Russian Transliteration.
APPENDIX III. REPORT ON BOOK SIZES.
A Special Committee on Book Sizes of the American Library Association reported (Library journal, 3: 19, 20) the following rule:
Give the outside height in centimeters, using fractions (decimals) where extreme accuracy is desired. For books of special forms, prefix sq., ob., or nar., to indicate square, oblong, or narrow, or else give the actual width after the height. Add a small “h” to the figures giving the height, except when followed by the width. In the latter case connect height and width with the ordinary symbol ×, always giving the height first. If fractious are not used, give the first centimeter above, e. g., all books between 18 and 19 mark 19h, because they fall in the 19th centimeter. For the width, measure the board from the hinge to the edge, not including the round. If desirable to give the size of the paper or letter-press, prefix the measurement with p(aper) or t(ype), including in the type neither folio nor signature lines.
For those preferring to use the common designations, the following-rule was unanimously recommended:
Designate each size by its initial letter or letters (followed, if preferred by the cataloguer, by its final letter “o,” superior “º”) assigning the size by the following table, and prefixing sq., ob., nar., if the books be square, oblong, or narrow. Give the exact measurement of all size-curiosities, whether very large or very small.
| Numerical symbol formerly used. | Abbreviation to be used. | Limit of outside height, centimeters. |
|---|---|---|
| 48º | Fe | 10 |
| 32º | Tt | 12.5 |
| 24º | T | 15 |
| 16º | S | 17.5 |
| 12º | D | 20 |
| 8º | O | 25 |
| 4º | Q | 30 |
| fº | F | 40 |
| fº | F⁵ | 50 |
| fº | F⁶ | 60 |
| fº | F⁷ | 70 |
| fº | etc. | etc. |
Any cataloguer desiring to use the term E (18º) may do so by calling the smaller S (16º). This causes no confusion, for either E or S is between 15 and 17½ cm. in height. Books from 20 to 40 cm. high may be called sm. Q, Q, and l. Q when of the square form, but O, l. O, and F, or sm. F, when of the ordinary form. Books smaller than 20 cm., and of the quarto form, are marked sq. D, etc. * * *