BOOS-CLUB, or Boots-Sociorv, an association of individuals for purchasing and reading new books as they issue from the press, which, after being circulated among the members, are sold for the benefit of the concern. In sonic cases, the used books are disposed of by auction the 'members. Book-clubs exist in many of the large towns and rural districts of Great Britain. Although new in name, and mostly com posed of persons in the higher ranks of life, they are established on plans similar to the snore humble class of reading societies which were common in different parts of the country in the latter part of the 18th century. In sonic places, the more fashionable book-clubs have been superseded by the late re-invigoration of the system of circulating libraries (q.v.). w. c.
BOOR-1r9.EPING is the method of recording business transactions in a set of blank paper hooks kept for the purpose, by all classes of traders, as well as in various kinds of establishments. Viewed as an art, book-keeping was first brought to comparative perfection by the merchants of Genoa and other cities in the n. of Italy; and followed up by the merclifitts•pf the Netherlauds, it, has been brought to England, in which country, as also in the British colonial possessions and the United States, it is now car ried on in the best manner by professional accountants and skilled clerks in counting houses. The books employed are usually of a folio size, strougly bound. For security against loss, it is customary to remove them every night from the desk and ordinary shelves in the counting-house to a fire-proof safe.
• Although reduced to an accurate system, the details of book-keeping necessarily dif fer according to the extent and the nature of the transactions to be recorded. In all
kinds of book-keeping, however, there are or ought to be certain pervading principles, to which we shall in a brief way refer. The object is to keep an account of the goods a trader buys and sells, and the money he receives and pays away; also to show, at short and periodic intervals, the exact state of his affairs—what arc his assets (property and sums of money owing to him), and what are his liabilities (debts owing by him, and other pecuniary obligations). On the proper accomplishment of this object may be said to depend the stability and the reputation of the trader. Such is obviously the case, for, unless a person keep an accurate set of books to enable him to ascertain how his affairs stand, he must iu a great measure be proceeding upon vague, and possibly erroue ous conclusions; the result of which may be insolvency or bankruptcy, and loss of good name. In many instances, bankruptcy is traced to no other cause than the keeping of :In insufficient set of books, and even keeping these badly. Viewed as credentials, a merchant's books are invested with a certain sacredness of character. Such a set of them is to be kept as will at all times admit of a satisfactory statement of affairs being made up. On this account, they require to be kept with great neatness, accuracy, and perspicuity. As a rule, there should ho no blotting, no scraping out of words or fig ures, and no tearing out of leaves—the records are to be beyond suspicion of falsi fication.