Some Account of the Oxford University Press, 1468-1921 — John Shaqi
Some Account of the Oxford University Press, 1468-1921Oxford University Press
History
Some Account of the Oxford University Press, 1468-1921
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press; Printing -- England -- Oxford -- History
The Press produces two periodicals descriptive of its publications:
the official _Bulletin_ distributed to booksellers, librarians, and
other professional buyers, and the unofficial _Periodical_ addressed
to amateurs. Number 1 of the _Bulletin_ (4 April 1912) consisted of a
single page; but the desire for more information was widely expressed,
and a recent number contains in eight pages a classified list of books
published during four weeks, with bibliographical and other particulars,
a statement of the various catalogues obtainable on application, extracts
from reviews, and a list of books which have gone out of print since
the current issue of the catalogue. This list is designed to protect
booksellers and the public against the assumption, too frequently made,
that any and every book is ‘out of print’ which cannot be produced at
a moment’s notice. The public are asked not to believe too easily that
books are unobtainable. A provincial bookseller (in a University town)
recently declared himself ‘unable to trace’ an Oxford book, published in
1920, reviewed at length by the leading literary papers, and advertised
nearly every other week in the _Times Literary Supplement_. Many books
no doubt (though not many Oxford books) have been and still are out
of print; and in the absence of an up-to-date index of current books,
the difficulties of the bookseller have been great. Now, however, when
the 1920 edition of the trade _Reference Catalogue_ is available, with
its single alphabetical index (of 1,075 pages in double column), the
ascertainment of the facts is not difficult except in so far as the
catalogues indexed have themselves become obsolete. All information about
Oxford books that is _not_ in the 1920 _Reference Catalogue_ may be found
in the _Supplement_ of Books published in 1920, or in the cumulative list
of _Price Changes_, or in the _Bulletin_; all of which every bookseller
has, or may have for the asking.
With the _Bulletin_ is issued from time to time a supplement calling the
attention of librarians and others to Oxford books in some special field.
The circulation of the _Bulletin_ is about 2,000.
The _Periodical_ is a ‘house magazine’, perhaps the first of its kind. It
was first published in December 1896, and now appears five times a year.
Its contents include extracts, of sufficient length to be readable, from
new Oxford books, specimen illustrations, quotations from reviews and
other newspaper comment on the productions of the Press, obituaries and
other honorific notices of authors (on appointment, decoration, or the
like), and a certain amount of quasi-literary gossip; for even authors
have their foibles. The original editor, who has compiled every number
for a quarter of a century, is still at his post, and the popularity of
the little paper increases. The demand comes from all over the world—the
United States takes nearly half the total and the number of copies
distributed gratis of each issue now exceeds ten thousand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account