How to Make an Index

How to Make an Index Synopsis

Henry Benjamin Wheatley (1838–1917) was a bibliographer and editor with a prodigious output of books and articles to his name. Brought up after the death of both his parents by his brother Benjamin Robert, himself a skilled bibliographer and cataloguer, Henry worked for many years for the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Arts; he was a founder member of the Library Association, and produced an edition of Pepys' diary which was not superseded until the 1970s. This work is one of two which he produced on the subject of indexing: the Wheatley Medal awarded by the Society of Indexers is named after him. This book sets out the rules and practicalities of indexing, and also contains examples of how not to make an index; it was for many years the text to which all professional indexers referred, and still makes fascinating reading today.