De Amorim, Maria Jose Therese,
Coghlin, Ellen K., 98n26 153
Colaianne, A. J., 126 De Bure, Guillaume Francis, 23,
Cole, George Watson, 123, 204 64, 80nl1
Collation, 108 De Hamel, Christopher, 57
collecting and recording entries for Dearing, Vinton A., 97n21
enumerative bibliographies, Defense Documents Center, 222,
104-109 57
Collison, Robert L., 11, 21n36, Dekker, Thomas, 84
196 DeMott, Robert J., 72, 82n56
compiling bibliographies: anno¬ Dertouzos, Michael L., 228
tated, 102, 116-120; biblio¬ descriptive bibliography: collation,
graphical essays, 121; 112; compiling, 109-116; con¬
descriptive, 109-116; enumera¬ tents statement, 112, 115; de¬
tive, 100-109 fined, 5, 85; exterior
 Name and Subject Index 265

description, 115-116; title Elkins, Elizabeth A., 220

page, 111-112 Ellis, Carlton, 56
Dewey, Barbara I., 189 encyclopedias, 202-203
DIALOG (Online database pro¬ Encyclopedists, French, 40
vider), 168, 173 EndNote (bibliographical software
dictionaries and thesauri, 196-200 program), 122
Diderot, Denis, 40 English Civil War (1642-49), 4
Diehl, Edith, 57 enumerative bibliographies: ar¬
digital technology, 224-225 rangement, 102-104; compila¬
directories, 200-201 tion, 100-109; entry format,
Diringer, David, 51 104-109; types and functions,
Disk Operating System (DOS), 68-86: author, 71-73; bibliog¬
122 raphies of bibliographies,
Dobson, John, 96nll 74-75; bibliophilic, 73-74;
Dodd, Janet S., 145 general or universal, 69; guides
Donatus, Aelius, 40 to the literature, 75-76; na¬
Doug, Xiaoying, 230 tional, 69-70; selective or elec¬
Dow Jones News/Retrieval Ser¬ tive, 73; specialized catalogs,
vices, 169 74; subject, 70-71; trade, 70
Dowding, Geoffrey, 55 enumerative bibliography; defined,
Dower, John W., 81n49 6-7; historical background,
Downs, Robert B., 14, 76, 77, 64-65; nature and uses, 65-66
80n23 ERIC (online database), 173
Drake, J. A. G., 56 Esdaile, Arundell J. K. (James
Dreyfus, John, 51 Kennedy), 13, 21n41, 59n3,
Duel, Leo, 58 80n28, 96nl2, 124
Duffy, Jean I.,56 Etherington, Don, 198
Dunkin, Paul Shanner, 20nll, 93, Eula, Michael J., 126
96nl2, 124 evaluating bibliographies, 157—
Durer, Albrecht, 40 165; aim or objective, 157-158;
authority, 158-159; evaluative
Edinburgh Bibliographical Soci¬ methodology, 160-161; scope,
ety, 258 159; usefulness, 159-160
Edwards, Anthony S. G., 79, evaluating Internet sources,
81n51 161-163
Egan, Margaret E., 77, 80n22 Evans, Charles, 202
Egyptian papyrus scroll, 37
Eisenstein, Elizabeth L., 53 Fadiman, Clifton, 73, 82n61,
electronic source citations, 82n62
137-142 False drop or cognate (online
Electronic Numerical Integrator searching), 177
and Calculator (ENIAC), 167, Farren, Donald, 197
168 Feather, John, 50, 197, 204
266 Name and Subject Index

Febvre, Lucien, 51, 59n9 George, Timothy S., 81n49

Fecko, Mary Beth, 58, 153 Gerard, David, 51
Femner, Peter, 129n35 Gesner, Conrad, 23, 25, 26, 32, 33,
File Transfer Protocol (FTP), 179 36nl2, 64, 79n6, 202
Finn, Robert, 127 Gibaldi, Joseph, 127n4, 143, 146,
FirstSearch (online database pro¬ 147
vider), 105 Gilgamesh epic, 38
Fiscella, Joan B., 77 Gilreath, Charles L., 180
Fischer, Earl K., 56 Glaister, Geoffrey Ashall, 50, 197
Fleischer, Eugene B., 149 glossary of bibliographical terms,
Flick, Ernest W., 56 241-253
Folter, Roland, 32 Godden, Irene, 230
Foot, Mirjam M., 57
Goldstein, Norman, 147
forgeries, 6
Goldstone, Adrian Homer, 72,
Fothergill, Richard, 58
81n53
Fourdrinier paper machine, 43
Good, C. Edward, 148
Foxon, David F., 93
Gophers; Gopherspace, 179
Francis, Frank C., 91, 96n5
Frazier, Doneen, 183n29 Gore, Daniel, 59n6
free-text searching, 173 Gorman, G. E., 78
Freer, Percy, 3, 16, 20nl0 Gorman, Kathleen, 196
Freimer, Gloria R., 153 Gratch, Bonnie, 164
French, Warren, 136 Gray, Patricia, 155n20
Friedman, Mildred, 55 Greenfield, Jane, 198
Frost, Carolyn O., 152 Greetham, David C., 14, 77, 91,
full-text databases, 172 92, 94, 229
Fulton, John F., 18, 152 Greg, Sir Walter Wilson, 3, 19n7,
functions of bibliography, 5-7 30, 84, 89, 96
Greg-Bowers method (descriptive
Galen, Claludius, 23, 24, 32 bibliography), 87
Galin, Saul, 206 Grogan, Denis, 75, 82n69
Gallup, Donald C. (Clifford), 17, Grolier Club, 258
21n33, 87, 97nl3 Gross, John, 81n54
Ganz, Peter F., 34 Gross, Leonard G., 143
Garfield, Eugene, 152, 153
Grossman, John, 143
Gamer, Diane L., 146
Grove, Pearce S., 58
Gaselee, Sir Stephen, 18, 30, 33,
guides to the literature, 75-76,
35n3
203-204
Gaskell, Philip, 30, 61n36, 84, 95,
Gutenberg, Johann, 39
96-97nl2
Gates, Jean Key, 206 Gutenberg Bible, 39
Gay, Martin K., 228
general or universal bibliographies, Haar, John, 18
69 Hackman, Martha L., 76
Gennadius of Marseilles, 24 Haddock, Mike, 123
 Name and Subject Index 267

Hain, Ludwig, 30 Howard-Hill, Trevor H., 97n23,

Hale, Barbara M., 78 191
Haley, Allan, 55 Howell, John B., 123, 143, 155,
Hall, David D., 50 182
Haller, Margaret, 198 Huber, Jeffrey T., 190
Hammurabi, 38; Hammurabi’s Hunter, Dard, 53, 54, 59nl6,
code, 38 60n20
Hanson, Terry, 126 Hurt, Charles D., 75, 82n71
Harlow, Near R., 15, 18, 20nl9, Hurt, Peyton, 147, 150
20n26, 33, 79n5 Huth, Edward J., 148
Harmon, Charles, 152
Harmon, Robert B., 72, 81n52 identification and verification of
Hamer, James L., 125 materials, 7
Harris, Michael, 18, 51 illuminated manuscripts, 49
Harris, Michael H., 59n2 image databases, 172
Harris, William H., 61n38 incunabula, 44
Hartley, Richard J., 180 indexes, 204-205
Hay man, Lee Richard, 81n54 information age and bibliography,
Heilmans, Alexander, 231nl 221-232
Helm, Ernest E., 149 Information science journals,
Hemingway, Ernest, 108, 134 214-215
Herron, Nancy L, 231 Infoseek (Internet search engine),
Higgins, Marion Viller, 123 179
Hills, Richard L., 54 ink, printing, 45-46
Hindman, Sandra, 52 Innocenti, Pieco, 191
Hines, Theodore Christian, 33 Institute for Bibliography and Edit¬
Hinman, Charlton, 84, 57n20 ing, 258
Hinman collator, 89 International Standard Serial Num¬
historical bibliography, 88-89 ber (ISSN), 218
history of bibliography, 23-31; be¬ Internet: evaluating sources, 161-
ginnings, 23-24; contemporary 163; searching, 78-180, 199,
period, 30-31; middle period, 223-224
24-25; modem period, 25-29 Internet Explorer (Internet
Hodges, John C., 87 browser), 179
Hoemann, George H., 154nl9 Irving, Demar B., 149
Hoffman, Frank W., 71, 81n47
Hoffman, Herbert H., 144 Jakob, David, 182
Hofmann, Mark, 6 Janes, Joseph, 180
Hoge, James D., 94, 164 Jenkins, Frances B., 14, 76, 80n23
Hoshino, Edith S., 202 Jerome, Saint, 24, 34
Houston, James E., 183n21 Jesuits, 64
Houston Editing Desk and Editing Johnson, Elmer D., 35n4, 59n2
Frame, 89 Johnson, Michael, 232nl0
268 Name and Subject Index

