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Special Libraries, 1926 Special Libraries, 1920s

2-1-1926

Special Libraries, February 1926

Special Libraries Association

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This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1920s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1926 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 17 February, 1926 No. 2

Key Problems in the

by Nineteen Contributors

Published Monthly Except August and September by THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Key Problems in the Special Library ...... 60 Accountancy. Louise S. Fire Protection. Louise Miltimore ...... 62 Keller ...... 67 Advertising. Mary L. Gas. Josephine I. Green- Alexander ...... 74 wood ...... 75 Agriculture. Claribel R. Industrial Partnership. F. Barnett ...... 60 A. Mooney ...... 70 Automobiles. W. L. Pow- Life Insurance. Edith H. Iison ...... 65 Sillence ...... 75 Automobiles. Rose L. Petroleum. Basil Turner... 72 Vormelker ...... 77 Railroads. Jessie Callan...... 77 Banking. Marguerite Bur- Railroads. R. H.Johnston 66 nett ...... 69 Banking. Margaret Rey- Retail Credit. Elizabeth nolds ...... 76 Hanner ...... 77 Chemical Engineering. W. Rubber. Elizabeth B. P. Cutter ...... 7 1 Wray ...... 73 Electric Lighting. Francis Silk. Silk Asso. of Amer- E. Cady ...... 73 ica ...... -:...... 76

Directory Business Classification ...... 80 New Way to Promote Special Libraries. By F. A. Mooney. 78 Wanted. By Louise Keller ...... 79 Reading of a Busy Man ...... 77

Associations ...... 88 Library and Research ...... 84 Editorials ...... 82 Personal Notes ...... - ...... 87 Events and Publications ...... 89 We Do This ...... 86

Published Monthly Except August and September by SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Special Libraries Publishmg office, 958 University Ave, New York City. Editorla1 office, State Libraiy, Providence, R.I. Treasurer's ofice, 195 Broadway, New York City. -411 paymcrlts should be made to lfiss Gertrude D Peterkin, Treas- urcr, c/o Atilerican Telepho~ieL% Telegraph Co., New York Clty

Entercd a5 wrolld c1n33 matter December l;, 19:s at the Port Omoe. Sen Tork. ST, under the act or hfsroh 3, l87O AFCCPIHIII~Prw rnalllnz at specla1 rnte d uoarane Drovided for in aecdon 1109, Act of October 3, 1917. aafhorlmi IldCember 1;. 102:. Ratan: S4 00 n mat. Forelm S4.60: #lnlrle coolem 60 oenu S~ecialA Libraries Yol. 17 February, 1926 No. 2

Special libraries linked together in an Associa- tion establish lines of intercommunication, create thought contacts and develop idea groupings all of which help to spread fact knowledge in the industrial world.

An Example of Co-operation HE editor of SPECIALLIBRARIES re- The response was most gratifying as T cently co~lceiveclthe idea of putting the pages of this issuc will exemplify. before several special librarians located Each librarian interpreted the letter ac- in various parts of the country a test of cording to his own view point, some their willingness to furnish on short no- selecting a few problcrns for analysis, tice a brief summary of the particular others reviewing the progress of the in- key problems of the industry which their dustry and the changing phases oi the library represented and the following subject which come to the library for so- letter was sent to a selected group. lution, otkcrs showed the library's rcla- "As a test of the willingness of tion to the industry or to the profession the members of the Special Libraries and still others touched lightly upon the Association to furnish ii~formation problems which their particular library in an emergency, I am asking sev- confrontecl giving as a reason tlie con- eral special librarians to give me a fidential nature of the service rericlercrl. brief summary of the particular key The series of sketches is a fine example problems which exist in the industry of co-operation on the part of these which their library represents, such niembcrs of the Association. It clearly problems, for example, as motor shows the fine support which the officers busses in the field of transportation of our Association can obtain from a and customer ownership in the field large percentage c [ tlie mem1)ership of public utilities. The subject and also shows the vcrsatility of the men should not only i~lcludethe dominant problems of the industry, but the and women who conduct special libra- manner in which your own library ries, that they can in an emergency sup- has helped to solve t1ic:n. ply with such rcaclincss the essential "I should be glad to receive a short facts that are desired for pubIication, in sketch for publication on this topic spite oE the inanifold duties which fall as soon as possible, but surcly with- upon e.rery executive of a special libra- in forty-eight hours after the receipt ry pcrforinitig active work for a corpo- of this letter. ration. "Trusting that you can extend this We take this meLl1oc1 of thanking each courtesy, I am of these special librarians who, possibly Very truly yours, with some personal sacrifice, has ex- I3erbert 0. Brig-liam tended the magazine such hearty SLIP- Editor-Special Librwies" port. 60 SPECIALLIBRARIES February, 1ga6 Key Problems in the Special Library farmers receive, (3) the proportion the farmer receives of the price the consumer pays for agricultural con~modities, (4) the factors which affect price. Studies Miss Claribel R. Barnett, librarian of the main library of the Department of Agricul- are being prosecuted on a11 phases of ture, gives us a graphic picture of the prob- the price problem and at every point the lems of agriculture. She also shows the value library is called on to help. The library of the various divisional libraries maintained of the Bureau of Agricultural Eco- by the Department of Agi-jculture. She writes "The Department's work is so extensive and nomics has compiled an extensive list important that it ,i,s difficult to know which of sources of current prices (Biblio- problems to select. graphical Contribution No. 5) which has saved students in the various parts of Problems of Agriculture this field much time and labor, for the From the early history of this country compilation of actual prices is funda- our statesmen have stressed the iinpor- mental to any study on the subject. The tance of agriculture to the welfare Bureau of Agricultural Economics li- of the nation. George Washington, in brary has also made a bibliography of his last annual address to Congress, said price spreads (Agricultural Bibliography "It will not be doubted that, with refer- No. 4) which gathers together and an- ence either to individual cr national wel- notates the references relating to the fare, agriculture is of primary impor- analyses of the portion of the consumer's tance. In proportion as nations advance dollar accruing to various agencies. It in population and other circumstances is currently reviewing a large volume of of maturity, this truth becomes more ap- agricultural literature in order to keep parent, and renders the cultivation of on record all analyses which Lave been the soil more and more a11 object of made of the factors affecting prices. It patronage." To promote the agriculture is doing the same thing in regard to all of this country, the Federal governinent cost of production material as cost of in 1862 established the United States production is a vital factor in price. Department of Agriculture. There are many phases of this great agriculti~ral Closely connected with the problems problem which are dcalt with by the of the distribution of farm products are various bureaus of the department. It the problems of their transportation. The is only natural that with changing condi- rapid increase in the use of automobiles tions these phases should receive varying and ,motor trucks has created a pressing emphasis. In the early period of the de- need for more and better roads and for partment and up to comparatively recent closer co-operation between the Federal years, increased productioi~and more ef- and state governments in the building of ficient methods were the dominant ques- these roads. This need led to the pas- tions, but with the growth of the coun- sage by Congress a few years ago of try, and particularly since the grcat war, the Federal aid road act under which the there has been an increasing emphasis government co-operates with the states on the probleins of distribution and other in the improvement of the Federal and economic phases of agriculture which re- state highway systems. This act is ad- sulted a few years ago in the establish- ministered by the Bureau of Public ment of the Bureau of Agricultt~ralEco- Roads of the Department of Agriculture nomics. and is one of its most important activi- The pressing problems of agricultural ties. The dominant problem is the de- econoii~ics at this time center around velopment of designs of highways that prices-(1' the prices farmers receive will give longer life and be better adapted and their relation to what farmers pay to modern traffic, with reduction of the for the things they buy, (2) the effect cost of transportation. Questions not of the agricultural surplus on the prices only of engineering and administration February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 61 but also of financing are involved. To the current literature of American eco- keep the bureau informed of all neiv de- nomic entomology. This makes readily velopments in the field of road building available up-to-date information on all and maintenance, the librarian of the insects of economic importance and on Bureau of Public Roads issues weekly means of coiltrolling them, and has a tl~imeographedlist of the Contents of proven a great time saver to the bureau New Periodicals and Books received by staff. Following are some examples of the bureaus. Descriptive and summariz- the use of this index. (1) An insect ing notes are added to many of the en- hitherto unrecorded in this country is tries. The entries are later pasted on found on an importation of nursery cards and form a permanent cumulative stocl; at New York, or it may have been index to the literature of highways and sent to the bureau for identification by a highway transportation. field agent from a distant state. As the In the plant life studies of the Bureau bureau staff invariably turns to the li- of Plant Industry the investigation of brary when information is wanted on any problen~sconcerning plant diseases is a given insect, it does so now, and it is large and important part of the work of found that as early as 1787 the insect the bureau. In guarding against the im- was doing damage in Europe but under portation of disease infected plants, in a different name. Further search shows breeding disease resistant varieties, and that three names have been sunk in in the treatment of plant diseases, there synonymy and still there is no trace of is constant need to know of the diseases the insect in this country, according to which are prevalent in other countries thc bureau's pri~ltedindexes. The In- and in different parts of this country, and sect Pest Survey of the bureau, however, to know proinptly the results of recent shows that it was found in Washington experiments by scientific workers state in 1924, and from the bureau li- throughout the world as well as earlier brary's card index an article is fouild work. To keep the workers of the bu- from Washington in 1925 giving its life reau informed of the literature of botany history and the nature of its damage in and plant pathology is, therefore, an im- that state. The Federal Horticultural portant duty of the library of the Bureau Board or the agent, as the case may be, is of Plant Industry, for "botanical litera- informed and takes action accordingly. ture has long been so voluminous as to (2) Recently an ilnportal~t product ,of be beyond the power of any one botanist th~scountry was liable to quarantme to master or even to read." In meeting fro111 a foreign country because of an this need, the Bureau of Plant Industry insect pest. Through the bureau library maintains an extensive "Plant Industry it was ascertained that the foreign coun- Catalogue" which consists of three parts try was importing the same product from -the author catalog, the general bot- Canada where the same insect was at- any subject catalog, and the plant tac1:ing the product. The bureau could, pathology catalog. This cataloq [which of course, make protest and did. (3) is filed in the library of the department) The problem of the control of a pest in is constantly used by investigators of the a certain locality is imperative. Thc 1111- Bureau of Plant Industry and by many reau has not worked on the pest; 110 workers outside of the clepartnient. The satisfactory means of control has eyer current literature indexed for the cata- I~eenfound, according to the printed In- log is listed and distributed bi-weekly in dexes. The bureau library's card index mimeographed form to botanists and shows that latc in 1935 a publicatiotl ap- plant pathologists in this country. It has peared giving a simple nleans of control had more effect 11po11 the bureau work illat promises to be most effective. In- than any other library activity. formati011 ir wired to the district facing The Bureau of Enton~ologpdeals with the problem and control measures are at insects injurious and beneficial to plants, once started. to man and to animals. One of the most effective ways in which the bureau Iibra- A large and important part of the ~?orlc ry aids in the solution of entomological of the Bureau of Animal Industry has problems is by compiling an index to to do with the investigation, control and 62 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Febmary, 1916 eradication of diseases of animals. The department, especially the state agricul- library of the bureau, as in the case of tural colleges and experiment stations. the Bureau of Entomology, assists in While the library of the department this work by the maintenance of an ex- with its branches in the bureaus exists tensive card index of medical-veterinary principally for the use of the department, literature which numbers more than a it also may be regarded as the national quarter of a milliol~cards. agricultural library and as such endea- In the publication of the Experi~ltent vors to serve agricultural research Statzon Rccord, the library has an itn- throughout the country. portant part. The library of the Office CL~\I<~BELR. RAI~NETT ot' Experiment Stalions is charged with thc duty of bringing to the attention of the various editors the b~~li~,periodicals, Accountancy reports and bulletins which come within the scope of the Record, All incoming Miss Louise S Miltimore, librarian of the Amercian Institute of Accountants, in her re- accessions of the department lhrary are sponse states "The work of the accountants is csamined each day by the librarian of so diversified that it has been rather difficult the office or her assistant and all material to find the key problems. From a financial of interest is assigned by her to the ecli- point of view they are not only interested in government and public utilities, but also every tors for abstracting. business, industry and trade." This partial enumeration of the bu- reaus and activities of the department American Institute of Accountants will give some idea of the diversity of Library and Bureau of Inforrrialior~ the problcms and subjects with which In a recent article l in the Journal of they deal. Space will not permit even Accoz~ntancy,Mr. Marvin gives the prob- a mention of all the bureaus. Nearly all lems of the accoulltancy professiot~ in of them have bureau libraries which are part as follows: branches of the department library but each has its special problems. 4s the I. Service to tltr Public at ~h&e nature of the problems of the different The services now rendered by our bureaus varies, lilcewise there are cor- profession to the public at large may be responding differences in the literature briefly presented as follows : nit11 which the bureaus deal. It follows Preparation of financial and oper- that the methods for bringing this liter- atlng statements for the purpose ature to the attention of the scientific of obtaining credit. workers are not the same in any two Preparation of financial and oper- bureau libraries but each has its special ating statements to meet the re- indexes which supplement the catalog of quirements of blue-sky laws. the clepartn~ent library, and each pre- Preparation of financial and oper- pares special bibliographies on the sub- ating statements for the purpose jects important to its own bureau. of consolidations. The main library of the department Preparation of financial and oper- assists in all the department's activities ating statements after giving ef- by furnishing to the bureaus the litera- fect to new proposed financing. ture necessary in the solution of their Audits for the purpose of safe- problems, by the maintenance of a com- guarding the finances of all classes plete catalog of the resources of the de- of businesses or institutions. partment, by the publication of its ac- Assistance in the preparatio~lof cessions, and by the preparation of bib- budgets for all classes of busi- l~ograpl~ies.Interlibrary loans are also nesses and institutions. used freely both to supply the needs of Preparation of statements or data the department and to make the depart- showing the managenlent of busi- ment's extensive collection of literature nesses why they are or are not of service to borrowers outside of the operating at a profit.

