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Special Libraries, 1934 Special Libraries, 1930s

7-1-1934

Special Libraries, July-August 1934

Special Libraries Association

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This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1930s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1934 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934

Volume 25 +++ Number 6

The Librarian in the Field of Research . By LOUIS I. DUBLIN, Ph.D. Third Vice President and Statistician, Metropolitan L~feInsurance Company, New York

AM delighted to have this opportunity to data and without their social ~mplicationsdo not I address you, especially at this time when you get very far. The basic figures on marriage or on are or should be among the most useful people in any other subject must be given an interpretation the world. A new day is dawning, a day of recon- in terms of the lives of the readers. Thus, during struction and of progress. As never before, the period of the depression, the marriage rate in momentous changes are taking place all along the the United States fell as never before. With the line, in business, in government, in every human improvement in conditions this year, there ap- relationship. Some go so far as to say that we are pears to have been a rise in the marriage rate. passing through a political and social revolution, Behind these figures lies a far-reaching and inti- and I am inclined to agree with them. We shall mate story of millions of young men and women always look back, I believe, to these days of ex- faced with loss of income and the resulting frus- periment and of adjustment as a period of great tration of their hopes. The completed article significance in our history. Obviously, this is the necessarily had to contain something of cheer and time when men and women engaged in the field encouragement to these people. In the attainment of research arecalled upon, more than ever before, of this objective, the special librarian contributed to make their contribution. The solution of a great deal. From her files, I obtained the facta momentous problems calls for more knowledge of the business depression, showing that the fall and for knowledge put to work. It is one of the in the marriage rate coincided with the financial most encouraging signs of our times that tech- trend. Prom all of the material that passed over nicians and men of learning are finding Lheir way her desk, the librarian had sorted out, indexed into positions of trust and power both in govern- and pigeon-holed many books, pamphlets and ment and in private affairs. Today, those who clippings on the various aspects of unemploy- know, as opposed to those who do, are having ment, money income, real urages and many their inning. This is where you come into the related matters which have a bearing on the picture, for 1 look upon your work as an impor- marriage problem. To gain the proper perspective tant step in the process of research. of the period which I wished to portray, reportsof I am glad to be with you also for another this nature were required for a number of years reason. For a long finie, I have felt a deep sense of preceding the depress~onitself. We also required obligation to your fraternity. As every scholar the facts which might throw light on the possible must, I have been the recipient of services from consequences of delayed marriage. The librarian your group which it is impossible for me to repay. aided me with material on the size of families in Recently, for example, I prepared an article on the United States, w~thmaterial on the National the subject of marriage which appeared in the Recovery Act and on the proposed Wagner Bill, American Magazine and which some of you which was to have created a new employ~~~ent may have read. service. She supplied me with the meat with which But what I wish to say here is that this, like to cover and give living form to the bare bones of other of my articles, could hardly have come into the marriage statistics. being without the aid of the Research Librarian I cannot go on to discuss other studies which of the Company. True enough, the skeleton of the we have made but the same is true in virtually story consisted of the statistical facts about every case. An inlportant part of the research marriage which we ourselves compiled. Bare contributions made by my office has depended statistical facts, however, without concurrent upon the previous efTorts of the research librarian. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

What is true in my shop is equally true in every is justified alone by its utility as a part of the other research office. I realize that the member- busmess structure. Business is only one phase of ship of your organization includes many libra- life and not by any means the most important. rians whose special field is far removed from that We do not live by bread alone. There are many of insurance and vital statistics. Among you are other lines of scholarship and research outside of librarians of manufacturing concerns, banks, in- business which serve human needs intensely and vestment houses, muwums, law firms, news- which have justified themselves in a myriad of papers, transportation companies, public libraries, ways. With the development of our universities government bureaus, associations and other and our educational Bystem in general, research organizations in the fields of xience, technolow, work has grown to ever