Johnston, Colin S., 230 Levey, Judith S., 61n38

Jones, John B., 93 Lewis, John, 53
Lewis, Naphtali, 54, 59nl5
Kalbfeld, Brad, 147 Lewis, Roy H., 57
Katz, Joseph, 97n23, 205 LEXIS/NEXIS (online database
Katz, William A., 7, 20n23, 50, 70, provider), 169, 172
80n20, 207, 207nl, 218 Li, Tze-chung, 118, 182n4
Kelmscott Press, 41 Li, Xia, 145
Kenney, Arthur F., 192 librarians as bibliographers, 8-9
Kent, Allen, 202, 232n6 Library of Congress, 91
Keresztesi, Midhael, 192n2 library journals, 215-217
Kister, Kenneth F., 71, 81n48 Library Master (bibliographical
Kolseth, Peter, 54 software program), 122
Koutnik, Chuck, 230 library schools, 187-188; locating,
Kroker, Arthur, 228 188
Kroker, Marilouise, 228 Lieberman, J. Ben, 55, 60n24
Krummel, Donald W., 14, 30, 76, Lippman, Thomas W., 148
123,152, 203 Lisca, Peter, 120
Kumar, Girja, 14, 17, 21n42, Livinston, Lynn W., 201
80nl8, 123, 134 Lockheed Missiles Corporation,
Kumar, Krishan, 14, 17, 21n42, 168
80nl8, 123, 134 Long, Paulette, 54
Kup, Karl, 53 Lopez, Manuel D., 20n27
Lorenzen, Elizabeth A., 189
Labbe, Philippe, 29 Love, Harold, 97n23
Lackey, Richard S., 146 Lowell, Kay E., 190
Lancaster, Frederick Wilfrid, 225, Luey, Beth, 196
226,231, 231n2 Lycos (Internet search engine), 179
Lancour, Harold, 202 Lydenberg, Harry M., 54
Landau, Thomas, 60n27, 202 Lyles, Albert M., 96nl 1
Landon, Richard D., 192 Lynx (Internet browser), 179
Lang, Jovian, 164
Larsen, Knud, 191 MacDonald, Ronald H., 147
Larsen, Wayne A., 98n24 Macintosh (computer), 122
Larsgaard, Mary Lynette, 145 Madan, Falconer, 58
Laurence, Dan H., 79 Madden, Janet, 126
Lawson, Alexander S., 55 Madsen, David, 144
Layton, Tim, 98n24 magazines, development of, 40
Leif, Irving P., 54, 196 Maier, Elaine C., 148
Lester, James D., 129n38 Malcles, Louise Noelle, 33, 35n5
Levant, Howard, 120 Maney, A. S., 147
Levarie, Norma, 53 Mangouni, Norman, 152
Levering, Robert, 54 Manheimer, Martha L., 144
 Name and Subject Index 269

Maniaci, Marilena, 58 Morton, Andrew Q., 97n24

Mann, George, 95 Moth, Axel, 198
Manufo, Paola F., 58 Mount, Ellis, 191
manuscripts, 48-49 Moxon, Joseph, 53
Marcum, Deanna B., 192n8, 231 Mudge, Isadore Gilbert, 16, 18, 75
Martin, Henri-Jean, 51, 59n9 Muir, Percival Horace, 128n26
Maxwell Communications Corpo¬ Mukherjee, Ajit Kumar, 80n26
ration, 169 Mull ay, Marilyn, 206
Maxymuk, John, 182n8 Mullins, Carolyn J., 144
McCook, Kathleen de la Pena, 189 multimedia databases, 172
McCrank, Lawrence J., 20nl2, Munsell, Joel, 54
61n39, 92, 96n7, 97nl9, 229 Murphy, Kate, 192n2
Mcllwaine, la, 79, 191 Murray, David, 16
Mcllwaine, John, 79, 191 Myers, Robin, 18, 51
Mclnnis, Raymond G., 152 Myerson, Joel, 18, 92
McKenzie, Donald F., 95
McKerrow, Ronald Brunlees, 30, Nash, N. Frederick, 33, 35n9
84, 89, 95, 96nl2 National Aeronautics and Space
Mckitterick, David, 79 Administration (NASA), 222
McManaday, James G., 94 national bibliographies, 26, 69-70
McMullin, B. J., 219 Needham, Christopher D., 78, 191
McMurtrie, Douglas Crawford, 50, Negroponte, Nicholas, 230
59n8 Netscape (Internet browser), 179
Mead Data Central, 169 New, Peter, G., 191
Meadow, Charles T., 52 New York Stock Exchange, 12
MEDLARS (Medical Literature New York Times Information Bank,
Analysis and Retrieval System), 169
168, 222 nonprint materials, 49
MEDLINE (online and CD-ROM numeric databases, 172
database), 168 Nunberg, Geoffrey, 52
Meloche, Joseph, 181
Menapace, John, 126 Oakman, Robert L., 97n23
Menendez y Pelayo, Marcelino, 15 Oberman, Cerise, 19n2, 191
Mesopotamia, 37 objectives and artifacts of bibliog¬
Mills, J. J., 78 raphy, 37-61; bookbinding,
Mitchell, Kathleen A., 70 46-48; bookmaking materials,
Mohrbacher, Robert D., 151 41- 49; historical survey,
Monks, Franciscan, 24 37-41; manuscripts, 48-49;
Moran, Barbara B., 190 nonprint materials, 49; paper,
Moran, James, 53 42- 44; printing ink, 45-46;
Mormon historical documents, 6 type, 44-45
Morris, Jacquelyn M., 220 O’Connor, Andrew B., 149-150
Morris, William, 41 Olmert, Michael, 50
270 Name and Subject Index

O’Neill, Angus, 14, 199 Persians, 37

Online Computer Library Center, Peters, Jean, 16, 20nl3, 92, 96, 197
Inc., (OCLC), 8, 69, 90, 222, Petrarch, Francesco, 39
225 Pettas, William A„ 32
online databases, 171-172; full- Petzholdt, Julius, 29
text, image, multimedia, nu¬ Phoenicians, 38
meric, referral, source, 172 Pollard, Alfred William, 12,
Online Public Access Catalog 21n38, 30, 84, 89, 96, 202
(OPAC), 104, 105 Pollard, Graham, 6
online searching and resources Posted, William D., 153
journals, 217-218 Pound, Ezra, 17
Ovid Online (online database pro¬ Poynter, Frederick Noel Lawrence,
vider), 169, 173 228
Oxford bibliographical society, Prestegard, Renee M., 152
258-259 primary bibliographies, 68
printing, 37-41
Padwick, E. W. (Eric William), 33, Pro-Cite (bibliographical software
35n4, 79n2, 97nl2 program), 89, 104, 122, 176
palimpsests, 49 Proctor, Robert, 30, 84
paper, 39, 42-49 Proximity operators (in online
paperless society, 225-227 searching), 175
papyrus, 42, 48; scrolls, 38 Prytherek, Ray, 80n31, 198
parchment, 49 Psychinfo (online database), 173
Pargellis, Stanley, 35 Ptolemy Philadelphus, 23
Parkes, Malcolm B., 58
Patrias, Karen, 148 Ranee, H. F., 54
Patterson, Shawn, 165n9 Rau, Jack, 51
Pavier, Thomas, 84 Rawlings, Gertrude Buford, 59nl
Payne, John R., 72, 81n53 Rayward, W. Boyd, 35
Pearce, M. J., 124 Reeling, Patricia G., 190
periodical directories, 218-219 Reerink, F. O., 54
periodicals, 209-220; bibliograph¬ reference sources, 193-207;
ical society journals, 211-212; abstract services, 193-194; bib¬
book collecting journals, 212- liographies, 194-196; diction¬
213; book trade journals, 214; aries and thesauri, 196-200;
general, 210-211; information directories, 200-201; encyclo¬
science journals, 214-215; li¬ pedias, 202-203; guides to the
brary journals, 215-217; online literature, 203-204; indexes,
searching and resources jour¬ 204-205; yearbooks, 205-206
nals, 217-218; periodical direc¬ referral databases, 172
tories, 218-219 Reformation tracts, 40
Perman, Dagmar H., 78 Reichmann, Felix, 17
Perry, Margaret M., 153 Reisman, S. J., 151
 Name and Subject Index 271