Article hy J. A. Marvin entitled "Puhl~c Scrvlce of the Puhl~Acconntant" from Jo~rr'lrnl of A~~o~tllf~~~cj,March. 1924, p. 187. February, 1ga6 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 63

Preparation of statements show- usually pays to consult a practical, etni- ing sales statistics and their rela- nent authority on a border-line point tion to the distribution of given permitting ol a double interpretation. products. Then, too there is the mass of statistical Preparation of statistics showing data, systems of accounts, different development of the various oper- classes of investigations, and laws ~OV- ations of a given business. erning procedure and practice. As one Preparation of Federal am1 state of the acco~~ntantsso aptly puts it-"If income-tax reports. the accounting profession contiimes lo Preparation of reports on estates advance, as it has in the past, it will do and trusts. so at least, in part, upon its literary Preparation of reports for re- foundations, which is an indispensable ceivers in bankruptcy. eleinent of every recognized profes- Acting as receivers in banlcruptcy. sion." Acting as arbitrator in commer- cial disputes. The questions asked vary greatly. Designing and installing systems There are such questions as: for the purpose of more efficiently I desire to know if there are any collecting the data used in the books or articles published preparation of the various state- treating on costs for the con- ments and reports referred to tracting b~~siness,particularly above. on the inethods of charging the The above may not be a complete list, use of truclcs and contractiilg but what a contrast this service is to equipment to each individual that which existed in the public mind a contract. decade ago. I would like to have the per- centage of cost for the opera- 11. Service to Governmental Bodies tion of cafeterias. Have you made a study of the It is hard to enumerate all of the ser- subject of inventories for mer- vices we might render governmental chandising concerns? If SO, bodies, but I think it is safe to assume please send us such information that we should be able to be of great as you have available. assistance in the following : Please send me a list of titles Assisting the legislative branches of books on history of account- of the government in devising ing. ways and means of providing We should greatly appreciate it -proper - sources of revenue. if you would send us a list of Assisting our national, state, and some good books on cost ac- municipal governments in the counting for a lumbcr mill ai~d preparation of budgets. wood working shop. Assisting in the education of the Wllcrc can we obtain a copy of administrative branches of the Approved Methods for the government in the use of more Prepnratio?~of Balancs .Slzcct uniform records. State?~zents? Wjll you advise me where to Assisting in developing uniform look for statistics pertaining to systenis of accounts and records the autoitlobile parts business? in our various states that may be What have you available on applied to political s~hdivisions hotel accounting, club account- thereof, regardless of size, and ing and restaurant accounting? still be operative. I desire to secure a classifica- As these are the problems of the ac- tion of accounts necessary for countant, so they are the problems of an companies engaged in the rub- accountant's library. Regardless of one's ber industry and the manufac- knowledge or belief 011 a given point, it ture of tires. 64 SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1ga6

What has been published on the (24) Will you kindly advise me subject of business budgets? whether there are any books or Kindly advise me of any books pamphlets containing questions dealing with the accounting and answers to certified public procedure for the production accountants' examinations and and refining of crude oil. also the Institute's examina- I am particularly interested in tions ? foundry costs and would like (25) Banditry and crime have so in- references to books and artciles. creased in the past few months, I am anxious to secure the that all of the factors of pro- standard definitions of accounts tection that I have devised do as made up by the Committee not seem to relieve the respon- on Terminology. sibility. Have you any refer- Will you please advise where ence to payroll distribution and to procure books dealing with transportation that would ' be accounting and interest tables helpful under the present con- for building and loan associa- ditions ? tions. (26) I am interested in learning W1.m texts woulcl you suggest something more of delivery for reading in preparation for costs in department stores. examinations. (27) I am anxious to obtain infor- Will you please give me titles mation re~ardinpmethods of of two or three volumes on valuing leaseholds. mine accounting? (28) Where may I purchase sinking I would like & have a good fund tables ? book on municipal and county (29) How many certified public ac- auditing. countants are there in New Will you kindly send me infor- York, in the United States? mation as to the percentage of (30) Who publishes Jackson's Audil advertising to net sales, per- Working Papers? centage of delivery expense to (31) Are you in position to give the net sales and average stock writer information as to the turnover for furniture stores. average gross profit, percent I wish to inalre some changes turnover, and ratio of expenses in the keeping of my office of hardware stores. records. I am anxious to get (32) What states do not have C.P.A. a copy of the time slips used laws at the present time? What by various accounting firms. If states have the waiver clause? you have such information in (33) Please send me a copy of an ac- your library, will you send it countant's partnership agree- to me for perusal? ment. What'are the usual depreciation To turn now to the manner in which rates for automobiles? the library has helped to solve these prob- What states issue reciprocal lems : certificates ? The work many properly be divided I am anxious to obtain a pro- into three parts, namely: the library, the gram of audit for an ins~~rancebureau of information and the circula- company. tion of material. In a-nuilber of cases before the When the prohleni is submitted either United States Board of Tax in person, by telephone, by telegraph or Appeals, I note that mention is by letter, the answer is given in one made of Hoskold's formula of two ways: the proper subject heading which was used by the Treasury is indicated in the Accozmtants' Indax Department. I am writing to and supplementary references are typed ask if you will send me this and sent or abstracts are made of the formula. data desired. Instead of abstracting, we February, 1996 SPECIAL LIBRARIES

often send the books, pan~phlets and ing the country close to the city, thus fa- magazine articles under the rules of the cilitating transportation to a very large circulating library. degree.- When the answer cannot be found in Starting a few years ago with prac- print, we turn to our members for assis- tically no motor buses at all, today there tance. In this way one may obtain the are over seventy thousand in use. The advice of accountants representing the larger portion of these are used in the best thought in the profession. Neither transportation of school children, and by advisor nor person seeking advice will street railway companies. The first group know the identity of the other. Many not only serves as a means of transpor- of the accounting firms are helping in tation for the children, but it also im-' this way whenever this can be done proves the schools by the consolidation without breach of confidence. plan whereby the several country or Although the reference library is open distant schools are combined and one to all persons interested in accountancy large school being the unit of all these. and the circulation collection to those In the second case the street railway who comply with a few simple rules, companies are using them to supplant it has been thought best to limit this trolley lines by bus routes which cover last service to the Institute's member- more territory at less cost, and serve a ship. These questions and answers are larger population and purpose. There later printed in bulletin form. At first are numerous other uses of the bus which these bulletins were sent only to mem- are fast growing and these are the bus bers. More recently they have been sold lines covering the rural country, and be- to non-members as they seem to be of tween larger cities. We can take New considerable interest to all accountants. England for instance with its many lines between the various cities forming a vast net work of transportation. The rapid growth in bus transporta- tion has brought about many problems. Automobiles The most serious problem to contend Mr. W. L. Powlison, librarian of the Na- with was the matter of standardization. tional Automobile Chamber of Commerce re- A great many bus lines sprung up, each plied "The spirit is willing as you see, but you using their own ideas in the building of caught me in a rush and here's hoping this bodies and mounting them on various will help you. Call again, but please give chassis. This, one can readily see, would me more time!' bring out many forms and far from any Motor Buses in the FieId of Transportation idea of unity. By the process of eBmina- For a great many years back we heard tion the larger interests absorbing the a great deal about trackless trolleys. smaller lines these corporations soon Most of these were of an electrical nature found that they had many buses of many with some means of overhead wire con- Icinds. One case is known, where nection, and not using any tracks or the traction interests controlling prac- were electrical vehicles equipped with tically one-half of the street railways in storage batteries, and their utility was one state had to acquire as many as limited to the capacity of the storage bat- seventy-two different kinds of buses in tery. Today the trackless trolley is a buying up independent lines. This you thing of reality. The motor bus is the will observe showed very great need of trackless trolley. a standard pattern to work from not The motor bus is something that we only in body design, but the chassis .as hardly know how to express. Coming as well. This has brought about the many it has by leaps and bounds, in a great improvenlents until today the type of bus many cases replacing the street railway that is now in service is one compared lines, in other places acting as a follow- in luxury to the present day railroad up of the rural nlotor express delivery, Pullman car. and the most important one that of open- The body manufacturers in making ing up entirely new territory and bring- their plans found that chassis changes 66 SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1ga6 were necessary to improve the bus. This ures of that time; and then to see the was really the start of the many improve- development which the present day ments which have taken place and f01- figurcs show, it is a situation hard to lowing are enumerated the many things realize, yet it is one of reality. In say- which have been added to make the bus ing the bus is here to stay as a means of what it is today. Pneumatic tires, spring transportation, a study of the situation suspension, shoclc absorbers, individual will convince you it is real. chairs or seats, iinproved upholstery, W. L. POWLISON heating, lighting and many others. Even down to voice amplifiers, so that the -driver or operator is the only man needed on the bus. He can make announce- Railroads ments and so forth without even turn- ing his head, and every one in the bus Mr. I<. H. Johnston, librarian of the Bu- reau of Railway Economics, submitted a cap hear what he has to say. The memorandum on rate making as an excellent driver's comforts have been looked out example of the manner in which his library for by the developing of the gasoline- handled a specific problem. electric drive, which facilitates the op- Memorandum : Rate-Making eration of the bus in the easiest manner possible. Also the steering apparatus The attached men~orandum entitled has been greatly improved so that it is "Some Brief Discussions of the History no longer hard work, but one of ease for of Freight Rates" was originally pre- the driver. pared for an inquirer who stated that he All these improven~entshave meant a wished only an outline history of rate great deal of research by the engineers, systems and rate bases. The briefest and it has required a great deal of study discussions are noted first, with longer to avoid patent con~plications. In this and longer discussions coming after- case the patent library of the National ward. Automobile Chamber of Commerce has The authors, with the exception of helped. .Our facilities for work of this Mr. Mather, who was a railway attorney, kind having been used many times by Mr. McPherson, who was director of the various companies 011 their search this bureau, and Mr. Burgess, who is a for dates and information. This ma- railway attorney, are listed as "econo- terial being in the form where it is mists" as well as college professors in easily found, and without a great deal Who's Who, and presumably have no of expenditure of time. Also being "bias" though whether railroad officials representative of the automotive manu- who write or present testimony have a facturers as a whole the co-operation greater amount of "biasJ1 than anyone brought about in this way has made the else who concerns himself with rates development more easy, and to the best may be open to question. advantage of all those concerned. . The source material on the history of Another thing which is considered in rate-making includes the decisions of the bus development is the financing of these Interstate Commerce Commission from propositions. The bus of today means its beginning, the more important of quite an outlay to start, and the over- which are summarized in the commis- head has to be n~aintained. The old sion's annual report. For example, the practice followed by the railway interest section "Points Decided in Reported of selling stock to their custon~ersis Rate Cases" which forms Appendix D being followed in this same way with the of the 1925 report, .may be found in buses. In that way the burden of the earlier reports and furnishes a time- load is spread, and incidently the earn- saving short cut through volun~esof de- ing capacities of these bus lines are tnak- cisions ing returns for the investor. The hearings in the rate cases and To say that the motor bus is a means before Congress afford many varieties of of transportation is a situation one can opinions on rate-making and rate- hardly grasp for when you go back two systems, particularly the hearings on the or three years, and glance over the fig- Esch-Cnmmins bills which became the February, 1ga6 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 67

