INTRODUCTION The original suggestion for the preparation of the present catalogue was made by the late Dr. Billings in February 1911, at the first interview the writer had with him after assuming the duties of librarian in the Library of the Engineering Societies. The suggestion was at once presented to the committee governing the library; it met with instant and cordial approval, and work was started at once. From the first, it was determined that a catalogue, not a check list, should be attempted; it was hoped some time to issue a catalogue and check list covering the entire United States. It was realized that the task was much more difficult than the preparation of a title-a-line list, and that the liability of error was great. The choice of publications to be listed or eliminated has been difficult. There are glaring inconsistencies, for which the editor is in no way responsible. The writer is to be blamed for all of them. Official publications have been included in only a few instances, where they have assumed more or less the characteristics of the ordinary periodical; in some localities, the government publications are the only ones giving adequate technical information. There will undoubtedly be criticisms of the choice of form of making the entries of some of the publications. We have tried, by the free use of cross-references, to guide the user to the main entry. The original manuscript will be preserved, in order that corrections, additions, and new information may be noted. It is hoped that such information will be communicated to the editor by users of the catalogue; it will be cordially welcomed. Personal acknowledgment for assistance rendered is thankfully given to Dr. Leonard Waldo, Dr. Samuel Sheldon, Mr. E. Gybbon Spilsbury and Mr. Calvin W. Rice, of the Library Board; to Mr. Arthur Hastings Grant, of the International Magazine Company, and Mr. Alfred Hafner of G. E. Stechert & Company; to Dr. Herbert Putnam, Mr. W. A. Slade, and Mr. Francis H. Parsons, of the Library of Congress; Miss Claribel Barnett, Librarian of the United States Department of Agriculture; Dr. Clement W. Andrews, of the John Crerar Library; Mr. Harrison W. Craver and Mr. E. H. McClelland, of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburg; Mr. William H. Brett, of the Cleveland Public Library; Mr. Chalmers Hadley, of the Denver Public Library; Mr. R. H. Johnston, Librarian of the Bureau of Railway Economics; Dr. Edwin H. Anderson, Director of the New York Public Library; Mr. Frederick C. Hicks, formerly Acting Librarian of Columbia University, and to many other librarians; to the editors of numerous technical publications and the secretaries of many American technical societies. Much assistance has been given also by the readers in our library. The interest shown by technical men has been very inspiring. Those assisting in the actual work of compilation by furnishing actual entries, and thus doing the foundation work for the catalogue, were: Mr. William B. Gamble, Chief of the Technology Division, New York Public Library. Miss Enid Hawkins, Librarian of Stevens Institute. Miss Florence M. Bowman, Librarian of the Plainfield, N. J., Public Library, and Miss Alice Jane Gates, Assistant Librarian, Library of the Engineering Societies. Miss Gates has recatalogued every periodical in the Library of the Engineering Societies, and corrected and extended the entries sent in from other libraries. She has arranged these entries and made a fair typewritten copy for the printer. She has sent out hundreds of letters, and interviewed many people. She has read all the proof. The modern ideal in libraries is that of service. It has been with this in view that this catalogue has been compiled. If it is found useful to students and to librarians who are serving them, the time taken in its compilation will have been well spent. W. P. CUTTER, Librarian of the Engineering Societies, and X |