Rencher, Alvin C., 98n24 electronic sources, 167-171; el¬

repography, 90-91 ements of online searching,
Research Library Information Net¬ 171-177; Internet, 17-180;
work (RUN), 8, 69, 90, 222, problems, 176-177
225 Seavy, Charles A., 228
Richmond, Mary L. Hurt, 147, 150 secondary bibliographies, 68
Rider, Alice Damon, 59n4 selective or elective bibliographies,
Riesman, David, 153 73
Rittenhouse, William, 43 Sellen, Betty-Carol, 190
Roberts, Matt T., 198 Sellen, Mary K., 196
Robinson, Anthony M. L. (Mere¬ Sellers, Leslie, 148
dith Lewin), 30, 76, 123 Shailor, Barbara A., 51
Roman lowercase alphabet, 38-39 Shapiro, Fred R., 16
Rosenblum, Joseph, 50, 202 Shaw, David, 125
Rothman, Irving N., 97n22 Shaw, Ralph R. (Robert), 33,
Rouse, M. A., 34 80nl2, 127n9, 202
Rouse, R. H., 34 Shenk, David, 228
Rovelstad, Marhilde V., 16 Shera, Jesse H. (Hauk), 15, 34, 77,
Rowlley, Jennifer E., 152 80n22
Ruben, Philip, 150 Shields, Nancy E., 144, 149
Rubin, Rebecca B., 181 Shoat, Eric C., 230
Rudin, Bo, 54 Shoemaker, Richard H., 14, 20nl6,
79n3
Sabin, Joseph, 5 Shorter, Alfred H., 54
Sable, Martin H., 77 Shuman, Bruce A., 181
Saint-Charles, Louis de, 64 Silva, Georgette, 97n23
Salinas (California) Public Li¬ Silver, Joel, 52, 228
brary, 72,81n54 SilverPlatter (online and DC-ROM
Samuelson, Robert J., 231 database provider), 162
Savage, Ernest A., 18 Slade, Carole, 144
Schall, Joe, 146 Small, R. L., 147
Schlicke, Priscilla, 206 Smith, Diane H., 146
Schlosser, Leonard B., 54, 60nl9 Smith, F. Seymour, 20n28
Schmidt, Diane, 75, 82n70 Smith, Geoffrey D., 78
Schneider, Georg, 33, 36nl0, Smith, Linda C., 78
86nl2 Society for Textual Scholarship,
scholars as bibliographers, 9-10 259
Schreyer, Alice D., 50 Soper, Mary Ellen, 199
search engines, Internet; Alta Source, The (online service pro¬
Vista, 179; Infoseek, 179; vider), 169
Lycos, 179; Yahoo, 179 source databases, 172
searching, bibliographical or on¬ specialized catalogs, 74
line, 171-180; development of Spielberg, Peter, 206
272 Name and Subject Index

Sproall, Natalie L., 123 Sweetland, James H., 153

State University of New York Bio- Symas, Dal, 152
Medical Network, 168 System Development Corporation
Staveley, Ronald, 19 (SDC), 168
Steel, C. M., 153 systematic bibliography. See Enu-
Steig, Margaret F., 190 merative bibliography
Steinbeck, John, 72, 111
Steinberg, Sigfrid H., 52 Tabachnick, Sharon, 164
Stevens, Norman, 164 Tanselle, G. Thomas, 3, 16, 17,
Stevenson, Allen H., 125 19n6, 19n9, 31, 36n23, 84, 92,
Stigleman, Sue, 126 93, 94, 95, 124, 125,
Stokes, Roy B. (Bishop), 15, 19n3, 194,219, 229
59n3, 77, 80n28, 86nl3, 91, 92, Taylor, Archer, 34
94, 95, 96nl,; 96nl2, 124, 192, Teague, Cynthia M., 145
199 Teply, Larry C., 148
Strauch, Katarina, 19n2, 191 Terbille, Charles, 153
Stuart, Robert D., 18 textual bibliography, 87-88
style manuals, 142-151; agricul¬ Thompson, Anthony H., 58
ture, 144; biological sciences, Thompson, Jack C., 56
144; cartography, 144-145; Thompson, Lawrence S., 18,
61n37
chemistry, 145; communication
Thorpe, James E., 58
studies, 145; education; elec¬
Tillett, Barbara B., 123
tronic sources, 145; engineer¬
Tillman, Hope N., 164n8
ing, 146; English and literature,
Tracy, Walter, 55
146; general, 143-144; govern¬
trade bibliographies, 26, 70
ment publications, 146; history,
Trevitt, John, 52
146-147; humanities, 147;
Trimmers, Joseph F., 146
journalism, 147-148; law, 148;
Tritheim, Johann, 25, 32, 36nl0,
mathematics, 148; medicine,
63, 79nl
148-149; microbiology, 149;
Truncation (online searching), 177
music, 149; nonprint materials,
Tsi, Lun, 42
149; nursing, 149-150; physics,
Turabian, Kate L., 119, 143
150; political science, 150; psy¬
Turner, Robert K., Jr., 96n4
chology, 150; religion, 150; type (printing), 44-45
science, 150-151; social sci¬
ence, 151; sociology, 151; tech¬ Ulrich, Carolyn, 53
nical publications, 151 Uncover (online database), 105
Su, Louise T., 230 UNESCO/Library of Congress
subject bibliographies, 64, 70-71 Bibliographic Survey, 20nl9
Sumerians, 37 Uniform Resource Locator (URL),
surfing (Internet), 179 162, 180
Swank, Raynard C., 80n29 University Microfilms Interna¬
Swanson, Ellen, 148 tional (publisher), 172
 Name and Subject Index 273

University of Pennsylvania, 167 White, Herbert S., 228

Updike, Daniel B., 55 White, Howard D., 126
U. S. Department of Defense, 170 Whittaker, Kenneth, 164n2
U. S. National Library of Medi¬ Wicks, Wendy, 191
cine, 168 Wiegand, Wayne A., 14
uses of bibliographies: identifica¬ Wilborg, Frank B., 56, 60n26
tion and verification, 7; loca¬ Williams, Wilda W., 192n4
tion, 7; selection, 7 Williams, William, 121
Williams, William Proctor, 91, 93
Van Hoesen, Henry Bartlett, Williamson, Derek, 59n7, 95
59nl2, 77 Williamson, William L., 96
Van Houweling, Douglas E., 230 Willoughby, Edwin E., 91
vellum leaves, 38 Wilson, Patrick, 76, 78, 146
Venn diagrams (online searching), Winans, Robert B., 34
174,175, 176 Winchell, Constance M., 75
Via, Barbara J., 219 Winckler, Paul A., 49, 51, 203
Vigeant, Lynn, 200 Wingell, Richard J., 149
Vinton collating machine, 89 Wise, Thomas J., 6
Vitale, Philip H., 200 Wolf, Edwin, 96
Voet, Andries, 56, 60n28 Womack, Kenneth, 195
Woods, Richard D., 71, 81n46
World Wide Web, 4, 105, 106, 122,
Walford, Albert, 18
179, 180, 223
Wali, Moti Lai, 15 WorldCat (online database), 105
Walker, Geraldene, 180 Woudhuysen, H. R., 14
Wall, Thomas, 59 Wroth, Lawrence C., 94
Walter, Frank K., 77 Wyllie, John Cook, 36nl7
Watson, Aldren A., 57, 60n30 Wynar, Bohdan S., 35n5, 164
Weber, David C., 19nl
Wedgeworth, Robert, 202 Yahoo (Internet search engine),
Wellington, Jean S., 200 179
West, James L. W., III, 94, 123 yearbooks, 205-206
Western Library Network (WLN), Yochelson, Abby, 78
90, 223 Young, Heartsill, 20nl7, 197
'

,'u’i }/j . \ t
 Title Index

Article titles are enclosed within quotation marks. Title of book or mono¬
graph material are in italics. The surnames of authors or editors are con¬
tained within parentheses.

AB Bookman ’s Weekly (periodi¬ ALA Membership Directory

cal), 214 (American Library Associa¬
ABC for Book Collectors (Carter), tion), 201
198 ALA Yearbook of Library and In¬
ABC of Bookbinding (Greenfield), formation Services, 205
198 Alphabet: The History, Evolution,
ABI/Inform (database) and Design of the Letters We
Abstracting and Indexing (Row- Use Today (Haley), 55
ley), 152 Amateur Book Collector (periodi¬
“Academic Elite in Library Sci¬ cal), 212
ence” (Bair/Barrons), 190 American Book Collector (periodi¬
Academic Library in the Informa¬ cal), 212; new series, 213
tion Age (California State Uni-
American Book Publishing Record
verssity), 232nl5
(periodical), 5, 7
“Acquisitions Librarian as Bibli¬
American Book Trade Directory,
ographer” (Reichmann), 17
200
ACS Style Guide (Dodd), 145
American History and Life (index),
Advances in Librarianship (God-
den), 230
210
American Medical Association
“Aims and Methods of Annotated
Bibliography” (Colaianne), 126 Manual of Style, 148
“Aims of Bibliography” (Ga- American National Standard for
selee), 18, 33, 35n3 Bibliographic References, 132,
AIP Style Manual (American Insti¬ 143
tute of Physics), 150 American Popular Culture (Hoff¬
ALA Glossary of Library and In¬ man), 71,81n47
formation Science (Young), American Reference Books Annual
20n7, 197 (Wynar), 207, 207nl

