Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

British Library Method
     
         {Brute force} searching.
     
        According to legends circulating in the 1970s, in the British
        Library books are searched for by examining each book
        sequentially in the first shelf, then the next shelf,
        continuing until the book is found or the entire library has
        been searched.
     
        The term was referred to in a Dutch coursebook, "Inleiding In
        De Informatica" (Introduction to Informatics) from a course
        given by C.H.A. Koster and Th.A. Zoethout.  This was based on
        a course given at the TU Berlin.
     
        [Reference?]
     
        (1999-04-14)