The Complete Works vol. 86: Indexes. And the consecutive ones. In preparation.

The index-volumes play the role of a guide to the whole edition and constitute a basic information tool which should facilitate the search for the issues in question for the reader.

The planned system of indexes of The Complete Works of O. Kolberg will include the following:

• The subject index, performing the central task in the system of indices, will bring direct answers to the questions or will refer to special indices. It will have an alphabetic arrangement of entries with logically arranged categories. Positions which are important from the cultural point of view and constitute some significant information values, e.g., clothes, food, architecture, plants, animals, religion, demology, knowledge, magic, beliefs, etc., will be indexed in detail and distinguished in the index. The subject index will cover the whole edition, that is, ethnographic texts and texts of folklore with a graphic differentiation of the type of the text. Co-ordinate indexing based on the so-called descriptory languages which enable one to use a computer was selected from numerous methods of indexing.The ethno-geographic index, including ethnonyms and geograp¬hical names, will be provided with detailed maps.
• The index of personal names will include over a dozen categories of names, e.g., the names of biblical, mythological, historical and literary characters, first names, last names, nicknames, pseudo¬nyms, group characters, etc..
• Indexes and catalogues of folkloristic texts:
• an index of the incipient phrases of songs
• an index of songs' themes
• an index of proverbs
• catalogue of fairy tales and belief-talcs with the so-called cross-type construction, i.e., on the one hand, it starts from the numbers of particular tale types (according to the international classification system) and compiles plots from the whole edition, or, on the other hand, it starts from the printed material B provides a suitable type number for each position
• catalogue of spectacles
• catalogue of riddles
• catalogue of orations and speeches.
• Musical indices and catalogues.

The specific type of sources and their manifold themes, character and range required a special project of the system of interrelated indexes. Application of the computer methods of storage and processing of information will enable a detailed choice of vocabulary and will help to create a special dictionary, the so-called thesaurus of ‘The Complete Works’, which will constitute some basic material available in the Institute  and will also be an indispensibie stage of work in the creation of index volumes assigned for printing.