INDEXERS' REFERENCE BOOKS

Transcription

1 The Editor has received a very useful list of reference books on history since the titles listed below were received. Readers noticing the absence of titles which they consider worthy of inclusion are invited to send full particulars to the Editor so that they may be included in the next issue of The Indexer. INDEXERS' REFERENCE BOOKS BRUCE S. C. HARLING In the Spring 1971 issue of The Indexer readers were invited to send to the Editor details of reference books which they found useful. Many readers were kind enough to respond to this appeal and the following list is a compilation of their suggestions. Thanks are tendered to them. The first point that I should like to emphasise is that this list makes absolutely no pretence of being either balanced or comprehensive. It is by nature eclectic; it merely places in some kind of order the titles of works that some indexers have actually found useful. It is not an academic list though I have nothing against such things but it does indicate books which have proved their usefulness in practice. Thus every work mentioned is a valuable reference book to someone. The arrangement under different headings is done mainly to avoid a long undifferentiated list which would be unattractive and difficult to consult. If you want to play a party game then I suggest that you try to re-arrange the following items under differ ent headings; a prize could be given for the most elegant approach. There might be some who would like to know exactly what a reference book actually is. Well I am afraid that you are doomed to disappointment because the definition would have to be so broad as to lose its boundaries; and a definition without bound aries is, by definition, incomplete like a river without banks or a miracle without wonder. For, like beauty and Peeping Tom's eye, a book becomes a reference book when ever somebody refers to it; reference is in the needs of the enquirer not in the intentions of the writer. With relief you can now turn to the list: here and there I have borrowed a note or two and these are enclosed in inverted com mas. Although full details of the works were requested, they were seldom given and a deal of work was required to check for current editions and prices; thanks are due to the Editor for deciding to let me do that work. Despite my efforts I cannot imagine that these details are still accurate; therefore, should any reader approach this as a buying list, he would be well advised to bear in mind the probability of increased prices and the possibility of later editions. BOOKS ABOUT REFERENCE BOOKS It is hoped that the presence of this section will compensate for the inadequacies of the list as a whole. By consulting these texts the reader will be able to obtain a comprehensive and informed view of the whole field. The Indexer 7 (4) Autumn

2 Books of reference for school libraries: an annotated list, compiled by P. Heeks. (School Library Association, 2nd ed., 1968, 53pp., 0.55.) * Would serve as a good basic list of reference books... for any small library.' Facts and how to find them: a guide to sources of information and to the method of systematic research, by W. A. Bagley. (Pitman, 7th ed., 1964, 148pp., 0.75.) Facts at your fingertips : everyman's guide to reference books, by K. C. Harrison. (K. Mason, 2nd ed., 1966, 110pp., 0.75.) Guide to reference books, by C. M. Winchell. (Chicago, American Library Association, 8th ed., 1967, 741pp., $6.). Supplements, ($3.50); ($4). Guide to reference material. Vol. 1: Science and technology, by A. J. Walford. (Library Association, 2nd ed., 1966, 483pp., 5.) Guide to reference material. Vol. 2: Social and historical sciences, philosophy and religion, by A. J. Walford. (Library Asso ciation, 2nd ed., 1968, 543pp., 5.) Guide to reference material. Vol. 3: Gen eralities, languages, the arts and literature, by A. J. Walford. (Library Association, 2nd ed., 1970, 585pp., 5.) Home reference books in print, compiled by S. P. Walsh. (Bowker, 1969, 282pp., 4.47±.) How and where to find the facts: an en cyclopedic guide to