Report of the council to the Anniversary Meeting on St. Andrew's Day, 1832

The Council of the Royal Society have, during the past year, used their most earnest endeavours to render the Library as effective for the purposes of science, as the means at their disposal would enable them. They have been desirous, in particular, to make it as complete as possible in all those departments of science, which it is more especially the object of the Royal Society to cultivate and to advance. They have accordingly purchased, with the advice of the Library Committee, such books as were more immediately required for these purposes, at an expense of about £1600. It was evident, however, that the mere possession of these books by the Society would be of little avail to those who wished to use them, until they were arranged and catalogued according to some uniform and well-digested method. A Committee was therefore appointed to consider of the best plan of effecting this desirable object; and to suggest measures for obtaining a correct catalogue of the library, arranged under such specific heads as were best calculated to assist the inquiries of all those who might resort to it for information. Various plans for this purpose were proposed and discussed : and it was finally determined that in order to insure uniformity of execution, the whole labour of compiling the new classed Catalogue, and of conducting it through the press, should be confided, though still under the superintendence of the Committee, to one person only ; provided a proper person could be found who was fully competent to so arduous a task, and also willing to undertake it. The Council have accordingly engaged Mr. Panizzi, of the British Museum, a gentleman of great literary attainments, and conversant with that kind of labour, to undertake this charge ; and have no doubt that he will accomplish it to the full satisfaction of the Fellows of the Society at large, to whom the possession of such a classed Catalogue as the one proposed, will be advantageous in many ways, independently of its direct utility in reference to the employment of the library. The whole of the sum at which the Arundel Manuscripts which have been exchanged for books, were valued, has now been received from the Trustees of the British Museum, and the account with them is thereby closed.