This reference work investigates the challenge of identifying and categorizing works of fiction to assist librarians and researchers in collection development. The authors, Gerald B. Cotton and Hilda McGill, draw upon their professional expertise in library science to provide a structured framework for navigating the vast landscape of fictional literature. By organizing titles through specific thematic and genre-based criteria, the text offers a systematic approach to bibliographic management and reader advisory services.

The subject matter points to a specialized, technical resource intended for library professionals and academic researchers focused on mid-century bibliographic standards. The framing suggests a methodical, archival approach to literature that prioritizes organizational utility over critical analysis.