BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES FOR CONTEMPORARY FRENCH LITERATURE
| Date | 01 March 1947 |
| Published date | 01 March 1947 |
| Pages | 69-80 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026110 |
| Author | T.V. BENN |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES FOR CONTEMPORARY
FRENCH LITERATURE
by T. V. BENN
Department
of
French,
University
of Leeds
THESE notes review the present situation (July 1947) in the current bibliography
of French literature. The sources discussed are (a) the main bibliographies
which periodically announce recent books, and (b) recent bibliographies
incorporating the latest books. Each bibliography is described in turn at
a later stage.
French bibliography is imperfect in many ways: if I have mentioned
imperfections it is in the hope that remedies may be found more quickly.
The following paragraphs summarize the main limitations.
In the recording of current publications the most serious gap is from 1926
to 1933. This gap may be filled within the next few years: The 'Service
bibliographique Hachette' promise to continue Lorenz (Catalogue
général
de
la librairie
française)
to cover 1926-33. Their own annual index,
Biblio,
com-
mences at 1934. Meanwhile the
Livres de
l'année from 1922 onwards would
help to bridge the gap, if enough copies could be found and a case can be
made for a reprint by some photographic process. The weekly
Bibliographie
de la
France
has, of course, continued throughout, but cannot be said to be
easy of reference.
A decision is needed on the future of subject indexing. The Table of
Lorenz, the Livres de l'année, and
Biblio
all supply a form of subject index.
The Table of Lorenz is in alphabetical form; it appears with an increasing
time-lag. Livres
de
l'année ceased after 1938. It gave the books of the year
in groups under a number of broad headings, useful in their way; but if the
gap from 1938 were ever covered in one classification, the headings would
be overcrowded and would have to be subdivided.
Biblio
is practical, con-
sistent, and relatively accurate. It gives authors, titles, and subjects, in one
alphabet, for each year, on the model of the American
Cumulative book
index,
and there has generally been a delay of only a few months. If, however,
Biblio is to take the stage, its staff should not be part of a trade monopoly
organization.
There is no French index to periodicals, though the Office international de
bibliographie et de documentation at Brussels is said in
Biblio
to have started
one in 1945.1 English and American indexes admit only a few French
periodicals. Workers depended before the war mainly on the
Internationale
Bibliographie der
Zeitschriftenliteratur:
Abteilung
B,
Fremdsprachige
Zeitschriften-
literatur,
which reached the volume for 1941-2, and which used to analyse
1
Bibliographie
des
articles
des
périodiques
et quotidiens
français,
No. 1, 15 février 1945, accord-
ing to
Biblio
for 1945; but nothing has yet reached the Bibliothèque Nationale or the British
Museum.
To continue reading
Request your trial