The administration of diffuse collections

There is a story of the tourist who, after a special package tour intended to show the British way of life, complained that he had not been shown the Church of England! I meet much the same situation when people ask me to show them the Library of the Polytechnic of Central London for it has seven separate divisions dotted around its fourteen buildings and to show it all involves a walk of several miles. Perhaps this is why the Winter Meetings Committee decided to ask me when they thought it time that some attention was focused on the problem of administering diffuse collections. I have been a member of that Committee myself and can imagine the discussion. First the doubt—‘but he hasn't been there very long’, then the hopeful—‘well at least he'll have had to think about it’, and that's another meeting as good as fixed!