Page 27 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 3

Delegates to a conference admiring the fish pond fountain of the library
cost of the building was £10 000.
There are large flowerpots in front of the library. According
to the files, tenders were received for their purchase, but seem to have been turned down, again for financial reasons. The
ONDERSTEPOORT 100
fact that they are there today either means that someone won an unminuted battle at the last moment, or that they were added later after the inauguration in 1932. The plaques in the courtyard were manufactured by the Royal Mint a few weeks before the inauguration of the building. A fish pond and symbolic fountain decorated the courtyard.
A milestone was reached with the introduction of the Onderstepoort Library Index. The Index was a classification system developed by H.O. Mönnig in the 1930s and formally published in 1937. Shelf numbers from this system appear in the first accessioning register into which new books were entered, usually numbered from no 1. Dates of accessioning of the books unfortunately only appear from the third volume onwards many years later. It can, however, be deduced that the system of accessioning registers, and the present card catalogue, must have been created after 1937. There is some information in the files which indicates that a different card system had been in place previously, and that commercial indexes had been used as additional reference tools.
The reports of the Director changed to a full journal format in 1933, replacing the 18 volumes of the ‘Director’s Report’ which was published under various titles from 1903 to 1932. The title was
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Industry, Volumes 1–24, from 1933 to 1950, which was changed to
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research from Volume 25, 1950.
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OVI Library
1908-2008
Years