A librarians' list of English and American authors

Abstract

The accompanying list of books has been carefully made for the purpose of recommending those editions of works of outstanding English and American authors that will be most useful in the reference department of a college or university library, and for suggesting selected biographies, bibliographies, separately published indexes, and other aids that will be most helpful to the study of the works. It is believed that such a list will assist college and university librarians in the purchase of books for the department of English, particularly for reference use, and will bring more definitely to light needs for newer, more accurate, and more complete editions and reference aids than now exist. A Bohn publication, for instance, though it may perhaps carry a recent date, suggests frequently reprinted material. Editions of Defoe, Addison, and Steele are not satisfactory. Although a good edition of Ben Jonson's works is being edited by C. H. Herford and Percy Simpson and is expected eventually to reach ten volumes, it is not yet complete. The edition of Milton listed is old. A new definitive edition is now in progress in the department of English of Columbia University. In the choice of editions, three qualities have received chief consideration-first, comprehensiveness, an attempt to secure in one edition all the existing work of an author; second, accuracy, judged by the scholarship and ability of the editor and the careful examination and unbiased attitude on his part toward previous texts and manuscripts and toward all available data; and, third, the ease with which material can be located in the edition through logical and well-indicated arrangement, good indexes, numbering of lines, and other devices for making contents easily accessible. All matter additional to the text has also been given consideration, such as prefaces, introductions, appendixes, glossaries, notes, and illustrations. No attempt has been made to determine whether or not material listed may now be readily obtained. Even the best books go out of print. By watching sales catalogs, however, and by advertising, libraries can often procure books which are no longer in stock.