greater effectiveness, social welfare and the arts- in fact, nearly all quite apart from any narrow utilitarian purpose. phases of business and professional activity. It Fortunately, we have not been neglectful of the would seem then that your membership has at its cultwation of knowledge in our country. fingertips a very large portion of the total of all To meet these developments, the library has written knowledge and experience. undergone extraordinary growth. It is not only I need not labor the point that the special the repository of the written word but it is also librarian is today an indispensable instrument of the laboratory for the utilization of that witten research in whatever field of investigation. I, word. At the same time, there has come about an therefore, look upon you as partners and co- enormous lncrease in the number and effective- workers. You reach out and are the first to gather ness of the librarians. There has, of course, been together the recorded knowledge and experience a process of specialization in the library as in of men. You separate the wheat from the chaff. every other field. The librarih has felt the need You pick out the essential new material You for greater preparation for his or her specific job. index and file it and make it readily available to You of the Special L~brariesAssociation repre- the investigator and analyst who is momentarily sent concretely the results of this movenlent to the consumer of your product and ultimately the increase the effectiveness of the library. creator of new knowledge. You are a vital part of Perhaps what 1 have said will give some, espe- the prccess of scholarship and you help to make cially the younger ones anlong you, a slightly it eflective. The qualified research man and d~fferentattitude towards your own professional analyst would be greatly hampered without your work I like to feel that my talk, reflecting as tt help. If you did not exlst, it would be necessary does an experience of thirty years in productive to create a substitute for you, or what is more scholarship, may serve somewhat to widen your likely, the analyst would need be a special horizon. I am anxious that you should feel the librarian himself, as in fact he almost always has dignity of your task in the field of research. That been. But you now save him infinite time and implies looking backward as well as forward. effort and release him for the better utilization of First, has your training been adequate to meet his own special skills. I like to think of you as a the requirements of your special work? The re- part of the hierarchy of scholarship. You help to search librarian should be a person of wund train- convert the spoken and written word into prac- ing not only in the technique of library practice tical affairs, and to that extent you advance the but in the general field of his special interests. process of civilization. If your library is serving an insurance company, There has been a tremendous development ill you should know the principles of insurance recent decades in the application of research, or and sufficient of the techniques of the business to what I uould prefer to call productive scholar- make you competent to judge what is real in the ship, to human affairs. The greatest individual literature from what is only of passing value. stimulus to this growth has been the association And so in every other branch of knowledge and of scholarship with business. Through such a anairs, I plead for a broad type of general com- partnership, the scholar has been able immedi- petence by the special librarian even if not for the ately to draw upon the grat resourcesof business. specialist's skill. Do you have a sufficiently broad There was no condescension or philanthropy in- vision of the possibilities of your job? Have you volved in this relationship. Business at once felt explored how your special field of knowledge may the impetus of new knowledge and put it to work, be utilized to a fuller degree? These are all ques- and scholarship became an integral part of the tions which I think are of a constructive char- business machinery. The special library was, of acter, and you will forgive me if I leave them with course, the chief tool of those who applied the you to stimulate and not to irritate you. methods of xholarship to the needs of business. Secondly and lookingahead, it would seem that But I would be the last one to give you the im- some of you who are masters in your special field pression that scholarship or the research library may well wish to try out a solo flight in the field July-Augud, 1934 SPECIAL LlBRARlES 135 of research. I do not mean for a moment that the rian and the advanced investigator Many of your researcher or analyst is of a higher order of nature members have become independent researchers than the specla1 hbrar~an.Competent library and have made interesting contributions to vari- work 1s a valuable goal in and of itself. But I ous fields. My colleague in the Metropolitan, know that there is nothing static in the life of MIS Bradley, has been good enough to call to professional people. It would be entirely natural my attention a number of mstances of this char- if a special hbrarian working in sorne chosen field acter. Conspicuous is the work of Mr. Robert attempted after adequate training to work on her Desmond, who in his book " Newspaper Reference own rather than for someone else, utilizing her Methods" has made a contribution to your news- intense knowledge of