Transportation Act, 1920 with its rate- Sections- nlaking provisions not l~eretoforeenacted 11-"Railroad rates," p. 49-274 of into law. Kailroads-Cnscs nud Sslectio~is Pre-Interstate Cominerce Conlinission coinpiled by Eliot Jones and H. B. practices are cliscussed at length and Vatlderblue. Published by Mac- hardly dispassionately in the I-lepbusil millan, 1925. Cominittee hearings in New Yorlc in 11-SIX- [Chapters discussing in de- 1879, in the lzeariilgs on the original In- tail various theories, practices, etc.] terstatc Commerce 11ct of 1887 and the p. 44-624 oi Railroads-Rates and debates on that act in Congress in the liegulatiotz, by William Z. Ripley. early 1S801s, also in the proceechgs of Published by Longmans, Green, the Trunk Line, Southern Railway and 1913, and 1922. Steamship, ancl siinilar railway associa- 11-"Rates" [Chap. V-XI11 iilclusive] tions to regulate rates. The First All- of Railroads-Rates-Service- nzial Rcport of tllc Intcn~atioiial Com- Mai~ugeitient,by 1-1. B. Vanclcrblue merce of the Ulritcd States, by Joseph and K. I?. Burgess. Published by Nimino, Jr. (frequently ref erred to as Macmillatl, 1923. Part 11, Commerce aid Navigation rc- 111-"Economics of railway enter- port of the Bureau of Statistics, Unitccl prise," p. 431-638 of Railway Trans- States Treasury) for thc year 1876 con- pol-tation-Principles and Powt of stitutes an intcrestiug and valuahle Vier~cr,by Sidney L. hGller. Pub- treatise on laclors affecting freight lisl~cclby A. W. Shaw, 1924. Espe- traffic and rates. Together with tlir cially Chap. XSIII-XXVI inclusive. reports of the state railroad commis- S3001

on others and no one of them has any "Our company has several problems, but responsibility for the general situation. none which seems to be, par eminence, the problem. I have therefore taken one in . . . Society must, therefore, devise which the leading executives have happily measures for controlling the volume of taken great interest, that of definik and sys- -money in its econon~ic interests. The tematic education. This is also one which question is not whether it is best to have specially illustrates the valuc and service of a 'managed currency,' since every cur- the library." rency is necessarily a 'managed cur- rency.' The sole question is whether A Key Problem in Our Company currency shall be managed intelligently." A novel feature in connection with this And IJozu the Library Helps in Its Soliilion book is the offer of a prize of $5,000 A key problem in our company is that for the best adverse criticism. Perhaps of continuous education. This is so be- the lure of a substantial reward will cause the company is organized as an bring forth a solution of a baffling prob- industrial partnership. The government lem. is to a large degree representative, those The library of the Federal Reserve who have passed certain tests of service Bank of New York has specialized, of and fitness having a vital part in the course, in collecting everything of in- conduct of the business. terest in connection with the Federal Re- Like all forms of representative gov- serve System. Its primary service is to ernment, it requires, above any other the officers of this bank, but many ques- form of organization and government, a tions concerning Federal Reserve mat- teachable personnel, viz., those who are ters come to it from the general public. eager to learn either from experience or Also, with no reason, but by a sort of from books. To secure this necessary inspiration, the public expects to find end, a library, properly equipped and information in this library abodt any- conducted, is an important factor. thing involving the wor'd "Federal," such The following~areways in which our as FederaI Land Ranks, and even the library co-operates in this educational "Federal government." program : So far, the bank librarian's duties have had to do with collecting the 1. While our industrial partnership printed word-in book, pamphlet, maga- plan has been followed for some years zine or newspaper. Does the radio fore- with a large degree of success, we realize shadow a new problen~? A library assis- that new and vital ideas are essential, not only to maintain a going concern, tant in this library told of listening in Systetn- one evening on the radio in her home and but to assure further progress. hearing the announcement "We shall atic study for its inlprovelnent is con- now have a talk on the Federal Reserve stantly being made, and it is always a System. . ." Although her day's work live subject for discussioa. It is vital, was admittedly behind her, she was im- therefore, that, in addition to the ex- mediately alert, and listened conscien- perience of the partners, there should be tiously to the whole speech. Will the li- some system for keeping in touch with brarian of the future have to add to hcr the latest literature in this field. And present functions that of "reading the it is at this point tl~atthe llbrary fits air?" And just how should one index into the scheme. a radio speech? Our library has a notable collection on the subject of industrial government, MARGUERITEBURNETT which has been highly coninlended by VII a number of experts in this field. 2. Business is, or is beconling in- Industrial Partnership creasingly, a profession. There is a Mr. F. R Mooney, of the Dennison Manu- growing professional literature, and an facturing Co., in reply states "The enclosed increasing necessity that executives shall response to your request for an account of be professionally trained. how our library helps to solve a 'key problem' of our company, will, I hope, fit in with your One aspect of the library's contribution purposes. to the educational program of the organ- February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 7 I' ization, is to prepare reading outlines. in this country. Its activities are largely It is popular as well as efficient to plan in the development of new processes for production, to plan sales, to budget manufacturers, or in solving difficulties household expenses-It is becoming which occur in the course of manufactur- popular to plan our reading. The library ing operations. This work is, of course, is doing its best to sell the "reading with confidential, and any statement of the a purpose" idea, because it fits into one relation of the Information Department of our key problems-education. to the work of the firm in general must When we featured "reading with a be only of a general nature. purpose" in a recent number of our li- The experimental work of the nrm brary paper, which circulates through- centers around the library and the work out the organization, there was a sur- of the Infori~ntionDepartment. Prac- prising response. tically every new question requires pre- 3. That the coinpany shall have the liminary research in the literature before largest possible number of points of con- any laboratory experiments are com- tact with outsidc sources of facts in menced. Chemistry is the best indexed print gives another chance to the library branch of science, and this is necessary to co-operate in the educational policies on account of the great volume of the of the company. When light on a par- published literature. Research must in ticular problem is needed, it is a great many cases extend to literature pub- advantage to refer as quickly as possible lished abroad in foreign languages, and to the sources of information. These quite frequently nlust include investiga- sources are, in the great lnajority of tioil of the patent situation as well. Such cases, collected and classified in the spe- bibliographies as are prepared ~IILIS~not cial libraries throughout the country. be only lists of references, but must be The librarian has the best opportunity accoinpanied by carefully prepared ab- and facilities for lcnowing these sources, stracts and translations, and the refer- and the acquaintanceship which is such ences must themselveg be carefully se- a large factor in making them available. lected, those not pertinent to the investi- This is constantly being demonstrated gation being at once rejected. in our company. An executive has asked One example of a piece of work clone for some teclmical i~lfosmation,and the gratuitously, where thc subject was one librarian has, tlzrougl~ his acquaintance, of general iiiterest, may be cited, al- been able instantly to lay his Ilancl on though it is not particularly typical of it. the general trend of the cluestions usually In a recent case a rare publication handled. It is mentioned only as being from a European source was wanted, and as soon as the mail could bring them, the one of the few reports made by the librarian had obtained three copies of it. Information Department which have This greatly increases executive effici- been published, and 011 account of its ency, especially in a company where ex- non-confidential nature. ecutive responsibility is widely distri- This report is one made by the In- buted. forination Department for the use of F. A. Moomu a national organization, and is as fol- lows : VIII Jnternational Chamber of Com- Chemical Engineenng merce. American Section. Corn- inittee on Econorny of Fuel and Mr. W. P. Cutter, librarian of thc Arthur Economy of Raw Materials. Report, D. Little, Inc. presents an interesting sketch of the work of the corporation. Patents, December 29, 1924. 20p. Washing- translations, bibliographies, photostats and in- ton, 1925. dexing," he writes; "that is our work." The following is a sunlmary of the Information Service of Arthui. D. Little, Inc. contents of this report. The firm of Arthur D. Little, Inc. is World's coal reserves ; production one of the largest organizations of con- of coal in the United States; con- sulting chemists and chemical engineers sumption of coal in the United 7' SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1ga6