all types of informa tion, by W. Sunners. (New York, Arco, 1963, 442pp., $7.50.) How to find out, by G. Chandler. (Pergamon, 3rd ed., 1967, 212pp., ) INDEXING Book indexing, by M. D. Anderson. (Cam bridge University Press, Cambridge Auth ors' and Printers' Guides series, 1971, 36pp., 0.50.) How to make an index, by Henry B. Wheatley. (Eliot Stock, 1902, 236pp.) The Jndexer, Vol. 1, An invaluable compendium of incessant interest and instruction to all indexers. Bound vol umes and single copies available from the Hon. Treasurer. (55p per single copy.) Indexing: a handbook of instruction, by George E. Brown. (Grafton, 1921.) Indexes and indexing: guide to the indexing of books and collections of books, by R. L. Collison. (Benn, 3rd ed., 1969, 224pp., Indexing books : a manual of basic principles, by R. L. Collison. (Benn, 1962, 96pp., 0.60.) The indexing of books and periodicals, by John W. T. Walsh. (Arnold, 1930.) Making an index, by G. V. Carey. (Cam bridge University Press, Cambridge Authors' and Printers' Guides series, 3rd ed., 1963, 18pp.) A manual of style. For authors, editors and copywriters. (University of Chicago Press, 12th ed., 1969, 546pp., 4.50.) Includes a chapter on indexing which is available as a separate pamphlet at 50p. Training in indexing. A course of the Society of Indexers, edited by G. Norman Knight. (M.I.T. Press, 1969, 224pp., 3.75.) AUXILIARIES When you have played the party game mentioned above, please let me know how these items have been treated. Anglo-American cataloguing rules. (Library Association, 1967, 327pp., 3.80.) Authors' and printers' dictionary, by F. Howard Collins. (Oxford University Press, 10th ed., 1956, 458pp., 0.75.) On retrieval system theory, by B. C. Vickery. (Butterworth, 2nd ed., 1965, 103pp., Rules for compositors and readers at the University Press, Oxford, by Horace Hart. (Oxford University Press, 37th ed., 1967, 156pp., 0.75.) Rules of printed English, by Herbert Rees. (Darton, 1970, 168pp., 1.25.) Textbook on mechanical information re trieval, by Allen Kent. (Interscience, 2nd ed., 1966, 394pp., 5.85.) 152 The Indexer 7 (4) Autumn 1971

3 GENERAL ENCYCLOPAEDIAS Obviously these titles are but a fraction of the works available, and this is true of other sections also. I have not listed my own favourite Chambers's encyclopaedia be cause I am sure that everyone is aware of its excellence. The Columbia encyclopedia. (Columbia University Press, 3rd ed., 1963, 14.) Encyclopaedia Britannica. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, rev. ed., 1967, 28,064pp., ) Everyman's encyclopaedia. (Dent, 4th ed., 1968, 12 vols., 28.) 'Reasonably priced and very informative, but no index.' Grand Larousse encyclopedique (Paris, Librairie Larousse, 10 vols., , sup plement 1968.) * For all purposes, and in particular for the indexing of historical works and biographies... by far the most useful of general reference books. This work is less than half the price of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and more than twice as useful.' Whitaker's almanack, (Whitaker, 102nd annual volume, 1971, 1,220pp., LANGUAGE DICTIONARIES The inclusion of the French and Latin dictionaries is thought to be a sufficient indi cation of the fact that dictionaries on virtu ally all languages are available; in all cases where the reader is concerned to have before him the full range of items he is advised to consult the works listed in the section BOOKS ABOUT REFERENCE BOOKS. Chambers's twentieth century dictionary, edited by W. Geddie. (Chambers, new ed., 1964, 1,400pp., 1.50.) The concise Oxford dictionary of current English, edited by H. W. & F. G. Fowler. (Oxford University Press, 5th ed., 1964, 1,574pp., 1.25.) 