275
276 Title Index

“Analysis of 105 Major U.S. Jour¬ “Arrangement of Descriptive Bib¬

nals in Library and Information liographies” (Tanselle), 124
Science” (Bobinski), 219 Art and History of Books (Levarie),
“Analytical Bibliography and 53
Shakespeare’s Text” (Turner), Arts and Humanities Citation
96n4 Index, 117-118
Analytical and Enumerative Bibli¬ ASA Style Guide (American Socio¬
ography (periodical), 195, 211 logical Association), 151
“Analytical and Historical Bibli¬ ASM Style Manual for Journals
ography: A State of the Art Re¬ and Books (American Society
view” (McCrank), 20nl2, for Microbiology), 149
61n39, 92, 96n7, 229 “Assessing the Impact of Electonic
Anatomy of Printing (Lewis), 53 Information in the Hot Zone 3”
Anatomy of a Typeface (Lawson), (Johnston), 230
55 Associated Press Broadcast News
Ancient and Medieval Book Mate¬ Handbook (Kalbfeld), 147
rials and Techniques (Maniaci/ Associated Press Style Book and
Manufo), 58 Libel Manual (Goldstein), 147
Annotated Guide to National Bibli¬ “Author Bibliographies” (McKit-
ographies (Bell), 78 terick), 19
Annual Bibliography of the History
of the Printed Book and Li¬ Basic Internet Tools (Bradshaw),
brary, 50, 194, 210 181
Annual Report of the American Basic Typography (Biggs), 55
Rare and Out-of-Print Book Beginnings of Systematic Bibliog¬
Trade (Carbonneau), 20nl2, raphy (Besterman), 32, 35n4
229 “Beginnings of Systematic Bibli¬
Annual Report of Argonne Na¬ ography in America, 1642-
tional Laboratories for Isotope 1799” (Shera), 34
Research, 118 “Beginnings of Systematic Bibli¬
Antiquarian Book Monthly (peri¬ ography in America up to 1800:
odical), 214 Further Explorations” (Wi-
Antiquarian Books: A Companion nans), 34
(Bemard/Bemard/O’Neil), 14, Being Digital (Negroponte), 230
194 “Besterman and Bibliography”
“Application of Semiotics to the (Cave), 34
Definition of Bibliography” Bible, 25, 38
(Atkinson), 17, 19n8 Biblio: The Magazine for Collec¬
“Are You Thinking About Writing tors of Books, Manuscripts, and
a Bibliography?” (Haddock), Ephemera (periodical), 213
123 Bibliognost: The Book Collector’s
Area Specialist Bibliographer Little Mazazine (periodical),
(Stuart), 18 213
 Title Index 277

“Bibliographer and His Public” “Bibliographical Blessings”

(Myerson), 18 (Weber), 19nl
“Bibliographers in an Age of Sci¬ Bibliographical Citation in the So¬
entists” (Harlow), 18, 20nl9, cial Sciences and Humanities
79n5 (Appel), 147, 151
“Bibliographers and the Library” “Bibliographical Concepts of Issue
(Tanselle), 17 and State” (Tanselle), 125
“Bibliographers and Science” Bibliographical Control and Ser¬
(Tanselle), 17 vice (Stokes), 77
Bibliographia: An Inquiry into Its Bibliographical Description and
Definitions and Designations Cataloguing (Cowley), 93
(Blum), 16, 32 “Bibliographical Description of
Bibliographic Companion Paper” (Tanselle), 125
(Stokes), 199 “Bibliographical History, as a
Bibliographic Control (Davinson), Field of Study” (Tanselle), 95
77 Bibliographical Method: An Intro¬
“Bibliographic Control, Organiza¬ ductory Survey (Padwick), 33,
tion of Information and Search 35n4, 79n2, 97nl2
Strategies” (Dalrymple), 78 Bibliographical Services (UN¬
Bibliographic History of the Book: ESCO/Library of Congress),
Annotated Guide to the Litera¬
20nl9
ture (Rosenblum), 49-50, 203
“Bibliographical Societies” (Wyl-
Bibliographic Index, 105, 204
lie), 36nl7
Bibliographic Instructive (De-
Bibliographical Society of
Bure), 23, 64, 80nl1
America, 1904-79: A Retro¬
“Bibliographic Management”
spective Collection, 93
(Shera), 77
Bibliographical Style Manual
Bibliographic Organization
(United Nations), 146
(Shera/Egan), 77, 80n22
“Bibliographical and Textal Schol¬
“Bibliographic References” (Row-
arship Since World War II”
ley), 152
“Bibliographic References: A Cri¬ (Myerson), 92
tique of Style Manuals” (de “Bibliographies: How Much
Amorim), 153 Should a Reviewer Tell?”
“Bibliographic Software Adding (Hoge), 164
New Features” (Finn), 127 Bibliographies, Subject and Na¬
Bibliographic Software and the tional (Collison), 196
Electronic Library (Hanson), Bibliographies: Their Aims and
126 Methods (Krummel), 30, 123,
“Bibliographic Standards and 203
Style” (Krummel/Howell), 123, “Bibliography” (Clapp), 20nl5,
152 82n67; (Francis), 91, 96n5;
Bibliographic System for Non- (Krummel), 14; (Woudhuysen),
Book Media (Croghan), 58 14
278 Title Index

Bibliography (Kumar/Kumar), 15, “Bibliography on the Internet and

17, 21n42, 80nl8, 123, 134; World Wide Web” (Chen), 229
(Malcles), 33, 35n5; (Mudge), Bibliography: Its History and De¬
16, 36nl8 velopment (Breslauer/Folter),
Bibliography: A Beginner's Guide 32
(Higgins), 123 “Bibliography in Its Prenatal Exis¬
“Bibliography: An Essential Piece tence” (Condit), 33, 35nl, 59n2
of Equipment” (Arlt), 15, Bibliography: Its Scope and Meth¬
21n31 ods (Murray), 16
“Bibliography before Print: The Bibliography, Library Science, and
De Viris Illustribus” (Rouse/ Reference Books (Besterman),
Rouse), 34 195
Bibliography for Beginners Bibliography and Modern Book
(Gore), 59n6 Production (Freer), 16, 20nl0
“Bibliography and the Beginning Bibliography, Practical, Enumera-
Bibliographer” (D’Aniello), 17 tive, Historical (Van Hoesen/
“Bibliography and Bibliogra¬ Walter), 59nl2, 77
phers” (Bond), 17, 21n32, “Bibliography Programs Do Win¬
79n4, 97nl7 dows” (Stigleman), 126
Bibliography in the Bookshop “Bibliography: Queen or Servant
(Smith), 20n28 of Scholarship” (Barlow), 77
Bibliography and Reading (Mcll-
“Bibliography in the Computer
waine/McIleaine/New), 191
Age” (Alston), 231n3, 232nl4
“Bibliography and Scholarship”
Bibliography: Current State and
(Butler), 19
Future Trends (Downs/Jen¬
“Bibliography as a Science”
kins), 14, 76
(Tanselle), 19n9
Bibliography and Footnotes (Hurt/
Bibliography: Some Achievements
Richmond), 147, 150
and Perspectives (Poynter), 228
“Bibliography Formatting Soft¬
Bibliography, Subject and National
ware for Managing Search Re¬ (Collison), 21n36
sults” (Bjpmer), 126-127 “Bibliography: Teaching and Pro¬
“Bibliography (General)” (Shoe¬ fession” (Innocenti), 191
maker), 14, 20nl6, 79n3 Bibliography and Textual Criti¬
Bibliography and the Historian cism (Bowers), 94
(Perman), 78 Bibliography and Textual Criti¬
Bibliography, Historical and Bib- cism: English and American
liothecal: A Handbook of Terms Literature, 1700 to the Present
and Names (Vitale), 200 (Brack), 94
Bibliography: History of a Tradi¬ Bibliography in Theory and Prac¬
tion (Balsamo), 32 tice (Chakraborti), 14, 35n2
“Bibliography as an Interdisciplin¬ Bibliography: Tiger or Fat Cat?
ary Information Service” (Fis- (Dunkin), 20nll, 93, 96nl2,
celia), 77 124
 Title Index 279

Bibliography Without Footnotes Bookbinding and the Conservation

(Hoffman), 144 of Books: A Dictionary (Rob-
Bibliometrics: An Annotated Bibli¬ erts/Etherington), 198
ography (Sellen), 196 Bookbinding: A Guide to the Liter¬
Biblioteca Americana: A Diction¬ ature (Brenni), 57, 203
ary of Books Relating to Bookbinding, Its Background and
America (Sabin), 5 Technique (Diehl), 57
Bibliotheca bibliographic a (Petz- Booklist (periodical), 5, 73, 82n58
holdt), 29 Bookman's Glossary (Peters), 197
Bibliotheca bibliothecarum Books in Print, 8, 70, 81n40, 105
(Labbe), 29 Books in Print Online, 180
Bibliotheca Hispana (Antonio), Books and Printing, a Selected List
64, 79n7 of Periodicals, 1800-1942 (Ul-
Bibliotheca universalis (Gesner), rich/Kup), 53
25, 64, 79n6 Books and Society in History (Car¬
Binding Terms: A Thesaurus, 199 penter), 51-52
Biological Literature: A Practical Bowker Annual, 188
Guide (Davis/Schmidt), 75 “Branches of Bibliography”
Bluebook: A Uniform System of Ci¬ (Kumar/Kumar), 15
tation, 127n5, 148 British Library Journal (periodi¬
Book Before Printing: Ancient, cal), 216
Medieval and Oriental (Dir¬ British National Bibliography, 69,
inger), 51 80n33
Book Collecting, A Modern Guide Broadcast Journalism Style Guide,
(Peters), 16, 20n3, 92, 96 147
Book Collecting, More Letters to Broadcast News Manual of Style
Everyman (Muir), 128n26 (MacDonald), 147
Book Collector, The (periodical), Bulletin of Bibliography (periodi¬
213, 217 cal), 211
Book Collector's Fact Book (Hal¬ Business Buzzwords (Johnson),
ler), 198 232nl0
Book Collector's Market (periodi¬
cal), 212 “Cameras, Computers Help Deci¬
Book Encompassed, The (Davi¬ pher Ancient Texts” (Coghlin),
son), 52,229, 232nl4 98n26
Book of Mormon, 98n24 Canadiana: Canada's National
“Book of Mormon Wordprints Re¬ Bibliography, 69, 80n34
examined” (Coft), 98n24 Career as a Bookseller, 191
Book Selection and Systematic Career Planning and Job Search¬
Bibliography (Mukherjee), ing in the Information Age (Lor-
80n26 enzen), 189
Book: The Story of Printing and Cartographic Citations: A Style
Bookmaking (McMurtrie), 50, Guide (Clark/Larsgaard/
59n8 Teague), 144-145
280 Title Index