the subject for creative paper group and to schools of journalism. There research as a principal rather than as an assistant. are also the studies financed by the Carnegie Let me at this point digress to tell you br~efly Corporation and others and carr~edon by in- the story of my former colleague, Edain LV. Kopf, div~dualsto obtam their professional credent~als whose life illustrated the reverse process, namely or to serve their firms and organirations. A sig- of a very skilful statistician and analyst, who niticant study of apartment buildings was made continued as an avocation the practice of the by C. Maude Jones for the National Real Estate special librarian. As a young man, Mr. Kopf came Boards. There is the interesting study by Miss under the influence of John Cotton Dana, the Flexner of the New York Public Library on Director of the Public Library of Newark and reading for vocational purposes; your Miss later of the Newark Museum. He became in- Eleanor Cavanaugh of Standard Statistics has fected with the spirit of this great nian and it specialized in her study of corporation reports stayed with him throughout his life, flowering out and international financial information until she into extraordinary competence in his chosen is now a recognized author~ty;and last but not field of insurance and in the maintenance of a least I mention the Harvard Business Classifica- broad scholarly interest in a number of allled tion devised by W. C. Cutter. These efforts do fields. In the more than twenty years of our con- not represent a departure from the library world, nection, I was contmuously impressed with this but rather a reaching out into atlied fields. man's love of books. He knew how to handle them. What I am really driving at is to demonstrate He could quickly get to the heart of what a book how closely associated the work of the scholar and contained. He knew how to index and to preserve of the intelligent librarian really are. Many a what was valuable in a book, and such was the librarian will, as he matures and develops in- character of his mmd that he rarely forgot what creasing skill, wish to emerge from his own field as he read. His enthusiasm also was infectious. All a creative scholar. Many a scholar will give of the younger men in our ofice who came under evidence of his contmued interest in books and his wing learned to reverence accurate knowledge, his competence as a librarian. In this way, there to study thoroughly the field of their work, to is built up a conlmunion of workers serving one become methodical and orderly in their use of another, each one contr~butingwhat he best can material. Mr. Kopf rose to great distinction in the give in the larger sphere of disseminating knowl- field of statistical technology, but concurrently edge, stimulating its use, and creatinga new body he maintained his brbliographical interests. He of live and helpful information. collected information on the h~storyof insurance There is another point which I would hke to in its various branches and throughout the world. make today and that relates to the need for in- He compiled data on social insurance. He dug out tensified research under present conditions. As the origins of many practices in the insurance I pointed out at the outset we need all the guid- field, and he had interesting tales to tell on that ance that research can give us. There are many account. His insurance files were voluminous, and difficult problems to solve. The Government probably the most extensive in the world. He in all its branches, Federal, State and local; contributed extensive bibliographies on insurance private business in all of its spheres of activity; subjects to the Library of Congress. I sometimes even the individual in his present uncertainties; felt that his attachment to his bibliographic all make greater demands for special knowledge interests interfered a little with his effectiveness than ever before. The difficulties we are in in- as a productive scholar. But I was probably dicate clearly that our future action must in wrong in this impression. I hope that sorne corn- large measure be guided and controlled by the petent person may take up his annotated collec- results of more mreful and purposeful research. tion on insurance history where he left it and This should, therefore, be a period of great bring to fruition his tnany years of labor. activity for you, special librarians. YOUshould be Mr. Kopf is by no means alone in exemplifying enjoying a boom with night shifts for some of you, the close relationship between the special libra- because certainly there is no way of improvising 134 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 the special skills which so many of you have. We industrial units confronted with the same prob- may well ask if under present conditions the lems and a need for the same general type of special libraries of the country are prepred to information. This will be a development not at meet the new demand. I hope you have already all to be deplored, and one which will bode well begun to feel the evidence of this and that YOU for the researcher. I am delighted to learn that are on your toes making preplrations for expand- this is in fact a part of your program of expansion ing your facilities to meet these demands. and that support for it is available. Business organizations which, as I have pointed The Government, on its part, IS in the present out, were responsible, In the first place, for much emergency taking the lead