States, classified by use; waste at library therefore serves the business in- I. coal mines; waste in coke manufac- terests of the entire company. The li- ture; waste in domestic heating, in brary was organized in 1919 when the industrial plants, in locotnotive en- Department of Economics endeavored to gines, in gas manufacture. make a con~pletesurvey of the petro- World's petroleum reserves ; nat- leum industry. For a number of years ural gas and its waste. the library served only the Department Substitutes for fuel; available wa- of Economics by providing statistics and ter power ; railroad electrification ; other information which was used in electricity in the industries ; domes- compiling reports for the executives of tic use of electricity ; superpower the company. The main problem then plans; electricity to save coal; peat and still is to forecast, in as far as possi- and lignite; use of powdered coal; ble, production and consumption of pe- processing of coal ; oil shale ; econ- troleuin and petroleum products. omies in the use of petroleum; The library has later been enlarged other substitutes for petroleun~; and now serves the entire company. Its improvement of prime movers. first purpose is to serve the Department Conclusions and recominenda- of Economics, second the Research De- tions. partment, whose problem is to devise This report is not published by Arthur more efficient methods in recovering oil, D. Little, Inc., and they have none for third the Refinery and then all other de- distribution. partments. In addition to literature per- W. P. CU~ER taining to the business interests of the company, books are aIso provided for the personal interests of the employees. We feel that we are handling the Petroleum worlc ,here in a practical way as all cur- rent literature is actively circulated We have asked a lhrary in Oklahoma about the problems of oil refinino. Mr. Turner in among the key men of the organization. his story shows the difficulties faced by a The literature is presented to the ,em- librarian far removed from the source of ployees in several different ways, supply. In spite of distance, he keeps in close : touch with the Association. namely 1. The librarians knowing the inter- Marland Refining Company ests and problems of the en~ployees,send It has been said by a writer that the then1 current literature pertaining to petroleum industry has less library facil- their problems. ities than any other of the large business 2. An index of current petroleum lit- interests in the United States, but in no eraturc is co~~~pilecl,and distributed each industry is there more need for l~brary week to the employees from which they worlc than in the petroleum industry. select the material which they, wish to The statement was probably true a few read. Material requested is later sent years ago but I believe the petroleum in- to them. dustry is waking up to the valuc of tech- nical libraries as many of the larger coni- 3. Bibliographies are compilecl and panies are starting technical libraries. searches made for literature upon re- The petrolcum industry is divided up quest. into four parts, namely : finding and pro- The weekly index of current literature ducing, transporting, refining, and mar- is proving of great value to the em- keting. These different divisions of the ployees of the company. Although there industry are so vastly different that they are many things that we have planned seem almost like scparate industries. for the future we feel that we are sew- Many con~paniesoperate in only one di- ing the many interests of the company vision of the industry while others oper- fairly complete. ate in all four divisions. It might be said that special library The Marlancl Oil Company is a con^ work in the middle west is difficult in plete u~iitin the oil industry and this that we are so far from the source of February, 1996 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 73 most of the literature published and we a warning or a model, and the library is do not have many large technical libra- the medium through which the solution ries near here to consult and encourage is found. Furnishing information on po- us in our work. The Marland Library tential markets for new rubber products is probably the only large business library and chemicals, changes in labor legisla- in the state. tion, facts about the increased use of BASIL TURNER balloon tires, the growth of truck and bus transportation, methods of selecting and compensating salesmen, local fac- tors d~teriuining sales territories and Rubber quotas, etc, is not a problem peculiar to the rubber inclustry but the variety of Miss Wray, of the United States Rubber Company, presents the many problems met by requests answered does indicate what the a corporation whose or~anizationextends to library con~ributesto the management. so many parts of the world. In her article Many service departments have no she states the first step in scientific research tangible way of proving a definite money is bibliographical. saving. X former problein due to the Research of the United States Rubber size and scattered location of our system was the unnecessary duplication of printed matter in the executive offices, The rubber company that this library factories, and domestic aid foreign sales serves is one whose interests are very branches. To correct this condition, six widely scattered and whose developments years ago, the library constructed a cen- are constantly increasing the range of tral record of all company owned ma- subjects to be covered. Thc British re- terial and since then has acted as pur- striction scheme since 1922 has been a chasing and distributing agent for such dominant factor in our industry and clne printed matter. Not only have fewer which focused world attention on the copies of books, maps, and periodicals production and consuinption of crude been required but this centralization has rubber. It has been the province of the also resulted ill a substantial reduction library to collect and distribute as ~iiuch in cost clue to discounts on bulk orders. as possible of the printed opinions on this absorbing subject. From the time the Stevenson act was adopted By Great Britain and her colonies there has been a heavy, constant stream of comment pro and con, private and official, from Electric Lighting all quarters of the globe. We have an active Research Departnlcnt where this Mr. Francis E Cady, in charge of research at the National Lamp Works, Cleveland, mass of print is weighed, abstracted, and Ohio, shows the development of he ~ncandes- interpreted, but the library acts as final cent lamp inclustry since 1879, and the part reservoir for the permanent and worth- that the Nela Research Library plays in this while material. development. New uses for rubber latex is another Key Problems in the Incandescent Lamp problem in which the company is actively interested. Search for material of this Industry sort carries us into many new industrial During the first three decades after its fields and necessitates the gathering of inception in 1879, the incandcscellt lamp additional trade journals, clirectorics industry was so occupied in developjng and clippings. and improving its product, in lcarnlng It has been said that the first step in and sitnplifying nlethocls of manufacture, scientific research is bibliographical. Our and in acquiring inforination as to &the library daily .den~onstratesthe truth of characteristics of its output, that little this statement, for whether the iinmedi- opportunity remained for disseininating ate problem be one of invention, manu- this inforn~ation01- for the developmetlt facture or distribution, what has already and propagation of the possibilities in been accolnplished elsewhere serves as this grcat field of lighting. Today the 74 SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1926 dominant problem in the industry is the products, no two of which can be ditect educational work which is being carried competitors. This means that each on for the purpose of presenting to the agency must be thoroughly in touch with public the results of the researches all lines of business. In our office, for which, particularly during the past de- instance, our fifty or more accounts cade, have shown the benefits of higher cover such industries as :-food, drug, iiltensities of illumination in improving automobile, electrical, radio, clothing, manufacturing output, the relative inex- building, banking and Inany others. Our pensiveness of light as compared to other knowledge of these subjects must be decorative media, the great advantages as wide and our contacts as close as of sufficient illumination in residences, those 01 the inanufacturers we serve, if etc., etc. In this work Nela Research we are to do an intelligent selling and Ltbrary has helped by providing un- advertising job. Each manufacturer can usually large resources in the way of (and some do)' maintain libraries cov- books, periodicals and pamphlets cover- ering their own particular field, but the ing the whole field of illuminating engi- advertising agency library IIILIS~ be pre- neering; by maintaining its large sub- pared to furnish inforination on all sub- ject ancl author catalogs of articles ap- jects, to the men in the agency and pearlng in the techizical and scientific usually to their clients as well. press; and by having in charge of the Therefore, it can safely be said that library one who lias been associated with one of the key problems of advertising the research work of thc ~ndustry for is "I-Iow to secure all the facts needed the past seventeen ycars. at all times" and obviously the answer A second dotninant problenz is the is, "Maintain a library." We do. By si~iiplification and stanclardization both the careful organization of the wealth of types and styles of incandescent of material flowing into an advertising lamps. and a third problem is a similar agency; by an elaborate system of clip- simplification of the methods of manu- ping some five hundred magazines and facture. In all this work the direct as- trade papers; by having access to spccial sistance of the library is hard to specify, sourccs of inforination thro~~ghmen~ber- but the library is used freely by the ship in many associations; and by care- chemists, physicist, and engineers of the Eul building up of contacts with experts company. and authorities, we manage to satisfy F~.\scrsE.' CAUY the demands of the two hundred pcople in our ofices, and the nutnberless re- quests from clients ancl outsiders. I should like to be specific and list Advertising some key problems in advertising, but I can think of none that are not common Miss Mary L. Alexander, of the Research Departtnent of Barton, Durstine 8i Osborn, to all industries. Such, for instai~ce,is in her story compares the "key problems" of the subject of price maintenance; of advertismg with the many problems of every industry, and shows how valuable an adver- mergers and the many coinbinations of tising llbrary may become to the various clients large firms; the question of the cost of which are served by the advertising agency. distribution; the need for standardiza- She adds "It is literally true that advertising has no one key problem but is bothered by all tion; the lack of detailed statistics on of the problems common to all industries." the business of retailing, and so on, ad i,zfinitunt. The only way in which our Key Problems of Advertising Research Department is helping to solve The key problcn~sof the advertising these problen~s is by building ahead- business are quite literally the key prob- sorting, weighing, presenting facts to our lems of every industry. An advertising executives so that they may always feel agency has nothing to sell but service; its interests are the interests of its that they have the best inforn~ationavail- clients. Large agencies handle adver- able to guide them. tising campaigns for a great variety of MARYLOUISE ALEXANDER February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 75

is at hand which can be collected and sent out on short notice. Gas JOSEPI-IISE I. GREES\VOOD In concise language, Miss Grcenwoocl, li- hrar~anof thc Consohdated Gas Company of XIV New York, points out the problems of the gas inclustry. I11 reading the January issue Life Insurance of SPECIALLIBRARIES, our readers will recall Miss Edith E-I. Sillencc, libranan of the As- thc article by Oscar E. Norman, describing sociation of Life Insurance P~cs~dcnt,in less the research worlc of the American Gas As- than two hundred ancl fifty words outlines the sociation, in developing uses for gas. This \vork of the association 01 which she is li- research has been one of the great factors in brarian the development of the gas industry in Amer- lca. Association of Life Insurance Presidents Consolidated Gas Company of New York Not being a corporation but wlmt one might call a clearing house of iiiforina- The nunierous l~robl~mswith which lion there are a few Iceys which the as- the Consolidated Gas Company of New sociation must turn 111 order to ful-nish York ancl its affiliated gas am1 elcctric spcccly and accurate data to its nle~liber coinpanies havc to deal are variccl to a compaiiies. The library receives news- marked degree. The executives and c.m- papers, insurance tradepapers, books and ployees want to bc licpt constantly in magazines from all parts of the United touch with clevelopi~~entsin matters of States and Canada. From these are ptblic utility rates, accounling methods, gleaned, with speed aucl intelligence, all customer' o\vnership of lmblic tltilities, nlatters of interest to tlie life insurance relations with tlie public, employee re- world. Such topics as tnsatioll, in all lations, public utility atl\rertising ant1 its vartous and multiple forms-i~~clucl- merclla~ldisiii~,coal carbonization pro- ing the Federal income tax ; investments ; cesscs, gas manufacture, elcctric power kcalth movements to le~lgtllerl life ad production, new systcms of gas and clec- other related subjects arc \vatched wifh tric distribution, the use of ncw gas ancl carc ; also changes in office of men of electric appliances for domestic use and affairs in and outside the insurance electric vchiclcs in transportation, homc vorl All tlcu-s of timely importnnce service work, etc. is passed on to mcn~ber companies as To keep persons interested in tlicsc soon as possible, The library also various clucstions posted along thc lincs fun~ishes,iree of charge, copies of ad- of their particular endeavor, the library dresses on live subjects, n~hichhave been comes into use almost constantly. Our given at the association's amual conven- work consists of going over the techni- tions froin year to year. These ad- cal pcrioclicals relatinq to the industry dresses are listed in the back oi the an- abstracting articles of particular inter- nual procecdings of the association's est. These arc pul~lishecl in what is coaventions, ancl also in pamphlet form. l~nomnas the Library Bullc~iil.of our The distribution of these addresses company and a copy is scnt 10 the trus- covers a very wiclc area. So also in the tees, directors and heads of the depart- Statistical Department-tv11e11 informa- ments. Besiclcs this we prepare bibliog- tion is needed on the subject of taxation raphies ancl gather material oil a par- and investn~ei~ts,etc. cluestioililaires are ticular subject upon request. made up and sent out for information The Library Committee, consisting of dealing with the fundamentals oE the life Messers W. R. Addicks, Artl~urWil- illsura~lce business. IVhen returnecl, liams, R. E. Livingston, C, A. Lunn and tabulations are macle and distributed- Miss Greewood, secretary, meet every these often appearing in the aforesaid month to discuss ways and means of im- acldrcsses. From these few ways, and proving the library service. others, a veritable source of up-to-date It is our aim to keep inaterial up-to- jnformation is always 011 halld 111 the date on all subjects relating to the in- library and ready to be turned over to dustry by the purchase of new volunles, nlenlber coinpallies when needed. so that when probleins arise, information EDITHH. SILLENCE SPECIAL LXBRARIES February, 1ga6