Cases in Online Search Strategy Codex as a Book Form, The (Rau),

(Schuman), 181 51
“Casual Amateur in Bibliography” Collected Books: The Guide to
(Savage), 18 Values (Aheam), 74, 82n66
Cat Ballou (motion picture), 177 Coming of the Book: The Impact of
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (motion Printing, 1450-1800 (Febvre/
picture), 177 Martin), 51, 59n9
“Cataloging Cost Factors” Communication (Johnson), 35n4
(Swank), 80n29 Communication Research (Rubin/
Cataloging Nonbook Resources Rubin/Piele), 181
(Fecko), 58, 153 Compiling the Annotated Bibliog¬
Catalogus illustarium virorum raphy (Eula/Madden), 126
Germaniae (Tritheim), 25 “Compiling a Bibliography”
Catalogus scriptorium ecclesias (Cole), 123
(Boston), 24 Complete Guide to Citing Govern¬
CD-ROMs in Print, 70, 81n36 ment Information Resources
Change and Challenges in Library (Gamer/Smith), 146
and Information Science Complete Manuscript Preparation
(Stieg), 190 Style Guide (Mullins), 144
Chemical Technology in Printing “Computer Literacy as a Formal
and Imaging Systems (Drake),
Requirement in Library Science
56
Education” (Lowell), 190
Chicago Guide to Preparing Elec-
“Computer and Mechanical Aids
tonic Manuscripts, 145
to Editing” (Howard-Hill),
Chicago Manual of Style, 143
91n23
Choice (periodical), 73, 82n59
Computerized Literature Search¬
Chronology of the Origin and
ing (Gilreath), 180
Progress of Paper and Paper¬
“Concept of Ideal Copy”
making (Munsell), 54
CIS Index (Congressional Informa-
(Tanselle), 125
Contemporary Bibliogaraphy, with
tin Service), 106
Citation Process, The (Cronin), Particular Rference to Ezra
152 Pound (Gallup), 17
“Citation Training: Why and Contribution of Greek to English
How” (Bosefsky), 153 (Brown), 19n4
Cite Your Sources (Lackey), 146 Craft of Bookbinding: A Practical
Citing Electronic Sources (Gray), Handbook (Burdett), 57
155n20 “Creating Automatic Bibliogra¬
“Citing Print and Electronic phies Using Internet Accessible
Sources” (Prestegard), 152 Online Library Catalogs”
Citing and Typing the Law (Good), (Brown), 126, 230
148 “Critera for Evaluating a Bibliog¬
“Clarifying Bibliographic Cita¬ raphy” (American Library As¬
tions” (Posted), 153 sociation), 163
 Title Index 281

“Critical Bibliography” (Stokes), Design of Bibliographies (Berger),

91, 96nl 77
“Criticism of John Steinbeck: A “Designing Color in Descriptive
Selected Checklist” (Beebe/ Bibliography” (Abbott), 125
Bryer), 72, 82n57 “Dialectics of Enumerative Bibli¬
Crossway Stylebook (Gross), 143 ography” (Krummel), 76
Culture in Print (Hall), 50 Diamond Sutra, 39
Cumulative Book Index, 5, 7, 105 Dictionary of Bibliographic Ab¬
breviations (Wellington), 200
DahTs History of the Book (Katz), Dictionary of Book History
50 (Feather), 50, 197
Data Smog: Surviving the Informa¬ Digital Delirium (Kroker/Kroker),
tion Glut (Shenk), 228 228
Database (periodical), 122, 217 “Digital Imaging on a Shoestring”
“David Riesman and the Concept (Alden), 231
of Bibliographic Citation” “Digital Libraries For When? For
(Mclnnis/Symas), 153 What?” (Marcum), 231
“Day of Epiphany” (Bjpmer), 190 Direction Line, The (periodical),
De libris propriis (Galen), 24 211
De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis Directory of Specialized American
(Saint Jerome), 24 Booksellers, 1987-1988, 201
De vivis illustrilbus (Saint Jerome), Disclosure (numeric database),
34; (Saint Jerome/Gennadius of 172
Marseilles), 24 Dissemination of Scientific and
Dealer’s Thesaurus: Six Thousand Technical Information (Lancas¬
Ways to Describe Books and ter), 231n2
Historical Papers (Vigeant), Documentation Abstracts, 193
199-200 Documentation Abstracts and In¬
Death in the Afternoon (Heming¬ formation Science Abstracts,
way), 134 194
Description of Descriptive Bibliog¬ Doing It In Style (Sellers),
raphy (Tanselle), 94 147-148
“Description of Non-Letterpress “ ‘Dr. Cues’ Column” (Coues),
Material in Books” (Tanselle), 21n35
125
“Descriptive Bibliography” (Be¬ “Earlier Uses of Bibliography and
langer), 16, 20nl3, 93, 96; Related Terms” (Shapiro), 16
(Stokes), 92 Ecclesiastical History of Britain
“Descriptive Bibliography, Detec¬ (venerable Bede), 24
tive Fiction, and Knowing the Editing Documents and Texts
Rules” (West), 94 (Lucy/Gorman), 196
“Descriptive Bibliography: Its “Educating the Information Pro¬
Definition and Functions” fessional of Tomorrow”
(Stokes), 94 (Moran), 190
282 Title Index

“Education for Descriptive Bibli¬ (Esdaile/Stokes), 15, 59n3,

ography” (Landon), 192 96nl2, 124
Education for the Library/Informa¬ Essays on Bibliography (Brenni),
tion Profession (Reeling), 14
189-190 Essays in Bibliography, Text, and
Electronic Access to Information, Editing (Bowers), 93, 124
230 Essays in History and Literature
“Electronic Libraries of the Fu¬ (Bluhm), 34
ture” (Barker), 232n6 Essays Honoring Lawrence C.
Electronic Library, The (periodi¬ Wroth, 34
cal), 217 Essays of an Information Scientist
“Electronic Scholar vs. the Elec¬ (Garfield), 152
tronic Reader” (Alley), 232nl2 “Evaluating and Citing Internet
Electronic Style: Elements of Cita¬ Resources” (Patterson), 165n9
tion (Hoemann), 154 “Evaluating Quality on the Net”
Electronic Styles: A Handbook (Li/ (Tillman), 164n8
Crane), 145 “Evaluating Reference Books in
“Emergence of the Book” (Ander¬ Theory and Practice” (Stevens),
son), 51 164
Encyclopedia Americana, 20nl5 “Evaluation of Reference Sources
Encyclopedia of Associations, 172 Published or to Be Published”
Encyclopedia of the Book (Glais- (Lang), 164
ter), 50, 197 “Evidence and Inference in Bibli¬
Encyclopedia of Librarianship ography” (Bald), 94
(Landau), 60n27, 202 Evolution of American Typography
Encyclopedia of Library History (Firedman), 55
(Wiegand/Davis), 14 Exit List, The (Belanger), 50, 194
Encyclopedia of Library and Infor¬
“Exploring the Book: A Biblio¬
graphical Road Map” (Silver),
mation Science (Kent/Lancour),
52
15, 202
Encyclopedic (Diderot), 40 “Failure of Vision” (Seavy), 228
“Endless Paper Chase” (Samuel- “Finding Information on the Web”
son), 231 (Jakob), 182
“Enumerative Bibliography from Fine Bookbindings in the Twenti¬
Gesner to James” (Nash), 33, eth Century (Lewis), 57
35,36n9 Firsts: The Book Collector’s Mag¬
“Enumerative Bibliography and azine (periodical), 213
the Physical Book” (Tanselle), Five Hundred Years of Printing
16 (Steinberg), 52
ERIC (database), 173 Form and Style for ASTM Stan¬
“Errors in Bibliographic Cita¬ dards, 146
tions” (Sweetland), 153 Form and Style: Research Papers,
Esdaile’s Manual of Bibliography Reports, Theses (Slade), 144
 Title Index 283

