Library Cataloguing

by John Henry Quinn

Music.
Pianof. solos.
Bach, J. Sebastian. Prelude. (Gems from
the classics, Bk. 1.) n.d.

This recommendation of separate entry is for a class-list of music (that is, a separately-published catalogue of music), and only applies to volumes containing works by several composers. Separate entries are not required in the case of a collection of pieces by a single composer. One entry only is needed, as

Music.
Pianof. solos.
Menynski, M. Esquisses russes pour piano.
pp. 48. 4^o n.d.

This contains six pieces, each with a distinctive title, and these titles can be set out, if thought well, as contents under the above entry. No further entries should be given, even in the dictionary catalogue, as title-entries for the items in works of this kind are superfluous.

There are, also, many collections of miscellaneous music much too comprehensive to allow of the separate cataloguing of each item, and these must, of necessity, be simply catalogued, even without the contents being set out. Examples of collections of this type are:—

Hatton, J. L. (Ed.) The songs of England: a
collection of 200 English melodies, including
the most popular traditional ditties, &c., of
the last three centuries. (Royal ed.) 2 v. n.d.
Pauer, E. (Ed.) March-album: a collection of
the most celebrated Italian, French, and German
marches. pp. 114. n.d.

In either the music or the classified catalogue, these would be respectively allotted to the divisions Music—Vocal Music—Ballad and Song (Dewey 784.3) and Music—Pianoforte Solos—Marches (Dewey 786.44).

In a short-entry catalogue, they can be condensed to

Hatton, J. L. (Ed.) The songs of England. 2 v.
n.d.
Pauer, E. (Ed.) March-album: Italian, French,
and German marches. n.d.

Experience proves that no useful purpose is served by giving the dates of publication of modern music in an ordinary catalogue; in fact, it can only be given in exceptional cases, the majority being "n.d.", as the above examples testify. The works of the classic masters appear in so many forms and editions that the dates, when ascertained, are of no particular help.