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There is a wide range of opinion as to the purpose for which chemical abstracts are prepared, varying from the view that they should be little more than a record of the title, author and reference, to that which vaguely hopes that they will contain ‘everything of importance’ from the original communication, and in some way, thereby, save the reader the trouble of consulting that original. There is an element of justification for both views, and it is of value to define the purpose of the chemical abstract in some detail.

My paper this evening will be chiefly concerned with problems relating to chemical data and to data which relate to subjects on the fringe of chemical science. This is largely because it is the principal field in which I work and, additionally, because I feel with Donker Duyvis that ‘there is some naïvety in the belief that to any individual or collectivity the really scientific scheme of classification is possible’. In other words, we ought, perhaps, to put one house in order before we prescribe a detailed and complete scheme of order for the whole universe.

THIS month the Editor finds himself in rather a quandary. Since the number of staff that may justifiably be employed on a specialized journal of relatively limited circulation is not large, there must inevitably be some overlapping of the various functions involved in its publication, and we therefore have occasion to concern ourselves to some extent with the subscription side of The Library World, as well as with its production. We have been glancing through some of the 1957 issues of the journal, which at that time were appearing some three months later than their publication dates, and noting also the circulation figures of those issues. We then turned to the issues for the first six months of 1959, the second half of Volume 60, and their circulation, which showed an increase of roughly 20% on the earlier figures.

This review aims to present a speciality to the general documentationalist. It will contain too little chemistry for the chemist, and too little documentation for the documentalist. A reviewer cannot win!

During the years between the two wars a witty and provocative series of little books was issued bearing such titles as Cain, or the future of Crime, Gallio, or the tyranny of science, and similar phrases likely to excite the curiosity of the prospective reader. Indeed, this present contribution might be adorned with some such title as ‘Ariadne Panepistemon, or the future of guides to the literature of science’, a class of reference books of which there would seem to be some need at the present, and which may repay examination.

Not many weeks back, according to newspaper reports, three members of the library staff of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London were dismissed. All had refused to carry out issue desk duty. All, according to the newspaper account, were members of ASTMS. None, according to the Library Association yearbook, was a member of the appropriate professional organisation for librarians in Great Britain.

All items listed may be borrowed from the Aslib Library, except those marked *, which may be consulted in the Library.

It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.

Aslib is most fortunate this year to have secured the services as President of Sir Lindor Brown, Waynflete Professor of Physiology in the University of Oxford and Biological Secretary of the Royal Society. It will be remembered that Sir Lindor gave the opening address at the International Conference on Scientific Information held in Washington in November 1958, and that he has been Chairman of the Consultative Committee for the National Lending Library for Science and Technology since its formation.

The 28th annual conference of Aslib, held at Nottingham University from 11th to 14th September, 1953, proved to be the largest that Aslib has so far organized. A list of those present is printed on pp. 254–260. Yet again Aslib was glad to be able to welcome a number of overseas guests and members, including Dr. and Mrs. Lancour and their small daughter from the U.S.A., Drs. and Mrs. van Dijk and Miss Rom from the Netherlands, Mr. M. S. Dandekar and Mr. J. V. Karandikar from India, Miss D. M. Leach from Canada, and Mrs. T. Collin from Norway. Mr. Walter A. Southern, a Fulbright scholar from the U.S.A. affiliated to Aslib during his year's study in the United Kingdom, represented the Special Libraries Association, and Mr. J. E. Holmstrom attended as an observer on behalf of Unesco.