“From Second Class Citizenship to Bibliographies (U.S. Dept, of

Respectability: The Odyssey of Agriculture), 144
an Enumerative Bibliographer”
(Bryer), 36n25, 76 Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of
Function of Bibliography, The Illustrations (Watson), 57,
(Stokes), 15, 19n3, 80nl3 60n30
Handbook for Authors of Papers in
American Chemical Society
Gale Directory of Databases, 70,
Publications, 145
81n35
Handbook of Research Methods: A
General Periodicals On Disc
Guide for Practitioners and
(image database), 172
Students in the Social Sciences
“Gesner, Petzholt, et al.” (Pargel-
(Sproall), 123
lis), 35
Harrod’s Librarians' Glossary
Going to the Source (Brundage),
(Prytherich), 80n31, 197
127nl0
Harvard Library Bulletin (periodi¬
Government CD-ROMs (Maxy-
cal), 216
muk), 182n8
“Hinman Collator,” 97n20
Grapes of Wrath, The (Steinbeck),
“Flistory of Bibliography” (Tay¬
135
lor), 34
Great Medical Bibliographers
History of the Book as a Field of
(Fulton), 18
Study (Tanselle), 95
“Guide for Beginning Bibliogra¬
History of Books: A Guide to Se¬
phers” (Lopez), 20n27
lected Resources in the Library
Guide to Careers in Abstracting
of Congress (Schreyer), 50
and Indexing (Cunningham/
History of Books and Printing: A
Wicks), 191 Guide to Information Sources
Guide to Current National Bibliog¬ (Winckler), 49, 203
raphies in the Third World History of Illustrated Manuscripts
(Gorman/Mills), 78 (De Hamel), 57
Guide to MLA Documentation with History of Libraries in the Western
an Appendix on APA Style World (Johnson/Harris), 59n2
(Trimmer), 146 “History of Paper” (Schlosser),
Guide to Reference Books (Balay), 60nl9
75, 82n72, 206 History of Printing Ink, Balls and
Guide to the Use of Libraries and Rollers (Bloy), 56
Information Sources (Gates), Historical Abstracts (index), 210
206 “Historical Bibliography”
Guide for Writing a Bibliogra¬ (Stokes), 95; (Williamson),
pher's Manual (American Li¬ 59n7, 95
brary Association), 19 “Historical Grist for the Bibliogra¬
“Guidelines for the Preparation of pher’s Mill” (Wolf), 96
a Bibliography,” 123 Hot Copy: Searching DIALOG Tu¬
Guidelines for the Preparation of torial, 181
284 Title Index

“Houston Editing Desk and Edit¬ Information Science Abstracts,

ing Frame” (Rothman), 97n22 193,210
“How Medieval Printers Put Bi¬ Information Society: An Interna¬
bles Together” (Beard), 56 tional Journal (periodical), 215
How to Prepare a Legal Citation Information Sources in Science
(Maier), 148 and Technology (Hurt), 75,
How Typography Works (and Why 82n71
It Is Important) (Baudin), 55 Information Specialists: Interpre¬
“Humanist Bibliographer, The” tations of Reference and Biblio¬
(Thompson), 18 graphic Work, 126
Humanities Index, 210 Information Technology and Li¬
braries (periodical), 215
“Identification of Text Variant by Ink and Paper in the Printing
Computer” (Silva/Love), 97n23 Process (Voet), 57, 60n28
Ink Technology for Printers and
“Identification of Type Faces in
Students (Apps), 56
Bibliographical Description”
“Institutionalization of Bibliogra¬
(Tanselle), 125
phy” (Howard-Hill), 191
“If Bibliography Is Out, What Is
International Book Publishing: An
In?” (Needham), 91
Encyclopedia (Altback/Hos-
lllustrium maioris Brittaniae scrip-
hino), 202
torum hoc est Angliae, Cam-
International Directory of Book
briae ac Scotiae summarium
Collectors, 201
(Bale), 26
International Sourcebook of Paper
In Print: Publishing Opportunities History (Leif), 54, 196
for College Librarians (Living¬ “International Style for Biblio¬
ston), 201 graphic References” (Mango-
Index to Bibliographical papers uni), 152
Published by the Bibliographi¬ Internet Anywhere, 183n29
cal Society and the Library As¬ Internet for Kids (Frazier), 183n29
sociation (Cole), 204 Into Print: Selected writings on
Index to Reviews of Bibliographi¬ Printing History, Typography
cal Publications: An Interna¬ and Book Production (Dreyfus),
tional Annual, 205 51
Index to Selected Bibliographical “Introduction” (Downs/Jenkins),
Journals, 1933-1970, 204 80n23
Index to Selected Bibliographical Introduction to Bibliographical
Journals, 1971-1985 (Feather), and Textual Studies (Williams/
204 Abbott), 91, 121
“Indexing the Periodical Literature Introduction to Bibliography: A
of Anglo-American Bibliogra¬ Syllabus (Tanselle), 194
phy” (McMillin), 219 Introduction to Bibliography for
Information Processing and Man¬ Literary Students (McKerrow),
agement (periodical), 215 30, 95
 Title Index 285

Introduction to Bibliography and Journal of the American Society of

Reference Work (Wynar), 35n5, Information Science (periodi¬
163 cal), 215
Introduction to Bookbinding (Dar- Journal of Education for Library
ley), 57 and Information Science (peri¬
Introduction to Historical Bibliog¬ odical), 188
raphy (Binns), 95 Journal of Information Science
Introduction to the History of (periodical), 215
Printing Types (Dowding), 55 Journal of Library Automation (pe¬
Introduction to Reference Work, riodical), 215
Volume 1: Basic Information Journal de Savants, 64, 79nl0
Sources (Katz), 70, 20n23,
80n20, 207 Key guide to Information Sources
Introduction to Subject Study in Online and CD-ROM Data¬
(Staveley/Mcllwaine/ base Searching (Armstrong),
Mcllwaine), 79 180
Introductory CD-ROM Searching Kings of People: Power and the
(Melooche), 181 Mandate to Rule (Bendix), 120
Kister's Best Encyclopedias (Kis-
Japanese History and Culture from
ter), 71, 81n48
Ancient to Modern Times
“Knowledge or Format: Which
(Dower/George), 71, 81n49
Comes First?” (Thompson), 58
“Jesse Shera and the Theory of
“Knowledge Services in the Digi¬
Bibliography” (Brookes), 15
tized World” (Van Houweling),
John C. Hodges Collection of Wil¬
230
liam Congreve in the University
KR Information On Disc User's
of Tennessee Library (Lyles/
Guide, 181
Dobson), 96nl 1
John Steinbeck (French), 136
John Steinbeck: A Bibliographical Legal Research and Citation
Catalog of the Adrain H. Gold- (Teply), 148
stone Collection (Goldstone/ Letters of Credit: A View of Type
Payne), 72, 81n53 Design (Tracy), 55
John Steinbeck: A Collection of Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis
Books and Monographs (Brad¬ (Tritheim), 25, 63, 79nl
ford Morrow, Bookseller), 72, “Librarian as Bibliographer” (Ab-
81n55 oyade), 17
John Steinbeck: A Guide to the Librarian's Thesaurus, The
Collection of the Salinas Public (Soper), 199
Library (Gross/Hayman), 72, Libraries and Culture (periodical),
81n54 211
Journal of the American Printing Library, The (periodical), 211
History Association (periodi¬ Library Chronicle (periodical),
cal), 214 216
286 Title Index

Library of Congress List of Subject “Making of a Bibliographer”

Headings, 168 (Kumar/Kumar), 77
“Library and Information Profes¬ Making Paper: A Look into the
sions,” 192nl0 History of an Ancient Craft
Library and Information Science (Rudin), 54
Abstracts, 194, 209, 210 Manual for Authors of Mathemati¬
Library & Information Science Re¬ cal Papers, 148
search (periodical), 215 Manual of Style, 146
Library and Information Studies: Manual for Writers of Term Pa¬
Directory of Institutions Offer¬ pers, Theses, and Dissertations
ing Accredited Master’s Pro¬ (Turabian), 119, 143
grams (American Library Manuel du libraire et de Tamateur
Association), 188 de livres (Brunet), 29
“Library and Information Studies Manuscript Inks (Thompson), 56
Education for the 21st Century “Manuscripts” (Thompson),
Practitioner” (Huber), 190 61n37
Library Jobs (Dewey), 189 Mathematics into Type (Swanson),
Library Literature (index), 122, 148
199, 205, 209,210 “Mechanical and Electronic Aids
Library Quarterly (periodical), for Bibliography (Shaw), 127n9
216 Mechanick Exercises on the Whole
Library Science Abstracts, 210 Art of Printing (Moxon), 53
Library Science Annual (Wynar), Medical Style Manual (Huth)
219 Medieval Book, The (Shailor), 51
Library Searching: Resources and Medieval Manuscript Bookmaking:
Strategies (Morris/Elkins), 220 A Bibliographic Guide (Banks),
Library Software Review (periodi¬ 57, 195
cal), 122 MHRA Style Book (Maney/Small),
Library Trends (periodical), 216 147
Lifetime Reading Plan (Fadiman), Microsoft Manual of Style for
73,82n61 Technical Publications, 151
List of Members (Bibliographical Millennium of the Book (Myers/
Society (London), 201; (Biblio¬ Harris), 51
graphical Society of America), MLA International Bibliography,
201 210
Literary Detection (Morton), MLA Handbook for Writers of Re¬
97n24 search Papers (Gibaldi), 102,
“Literary Forms in Information 127n4, 143, 146, 147
Work” (White), 126 MLA Style Manual and Guide to
Literary Reviewing (Hoge), 94 Scholarly Publishing (Gibaldi),
147
Magazines for Libraries (Katz/ Monthly Catalog of United States
Katz), 218 Government Publications, 106
 Title Index 287

