Of course the subject-headings' list must be systematically used, and
must be marked and annotated to fit your special needs. This work,
like classifying, can best be learned by doing.

There are many ways of keeping your catalog cards. The thing to use is
a set of trays made for the purpose. (See Library Bureau catalog.)
The cards are extremely valuable, and expense should not be spared in
providing for their safe keeping and handy use.

CHAPTER XXVI

Preparing books for the shelves

All books should be marked with the name of the library. This is
cheaply done with a rubber stamp and violet or red ink pad. An
embossing stamp makes a good and indelible mark. The type used should
be of moderate size and open faced. A perforating stamp now on the
market marks a book neatly and most permanently. Mark books freely, to
assure their being recognized as the library's property wherever seen.
Have some definite pages on which stamps always appear. Many use the
title-page, fifty-first or one hundred and first, and the last page.
This need not interfere with marking elsewhere.

[Illustration: Embossing stamp.]

On the back of the book write the call-number. For this purpose use a
tag or label. They can be had in several sizes; round ones are best.
Paste the label where it will mar the book least, as near the middle
as possible. It is well to put all labels at the same height from
the bottom of the back, so far as this can be done without covering
essential parts of the lettering. Four inches is a good height for the
lower edge of all labels. Labels stick better if the place where they
are to be pasted is moistened with a solution of ammonia and water, to
remove varnish or grease. If this is done the mucilage or gum on the
labels when purchased will be found usually to stick well. After the
call-number is written, varnish the label with a thin solution of
shellac in alcohol. Labels put on in this way will keep clean, remain
legible, and rarely come off.

If a charging system using a pocket is adopted, no book-plate is
needed, if the pocket, that is, is pasted on the inside of the front
cover and has the name of the library on it.

When books are classified the call-number is written with hard pencil
on a certain page, the same page in all books; a common place is the
first right hand page after the title-page, and near the inner margin.

This call-number should be written with ink on the pocket and book
slip, whi