'Especially useful be cause most editors will accept the C.O.D. spelling as authoritative.' A dictionary of modern English usage, by H. W. Fowler. (Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1965, 750pp., 1.40.) New French-English, English-French dic tionary, edited by D. Girard. (Cassell, 1957, 1,434pp., 2.10.) New Latin-English, English-Latin diction ary, revised by D. P. Simpson. (Cassell, 3rd ed., 1964, 902pp., 1.80.) The Nuttall dictionary of English synonyms and antonyms, edited by G. Elgie Christ. (Warne, 1943.) ' Useful, but not especially recommended; other books on same sub ject are at least equally good, some better.' Roget's thesaurus of English words and phrases, by P. M. Roget. (Penguin, 1967, 712pp., 0.62±.) The shorter Oxford English dictionary on historical principles, revised and edited by C. T. Onions. (Oxford University Press, 3rd ed., 1959, 2,538pp., 6.75.) ATLASES AND GAZETTEERS The ambiguity of definition appears here in the word 'atlas'. In other sections the same is true of ' dictionary' and ' encyclo paedia '. All these terms are capable of being used vaguely and the only common factor is that their application is likely to indicate that the work is in some way intended for reference. What should also be noted is the frequent practice of issuing a concise edition of a fuller work the Oxford atlases in this in stance. This principle is true in many other cases and the reader is advised that a careful assessment of his needs and a comparison of different editions can lead to a consider able saving of either money or frustration. If you really must have comprehensiveness then you will almost certainly find that you have to pay for it; however, there is no point in paying for something you do not want. Bartholomew's survey gazetteer of the British Isles. (Bartholomew, 9th ed., 1963,780pp., 2.50.) The Indexer 7 (4) Autumn

4 The concise Oxford atlas, edited by D. P. Bickmore. (Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1959, 168pp., 2.25.) The Oxford atlas, by Clinton Lewis and J. D. Campbell. (Oxford University Press, 1951, 202pp., 3.25.) Penguin atlas of ancient history, by C. McEvedy. (Penguin, 1967, 96pp., 0.75.) Penguin atlas of medieval history, by C. McEvedy. (Penguin, 1967, 96pp., 60p.) Shorter atlas of the classical world, by H. H. Scullard and A. A. M. van der Heyden. (Nelson, 1963, 240pp., 1.35.) BIOGRAPHY One of my most used reference books is Festing Jones's biography of Samuel Butler, but this would not normally be considered a reference book. The depth of detail required will determine the sort of book that is needed. Chambers's biographical dictionary, edited by J. O. Thorne. (Chambers, 3rd ed., 1964, 1,440pp., 4.) A classical dictionary of proper names in ancient authors, by J. Lempriere. (Routledge, rev. ed., 1949, 704pp., 1.05.) A dictionary of the Popes, by Donald Aftwater. (Burns, Oates & Washbourne, Catholic Book Club, 1939.) Dictionary' of universal biography, by A. M. Hyamson. (Routledge, 2nd ed., 1951, 692pp., 5.25.) Who's who in the theatre, edited by Freda Gaye. (Pitman, 14th ed., 1967, 1,730pp., 7.35.) Who's who An annual biographical dictionary. 123rd year of issue. (Black, 1971, 3,152pp., 9.) SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The items listed here are diverse but they should give some indication of the types of work that exist. Thus, given a particular field, one will be able to deduce what sort of reference books are likely to be available. One omission is the encyclopaedic range of British Standards; the glossaries and termino logical standards are likely to be of particu lar use to the indexer. Details of current standards can be found in the B.S.I. Year book. ABC of astronomy, by A. Weigert and H. Zimmermann. (Hilger & Watts, 1967, 368pp., 2.50.) Chambers's technical dictionary, edited by C. F. Tweney and L. F. Hughes. (Cham bers, 3rd ed., 1964, 1,036pp., 1.87*.) 'A new edition is to be published in October 1971 under the title Dictionary of science and technology'. Chemical dictionary, by I. W. D. Hacfch. (McGraw-Hill, 4th ed., 1969, 1,040pp., ) Chemical synonyms and trade names, by William Gardner and E. I. Cooke. (Tech nical Press, 6th ed., 1968, 640pp., 5.) 