“Moving from the Card Catalog to “Of Bibliographical Matters”

the Internet” (Murphy), 192n2 (Menendez y Pelayo), 15
Old & Rare: Basic Knowledge of
“National Bibliographies in the Paper History (Reerink), 54
Electronic Age” (Smith), 78 On Compiling an Annotated Bibli¬
National Library of Medicine Rec¬ ography (Hamer), 125
ommended Format for Biblio¬
On Contemporary Bibliography,
graphic Citation, 148
with Particular Reference to
National Union Catalog, The, 69,
Ezra Pound (Gallup), 21n33,
80n32, 105
97nl3
New Columbia Encyclopedia (Har¬
“On the Future of the Book, or
ris/Levey), 61n38
Does It Have a Future?”
“New Generation of BRS: Ovid
(Meadow), 52
Online” (Li), 182n4
On the Origins of Paper (Blum),
New Information Revolution, The
54
(Gay), 228
New Introduction to Bibliography
“On the Second Knowledge”
(Gaskell), 30, 61n36, 95, 96- (Boehm), 15
97nl2,228 On the Teaching of Bibliography
New Lifetime Reading Plan (Fadi- (Larsen), 191
man), 73, 82n62 On-line Information Services: DI¬
New Research Guide in History ALOG Manual, 181
(Wilson), 146 Online (periodical), 217
“New Tricks for an Old Dog: Online and CD-ROM Review (pe¬
Some Fresh Approaches to the riodical), 217
Bibliography Course” (Ken¬ Online Retrieval (Walker/Janes),
ney), 192 180
New York Times, The, 169 Online Searching: Principles and
“Nineteenth Century Russian Practice (Hartley), 180
View of Bibliography” (Chol- Opening New Doors: Alternative
din), 32-33 Careers for Librarians
Non-Book Materials in Libraries: (Mount), 191
A Practical Guide (Fothergill/ Opportunities in Library and In¬
Butchart), 58 formation Science Careers
Nonprint Materials in Academic (McCook/Myers), 189
Libraries (Grove), 58 ORBIT Search Service User
“Nonprint Materials: A Definition Guide, 181
and Some Practical Considera¬ Order and Connexion: Studies in
tions in Their Maintenance” Bibliography and Book History
(Wall), 59
(Alston), 52
Notes on Subject Study (Staveley),
Ovid Online: Getting Started, 181
79

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Paper: Art and Technology (long/

189 Levering), 54, 60nl9
288 Title Index

“Paper as Bibliographical Evi¬ Practical Bibliographer, The

dence” (Stevenson), 125 (Hackman), 76
Paper Handbook, The, 60nl8 “Practical Bibliography” (Pol¬
Paper... Its Story (Crown Zeller- lard), 21n38
back Corp.), 60nl7 “Practical Scheme for Editing
Paper Structure and Physical Critical Texts with the Aid of a
Properties (Bristow/Kolseth), Computer (Howard-Hill),
54 97n23
“Paperless Society, The” (Her¬ “Present Sate of Computerized
ron), 231 Collation: A Review Article”
“Paperless Society Revisited” (Oakman), 97n23
(Lancaster), 231 “Preservation and Digitalization”
Papermaking: Art and Craft, 54 (Shoaf), 230
Papermaking: The History and Princeton University Library
Technique of an Ancient Craft Chronicle (periodical), 216
(Hunter), 53, 59-60nl6, 60n20 “Principles of Bibliographical Ci¬
Papermaking in Pioneer America tation” (Fulton), 152
(Hunter), 54 Principles of Bibliographical De¬
Papers of the Bibliographical Soci¬ scription (Bowers), 30, 92,
ety of America (periodical), 92, 96nl2, 124
93,201,211,212
Print: A Manual (Mann), 95
Papyrus in Classical Antiquity
“Printers of the Mind” (McKen¬
(Lewis), 54, 59nl5
zie), 95
“Passion to Be in Fashion”
Printing History (periodical), 214
(White), 228
Printing Ink: An Address (Fischer),
Pastures of Heaven, The (Stein¬
56
beck), 135
Printing Ink: Development Since
“Perils of Bibliography: Four 19th
1975 (Duffy), 56
Century Experiences” (Ray-
Printing Ink: A History (Wilborg),
ward), 35
“Periodical Literature of English 56,60n26
and American Bibliography” Printing Ink and Overprint Varnish
(Tanselle), 219 Formulation (Flick), 56
Philobiblon (Bury), 39 Printing Inks, Their Chemistry and
Pinakes (Callimachus), 23 Technology (Ellis), 56
Pioneers in Bibliography (Myers/ Printing Press as an Agent of
Harris), 18 Change (Eisenstein), 53
“Plight of the Subject Bibliogra¬ Printing Presses: History and De¬
pher” (Walford), 18 velopment (Moran), 53
“Poor Man’s Mark IV or Ersatz Printing and Publishing Evidence:
Hinman Collator” (Dearing), Thesauri . . . , 199
97n21 Printing Types: Their History,
“Portrait of the Author as a Bibli¬ Forms, and Use (Updike), 55
ography” (Laurence), 79 Printing and the Written Word:
 Title Index 289

The Social History of Books Reference Materials on Mexican

(Hindman), 52 Americans: An Annotated Bibli¬
Private Library (periodical), 216 ography (Woods), 71, 81n46
“Problems of Bibliographical Con¬ Registarum librorum Anglaciae, 24
trol” (Downs), 77 Repertorium bibliographicum
Proof: The Yearbook of American (Hain), 30
and Textual Studies (Katz), 205 Research: A Practical Guide to
Provenance Evidence; Finding Information (Fenner/
Thesaurus . . . , 199 Armstrong), 129n35
Psychinfo (database), 173 “Reviewing Printed Subject Bibli¬
Psychologist’s Companion, The ographies: A Worksheet” (Ta-
(Sternberg), 150 bachnick), 164
“Publication in Library and Infor¬ “Rigorous Systematic Bibliogra¬
mation Science” (Budd), 219 phy” (Bates), 36n24, 76, 80nl4
Publication Manual of the Ameri¬ “Role of Bibliographic Organiza¬
can Psychological Association, tion in Contemporary Civiliza¬
143, 150 tion” (Clapp), 80n22
Publishing History (periodical), Role of the Book in Medieval Cul¬
214 ture (Ganz), 34
“Publishing in the Journal Litera¬
ture of Library and Information “Sample Bibliographical Descrip¬
Science” (Via), 219-220 tion with Commentary”
(Tanselle), 124
“Read Before You Cite” (Steel), “Sampling Theory for Biblio¬
153 graphical Researach” (Shaw),
Reader’s Adviser, The, 70, 73, 125
81n39 “Scandal in America: Part I,”
Reader’s Guide to Periodical Lit¬ 20n22
erature (index), 108, 209 “Scholar or Librarian? How Aca¬
Reader in the History of Books and demic Libraries’ Dualistic Con¬
Printing (Winckler), 51 cept of the Bibliographer
Readings in Descriptive Bibliogra¬ Affects Recruitment” (Haar),
phy (Jones), 93 18
Recent Publications on Govern¬ “Science of Bibliogrphy: Thoe-
mental Problems, 71, 81n50 retical Implications for Biblio¬
“Recent Work in Bibliography” graphic Instruction” (Kereszt-
(Baker/Womack), 195 esi), 19n2
Reference Books: How to Select Science Citation Index, 117
and Use Them (Galin/Spielb- Science and Technology: An Intro¬
erg), 206 duction to the Literature (Gro¬
Reference and Information Ser¬ gan), 82n69
vices: An Introduction (Bopp/ Science and Technology Writing
Smith), 78 (Ruben), 150
290 Title Index

Scientific Style and Format: The Steinbeck Bibliographies (Har¬

CBE Manual, 144, 149, 151 mon), 72, 81n52
Scribes, Script, and Books (Arvin), Steinbeck’s Reading: A Catalogue
52 (DeMott), 72, 82n56
Scribes, Scripts, and Readers Story of Books, The (Rawlings),
(Parkes), 58 59nl
“Search Engines on the World Story of Books and Libraries
Wide Web and Information (Rider), 59n4
Retrieval from the Internet” Structure and Physical Properties
(Doug/Su), 230 of Paper (Ranee), 54
“ ‘Section B’ and the Bibliogra¬ “Student Problems with Documen¬
pher” (West), 123-124 tation” (Freimer/Perry), 153
Selected Studies in Bibliography Student’s Manual of Bibliography
(Tanselle), 93, 124 (Esdaile), 21n41, 80n28
Serials Directory, The, 219 “Students and Rules of Style for
Serials Librarian (periodical), 217 Reference Citations” (Terbille),
Short History of the Printed Word 153
(Chappell), 51 Studies in Bibliography, 92, 124,
Smithsonian Book of Books, The 206
(Olmert), 50 Studies in the History of Bookbind¬
Social Science Citation Index, 117
ing (Foot), 57
Social Science Reference Sources:
Studies on the History of Paper¬
A Practical Guide (Li), 118
making in Britain (Shorter), 54
SocioFile (Sociological Abstracts
“Study of Bibliography and its
database), 210
Role in the Academic World”
Sociological Abstracts, 210
(Wali), 15
Sociology Student Writer's Man¬
Study of Subject Bibliography of
ual, 151
the Social Sciences and Human¬
“Some Approaches to Annota¬
ities (Hale), 78
tions” (Menapae), 126
Some Notes on Bookbinding Study of Subject Bibliography with
(Cockrell), 60n33 Special Reference to the Social
“Some Problems in Modem Enu- Sciences (Needham), 78
merative Bibliography” (Ed¬ “Style in Cited References” (Gar¬
wards), 79,81n51 field), 152
Standard Periodical Directory, Style Guide for Military History,
The, 219 146
Standards of Bibliographical De¬ Style Guide for Students (and Oth¬
scription (Biihler/McManaday/ ers): A Manual for Science and
Wroth), 94 Engineering (Schall), 146
“State of Bibliography Today” Style Guide for Technical Publica¬
(Tanselle), 19n6, 36n23, 92, 229 tions (Mohrbacher), 151
“State of the Schools” (Dalrym- Style Manual (Manheimer), 144
ple), 192n6 Style Manual for Citing Microform
 Title Index 291