in utilizing scholars of the recent development of special library facili- who are possessed of spec~alskills. The various ties have likewise been compelled to Lontract agencies which have been set up in Washington their support for this type of service. I wish I and in localized areas have already attracted knew what the actual situation is in various huge numbers of h~ghlyqualified research men business organizations. Nowhere have I seen any and women. Investigations into all manner of worthwhile compdation of what has happened to wcial and economic phenomena have been the research departments and to the special init~atedand as a result qualified research people libraries servlng banks, investment houses and are at a premlum. One danger, of course, is that large industrial and commercial organizations. as conditions improve these governmental Yet I would judge from my own contacts that agencies w~llbe discontinued and their staffs pretty much the same blight that has struck the disbanded. Poss~bly, however, business and public library has also h~tthose under private philanthropic organizations will by that time be control. The I~brary,of course, has not been alone able to take up the slack and promptly absorb in suffering curtailment of resources, for the th~svery valuable talent in similar inquiries. educational system and other branches of cultural But more important from our standpoint than training have been subjected to the same treat- the immediate fate of research workers and of ment. In other words, the very organizatiom special librarians is the development of a national which we need most to meet the d~fficultieswe point of view toward informat~onand research. are in are the ones which have suffered most And on this note I wish to close my remarks severely from the financial situation and have today. We are witnessing, I l~keto believe, a been left driftirrg along as besl they could under w~despreaddevelopment of a proper evaluation straitened circumstances. These conditions, under of knowlege, a respect for truth, a new reverence nrhich the libraries and the schools face the chal- for the orderly arrangement and practical apph- lenge of the new era, dam up the very sources of cation of accurate information - in short, a our emergence from present troubles. new dependence upon the processes of putting In spite of these discouragements, the hbraries knowlege to work in accord with the accepted and research agencies have preserved their morale methods of research. and have worked harder than ever. Now that If the schools, colleges, and libraries can but economic condit~onsare improving, we can per- catch the spirit of this movement and take the ceive definite signs of the revival of research lead In fostering good reading, in developing the effort. Those who lead our commerc~allife are, I habit of analysis and the questioning attitude believe, sufficiently broad-v~slonedto realize the which takes nothing for granted, and in encour- practical value of the library and allled research aging group thinking. These are essential in the agencies. Recently 1 have observed a number of process of making the individual in the enlight- organizers which have put new life into their ened commun~tyeffectwe Then we shall never research service. Economies will have to be prac- again find our cultural institutions left stranded t~ced,of course, and every dollar expended will during a period of dire need. I am confident that be expected to produce a dollar's worth of service. the broad base of our democratic society will It may well be that closely related organizations nurture and bring to full flower as vigorous a which heretofore had thew own special libraries growth of scholarship and especially of social may wish to cooperate in the support of libraries investigation as it has of material conquest. and research staffs whose product will be avail- As co-workers In the field of applied scholar- able to an entire industry. I would not be a bit ship, let us continue to respond to the emergencies surprised to find that one of the most permanently of our times, secure in the knowledge that our constructive results of the present activities of labors are contributing to the creation of a better the National Recovery Act will be the creation of and happier world. I salute you at the inaugura- rearch organizations which will serve groups of tion of the new era. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

Banquet Address By BRUCE BARTON

N PRESENTING the invitation to be your question too obscure, no quest~ontoo difficult, for I guest tonight your president said: "You are . her department. As an illustration of the kind of just back from a journey around the world. nuts she cracks in the course of the day's work Perhaps you will tell us about that." let me read a dozen sample questions submitted Respectfully but firmly I decline that kind to her by me and my associates: suggestion. In my memory I carry a picture which What effect does alr condition have on the appeared in one of our less serious periodicals. health and efficiency of ofice and factory It showed a typical suburban couple seated at workers? Give us a ten-year analysis of the temperature and humidity in New York the supper table. Sa~dshe: "The Smiths came City. home from Europe this morning." Said he: Is therc any second-hand steam callio e for "Let's go right over tonight - before they get sale anywhere in Western New York &ate? their films developed." You may relax and What information