'A very useful book within its specialised field, but can sometimes be misleading to the non-chemist.' A classification of living animals, by N. M. V. Rothschild. (Longmans, 2nd ed., 1965, 134pp., 2.) The condensed chemical dictionary, Spanish- English, edited by Arthur and Elizabeth Rose. (Reinhold, 7th ed., 1967, 1,056pp., 7.) A dictionary of alloys, by Eric N. Simons. (Muller, 1969, 192pp., 2.25.) Dictionary of ceramics, by A. E. Dodd. (Newnes, 2nd ed., 1967, 368pp., 2.10.) Dictionary of dyeing and textile printing, by H. Blackshaw and R. Brightman. (Newnes, 1961, 228pp., 1.50.) A dictionary of electronics, by S. Handel. (Penguin, 2nd ed., 1967, 400pp., ) A dictionary of flowering plants and ferns, by J. C. Willis. (Cambridge University Press, 7th ed., 1966, 124pp., 5.) Dictionary of metallurgy, by D. Birchon. (Newnes, 1965, 416pp, 2.25.) Dictionary of nutrition and food technology, by Arnold E. Bender. (Butterworth, 3rd ed., 1968, 236pp., 2.50.) A dictionary of science, edited by E. B. Uvarov. (Penguin, 1969, 336pp., 0.30.) Encyclopaedic dictionary of physics, edited by J. Thewlis. (Pergamon, 1965, 9 vols., 8,000pp., 96.) 154 The Indexer 7 (4) Autumn 1971

5 Index of mineral species and varieties, arranged chemically, by Max H. Hey. (British Museum Natural History Dept, 2nd ed., 1955, 728pp., 3.) Appendix: (1963, 1.) The Penguin dictionary of astronomy, by Ake Wallenquist. (Penguin, 1968, 240pp., ) Textile terms and definitions. (The Textile Institute, 1970.) Van Nostrand's scientific encyclopaedia. (Van Nostrand, 4th ed., 1968, 2,118pp., 16.) World list of scientific periodicals, edited by Peter Brown and G. B. Stratton. (Butterworth, 4th ed., 1965, 3 vols., 650pp., 25.) THE HUMANITIES The Robert Graves item should remind the reader that very often paperback editions are also available. These are of course very much cheaper, but one must also take into account the amount of wear that is likely to occur. Some economies are false. A classical and Biblical reference book, by H. A. Treble. (Murray, 1948, 0.52*). A critical dictionary of psycho-analysis, by Charles Rycroft (Nelson, 1968, 189pp., 1.50.) Encyclopaedia of dates and events, by L. C. Pascoe, A. J. Lee and E. S. Jenkins. (Eng lish Universities Press, Teach Yourself series, 1968, 776pp., 1.25.) Encyclopaedia of world history, edited by W. L. Langer. (Harrap, 4th ed., 1969, 1,544pp., 5.25.) England, edited by L. R. Muirhead. (Benn, Blue Guide series, 7th ed., 1964, 736pp., 2.75.) The filmgoer's companion, by Leslie Halliwell. (MacGibbon & Kee, 2nd ed., 1967, 848pp., 3.15.) A genealogical companion and key to the history of England, by George Fisher. (Simpkin & Marshall, 1832.) The Greek mythss by Robert Graves. (Cassell, 1958, 776pp., 2.10.) (Penguin, Pelican series, 1960, 2 vols., 0.60.) History of architecture on the comparative method, by Banister Fletcher. (Athlone, 17th ed., 1961, 1,366pp., 4.50.) History of Britain, by E. H. Carter and R. A. F. Mears. (Oxford University Press, 3rd ed., 1960, 1,140pp., A new Penguin dictionary of music, by A. Jacobs. (Penguin, 2nd ed., 1967, 432pp., 0.42*.) Oxford companion to music, by P. A. Scholes. (Oxford University Press, 9th ed., 1955, 1,256pp., 4.20.) Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F. L. Cross. (Oxford University Press, 1957, 1,512pp., 5.25.) LITERATURE Concise Cambridge history of English litera ture, edited by G. Sampson. (Cambridge University Press, 3rd ed., 1970, 976pp., 3.25.) Dictionary of phrase and fable, by E. C. Brewer. (Cassell, 1963, 976pp., 2.25.) Familiar quotations, by J. Bartlett. (Macmillan, 1969, 1,760pp., 4.20.) Oxford companion to classical literature, edited by Paul Harvey. (Oxford Univer sity Press, 1937, 480pp., 1.40.) Oxford companion to English literature, by Paul Harvey. (Oxford University Press, 4th ed., 1967, 972pp., 2.50.) Oxford companion to French literature, edited by Paul Harvey and J. E. Heseltine. (Oxford University Press, 1959, 782pp., 2.52±.) Oxford dictionary of quotations. (Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1953, 1,024pp., 2.50.) It only remains to point out that besides providing information, many reference books contain a.wealth of delightful and entertain ing reading. Whatever reference books are owned, their real value can only be appreci ated by ensuring that one is completely familiar with the nature and extent of their contents. The Indexer 7 (4) Autumn