PREFACE. THE ANNUAL AMERICAN CATALOGUE, of which the present volume is the fourth, was started in its present form in 1886, to complete the system of American trade bibliography centered in the Office of the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY, of which system the crown is the greater AMERICAN CATALOGUE, the volume of which for 1884-90 is now in preparation. It proves that about five hundred buyers each year require such a catalogue, so that the returns just cover the expenses; and the work has been continued from year to year in the hope that with 1890, when the ANNUAL CATALOGUE becomes a continuous yearly supplement to the AMERICAN CATALOGUE proper, the demand will considerably increase. The fact that this catalogue ranges with the Annual English Catalogue, so that both may be bound together, has been found a practical convenience to many. This ANNUAL CATALOGUE, in its first year, was made by pasting on card-board the titles clipped from the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY full-title record, and having these photoprocessed into a relief plate of hardened gelatine, from which the printing was done. In its second and third years, the title-record was electrotyped week to week, each title sawed apart, and then tacked in alphabetical order on wood-blocks. In this fourth year, we return to the first method, as now practised by the Gill Engraving Co, except that the gelatine plates have been electrotyped into metal, according to the present practice of that company. The results, which are certainly a considerable improvement on the CATALOGUE of 1886, speak for themselves, and the process shows very great and wide usefulness for cataloguing and other reprint work. As from the beginning, Mr. A. Growoll, of the PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY, has done the careful practical work necessary to the success of either method, and great credit is due to him for its planning and execution. To Miss M. M. Monachesi is to be credited the bibliographical work of the title entries and the descriptive notes. The books recorded number for 1889 4014 entries, as against 4631 in 1888, 4437 in 1887, and 4676 in 1880. The slight ups and downs of these figures are not specially significant, as the variation in the number of cheap "library" reprints, or greater or less perfection in our record work, quite account for the variations, without assuming any considerable growth or decadence in American literary production. Every pains has been taken to make the record complete during the year, yet it still falls far short of the ideal. To approximate final completeness, every endeavor was made just before the close of the year, and immediately thereafter, to obtain any omitted titles, and the results are given in the supplementary list. There should be no occasion for this list, if publishers would but take a little trouble, an take to keep up this list after this fair notice. The Index, for the past three years, has been made by keeping the monthly indexes "standing," and putting this into one alphab able whether there is much, if any, saving in cost or convenienc This index does not cover the supplementary list. The number of publishers from whom books are entered th against 535 in 1888, 510 in 1887, and 517 in 1886. Since the larger are printers, or occasional publishers, the number of two hundre standard publishing trade. The approach of international copyright betokens better Ame If the bill now before Congress should become law, the official publ entries therein provided for will give very full "raw material" for th The new volume of the great AMERICAN CATALOGUE, covering 1884, to June 30, 1890, is well advanced, and will mark another adv graphical work, with the several new features which will be includec We bespeak for it the large support of American book interests, results will justify the permanent continuance of the ANNUAL CAT on, as its supplement. R. CONTENTS. Directory of American Publishers issuing books in 1889, Annual American Catalogue of books recorded 1889, with full titles and PAGE |