關於國會圖書館(2)
The most delightful example of the duality of the man is to be
found in the library that Jefferson gave the US in 1815. Two-thirds of the
books were destroyed in a fire in 1851, but now the Library of Congress
has found equivalent editions and put the entire 6487 volumes on
magnificent display. The tall stacks are arranged as Jefferson had them at
Monticello. What strikes you first is how brilliantly and methodically they
are cataloged. Jefferson's classification system--used by the Library of
Congress for 82 years--divided all knowledge into three parts: memory
(history), reason (philosophy, the sciences) and imagination (art). Within
these categories, he had 44(!) subcategories.
But wait. As you walk around the room, you notice something: the
shelves are not of equal height. The tallest ones are at the bottom. And
they are full of the tallest books. Then you understand. Jefferson, the
philosopher, worshiped reason. Jefferson, the librarian, understood that
sometimes you must surrender to reality and classify a book by its size.
(TIME, Vol. 155 No. 20 or Time Express, No. 56 P.126)
--
半神半聖亦半仙
全儒全碩是全賢
腦中真書藏萬卷
掌握文武半邊天
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: u102-191.u203-187.giga.net.tw