is available regardlng the number of farms served by electr~citybut breathe naturally. The travelog part of this having no running water? Number of farms speech will be very brief not served w~thelectric~ty and no running In Istanbul we MW the famous Serpentine water? What can you di up on the subject of locks Column, the oldest war memorial in the world. or safes? On the f~storyof locks, the manu- It is made of bronze and was erected by the facture of locks, the efforts to make pick- Greeks at the Oracle of Delphi to commemorate roof locks, etc., etc.? their victory over the Persians The Delphic khat is the average cost per mile now being allowed by some of the largc companies to Oracle, as you know, was the source of wisdonl their salesmen who travel by car? to which every Greek leader turned in moments What specific varieties of fruits and vege- of uncertainty and doubt. Its answers were quick tables have the toughest sk~n-as, for in- and to the point. The tune came when Greece stance, the Spadaforese Lemon, the Aus- tralian Brown Onion, and the Ben Davis was overrun by the barbarians; the Acropolis was Apple? shattered, the voice of the Oracle was stilled. At what age did Woodrow Wilson begin to No longer can bewildered human beings take wear glasses? their problems to it. But the modern world has How do you say "Red Star" in seven discovered something in the nature of a substi- different languages? tute. We bring our questions to you research I ask His Honor the Mayor, whose noble librarians, and by some magic, of which I never Roman ancestors also were versed in the myster- have entirely lost my awe, you dig into your ies of oracles, whether any oracle ever was sub- files, or cast your nets into the fathomless sea of mitted to a more varied and difficult test the public libraries, and up comes the answer Valuable as your work has been, it will be iar I am in a position to speak with some authority more valuable in the years to come. Facts are the on this subject, for your president, Miss Alex- only antidote for the vague yearnings and emo- ander, organized the Research Library for my tional out-givings that so often pass for economic company more than ten years ago and has been in thought. Every office of statesman or executive command of it ever since. In coming here tonight should have its research librarian; and every I feel I am merely discharging in small part a long librarian should have two files. One should be accumulated debt. labeled: "Things that have been tried repeatedly Being the son of a clergyman, I was brought up and have never worked," and the other, "Human in an atmosphere of books, initiated at a tender nature and what has happened to individuals, age into the mysteries of the dictionary and the institutions, and nations that have bucked encyclopedia. In college we were taught mme- against it." Now as never before we need to illu- thing about the use of a reference library. When mine the difficult path ahead with all possible Miss Alexander came to us we knew that she light and knowledge from behind. would be helpful, but we had not even the faintest Coming back from around the world, I am sure conception of the real scope and skill of a re- of one thing - that there is no other place where search librarian's work. It now is taken as a I would rather live. This is no flag-waving, no matter of course around the office that there is no Pollyanna-ism. Anyone who thinks there is a 138 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-Augud, 1934 better country on earth than the United States to inflation, and inflation means disaster. That has not seen the earth, at least not recently. when people are hungry and lack clothing and It's all very well to say: "What we need is a shelter they eventually will revolt. That a des- dictator" But when you go to countries that potism of labor is even worse than a despotism haw drtators you find that people are arrested of capital. without warrants and hanged without trial; that Somehow, in our own American way, we have there are no truthful newspapers: that you are got to work out our problem with these three warned not to speak the name of the dictator too truths in mind, and the business leaders of the loudly in a public restaura~ltlest somebody over- nation must not merely stand by and criticne; hear and report. As for Communism, Mr. Win- they must lead. We must have a program that ston Churchill summed it up when he mid that will provide the fundamentals of food, shelter, its entire philosophy was perfected centuries ago and security for all the people. But beyond that by thc white ants Every ant has the same work we ought to fight to the last ditch for the utmost and the same reward, the same house, the same degree of personal freedom and opportunity. For security in old age. But every ant hill is like the such a program I am willing to be well taxed in ant hills of a million years ago, and the ant hills time, effort, and income, and most Americans feel of a milhon years hence will not be diiTerent. the same way. There is more real patriotism in Personally, I choose the ups and downs of our this country than has yet been called into activ- fre'e and even dangerous living to the dead level ity. We haven't even begun to show what we can security of ant-hood do when we cease thinking altogether about our- History teaches us three things, plainly: That selves and begin thinking a whole lot more about a long succession of governn~entaldeficits leads these United States.

