THE UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION.pdf - ideals

all that was needed at the OIB at a cost it could afford. He
had speculated that, because the Repertory was to be distributed
and the use of the Decimal Classification in the creation
of repertories would become increasingly widespread as a result
of OIB propaganda, perhaps a European Office of the Bureau
could be opened, an Office better able to cope with European
conditions and needs than either the Office in London or that
in Boston. Chivers and the manager of the Boston Office met
Otlet in Brussels in May 1896 to discuss relations between their
organisations. Some kind of agreement between them was
reached in which it seemed that the OIB would participate in
the formation of a European Office of the Library Bureau in
Brussels. This would supply all OIB equipment and materials.
The Library Bureau, in its various locations, would undertake
to distribute OIB-IIB publications. It would be given a monopoly
in English-speaking countries for them and would receive
a commission on sales of them. The OIB, in its turn, would
receive a commission on the sale of furniture and supplies by
the Library Bureau's European Office in Brussels. Apparently
Otlet, who prepared a draft of the agreement, misinterpreted
the conversations leading to it, and the notion of a close collaboration
between the OIB and the Library Bureau lapsed. 64
Eventually Chivers learned that Otlet had gone ahead to
deal with the problem on his own. He was incensed and wrote:
I understand that you are selling cheaper cases of a similar construction
to ours for cards. I shall be glad to have particulars of these
cases with prices ... Perhaps you will be good enough to recognise
that it is a little painful for us to observe our experience and expensive
initiative resulting in competition with our goods. We recognise
that the continental market must be supplied with suitable commodities.
I would like to see what you consider the quality and price which
is likely to be satisfactory. 65
Otlet wrote back that he had been forced to proceed unilaterally,
and had, indeed, been able to make good use of the Library
Bureau's experience:
By force of circumstances we have been obliged to have had card catalogues
made at a price we can afford on the continent. You will
have no difficulty in recognising that the experience that the Library Bureau
has acquired in this kind of manufacture, like that of other
English and American firms ... has been eminently profitable for
us . . . We had a moment's hope that the Library Bureau could take
into consideration the propositions we discussed during your trip to
Brussels, but we have seen nothing come of it, and we have been
forced to turn elsewhere. 66
From this point on, the OIB acted as an agent in Europe
for cards and for furniture of the kind used in its work. It published
a catalog of bibliographical accessories in 1897, 67 and
this appeared thereafter in various forms in the advertising
matter in the IIB Bulletin, in irregularly issued Notice-Catalogues,
the Annuals, and in various other places. These catalogs
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