An alphabetical list of 24,028 titles (not a catalogue) compiled by W.A. Smith and L.A. Sheppard (with L. Wharton for the Slavonic entries) under the direction of A.W. Pollard. International congresses are collected under that heading. Vol. 2, index volume, contains abbreviated titles of the periodicals listed in v. 1, with locations of sets, and a supplement containing 658 additional titles (l. 333-[343])

Printed on one side of leaf only.

The publication was undertaken originally by a committee appointed by the Conjoint board of scientific societies with the cooperation of the trustees of the British museum, who consented to allow the compilation of the list to be undertaken by the staff of the museum. After the dissolution of the Conjoint board of scientific societies in 1923, an incorporated company was formed to carry on the work of publication. The preface is signed by the chairman of the council of management of this company, P. Chalmers Mitchell. The editorial note is signed by Alfred W. Pollard (in v. 2, by A.W.P. and W.A.S.)

"Sources from which the list has been compiled": p. viii-x.