The Theory of Book Selection

Part I TH E THEORY of book selection is a branch of the general theory of value since it is concerned with problems of choice and discrimination between competing values. Like ethics, aesthetics, or any other branch of value theory, it has two aspects, the descriptive and the normative. The descriptive part of the theory attempts to present a discussion of the bases of choice that are actually operative in practice, of the considerations that determine the selection of this book rather than that. The normative part is concerned with what ought to be the basis of decision in the light of general decisions concerning the objectives of libraries, the purpose of reading, or the aims of education and scholarship.