xv That is the way our days go. In be- tween when we are not meeting emer- Banking gencies we do our regular scanning and We could not resist asking Miss Reynolds, routine. assistant editor of the SPECIALLIBRARIES MARGARETREYNOLDS magazine, to share in this test of willingness, and of course, she responded as we knew that she would before we wrote her. Her example of the daily duty is similar to many of our XVI special libraries. Silk We are indebted to the Publicity Bureau of Solving Problems at the First Wisconsin the Silk Association of America for the well National Bank written sketch of the library maintained by the association. The writer stresses the value The First \Visconsin National Banli of reciprocation between special libraries which after all is the primary object of the Library has no particular liey problem in Special Libraries Association. the sense in which the word key is used. Our probletns are to meet requests of American Silk Association varied range as quiclily as possible. For Anyone glancing at the sl~elvesof the example, on Monday morning last the cashier of one of our banlcs wrote me Silk Association library may read on he asking for material for some five or six guides identifying the sections many speeches which he was giving this week topics besides silk: Census, Cost of Liv- on various phases of thrift. There was ing, Directories, Trade Marks, Design- only five minutes between the time the ing, Wool, Cotton, Economics, Women letter arrived and the time the messenger Employed, etc. was to leave with the material. This The necessity of rounding out a spe- meant that we must quickly assemble cial library with business topics of broad some material from our files. We had application is true of any trade associa- anticipated just such requests and not tion whose members are of an inquiring only had carbon copies of appropriate turn of mind. But these books serve quotations on thrift' ready but also had merely to represent an important part prepared otltlines of two general talks on of our library service-which is the thrift and had several stories rcady knowledge of special libraries to which which pointed the way to various phases we may refer inquiries on subjects other of thrift. If our First Wisconsin Coni- than silk. Reciprocation between spe- pany should receive word todav that cial libraries broadens and perfects the there vas to be a Czecho-Slovakian loan service any one of them renders ; for the placed on the market unexpectedly, we latest and most accurate informatiotl on would be the ones to furnish the geo- any specialized topic is obtained only graphical and liistorical material to use from that library devoted to it. on their announcements. The major part of our library natu- When last week one of our officers rally contains boolis on silk. Of these was called upon to go to a correspondent. books on silk, the greatest number re? bank and give the principal address at late to statistics on silli and otlxr tex- the stockholders' meeting we had scarce- tiles. This and two other subjects- ly time to think. In the middle of tariff and labor, with reference to the the busiest morning of the week, and sillc industry, take up a substantial place there are such mornings, we stopped and on the shelves. not only outlined but wrote the entire Next to these in dominating position speech on general business conditions and number come books on the technical with local application. When the chair- phase of silk manufacture, silk dyes, man of our Board a short time ago was rayon production and n~anufacture,the asked to send some material east on Mil- raising and history of silk. The subject waukee, 'we dropped everything to col- of rayon has been a fascinating one to lect, the type of statistics which are not many people recently, and the develop- easdy available. ment of the section devoted to rayon was February, 1996 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 77 the natural sequence to a flood of in- individuals but might not be available quiries that accompanied the sudden for publication." popularity of the fabric within the past few years. XIX PUBLICITYBUREAU Automobiles XVII Miss Rose L. Vormelker, librarian of the Statistical Department of the White Retail Credit Motor Company, was unable to prepare an article but in a letter to the editor Miss Elizabeth Hanner, librarian of states "There are a number of subjects the Retail Con~panyof Atlanta, Georgia, of great importance to the automotive in her reply points out that the organiza- industry that we are attempting to cover tion in which she is associated is not as thoroughly as possible; eg., co- industrial, but, of course, lias its prob- ordination of motor vehicles with elec- lems. In her letter she states. The key tric and steam railroads in transporta- problem is to get the correct informa- tion ; market analysis ; motor vehicles tion for the customers of the organiza- and roads." tion, and to obtain it in a tactful, diplo- We hope to have, at a later date, an matic way. In order to assist the in- article for publication by Miss Vot-rnel- spectors of the corporation, whose duty ker. it is to call upon persons whom they call 'inforinants' for material which they furnish to our customers, the insurance The Reading of a Busy Man coinpanics of all lines of underwriting. A short time ago, states Printer's Ink The library furnishes books ancl other the Schoolmaster was sitting with George writings on salesmansliip, to these in- M. Verity, president of the American spectors from which they gain some idea Rolling Mill Company, at Middlctown, about a proper approach to an infor- Ohio. Beneath the glass desk top is mant instead of to a prospective buyer." pasted a master list of subjects in which Mr. Verity is particularly interested, and XVIII they run all the way from management, statistics and inspirational ideas to music. Railroads Then, at the left of the desk and close Miss Jessie Callan, librarian of the by it, is a high set of shelves and on each Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Com- shelf, lutmbercd to conform with the pany, was unable to prepare an article master list of subjects, is a scrap book in connection with this scries, but indi- containing clippings from business pa- cated in a letter to the editor that she pers, magazines ancl newspapers which would be glad to get into cornmunica- have impressed Mr. Verity and which he tion with librarians whose concerns are thus keeps handy and in constant use. similar to that of the Besselner Pr Lake Though he is the active head of a great Erie Railroad Conlpany for the free in- corporation which has made remarkable terchange of ideas and the inatlner of industrial history in the twenty-five years dealing with problems of the same Icind. of its existence, he lias time fnr a vast "I have always found the heartiest co- amount of careful reading. A long list operation in librarians from ~vhomI have of publications, covering a wide range of requested information, but there may be business and general subjects, is read by many others of wl~oinI do not know, in- this president every week, clipped, pasted terested in some of the very things I atn in the proper book-and used. Men in in search of. For instance, there are business who say they have no time to very few figures published on the cost read, could well afford to take a lesson of operation of motor services for rail- from George M. Verity, one of the bus- roads, and as librarians, we may be able iest men in America, but at the same time to lead each other to valuable sources one of the most careful readers and one of information for such costs. These of the best informed men the Schoolmas- figures may be freely given for use by ter has ever met. 78 SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1916 A New Way to Promote Special Libraries By F. A. Mooney, Chairman, Education Committee, Special Libraries Association of Boston HE psesident of the Special Libra- tions is to prepare and to act as a clear- T ries Association of Boston recently ing house for bibliographies. received the following letter froin the It is very interesting that the sugges- office of the Inclustrial Service Secretary tion of the second and fourth para- of the Associated Industries of Massa- graphs of this letter should come from chusetts : a source outside of the Association. It "Our Industrial Service Secre- indicates the growing interest in the spe- tary has suggested to me that per- cial libraries idea, and also points out a haps the Special Libraries Associ- practical method of approach which is ation through a committee appointed very suggestive. Moreover it indicates might draw up a bibliography on how a representative of the Special Li- self-ii~~provementfor foremen. braries Association, may adopt an active, ''What he would like to see clone aggressive policy, without awakening is to have a list of some 20 or 30 antagonistn or suspicion. of the best books on such subjects Even in executives not fully sold on as Industrial Management, Indus- the special libraries idea, there is prob- trial Economics, etc., made available ably an active interest in the subject of to plant foremen who were inter- foreman training. This is a subject to ested in widening their knowledge. which probably every executive in any He feels that perhaps in this way large concern is fully awake. Naturally the nucleus of a library could be he is looking for the best means for se- suggested to manufacturers. curing this training. "Of course the books would have Here is the opportunity of the Pub- to be of such a nature that they licity Committee or the Education Coin- wotlld appeal to a man cf foreman mittee of the local branch of the Special rank, not too technical but well writ- Libraries Association. They will prob- ten. ably be welcomed if they approacl~the "Because of the very general in- executive, not with the suggestion that terest in and importance of the fore- a special library be established, but with man to industry, it might be quite the information that they have at hand easy to convince an employer that he the sources, in the form of bibliographies, s110~1ldstart a small library for fore- of the latest and best discussion and men by buying them carefully suggestion on the subject of training in picked-out books. A suggestion pre- val-ious bi-ancl~es. Few executives will sented in this way would uncloubt- object to being put in touch with such edly get a better reception tl~ana sources. Prohably many will follow sugg&tion that a library be estab- them up by the purchase of a number of lished." the books suggested. Having proved the advantage of widening the inforina- The president of the Boston Associa- tion of his foremen by suc11 a course of tion handed the assignn~entover to the reading, the collection of books is likely Education Committee of the Association. to grow, and thus, without such a sug- The chairman of the com~nitteerequested gestion having been formaily made a each menlber of his committee to sug- special librasy will have come into being. gest such a bibliography, and the result- Every large organization whose de- ing bibliography was sent to the Associ- partments are at all specialized has some ated Industries. technical books of reference for the use The assignment was right in line with of these departments. Inforination as to one feature of the work planned by the the latest and best material on the sub- Education Committee of the Bostoi~As- jects in which they are specially inter- sociation. One of its announced func- ested will always be welcome. Here is February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 79

