The catalogue provides a complete record of all catalogued publications of Statistics Canada and of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. It documents the publishing program of the Bureau from its formation in 1918 to December 31, 1980. The publication also includes references to materials dating from the 1851 Census of Canada and a number of publications of other federal departments issued prior to 1918.

In parallel columns of French and English, lists over 4,000 reference works and books on history and the humanities, breaking down the large divisions by subject, genre, type of document, and province or territory. Includes titles of national, provincial, territorial, or regional interest in every subject area when available. The entries describe the core focus of the book, its range of interest, scholarly paraphernalia, and any editions in the other Canadian language. The humanities headings are arts, language and linguistics, literature, performing arts, philosophy, and religion. Indexed by name, title, and French and English subject. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

"The Historical Catalogue of Dominion Bureau of Statistics Publications, 1918-1960 is designed not only as a bibliographical guide to the publications issued by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, since its inception in 1918 and up until 1960, but also as a means whereby a library collection of Bureau publications can be physically organized, classified and catalogued"--Introduction, p. v.