In raising this question I am not concerned with the principles of cataloging, with the difference between cataloging and bibliography, or any problem of that kind. My problem is the much more practical: What part of the work of a library staff is meant when cataloging is spoken of in an annual report? What does it mean when a librarian states that a certain number of assistants have during a certain period cataloged a certain number of books? And, bringing the matter down to a particularly practical point, what does he mean when he says that it costs a certain sum of money to catalog a book? I am not going to answer the question, I want it answered. I don't want it answered right off. I would like to see this section go after the problem and bring in the answer. In a word, I suggest that this section appoint a committee for the purpose of investigating the method and cost of cataloging in a number of representative libraries. I would not be much concerned for the present with the methods of the small public and college libraries, but only with such libraries as may be said to have a special cataloging force; and I would not extend the inquiry to more than a score of libraries at the most. The following draft of a questionnaire will show succinctly enough what I have in mind: 1. How many persons between the grades of head of department and clerical attendants are connected with your cataloging force? In how many grades are these divided? 2. How many of these are occupied with the actual writing of the titles? 3. How many persons of the grades of clerical attendants and pages are occupied with copying of cards, typewriting headings, filing and other such more mechanical work? 4. Are any persons of a higher grade than clerical attendant doing any of the above kinds of work, and why? 5. Are those of your assistants who write the titles occupied with this all day, or do they change regularly to some other kind of work? If the latter, is such other work treated merely as relief from the drudgery of title writing, or does it occupy a considerable part of the assistants' time? Or, are a certain number of days a week devoted to cataloging (i.e. title writing) all the time, and other days given up to other kinds of work? 6. Are the following items, or any of them, determined by the assistants who write the titles, or by superior members of the staff: (a) general form and completeness of entry; (b) author heading and added author headings and cross references; (c) collation; (d) subject headings; (e) classification. 7. What is the average salary of the members of your cataloging force?