113.—On the face of it, it seems a simple affair to arrange slips in alphabetical order—“as easy as a, b, c”—but, judging by the mistakes made, and the small number of persons who when put to it can alphabetise properly, it is not so simple as it appears. The arrangement is, of course, to be according to the English alphabet, and irrespective of the language of the entries, I and J and U and V to be kept apart as distinct letters, and then by each separate word.

One of the first principles is to arrange all entries leading off with the same word in accordance with what is understood as precedence and importance of entry, viz., (1) author and other personal names; (2) subject names; (3) titles of books; as, for example:

It has already been shown that initial letters precede all words with the same initial, and under the same rule all names with a particular initial for the Christian name are placed before those with the Christian name in full, as

Where there are a number of persons of the same surname and initial in the catalogue it is as well, for the sake of clearness, to try and find out the full name for which the initial stands and give it. When this cannot be done it is very important to take care and not attribute books by different authors to one, or by an individual to different authors. These are mistakes much more commonly made than might be supposed.

Monarchs, as authors or as subjects, having similar names are arranged in chronological order, but with British sovereigns leading, as

These would be followed by persons with a single name, as

and then by other persons with William as a surname, arranged in order alphabetically by their Christian names or initials. When titles are used and appear in the name, as Lord, Lady, Sir, Rev., Dr., they are ignored and not allowed to affect the arrangement in the least, not even if it happens that there is no other means of distinguishing a person, and if the Christian name cannot be ascertained such a name would be placed before that of all others of the same name and treated in precisely the same way as if the surname only were known and no title existed, as

If two noblemen of the same title have the same Christian name they should be placed in order of succession with their order shown, as

and parents and children with similar names are arranged according to seniority, like

It is sometimes recommended to place distinctions of this nature with the surname, as

but this is not a very happy form.

Names of a person in different forms must not be alphabetised under those forms, but one selected and all concentrated under it, as it would be foolish to have separate entries under say Shakspere, Shakespeare, Shakspear, Shakspeare, though the variety in the name can be shown in the different entries under the form adopted.

114.—It has already been shown that different editions of the same work are to be arranged in order of publication as far as possible, and that editions in the language of the original are placed before translations, and complete works before parts or selections. These would in turn be followed by works upon the author as subject, i.e., biographical and critical, when there is no occasion to repeat his name as a subject-heading, as the repeat dash may be omitted to show that he is not the author of a book upon himself, a mistake that is not likely to be made by the dullest person if the name of the author of the book upon the author in question leads off, thus

This order of arrangement may be tabulated in full in this way:—

As already stated in section 52, names with prefixes are taken as part of the name, and arranged accordingly. If the prefix is abbreviated as M’, or Mc, or St., it is placed in order as if spelled out Mac or Saint. This does not imply that the name must be so altered in the catalogue, and refers to the order only. Names like MÜller should be arranged as Muller, taking care that other entries are not under Mueller, but this is a matter that can be best dealt with according to the circumstances of the case, as, for instance, Goethe should be so alphabetised, and not as GÖthe. Diphthongs are alphabetised as separate letters.

115.—Abbreviated words in title-entries are also treated as if given in full, and consequently “Dr. Thorne” and “Mr. Isaacs” do not come immediately before “Drab” and “Mud,” but with “Doctor” and “Mister” respectively. It need hardly be said that “Mrs. Bligh” or any other Mrs. is not alphabetised in either the abbreviated or colloquial form, but as “Mistress,” and therefore does not come between “Mozley” and “Muddock.” Other abbreviated words are arranged upon the same plan. “Fo’c’s’le yarns” appearing as “Forecastle,” though the exception to this rule is found in other elisions contained in such entries, as

’Twas in Trafalgar’s Bay.

’Tween snow and fire.