the opportunity for the Education Com- tion, and by performing a real service mittee of each local bimch of the As- in the way of supplying sources of the sociation, by enlarging and perfecting best information, create a friendly atti- its bibliographies to get into touch with tude toward the special libraries idea. the executive head or the head of the Has not the Associated Industries personnel department of each organiza- pointed the way? Wanted By Louise Keller, Chairman, Sub-committee on Classification, Committee on Methods Wanted a classification for : ber, or find out, the name of the chair- Doiler tests man, and give it, and that's that, for yon. Scientfic management And what about the sub-comn~ittee Insurance ancl its unlucky chairman? Do yo11 really tl~inkthey work up classifications Nothing entirely satisfactory has been to order? Do ~OLIthink they are able supplied for any of the tliree requests. to devote tl~eirworldng day to writing More requests arc bound to come in. special and individual requests for your If you went to the Swarnpscott meet- valuable contributiot~to the science of ing with the intention of seeing the very classification? Do you tl~inkthat classi- latest devices and methods for facilitat- fications should never go oul into tl~e ing library service, you may remember world until they are full grown-whie1-r the collection of blue and marbled bound is never? DO yo11 think other people pamphlets stamped with the mine 01 the are more clever, inore generous, more Association ancl labeled classifications. llelpful than you are? A very few are;, Close beside these was a single drawer, no more. So why not come across and card cabinet also labeled classifications. live up to the compliment paid you by If you attended the convention with Major Coulson in the Novcmbes issue the idea of meeting librarians with prob- of SPECIALLTRRARIES (page 363). DO lems similar to your own, you uncloubt- your intliviclual bit to contribute to "The edly went to group meetings and at one collection wl~icl~. . . must be unique." of these you must have heen told of this When yo11 do that, coi~siclcrin~tl~c needs exhibit of classifications and askccl if of othcrs rather than the value of your you did not have something to contrib- own gift, then the hearts of thc commit- ute to it. tee nlenlbers will be made glad, and the Then yo~tnucut home and forgot all name of the Special Libraries Assosia- about it tion will be exalted, in that it remeinbers the wisrlom of the inally ant1 gathers to- It may be that you never have been gether, that it may give forth more guilty of tampering or experimenting abunclantl y. with classification; or I~avingclone so, your co~lsciencedwells uneasily upon the subject. It is far more likely you are The Library-The Museum too busy to renlember the request was The Ncwark Public Lib~ary's house organ made directly to you. "Yes", you say, has shortened its title by dropping "And he "we are too busy, and no one is inter- Museum Therein." It is now The Library. ested in what we have done-it is too It has a sister publicatio~lcallcd ?'he Mzcsewt. special." But one clay you are aslied if Be sure to read Tlra Librnry as you can't af- you know of a classificatiotl for some- ford to miss the new ideas of Mr. Dana or thing or other, ancl you do not, but you his telling expressioll of old ideas. 011 Bz~yiizg want to be helpful and so you suggest and Using Print-Prncticnl Su,q9astioizs from that George may-George being the Sub- a Librarian to the Bi~si~zcssAlnn is a pam- Committee 011 classification. You remem- phlet recently distributed by him. SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1926 Directory Business Classification S the result of an informal meeting standardization of methods of compila- in New York City on December 3, tion and listing so that the same kind c A1925, the Association of North American of information is presented in the same Directory Publishers requested the Di- manner and location. This accomplish- vision of Simplified Practice of the De- ment has brought the industry face to partment of Commerce to call a ~01lb3= face with the third problem, namely, the ence to consider the standardization of standardization and simplifkation of business classifications as used in direc- business classifications. Surveys have tories and similar listings. shown great lack of uniformity. As an This conference was convened in example, Mr. McPharlin cited the head- Washington on December 14, 1925. A. ings "meat market" ; "meat, retail ' ; E. Foote of the Division, who presided, "markets" ; "butchers:' ; and "provi- pointed out in his opening reinarlcs that, sioners", as used in different localities to due to the complexity of the subject, an describe the same class of business. The agenda had been prepared which would existence of thousands of examples of limit consideration to those phases in this kind curtail the value of a directory which definite progress might be ex- outside the local sphere In this con- pected. nection, C. C. Lyon of the American :' Ward Gavett of R. L. Polk and Com- Telcpllone and Telegraph Company, said i pany, in the course of his remarks, char- that an analysis by his company had I acterized the subject as twofold. First, shown twenty-three thousand occupa- ! from tlxe point of view of the directory tional classifications. publisher it is desired to establish pre- Mr.. McPharlin said that the prelimi- cise definition of what business and pro- nary sludies made by his association had fessional activities shall be considered strongly emphasized the fact that busi- as embraced within a specific classifica- ness interests throughot~tthe country are tion, and the formulating of exact ancl intimately concerned in the problem and uniforn~titles for each class. Second, should, therefore, have every opportunity there iuust be considered the interests to present their views. To this end his and requirements of publishers, research committee has published a prelimin?ry bureaus, and others making wide use of handbook on Standard Business Clnsszfi- directory information in the collection catiotzs. This booklet, which has been of statistics. given wide distribution, contains blank William H. J. McPharlin, chairman of pages which providc space for notations the North American Directory Pub- and suggestions. After six months the lishers' Co~u~uitteeon Standardization annotated copies will be collected ancl and Make-up of Directories, spoke on turned over to the committee for usc the efforts being made to bring city di- in the preparation of a revised' draft. sektories to the highest possible degree Upon the issuance of the final booklet, of accuracy and usefulness He pointed which will contain cross-references on ,out that for a time the changes and in- commodity headings, there will be inau- creasing complexity of our modern busi- gurated a general campaign of educat- ness structure brought about no corres- ing the public as to "where to look" for ponding adjustment of directory list- any particular class of listing. ings. Practically the same make-up was Among those who spoke in endorse- followed year after year until the di- ment and support of the simplification rectory industry faced the task of re- of business classification were; Fred arranging its pt~blicationsto take care of Breinier, Research Division of Curtis existing conditions, and of bringing Publishing Company, who described about a national uniformity. This some of the short comings of the present standardization oi arrangement was the system from the users' standpoint; first step made toward bringing the full Robert E. Ramsay of the Robert E. service possibilities of the directory to Ramsay Organization, who discussed its users. The second step was the what the Direct Mail Advertising As- February, 1946 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 8 r

sociation has done to improve directory Committee 2-CI-IAIRMAN,W. N. Taft, classifications; W. L. Chandler, secre- editor, Retail Ledger, Pl~iladelphia,Pa. ; tary of the National Association of Pur- VICE-CHAIRMAN,0. C. Lyon, American chasing Agents; A. I-Ieath Onthank, Telephone & Telegraph Co., 195 Broad- chief of the Domestic Commerce Divi- way, New York, N.Y.; Member to be sion of the Department of Commerce; appointed. Joseph Stewart of the Post Office De- Colllmittee 3-CHAIRMAN, F. D, partment; and Mortimer B. Lane of the Wood, International Magazine Co., 119 Bureau of the Census. West 40th St., New York, N.Y.; VICE- CHAIRMAN,W. L. Chandlcr, secretary, Appointment of Committees National Association of Purchasing After a thoro~lghdiscussion of various Agents, Woolworth Building, New York, needs and requirements, it was decided N.Y.; and Robert E. Ramsay, The Rob- to appoint the three following commit- ert E. Rainsay Organization, New York, tees :- N.Y. Each chairman is empowered to in- Prod~bcers'Committee crease his committee through the acldi- To work out standardized busi- tion of such imetnbers as he cares to ap- ness classifications and bring about point. their general adoption by a11 pub- lishers who create business headings Central Committee in their work, including city direc- The three chairmen and thrce vice- tories, telephone books, trade direc- chairmen of the above-inentioned corn-. tories, commercial rating books and mittees shall constitute a Central Com- the Census Bureau. inittee to co-ordinate the entire research, Definitions Committee and to prepare the final recommenda- To standardize the definitions of tions. businesses, so as to clarify the dif- The Central Comlnittee selected as its ference between such groups as, for chairman, I?. M. Feilter of the Society instance, department stores, dry for Electrical Development, New York goods stores and general stores. City, who has taken an active interest (This may require consideration of in the work of standardizing business the changes going on in the general ~Iassifications. make-up of business today as against names which have not been changed Future Conference in many years). It was decided to hold a general con- Committee 0% Relations with Users ference of all interests to take final action To ascertain what business wants on the findings and recon~inelldationsof in the way of additional data which the various committees. This confer- it believes can be produced by or ence is to convene under the auspices oB through improved b~lsiness classi- the Division of Simplified Practice of fications in directories and other the Department of Commerce as soon as work allied thereto. (This includes practicable after the next annual con- records of total numbers of outlets vention of the North American Direc- and concerns engaged in different tory Publishers, to be held in September, industries, and market analysis work 1926. The conference was, therefore,, generally). tentatively set for October, 1926. The personnel of the committees were : Cammittee 1-CHAIRMAN,R. L. Polk, NOTE: The Editor had planned to be. R. L. Polk & Co., Directory Building, present at this conference, hut illness. Detroit, Mich. ; VICE-CHAIRMAN,George prevented attendance. Fortunately W. Overton, Reuben H. Donnelley Corp., the Association was not unrepresented 28 W. 23rd St., New York, N.Y.; Rep- as Miss Anna G. Cruss, librarian of' resentative of R. G. Dun & Company (to the Department of Commerce partici- be appointed). pated in the conference.--EDITOR. Special Libraries EDITOR, Herbert 0. Brigham State Library, Providence, R. I. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Ethel Clcland Henry H. Norris A. A. Slobod Rebecca 13. Rankin R. H. Johnston Llargaret C. Wells Nargaret Reynolds

Losses to Our Profession URING the fall and winter, death has claimed some of our prolllillellt libra- II rians. Horace Greeley Wadlin, librarian of the Eoston Public Library from 1903-1917, died on November 5, 1925. Mr. Wadlin belonged to the older school of librarians and has not bcen active in library work for the past eight years. Mrs. Maud Barker Cobb, state librarian of Georgia since 1908, passed away on December 27, 1925. She was deeply interested in library activities in her ow11 slate and several years ago installed the legislative reference department in the Georgia State Library. Mrs. Cobb took an active part in the affairs of the Na- tional Association of State Libraries, and when duties permitted attended the an- nual conferences. William R. Watson, director of the Library Extension Divislon of the New York State Education Department, died suddenly on January 6, 1926. MI-. Wat- son has served in many library capacities throughout the country since he was graduated from the New Yorlc State Library School in 1893. Prior to his posi- tion at Albany, he was librarian of the Sail Francisco Public Library. Margaret Van Zandt for many years identified with Columbia University died on January 6, 1926 in her 83rd year. For the period from 1884 to 1909 Miss Van Zandt served the University, retiring in the latter year on a pension from the Carnegie Foundation. Bernard C. Steiner, librarian of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, died suddenly on January 12, 1926. He was librarian of the well known Balti- more library for thirty-three years, succeeding his father in that position. Dr. Steiner was considered one of the most scholarly librarians in the country. He was a member of many learned societies and had many historical interests, notably the editing of the Archives of Maryland. He was a constant attendant at A.L.A. conferences and his genial personality will be sorely missed. February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 83

A New Contemporary HE editor has received the N.Y.P.L.Staff Bzdetin, .published "now and T then" by the New York Public Library Staff Association. The first issue appai-ently presents a fine portend of what is to follow. The general typograph- ical make-up is delightful, the grade of paper unusually good and the reading matter bright and newsy. Such headings, for example, as "Our Discards- Books we would not take on a desert island," a coluinn designed for the use of staff members who wish to express their true inner feelings about any of the currently popular books, "An Invitation to Staff Members," a vox populi of the Association, and "Proposed Roads to Wisdom" attract the eye and please the reader. The BuZletin suggests that a Worst Books Voting Contest be held in contrast to the popularity of the "best sellers." This little item has struck the attention of newspaper editors throughout the United States and has been the cause of must comment. Miss Rebecca B. Rankin, Associate Editor of SPECIALLIBRA- RIES, in the "Open Forum" presents a good idea by suggesting that a inember of the staff other than a division head occasionally be sent to library conventions as a representative of the library.

