BOOK NUMBERS. Mr. Cutter is also author of an ingenious and widely used table to keep books in each class in alphabetical order. The author's initial is followed by a number which is the translation into figures of the rest of the name, so that the system is much simpler in handling and recording than it would be if the author's whole name had to be used. For scientific and other books where chronologic order is prefer able, NV. S. Bi-coe, of New York State Library, devised a translation scheme by which a letter followed by simple Arabic' numerals indicates date. Under the subject or class numbers most libraries use Cutter numbers, while many use also liiscoe numbers for science and useful arts. Some tke simple accession order.
Both decimal and expansive sys tems made large use of practical mnemonics. These are of much use, especially in geographic division,, languages, and form distinctions; e.g. since in the decimal classification German is in variably 3 and grammars 5, one knows without reference to tables or index that in class 4 phi lology German grammars "mist he 435. Library attendants are greatly aided by these mnemonic feature, and eau often construct a number in stantly. The principle also allows very minute
of topics where it is needed for de tailed notes of specialists. as in limited divisions of hi,torical periods. In history, 0 after the number for country moans no further geographic subdivision and that the figure following denotes time; e.g. 942 is history of England (class 9 his tory. division 4 Europe. section 2 England). 0 indicates no further geographic division, 6 the sixth or Stuart period, 1 the first Stuart King, .(-) that 942.061 means history of England in the reign of James T. (1603-25). Or, still further, a speeialist may be collecting material on Norfolk James T. If so 061, the number .for reign of James I., added to 942.61 (Norfolk). making 942.61061. would indicate with absolute preeis ion and in a language understood all over the civilized world exactly the time and place. The wide adoption of this decimal classification for international cc-c was based on the fact that it was a universal language used with equal readi ness by all nations, while words would often be ennfuscil and misinterpreted as they were trans ferred from one townie to another.