THE COMMITTEE responsible for the preparation of the SIR RICHARD GREGORY (Chairman). MR. C. L. BRYANT. DR. J. W. EVANS, F.R.S. MR. L. W. FULCHER. MR. J. S. HIGHFIELD. MR. E. WYNDHAM HULme. LADY LOCKYER. DR. H. FORSTER MORLEY. MR. P. PASSENGER. MR. J. J. ROBINSON. MR. ALAN A. CAMPBELL SWINTON, F.R.S. MR. CARMICHAEL THOMAS. MRS. WILSON. COL. SIR JOHN S. YOUNG, C.V.O. LT.-COL. W. A. J. O'MEARA, C.M.G. (Hon. W PREFACE. HEN the first British Scientific Products Exhibition was organised by the British Science Guild, in the year 1918, one of the stalls was devoted to a display of scientific and technical books. So much interest was taken in this exhibit that it was repeated in the following year, and a selected list of such books was published in the Catalogue of this Exhibition. Similar lists have been issued by the Science Masters' Association and the Association of Science Teachers, but the Guild's list was intended to be of service to industry rather than to education. It provided a handy guide to the chief existing British books on science and technology and proved of decided value to manufacturers seeking suitable works upon the particular subjects with which they were concerned. The list was reprinted and widely circulated by the well-known scientific and technical booksellers, Messrs. A. and F. Denny, and the many inquiries for it, or for a more complete Catalogue of British books on science and technology, led the British Science Guild to undertake the preparation and publication of such a Catalogue. The work was entrusted to a special committee which had at the outset to decide whether an attempt should be made to establish a standard of merit by which to determine inclusion or exclusion of books in the Catalogue, or whether all titles within the scope of the Catalogue should be admitted. The conclusion reached was that it would be more satisfactory to make the Catalogue a complete record of scientific and technical books other than those intended for primary schools, and elementary volumes of like nature, in the current lists of publishers in the United Kingdom, and obtainable through booksellers in the usual way. The Committee was fortunate in having among its members Mr. P. Passenger, who not only possesses wide knowledge and long experience in the handling of books on science and technology, but is also keenly interested in the cataloguing of them. Mr. Passenger undertook the task of making on a uniform plan a card catalogue of the full details of such books in the lists of British publishers; and the Committee is much indebted to him for the care and attention he devoted to this work. In order to secure uniformity in the bibliographic particulars, it was necessary to invite the assistance of publishers, and the Committee is glad to acknowledge that this aid was readily given. It has thus been possible to state, for each volume in the Catalogue, the author's name, title of book, size of page, number of pages, date of last edition, name of publisher, and price at the time (April, 1921) when the Catalogue was sent to the printers. The volume contains more than six thousand titles, and their satisfactory classification required careful consideration. About fifty main groups were eventually decided upon and these were divided into nearly five hundred sub-classes. Even when a scheme of classification had been formed it was frequently difficult to determine under which head to place a book, but the Committee was fortunately able to secure additional assistance in accomplishing this task and desires to express grateful thanks for it. Prof. J. H. Ashworth, F.R.S., classified the titles of biological books, Miss M. S. Aslin those on agriculture, Prof. H. Wildon Carr dealt with books on philosophy and Miss M. Punnett and Prof. T. P. Nunn with those on mathematics. Other titles were classified by members of the Committee. The classification adopted is such that, so far as practicable, related subjects are placed near one another; and under each head or sub-head the titles are arranged alphabetically according to author's names. It is thus possible to see at a glance the volumes available in any branch of science and technology. Following this natural order, there is an aphabetical list of authors' names, and a subject index, which should be of service in furnishing an easy guide to a book or group of books upon a particular subject. For the preparation of this subject index, the Committee gladly expresses its obligations to Mr. G. S. Sweeting. As to what are the best books available is often a matter of individual preference, and the Committee has made no attempt to exercise selective functions in this matter. With the present complete Catalogue, however, to show at a glance the actual works now obtainable, it is much easier to ask an authority upon a specific subject to indicate what he considers the most suitable books for particular needs or purposes-whether educational or industrial—than it would be in the absence of this list, and the Guild would no doubt furnish such information to any of its members who may desire guidance of this kind. The British Science Guild believes that in producing this Catalogue it is promoting the use of knowledge and thereby furthering the development of education, science and industry. The books themselves represent worthy. British scientific products and the Catalogue should be a means of extending their use not only at home but also in parts of the Empire overseas and in countries not yet familiar with what we have to offer in scientific and technical literature. If support to this enterprise is sufficiently encouraging, the Guild hopes to issue a revised edition of the Catalogue annually and thus keep up-to-date a publication which should prove of value to workers in many fields. R. A. GREGORY. |