O korzyściach naukowych pełnego katalogowania starych druków

Abstract

The old prints are valuable source materials for the researchers. They are also useful for popularisation, exhibition, or illustration purposes. Therefore they require multilateral, detailed, and scientific cataloguing. The author presents the rules of cataloguing old prints (graphics, cartography or music documents excluded), assuring complete set of basic elements of catalogue description, and including information on printed dedications, provenance sings, handwritten notes, and types of binding. The author focuses also on development of auxiliary files, e.g. of provenances, bindings, printers and publishers, as well as the Polonica. Methodological discussion is illustrated with the example of complete description of Polish official printings of the 18^th century – like parliamentary projects of the law, announcements of the accepted acts, publications of the acts. Concluding, the author underlines the need of cooperation among units cataloguing old prints, graphics, iconography, and music documents in different institutions. That would assure complete documentation of the collections, the old prints included, with scientific benefit in a form of valuable information sources.