LISTED AT LAST

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 142, 13 December 1933, Page 7

LISTED AT LAST

THE BOOKS OF OXFORD

THE END OF CONFUSION

Oxford University is on the point of >completing a work which it has been vainly attempting to accomplish for the last 200 years.- The greater part of the task involved in compiling a catalogue of all the books in Oxford published be. fore 1641, and not in the Bodleian Lib* rary, has been finished, says the "Christian Science Monitor." The catalogue contains about 50,009 names, and it is hoped that editorial work preliminary to publication will begin soon. This editorial work is expected to require about four years. For the first time in history it will be possible to see at a glance what books are to be found in the libraries of the various colleges. It is estimated that in Oxford there are about 3,000,000 books and 60,000 manuscripts. Some 1;500,000 of the printed books are in the Bodleian, bu* the resources of the colleges, are practically unknown. Thus it happens that at present a scholar may have to write to twenty or more librarians before h» finds whether any college library possesses any particular book. The authorities regard the comple* tion of the catalogue as a work of immense importance, which will greatly, facilitate studies in the university. "It is described as "one of the greatest efforts ever made towards library cooperation." In 1925 Professor Morison, Harmsworth Professor of American History, said that among the difficulties to leaTiiing in Oxford "must be counted th» libraries. They are hopelessly nnco-or-dinated, and so decentralised that. it lakes years to learn what books on one 'i own subject may be there." THE FIBST.PLAN. The first scheme for such a catalogue as is now in hand was evolved in 1738, but evoked no response. In 1794 the Bodleian curators made a personal appeal, which was so far successful as to impel five colleges to send insists of their books during the next seven years. A further scheme was brought forward in 1850, when some progress is alleged to have been made. In 1911 another attempt to bring order into 'the literary chaos failed. The present triumphant movement was initiated in 1929, when the Oxford Bibliographical Society published a list of early printed books in Magdalen College Library. Then the various colleges began to co-operate,' choosing the date 1641 as ending the period immediately, before the great flood of Civil War pamphlets. ' It is thought that these investigations into the riches of Oxford College libraries will reveal many unexpected treasures. One of the- oldest of thes« libraries is that of All Souls, which was established by Archbishop Chiehele in 1443. It contains 40,000 volumes and 300 MSS. Corpus has a fine collection of Aldines, Oriel is famous for its works on comparative philology and mythology, St. John's for theology and law befor* 1750, and Wadham for botanical treat* ises, presented in 1775 by Kichard War* . ner. Most of the other college, libraries are rich in one or more special branches of learning. .