CHAPTER 2 - General Guides to the Literature

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the general guides to the literature. At the commencement of any project on the Victorian period, it is necessary to establish whether a bibliographical listing of the subject already exists. The most important general guide to bibliographies is T. Besterman, A World Bibliography of Bibliographies (4th edn., Lausanne, Societas Bibliographica, 1965–1966). This 5-volume work lists in a single alphabetical sequence of subjects some 117,000 separately published bibliographies. The Index Bibliographicus (4th edn., The Hague, Federation Internationale de Documentation) is a directory of the more important currently published abstracting and bibliographical services. Among books that attempt to survey the whole field of reference work, the most significant are A.J. Walford, Guide to Reference Material (2nd edn., Library Association, 1966), and C.M. Winchell, Guide to Reference Books (8th edn., Chicago, American Library Association, 1967). Both these works list sources of information on all subjects and provide useful annotations indicating the scope of the items listed. Walford tends to emphasize British and Winchell American publications.