Labor and the NRA By ELINORE MOREHOUSE HERRICK Vice Chairman, Regional Labor Board

ISCE the passage of the Sational Indus- of mdustry culminating in the depression. It S trial Recovery Act an immeasurable ad- was only through the depress~onthat we realized vance in the position of labor as a recognized labor was the largest element in the entire and necessary element in our American de- population. We have newly come to the rcaliza- mocracy has been achieved There is nothmg tion that when labor has no work and earns no ne\v or startling in the expression of the so-called money the industrial system breaks down. It is "rights of labor" under the SRA. Collective not strange, therefore, that the recovery pro- bargaining, guaranteed under the Recovery gram has centered around the needs of industry Act, Section 7a, is no new thing There have and the way has been paved to enable labor to been trade unions in this country for years, secure a distribution of work and a reality of bargaining collectively with thew employers. purchasing power, the lack of which had brought Some people shudder today at the great ad- the wheels of industry to a standstill. vantages glven to labor under the NRA - but There is no quest~onbut that the Government we fall to stop and reali~ethat no law is ever has attempted a gigantic task and one for which enacted establishing a brand new principle - the country was not prepared. To attempt such someone has worked it out practically first, some a sweeping advance was forced upon the nation group has already established the principle by the completeness of the catastrophe which before the law makers ever get round to enacting overtook us in 1929. That a few prophets had it into law. So In essence there is no new right foreseen the catastrophe was in no measure a given to labor by the XRA It is only the attempt preparation for the country as a whole. That to make these "rights" applicable in a wide area unen~ploymenthas been gradually gaining for and to all situations in which labor has an inter- more than a decade was no preparation for the est at stake that an advance for labor under the plight in which the nation found itself. The SR.1 is seen today. unpreparedness of labor groups to meet their The \ray for this extension of labor activ~ty share in the effort to secure stability was no has Ixen paved by the very forces and act~ons greater than the unpreparedness of industrial SPECIAL LIBRARIES leaders. Rut Arnericlns are adaptable, are up standards IJI these mdustnes, long recogn~zing resourceful, and energetic - so with one sweep- the justme of higher weekly earnlngs in an in- ing movernerrt Lhe natlon started upon the re- dustry as seasonal as the garment trades, and covery program. in the h~ghlyskdled printmg trades we find the You have been inundated by a flood of news- code contain~ngminimum wage prov~sionsfor paper articles, magazine articles, and rad~o varlous classes of work, not just a blanket min- speeches, describing the setting up of codes, imum for unskilled workers. U'herens in the how they are drawn by ~ndustrial groups, cotton textile and artificial flower codes, the brought to a public hearing before adrninistra- workers have never been organ~zed for effec- tors at \Vashington, and how they are passed twe collective bargainlng, and they have been upon by the Labor Advisory Cotnmittee and by at the mercy of highly competltlve industr~al the Consumers' Advisory Committee and, after practices. approval by the NR.4 administrator, are finally Nevertheless, there 1s no question but that sent to the President for his signature. Last the plight of millions of the people, to whom summer I had the privilege of attending many President Roosevelt has referred as "at the of these code hearings at Wash~ngton.Nothing bottom of the heap," has bcen tremendously could be more purely .4nlerican, more purely helped by even the very low minimum wage democratic, than the performance at these provisions of the worst codes. Miserable pit- hearings. Every person who wished to be heard tances of $5 and $6 a week have been ra~sed could speak and bring to the attention of the to $12 and $14 in many industries. Government, industry, and labor, any knowl- While bottom levels have been ra~sed,it is edge or thought that he or she possessecl~which undeniably true that a marked tendency to the indiv~dualfelt was pertinent to the setting lower the highest wages has become evident. up of rules for self-government of industry in While many of the marginal and substandard the interest of the country and recovery. firms have bcen forced by the codes and by pubhc Many of us have viewed with dismay the pressure to adopt code standards, the people at low wage standards in the codes and other the bottom of the heap have benefited in these prov~sionsthat seems to us to make the codes industries at the expense of Lhe better paid nork- fall short of securing the desired and vitally era This latter group, through reduction in necessary increase in national purchasing power working hours and a failure to recewe a corre- and d~stribut~onof work But if we are honest sponding increase in hourly pay, actually take we must admit that no gain comes without home leas money at the end of the week now than supreme effort and without organized action. they did formerly. This can be done legally Labor has raised its voice in prolest at these because the codes in too many instances call public hearings, the Labor Advisory Committee simply for an "equitable" adjustment in rates of has scrutinized and accepted or rejected proposed pay for those receiv~ngmore than the rnininlurn standards. But only in those industries in which -and some employers have strange ideas as to labor was already strongly organized prior to the meaning of the word "equitable." In more the NRA has it been successful in securing direct ways the higher paid workers ha\*esuffered standards