Research, however, as now understood, is the product of modern natural science and goes hand in hand with the doctrine of evolution. In this sense there has already been much good research work in palaeography and other branches of the book sciences in European countries. In America a little real scientific work has been done in palaeography, more in the history of printing and a trifle in some other branches of library science, but the total is small and little or none of it directly connected with the library school. It is likely, however, that in the near future many of the library schools will be teaching methods of research and giving diplomas which require some real contribution. Possibly they will even have recognized departments for research. Of this movement you will be a part and the character of the development will be in part, possibly in large part, through what you think and do and become during your course here. Probably we have as little notion of what record keeping will be a few thousands of years hence, as the inventor of the knotted cord had of this library school—and yet what we do may perhaps affect the state of things then as the inventor of the quipu, the alphabet, papyrus, vellum, printing, the photograph, phonograph, or any of the great inventions in the evolution of books and their keeping, has affected the present state of things. § 22. _Bibliography_ The best first source for a general idea of primitive libraries is the readable and well illustrated little book of Edward Clodd called _The story of the alphabet_, (N. Y., Appleton, 1912). With this may be put the still briefer first part of Dr. Fritz Specht’s _Die schrift_ (Berlin, 1909. 3rd ed.). More extensive general treatments are found in Berger’s _Histoire_ (Paris, 1892), and quite exhaustively in Wuttke’s _Die entstehung der schrift_ (Leipzig, 1872), also in W. J. Hoffmann’s _The beginnings of writing_ (N. Y., 1895), a sketchy but comprehensive survey. For the definition of the library see Graesse Schmidt and the other treatises on library science, especially the older ones. For libraries of the gods see the various works on comparative mythology under the topics of the various writing gods, Hermes, Thoth, Odin, etc., or better, since the subject has not been very much worked up, in the sources The Eddas, The Book of the Dead, The Avesta and for the Indian matters Muir’s _Sanskrit texts_. In the matter of antediluvian libraries see the references in Schmidt and Richardson, but especially the sources gathered as pseudepigraphic literature of the Old Testament first by Fabricius but now to be had in more modern editions. For animal, plant and memory libraries see the literature of so called “Comparative psychology” given in admirable detail annually in the Psychological index—looking up the articles on inward speech and writing as well as on memory.