“ Fortescue had a high sense of his professional obligations as a librarian, and in a long and honourable career proved himself a useful public servant. he had a wide knowledge of books, and was always most ready to impart that knowledge. A man of sunny good nature and genial disposition, modest and unassuming in manner, he was universally beloved and respected. ”

“ E. B. K. Fortescue, Provost of the Episcopal Cathedral at Perth, Mr. Fortescue first adopted the Royal Navy as a career. In 1870, however, he secured an appointment as assistant librarian at the British Museum. He was made superintendent of the Reading Room in 1884, and soon became very popular among the frequenters of the room owing to his courtesy to readers and the cheerful alacrity with which he helped them in their researches. It was the inquiries of readers which suggested to him the compilation in non-official hours of his first subject index. ”

“ This work was published in 1912 and is anonymous or pseudonymous due to unknown authorship. It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 110 years or less since publication. ”