which are in some measure adequate because of the necessity of increasing wages for to the needs and purposes of the recovery the least skilled. There has been a substitution program. Only when labor has been so well of unskilled workers for the skilled, thereby organized that its veto of code provisions could keeping the total payroll the &?me, but br~llging be backed up by collective action has labor been up the pay of the lowest group. Th~s,however, able to get relatively high and propi standards happens mainly in the industries where the incorporated into the codes. workers are unorganized and can make no effec- The truth of my statement, that where labor tive protest. But the workers have the rrght to was well organized prior to the NRA, the codes organize and to protest injustices of this kind. contain relatively decent wage standards and The Government cannot be expected, nor does sensible restrictions on hours and a realistic the country want the Government to regulate concept of necessary flexibility coupled with the every last detail of work life for them. The necessity for uniformity and administrative Government has provided channels for such practicability, can be seen by a comparison of protests, and beyond that the Government should the codes for the garment industry or the prmt- not go. As a nation we are certainly not ready ing trades as compared with the cotton textile to depart from the American principle of de- code or artificial flower code. In the garment mocracy or step beyond the concept of a con- trades and the printing trades we have had trolled individualism - controlled in the sense strong labor unions for years, piecemeal building that we do not permit selfish individualism to 140 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 3 934 run rampant and roughshod over the rights of as industrial leaders likewise learn that a labor the mass of men. union is not a bogey to be feared superstitiously From the outset the Government counted upon or shunned with horror or dismay. In the labor collective bargaining by labor to secure those movement, as in all phases of national develop- standards higher than code minima which are ment, we can afford to welcome new ideas and so necessary to recovery. This is labor's task and new techniques. chaknge and responsibility. The really important contribution that the After some nine months of the NRA it is Government has made to the labor problem pertinent to look at the situation of labor and under NRA is in the setting up of machinery for try to see what has happened to labor's position the adjudication of disputes between workers under NRA -both with respect to codes and in and employers. The National Labor Board with - the move toward organization of labor expressed its network of Regional Labor Boards are a v~tal in Section 7a of the Recovery Act contribution to the immediate recovery problem \\'hat dws Section 7a actually offer? The right and more fundamentally to the necessity for to organize in any way that labor sees fit - the educating all parties to our industrial develop- right to bargain collectively through representa- ment. Even under the recently passed new 1.nbor tives of their own choosing-and to do this Board Bill, the equivalent machinery will have without fear of restraint or coercion by their to be maintained. This educational process, or employers what I like to call the "civilizing of industrial Recent statements from the Amer~canFedera- relations," is the major function as I see it, of such tion of Labor claim an increase of approximately hoards as the New York Regional Labor Board two mill~onin membership since the NRA began. The New York Reg~onalLabor Board is situ- Here in Kew York we have seen an increase in the ated In the most concentrated industrial area in number of new unions. Workers who have never the entire country. It is not surprising, therefore, before been organized are today banding to- that this Board has handled 20 percent of all the gether for collective bargaining. Even the recent strikes and other labor disputes handled by the figures of the National Industrial Conference entire National Labor Board syetem, including Board showing an increase of 169 percent in the the 19 Regional Labor Boards, and that these number of workers joinmg in employee represen- cases have involved 20 percent of all the workers tation plans -generally dalled "company un- involved throughout the Fountry. The New York ions'' -showing 1,164,294 in such plans in 1934 Board has also averted 23 percent of the total as agalnst 432,945 in 1933, is evidence of the number of strikes averted, and has restored to realization on Lhe part of labor that they need their jobs 36 percent of the workers reinstated and want some form of group action. in the country following their dism~ssalbecause Here and there we find some of the employee of union activities - wh~ch discharges were in representation plans that were operating before v~olationof .Section fa of the Recovery Act. the SRA, abandoning a strict company form of While I share to a certain extent the criticism organization and seeking outside leadership. of the stat~sticsissued by the Government as \\'e also find the old craft union form of organiza- contained in an editorial in the Herald Trib~inc tion being abandoned in some of the newly of June 19th, and while I think that no one can organized unions. In vlew of the great mechaniza- accurately state today the number of workers tion and regimentation of factory workers today, benefited by the NIIA, nor can one accurately thls trend toward vertical unions 1s not surprising, assess the benefits that have accrued to labor and shows the adaptabihty of the workers to the under the NRA, I know from the wses that the new problems of industry. Craft unions, howevcr, New York Board has handled, what some of the arc well intrenched, and will be slow to change definitc and