The question of an index has been a serious problcrn to the editors, but we are pleased to announce that Miss Charlotte Nopes, who con~piledthe index cover- ing the period 1910-1922, is now at work upon a three-yea? index covering the years 1923, 1924 and 1925. We suggest that our subscribers bind their volumes in three-year periods. A title page for 1925, volume 16, will be sent on application to the Editor. * * * The Editor has recently received an announcelllent from the Horace Plunltett Foundation created for Ireland in 1914 to reorganize agriculture along co-operative lines. The Foundation has recently established at London a clearing house of information for all the agricultural co-operative organizations i~ the empire. Copies of the announcement and terms of membership will be loaned to anyone interested. * * * The Editor has received from the Institute for Library Science in Moscow a request for a con~plimentarycopy of SPECIALLIBRARIES. Mrs. L. Haffnine- Hamburger, director of the Institute, especially asked for the Proceedings of the Swampscott conference. She adds : "I can assure you that the Russian librarians would appreciate it very much." * * * American Speech is the name of a new periodical issued by the Williams & Wilkins Co, of Baltimore. The first number presages an interesting magazine which covers a distinct field and is sorely needed in this country where language usage is daily becoming more and more corrupt. * * * There is available a cataloger's position paying $2400. Letters to the Editor regarding the subject mill be forwarded to the librarian of the organization. SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1996 I Library and Research Library Courses Courses on Personnel Management The Library School of the New York Pub- New York University offers a series of lec- lic Library will conduct a series of advanced tures on Technique of Personnel Management. and open courses on special library work. Miss The aim of the course, known as Manage- Linda H. Morley, librarian of the Business ment 22, is to familiarize the student with the Branch of the Newark Free Public Library, instruments used in practice in applying the will conduct the first seven lectures. Other lec- fundamental principles of personnel manage- turers are Miss Florence Bradley, librarian, ment. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.; Mr. W. L. The subjects considered include : Critical Powlison, librarian, National Automobile Evaluation of the Various Methods of Selec- Chamber of Commerce and Miss Claribel R. tion, Job Analysis Technique, Job Classifica- Barnett, librarian, United States Department tion and Grading, Wage Standardization and of Agriculture. Administration, Development of Tests, Em- Another group of interest to special libra- ployment Procedure, including the Art of In- rians is a series of advanced and open courses terviewing, Essential Personnel Department *on the literature of economics. Dr. Willard Records, Rating Systems, Transfer and Pro- L. Throp, National Bureau of Economic Re- motion, The Development of Incentive. search, will present four lectures and Miss The instructor in charge will be Harold B. Marguerite Burnett, librarian, Federal Re- Bergen, manager of Personnel Department, serve Bank, will also give four lectures. Other Henry L. Doherty & Co. and treasurer, speakers are Miss Eunice Miller, Economics American Management Association. Division, New York Public Library, and Miss Two sections of the course will be given, Anna M. Michener, Statistical Department, both meeting on Tuesday evenings from Feb- National Bank of Commerce, New York. ruary 2 to May 11, 1926; the section at Wall The lectures on literature of economics will Street, go Trinity Place, from 5: 15 to 7: 00 occur on Tuesdays at 4: 30 beginning on Feb- P.M., and the section at Washington Scluare, 9 ruary and closing May 18; those on special 32 Waverley Place, from 8: 00 to 9: 45 P.M. library work on Thursdays at 5: 30 beginning Registrations may be made at either office February 11 and closing June 3. The fee for from January 18 to February 15. each course is $5.00. Full details may be ob- tained by application to the Library School of the New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Manufacturers Contribute to Univer- Avenue, New York City. sity Research General Electric Review Index Over $25,000 has been contributed to the An index of articles run in the magazine University of Minnesota thls year by various during the past five years is being planned by manufacturers, to finance research work in the Gerteral Electnc Review. The index will be alphabetically arranged by subject and by industrial subjects. The Royal Baking Pow- author, thus facilitating ready refcrence to der Company, the Corn Products Refining articles carried during the years 1920-1925. It Company, and the American Cyanamid Com- will be bound in a durable heavy stock paper pany, all of New York are among those who cover and wil1 be made to sell for a nominal have contributed. The Cloquet Wood Prod- sum. The size of the index will be 8x10%, ucts Company, Cloquet, Minn., has donated the same as the magazine. $4,000 for a study of the chemistry of woods. Before starting the work of compiling this The Fleischmann Yeast Company, Cincinnati, information, the Review is anxious to secure Ohio, is financing a research in fermentation. the comments of libraries and individuals in- terested in such a publication. It is requested A group of flaxseed companies have contrib- that those who can make use of the index uted $5,600 for the devising of methods to signify their interest in it by writing the stimulate the production of flax in this coun- magazine at Schenectady, N.Y. If sufficient try. It is expected that new discoveries and interest is manifested in the work, it will be improved methods of manufacturing will re- started withill a few weeks. sult from the work being carried on. February, 1ga6 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 85

Banking Scholarship lished by the National Research Council. Upon request, the Research Council will be Through his great interest in educational glad to send copies of such of thesc publi- work, Mr. Puelicher, who is president of the cations as are still in print to those who may Marshall and Ilsley Bank of Milwaukee, has be interested in them. been made chairman of the Board of Trnstecs of the American Bankers Association Educa- tional Foundation. Mr. Puelicher, who ad- Rubber Research in England dressed the S.L.A. Confcrence at Atlantit S. S. Pickles in a paper on the "Importance City in 1923, was one of the original founders of an Adequate Intelligence Service in the of the American Institute of Banking and has Rubber Industry" before the Institution of the worked very much along educalional lines. Rubbcr Industry, described the library and in- The foundation oT which Mr. Puelicher has formation bureau of the Rubber Research As- been chosen chairman is supported by $500,000 sociation. which the bankers pledged at the annual con- The library contains about ten thousand vention of the association at Atlantic City reference cards and yearly there are added last October. This will provide for scholar- about four thousand cards. The Informa- ships and research in economics in colleges tion Bureau abstracts periodicals and every throughout the country. It is hoped that the month a classification summary of all items trustees will recognize the plea of libraries and of interest is issued to members. This pub- grant some scholarships to them. lication, states the Chelnical Age of London in The other trustees are announced as fol- its issue of January 2, 1926, represents the lows : Leonard P. Ayers, vice-president, Cleve- contents of over thirty periodicals and dur- land Trust company, Cleveland, Ohio ; Dr. ing 1924 the abstracts numbered apploximately Stephen I, Afiller, educational director, Amer- eighteen hundred and sixty-three articles oc- ican Institute of Bahking, New York; Lewis cupying three hundred and eighteen printed E. Pierson, chairman of thc board, Irving pages. The library of the Rcsearch Associa- Bank-Columbia Trust company, New York; tion issued periodical surveys of the literature George E. Roberts, vice-president, National relating to matters of special interest at the City bank, New York; Francis H. Sisson, moment. vice-president, Guaranty Trust Company, New Mr. Piclcles urged co-operative effort among York, president trust company dwision of the the British rubber manufacturers and the es- association ; and Evans Woollen, president tablishment of a commercial intelligence pub- Fletcher Savings and Trust Company, Indian- lication which would be too expensive for one apolis, Indiana, chairman of the association's institution to maintain alone. economic policy commission. W. Espey Albig, deputy manager American Bankers Associa- tion, New York City, has been appointed Biological Abstracts secretary. The Rockefeller Foundation has recently Mr. Pierson, who is also a former president subsidiztd to the amount of $350,000 a com- of the association, is chairman of the Amcri- plete biological abstracting service which will can Bankers Association fiftieth anniversary cover the whole field of pure and applied committee which has in charge the collec- botany and zoology. For the purpose of tion of funds for the foundation in commem-: carrying out the provisions of the subsidy, oration of the organization's golden anniver- headquarters have been established at the Uni- sary. versity of Pennsylvania and a staff organized. Nearly thirty leading biological societies in Research-Government the United States and Canada are co-operat~ng The Division of States Relations of the in the project. The abstracts will be published National Research Council has recently re- monthly in a journal called Biological Ab- printed from the American Political Science stracts and it is proposed to issue about Review the nlonograph on "Scientific Research thirty-five thousand abstracts a year. Dr. J. and State Governments," prepared by Pro- R. Schratnm of Cornell University has been fessor L. D. White of the University of Chi- chosen as editor-in-chief and Dr. J. A. Det- cago. Other studies concernmg the organiza- lefsen, formcrly of the University of Illinois tion and activities of the scientific depart- and the Wistar Institute of the University of ments of state governtnents have been pub- Pennsylvania as associate editor. SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 1996 We Do This Margaret Reynolds, Department Editor In making photostats. We made the Miss Rankin says is true. She wrote that photostats of the open double page each time stamped envelopes and return postal cards and the curve in the book near the center are kept and that periodically they go to the spoiled the alignmcnt somewhat and made the 'general post office with them and they are pages difficult to bind because there was no returned to the pozt office in exchange ior an margin. In doing it again, I would photostat equal value in stamps. 'L'nused stamped en- each page separately and thus have a substan- velopes and post cards do not lose their value tial margin on the center edge of each page because they have printing on them. Miss for the binder to work ~~~~-~~RGUERITERankin is bristling with good iclcas and sent BURNETT,Federal Reserve Ba11.k of New us two others. York. Form Letters. For the printed material Reflectors. Jane I. Baumler shows the which we request free of charge we use a right spirit in her profession by sending us form letter which is multigraphed. The mul- the followit~gitem: We don't do this, but wc tigraphing is done so well that it is almost would if wc were in a library again. The impossible to distinguish from a typewritten John Crerar Library provides a reflector for letter. The materlal requested is noted below, the use of the boys who read shelves or need and the address added above the body of the to search for volumes on a bottom shclf where letter. A carbon copy is made when the let- il is usually dark-JANE I. BAUMLER,yaw ma^^ ter is so typed-and this carbon with only and Erbe dlannfnctz~riizgCoiilpmry, Rochester, name and address, and the desired book or New York pamphlet noted below serves as the library's Blue pencils. What a bank official at the record. These are filed-for our purpose, the Atlantic City exhibit suggested about using best arrangement is geographical by cities-;- different colored pencils in annotatmg books and when the material is received the carbon suggests that at the First Wisconsin the blue copy is stamped with the receipt stamp, the pencil is wielded only by the librarian. It is same as the book. It's a simple, workable understood throughout the institution that ar- system. The receipt is followed by a lcttar ticles that are blue-penciled come from thc of acknowledgment library and are the result of personal scan- ning on the part of the librarian. 01 course, In expert's file. Most of us do have all material that comes from the library con- special people to whom we turn for assistance tains the stamp of the library but the use of but have we all arranged a card index of the the blue pencil in this particular way tells an names under the subject? All persons who official or a department head at a glance that use the library or are known by members it is somethmg which has been sent to him of the staff to have "specialties" or "ho_bbies" for his special reading If an article is on a -subjects in which they are particularly well certain page in a magazine or book a small informed-are indcxed at the librarian's desk piece of paper is clipped on to the page 'and This kind of information often is most con- used as a bookmark, which helps the readcr venient and essential to good work in a spe- find the article more quickly-kf~~~~~~~REY- cial library-REBECCA B. RANKIN,Matnicipd NOLDS. Reference Library, New York City. Stamped envelopes and postal cards. Who knows box. In the same mail with In the November issue 04 SPECIALLIBRARIES the suggestions from Miss Rankm about the we published a note from Mr. G. W. Lee, Expert's File, we had a note from the Natural librarian of Stone and Webster, Boston, on Resources Intelligence Service of the Depart- how to use stamped envelopes and return ment of the Interior, Ottawa, Canada, on the postal cards. This brought a comeback from Who Knows Box: Miss Rebecca B. Rankin, librarian of the For it, we use one of the boxes of the card Municipal Reference Library, New York City. catalog not in use (preferably the last box There is some truth in the old adage, We live of the catalog), and label it on the outside and learn. I, for one, did not know that what "Who Knows." February, 1926 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 8 7