and Nonprint Media (Fleischer), Term Catalogues (Arber), 64, 79n8

149 Testaments of Time: The Search
Style Manual for Communication for Lost Manuscripts and Re¬
Majors (Bourhis), 145 cords (Duel), 58
Style Manual: NEA Style Manual Text: Transactions of the Society
for Writers and Editors, 145 for Textual Scholarship, 92
Style Manual for Political Science Text-Book on Bibliography (Bos¬
(American Political Science As¬ well), 60n23, 95
sociation), 150 Textual Criticism Since Greg
Style Manual for Technical Writers (Tanselle), 94
(Reisman), 151 Textual Scholarship: An Introduc¬
Style Manuals of the English tion (Greetham), 14, 77, 91, 93,
Speaking World (Howell), 143, 94, 229
155 Textual Transgressions: Essays
Style Manuals Online, 145 Toward the Construction of a
Stylebook on Religion, 150 Bibliography (Greetham), 92
Successful Dissertations and The¬ Theories of Bibliographic Educa¬
ses (Madsen), 144 tion, Designs for Teaching (Ob-
Sun Also Rises, The (Hemingway), erman/Strauch), 19n2, 191
108 Theory and History of Bibliogra¬
“System of Color Identification for phy (Schneider), 33, 36nl0,
Bibliographical Description” 80n 12
(Tanselle), 125 Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors
Systematic Bibliography: A Practi¬ (Houston), 173, 183n21
cal Guide (Robinson), 30, 76, “Thomas Bennet and the Origins
123
of Analytical Bibliography”
“Systematic Bibliography as the
(Williamson), 96
Reflection of Reality” (Sable),
Thoughts on the History and Fu¬
77
ture of Bibliographical De¬
Systematic Evaluation: Method
scription (Foxon), 93
and Sources for Assessing
“Three Epochs in Bibliographical
Books (Whittaker), 164n2
History” (Taylor), 34
“Taxonomy of Bibliographic Rela¬ Timetables of Technology (Bunch/
tionships” (Tillett), 123 Heilmans), 231nl
“Teaching of Bibliography” “Title-Page Transcription and Sig¬
(Stokes), 192 nature Collation Reconsidered”
Teaching Electronic Information (Tanselle), 125
Literacy (Barclay), 181 “To the Editor” (Austin), 232nl3
Technical Terms Used in Bibliog¬ “Tolerances in Bibliographical De¬
raphies and by the Book and scription” (Tanselle), 124
Printing Trade (Moth), 198 “Too Many Scholars Ignore the
“Technology and the World of Basic Rules of Documentation”
Books Revisited” (Silver), 228 (Brackstone/Brackstone), 153
292 Title Index

Toward a Methodology for Evalu¬ Using the Biological Literature: A

ating Research Paper Bibliog¬ Practical Guide (Davis/
raphies (Gratch), 164 Schmidt), 82n70
Toward Paperless Information Sys¬ Using the Internet, Online Ser¬
tems (Lancaster), 231 vices, and CD-ROMS for Writ¬
Transactions of the Cambridge ing Research and Term Papers
Bibliographical Society (peri¬ (Harmon), 152
odical), 212
“Transforming the Curriculum: Vocabulary Control and Search
Transforming the Profession” Strategies in Online Searching
(Marcum), 192n8 (Chamis), 180
“Treatment of Plates in Biblio¬ Vulgate Bible, 24
graphical Description” (Brid-
son), 125 Watford’s Guide to Reference Ma¬
Two Kinds of Power: An Essay on terials (Mullay/Schlicke), 206
Bibliographical Control (Wil¬ Washington Post Deskbook on
son), 78 Style (Lippman), 148
Type Evidence: A Thesaurus . . . , Wayward Bus, The (Steinbeck),
199 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116
Type and Typefaces: A Treasury of Webster’s Standard American
Typography Book (Lieberman), Style Manual, 144
55, 60n24 “Well-Tempered Bibliographer
Typographic Milestones (Haley), (Harlow), 15, 20n26, 33
' 55 Western Manuscripts from Classi¬
cal Antiquity to the Renais¬
Ulrich's International Periodical sance: A Handbook (Braswell),
Directory, 218 57
Ulrich’s Quarterly (periodical), What Else You Can Do with a Li¬
218 brary Degree (Sellen), 191
Uncover (database), 82n60 “What is Bibliography?” (Greg),
Uniform System of Citation, 102 19n7
“Unity of In Dubious Battle” (Le¬ “What the On-line World Really
vant), 120 Needs Is a Old-Fashioned Li¬
Universal Bibliography of Orni¬ brarian” (Chapman), 181
thology (Coues), 11 What Will Be: How the New World
“Use of Citations in Literary Re¬ of Information Will Change Our
search” (Frost), 152 Lives (Dertouzos), 228
Use of Manuscripts in Literary Re¬ “When to Cite” (Garfield), 153
search (Thorpe), 58 Where Credit is Due? (Shields),
Uses of Bibliography (Willoghby), 144, 149
91 Whitaker’s Books in Print, 70,
Uses of Bookbinding Literature 81n41
(Breslauer), 57, 196 “Who Wrote The Book of Mor-
 Title Index 293

mon? An Analysis of Word- World Encyclopedia of Library

prints” (Larsen/Rencher/ and Information Science (Yo-
Layton), 98n24 chelson), 78
Wide World of John Steinbeck “World Wide Web Is Here” (Kout-
(Lisca), 120 nik), 230
William Loring Andrews on Book¬ Would-Be Writer (Burhans), 120
binding History (Andrews), 57 Writing About Music (Irving), 149;
Words and Music (Helm), 149 (Wingell), 149
Writing for Nursing (O’Connor),
Workbook of Analytical and De¬
149-150
scriptive Bibliography (Pearce),
Writing Research Papers: A Com¬
124
plete Guide (Lester), 129n38
World Bibliography of Bibliogra¬
phies (Besterman), 195 Yale University Gazette (periodi¬
World Encyclopedia of Library cal), 217
and Information Services “You Can Take Your MLS Out of
(Wedgeworth), 202 the Library” (Williams), 192n4
 About the Author

ROBERT B. HARMON (B.A., M.A., Brigham Young University;

M.L.S., Rutgers University) is retired and serves part time as a
reference librarian at San Jose State University. He has also been
an acquisitions librarian and maintains his own private reference
service, Bibliographic Research Library. He served as curator of
the Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies for many years and now as a
consultant. As an avid subject bibliographer, he has been actively
engaged in compiling bibliographical works in political science,
literature, architecture, and other fields. Since 1965 he has au¬
thored eight titles and thirteen volumes published by Scarecrow
Press, including Political Science: A Bibliographic Guide to the
Literature (1965), Supplement (1968), Second Supplement
(1972), Third Supplement (1974); Political Science Bibliogra¬
phies, Vol. 1 (1973), Vol. 2 (1974); Developing the Library Col¬
lection in Political Science (1976); The Art and Practice of
Diplomacy: A Selected and Annotated Guide (1971); Understand¬
ing Ernest Hemingway: A Study and Research Guide (1977);
Steinbeck Bibliographies: An Annotated Guide (1987); and John
Steinbeck: An Annotated Guide to Biographical Sources (1996).

295
I • ..
■

g i

.
Third Edition ROBERT B. HARMON

S ince the publication of the first edition of this handy guide in 1981, the
world of bibliography has witnessed remarkable changes from the
dramatic effect of the computer upon information storage and retrieval.
This third edition of Elements of Bibliography has been thoroughly over¬
hauled to bring it up to date with the capabilities of computer technology
and new media practices, but it retains the features that have made it a
favorite tool for researchers and librarians, including a section on the his¬
tory of bibliography, an emphasis on the need for complete information,
and the author’s lively treatment of a sometimes dry subject.

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS

“Well-written, clear, concise, informative and easy-to-read. The author has
a knack for enlivening a basically dry subject. ... He knows his business.”
—Canadian Library Journal
“[This] volume, virtually a how-to manual for librarians and fledgling bibliog¬
raphers, is not only readable, but it is comprehensive without any preten¬
tiousness or posturing.”
—Journal of Academic Librarianship
“An excellent source and comprehensive compilation that covers a variety
of both print and film materials available to the casual reader and the
scholar alike.”
—American Reference Books Annual

Robert B. Harmon is a librarian with more than twenty-five years’

experience. He now works part-time at the San Jose State University
Library while maintaining his own private reference service, Bibliographic
Research Library. A curator for the Cox Center for StoinhAok .Qti iHi^o hn
has also compiled eight bib’

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