Reading copies, corrections and citation

2956 · public reading copy

A guide to citing the public catalogue and identifying the limits of a reading copy.

Citing an issue

Give the title, reference and issue date. Cite the section heading when the reading copy has no fixed pagination. A downloaded text is the same published issue in another format; it is not evidence that the reader has consulted an original physical volume.

Reporting a correction

Identify the passage, explain the proposed correction and supply the source where possible. A spelling correction may be made in a new issue. A change affecting meaning requires an editorial note and retention of the previous reading.

Missing material

A reference to a private roll or an unprinted annex does not make that material available. The library can acknowledge a gap without completing it from recollection. Do not use a public extract to infer a complete list of students, casualties or appointments.