In this box are filed cards bearing the names ized subjects is one of the most satisfactory and addresses o[ persons to whom to write publicity measu:es of the Business Branch or phone regarding various subjects. For of the Library at the Providence Chamber of instance, behind the gulde card "T" are filed Commerce. As the foundation is actual ser- the names and addresses, and the telephone vice rendered, the returns are concrete evi- numbers ii in the c~ty,of the proper officials dencc as to its usefulness. to whom to write regarding tariff information. Following is a copy of the card: There may, of course, be several subjects bc- Register the subject that interests you, ginning with the Ictter "T," so the subject is and you will be notified when important typed in red capitals at the top of the card; printed matter is received at the Business then follow the names and addresses, and Branch Library. any helpEul inlormation. Subject We find our "Who Knows" box a distinct Name l~braryhelp and short cut, saving many val- Firm uable minutes which would otherwise be talcen Addiess up in looking up directories or trade indices. Telephone The subject that interests you. A -EVA S. GARUNER,Btrsincss Bradt of the card index of clients ar~angedunder special- P~ovidemePddic Library.

Personal Notes Margaret C. Wells, Department Editor Miss Frances E. Wood, formerly connected Mrs. George S. Maynard, whose husband with the Queens Public Library, is now con- is head of the Techt~ology Division of the nected with the Bond Department of the Boston Public Library, has succeeded Mrs. Equitable Trust Company and is working in Lane at the Vail Library. co-operation with Miss Mable Crowe, the li- brarian of that institution. Miss Margaret Calfee has been appointed first assistant in The CIeveland Medical Li- On January 14, 1926, Miss Eleanor Kerr of brary. She is re-cataloging part of the col- Potter Sr Co., New York, spolce before the lection. n new building for The Cleveland Brooklyn Engineers Corporation on "The En- Medical Library will be ready next August. gineer in Relation to the Underwriting of Securities." Miss Kerr has also been Icctur- ing this winter at Columbia University. Miss Phillis Moulton has left the British Library of Information and is now with the Miss Pyrrha Sheffield of the Portland Ce-, Inquiry, 129 East 32nd Street, New York. ment Association has been seriously ill in Chi- cago. Our latest advice is that shc is improv- Alice M. Scheck, librarian of the First Na- ing and is well on the road to recovery. tional Bank of Los Angeles, has recovered from a painful accident. Early in November Mr. and Mrs. William C. Trost of Wiscon- she caught her lieel on the -urb, breaking a sin, announce the engagement of their daugh- bone In the instep. ter, Wilma, to Clinton Shattuck, of Philadel- phia. Miss Trost, formerly the librarian at Miss M. L. Gcricke, formerly librarian of the home ofice of the American Appraisal the States Relation Service, Departmel~t of Company, is now doing research work with Agriculture, has becn .appointed librarian of the Olson-Enz~nger Advertising Agency in the Department of State. Milwaukee. Miss Ella M. Thornton has been appointed Mrs. Lane, formerly of the Vail Library State Librarian ol Georgia succeeding the late of the hfassachusetts Institute of Technology, Mrs. Cobb. Miss Tl~orntonhas been a mem- Boston, has gone to Lake Placid, New York, ber of the library staff for the past sixteen to become librarian of the Lake Placid Club. years and well deserves the promotion. SPECIAL LIBRARIES February, 196 Associations Boston an informal reception was held for them. special~ib~~~i~~ ~~~~~i~~i~~of B~~~~~ Later Mr. Belden spoke of the aims of the A.L.A. in th~sjubilee year. Wallace B. Don- combined its J~~~~~~ with tlle mid- winter meetmg of the Massachusetts Library ham* dean of the Harvard Graduate of Business Administration, presented some clpb, on J~~~~~~22, and devoted the entire day to the consideration of library problems. of thc problems which the school is confront- Sessions were held morning, afternooil and ing. J.' Randolph Coolidge of Concord, *& evening, with dinner at 0: 34 at the Twentieth and Judge Michael J. Murray, .chairman Century Club. Thc morning and afternoon the Board of Trustees the sessions were held in ~~~d~~~ ~~,-~it~~i~~in Library, paid tribute to Mr. Belden's cham- the State House. Frank H. Chase, president ter and ability. of the Massachusetts Library Club, presided Philadelphia at the morning session, and William Alcott, The Special Libraries Council held its Jan- president of Special Libraries Association of uary meeting in the new offices of the Public Boston, presided at the afternoon session. Ledger on January 8, 1926. A talk on the Fred Telford, chief of staff of the Bureau functions of a newspaper library was de- of Public Personnel Administration of Wash- livered by Joseph w. Kwapil, librarian, iol- ington, and W. Phillip Shatts of the Extens~on lowed by a tour of inspection of the new Service of the Adult Education Association Public Ledger Building. of New York, were the speakers at the morn- ing session. Mr. Telford told how high li- Pittsburgh brarians rated in the scale of intelligence as The pittsbttrgh Special Libraries Associa- compared with other professions, 'and how tion held its regular monthly meeting on unrecognized and underpaid they are. Mr. Thursday evening January 21, in the AIle- Shatts gave the results of a survey made at &eny County Law Library. The meeting Stroudsberg, Penn., and vicimty, showing how was devoted to plans for finishing the Direc- the people spend their leis~~rehours. Howard tory of Ittformation on which members of L. Stebbins, librarian, Social Law Library the association have been working. It is hoped conducted a round table on training classes that the Directory, which will be printed this for library work. fall, will be a useful guide to the library re- At the afternoon session Miss Lydia W. sources of Pittsburgh. Masters, librarian of the Watertown Free Public Library, explained the work of the Southern California Boston Book-Review Group, and gave a list ~h~ regular meeting of the Special Libraries of modern fiction with the comments of the Association of Southern California was held reviewers. January 8, 1926, at 7: 45 P.M. in the South- A symposium on "How Special Libraries west Museum of Los Angeles. After a short Function," was presented in snappy ten- business meeting, Dr. John A. Comstock, di- minute addresses, by the following: "In In- rector of the Museum gave a very entertain- dustry," by Mr. F. A. Mooney, librarian, ing as well as instructive lecture on "The Dennison Manuiacturing Company; "In Fi- Yellowstone!' Each summer Dr. Comstock nance," by Miss Marion G. Eaton, librarian, whose speciality is butterflies, goes on a Federal Reserve Bank, Boston; "In Journal- trip into the mountams or national ism," by William Alcott, librarian, Boston parks for the purpose of gathering material Globe; "In Social Service," by Miss Margaret for the Museum. Besides his specimens he Withington, librarian, Social Service Library; brings back many pictures which he colors "In Insurance," by D. N. Handy, librarian, from notes taken while on the spot. Dr. Insurance Library Association of Boston. Comstock together with his marvelously ~01- Professor Charles H. Copeland of Harvard, ored lantern slides has the faculty of trans- followed with entertaining readings porting his audience from the center of busy About one hundred and fifty librarians at- Los Angeles deep into the mountains. We tended the dinner, at wh~chC. F. D. Belden, feel that we have been very fortunate in the president of AL.A., and Mrs. Belden, were last two years in being able to take these guests of honor, and following the dinner summer trips of his in this manner. Bebruary, 1916 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Events and Publications Rebecca B. Rankin, Department Editor In Social Forces, December, 1925 will be The Periodical Librarian's Handbook issued found an interesting series of articles on by Franklin Square Agency, 49 East 33rd "Teaching and Research in the Social Sci- Street, New York City is a decidedly useful ences." guide. A descriptive and evaluating note is given on many of our American magazines. John B. Blandford is convinced of the need The special librarian will find it convenient of research bureaus-read his article in the in answering s~~chquestions asEed hes by the American City, January, 1926, page 85 on "Be- employers. search Bureaus as a Function of the Chambers of Commerce." Hick's 1926 Alntaitac is being distributed by the First Wisconsin National Bank of Mil- "Legislative Reference Work in the Bureau waukee, as usual. It is prefaced by Mfisconsit~ Library" is the subject of B A.E. Nezuzers, NO- Happenings in 1925 compiled by Margaret vember 24, 1925. Reynolds, librarian.

"Keeping Pace with the Advancing Cur- Miss Edna L. Stone, of the United States riculum," Research Bailletiri of the National Dcpartmcnt oi Labor Library, has recently Education Association, September and NO- compilcd a list of references on convict labor, vember, 1925, is quite a stupendous piece of supplementary lo a list issued by the Division research. of Bibliography of the Library of Congress in 1915. Maybe you will get some ideas when read- ing the editorial in Equipment Reviezw, De- December 30, 1925 of the Mzinicipal Refer- cember 30, 1925 "How Much Time Shoidd ence Library Notes is a Public Health Num- One Spend Reading," This is an ever- ber and contains an annotated list of the present problem with the librarian. year's health books.

Nebraslca Legislative ReCerence Bureau is The Anzerican Magacine for February con- issuing a series of Civic Leaflets-No. 3 is tains an article entitled "Don't Apologize for devoted to "County Poor Relief in Nebraska" Talking About the Weather," by Stuart Mac- dated December 15, 1925. Itenzic. Below the author's name is a notc that the information in this article was ob- Reyburn's Discussion of Employee Partici- tained from Mr. Charles F. Talman, librarian patio,, in Ownership an address published by of the United States Wealher Rilreau. the New York Academy of Political Science, 1925 contains good ideas. David B. Ilouston's Have you seen he 1926 Antrunlog? It is article entitled "The City of American Tel. published by the Scientific American Publish- aud Tel.," in the O~itlook,January 20, 1926 ing Company; edited by Louis S. TreadwelI, treats of the same subject most convincingly. and will serve as a handy manual for miscel- laneous scientific facts not readily found else- National Industrial Conferetice Board is where. responsible for a volunle entitled E7izployces Magacirres in the Uded States. It is useful because it contains a list of five Iru~ldredand fourtcen publications issued by employees' associations.

"Engineering and Research" by Milo S. Ketchum appears as Bulletin, November, 1925, of the University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy. Pages il-92 deleted, advertising.