one or more of five single books or alphabets.

"The Review of reviews must be mentioned as a useful monthly index to
current periodical literature, but of little value for study reference
as compared with the indexes just mentioned. An annual index issued by
the Review of reviews, since 1890, is good in its way, though rather
superficial. Sargent's Reading for the young, and its supplement,
index the juvenile sets of St Nicholas, Harper's young people, and
Wide Awake. Poole and the Cumulative are of little use without a fair
assortment of the sets therein indexed.

"Thus far 442 titles (practically all of them serials published since
1800) have been indexed. It is a mistake, however, to suppose that
most of these are necessary in a small library before Poole's index
should be purchased or can be of use. Given Poole and a complete set
of Littell's living age, and Harper's monthly, more reference work can
be done than with twice the number of reference books not periodicals.
A small collection of sets has enabled more than one struggling
library to hold its own with the students and club members, and to
accomplish work which could not have been done as well with many works
of reference, the purchase of which would have exhausted the whole
book fund."




CHAPTER XIV

Reading room--Periodicals