measurable benefits to labor and the even in those mdustries which are better adapted whole recovery program have been. to the organization of all workers into one union Making due allowance for the fact that the for the industry. A recent article in the Scripps- Labor Board only comes rn contact with the Howard papers ~?kdattention to the growth chiselers and with those employers who short- of new independent unions, outside the American sightedly deny to workers their right to collective Federation of Labor, developing along new lines bargaining, I think it is safe to say that by and and theories of leadership and organization. large the employers of the country have not This yeasty ferment in the labor groups is all to studied Latin in their youth and do not, there- the good. Section 7a has focussed attention on the fore, realize that minimum is the Latin for least. necessity for collective action -and we shall see Too many of them operate on the theory or many diversified forms springing up as the work- understanding that minimum means "universal " ers begin to learn the value of organization and or even highest wage. July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES \j7hile there are many employers who do not technological skill we have built up a group of actually violate the letter of the code, there are workers who will never have employment - many who do violate the spirit and intent of the not that the same workers will be unemployed, Recovery Act. These cases are brought to the but that a reservoir of unemployed workers is attention of the Government only where labor one of the realities we must face. Even in the dares to protest. If you had seen as many people tlme of our greatest unemployment we had a discharged for protesting such unfairnesses as reserve of some 3,000,000 unemployed. Person- we ham in the Labor Board, you would not ally I believe that this number will grow, and wonder at the move toward unionization. Protest that as a nation we are faced with the problem can only be effective where there is united action. of supporting through taxation those who cannot Cons~der,if you will, 3,600 individuals reinstated be absorbed into the economic system. We by the Labor Board after their discharge because apologetically refer to these 3,000,000 as the they had protested such abuses in violation of the "technologically unemployed" because we re- code or because they had taken part In collective fused to confer the benefits of technology upon act~onallowed under the codes. workers as well as owners. The shorter work- I deplore the fact that labor is not represented week secured under the NRA should become a on code authorities except in a few instances permanent part of our prosperity program; if not, Labor has mmething definitely constructive to the dead weight of the unemployed will drag us offer. While the Government is taking steps continually into the mire. This excess of usable to see that neither employers nor labor run away labor is a constant threat to the whole pm- with the game, the Labor Boards are here to see ductive and consumptive system, for they are that some kind of equitable adjustment is worked an ever present menace to the maintenance out. We must face the fact that the Government of wage rates which will allow the rest of the has virtually forced industry into trade associa- country to uphold a purchasing power which tions. I know of codes that have been thrown the depression proved was vitally necessary to out because industry has not been sufficiently production. organized. In the abandonment of prlce fixing in all I deplore the fact that industry has not as good future codes, I welcome the intimation that the leadership as many of the industrialists I know Government considers returning to "first prin- deserve. I am afraid that the leadership of the ciples." I should be glad to see the abandonment National Association of Manufacturers does not of price fixing altogether. If we return to the grasp the problem of social change which it is basic conception of the NRA - namely the evident that we arc confronted with, whether we fixing of bottom levels for wages and of maxinlum like it or not. I should prefer to see for industri- hours of work- we shall have an mdustrial alists a broader kind of leadership, a broader system which must depend upon management outlook, which would not be terrified by the skill for economical and efic~entoperation. We prospect of a strong union movement in this shall be protecting Lhe traditionally explo~ted country. "underdog" arrd while putting a premium upon The old argument that "we are all human" the ability of management to effect economies of cannot be set aside in a moment. Industry and owration through methods of plant management labor are each trying to get the most for their rather than through the easy recourse to cutting respective sides, while the Government serves as labor costs by slashing wages and overworking umpire in regard to what is a fair share for each. the employees. As long as we have that attitude on the part of By str~ctenforcement of m~nirnum wage the Government it is perfectly safe to let or- rates and maximum hours we cnn force a souqd ganization of trade associations proceed on the policy of management which will truly aid re- one hand and trade unions on the other hand. covery. But where we allow relaxation from anti- I do not see how we can hope to solve any of trust regulat~on,and all the attendant ev~lsof the problems before us unless we are determined price fixing, we shall find rising ~riceswhich to take the best parts of the recovery program decrease the real value of wages and destroy ally and do all we can to make them effective. benefits the country expected from raising the We cannot ignore the fact that with incrensmg wage levels to restore purchasing power. SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934

Evaluation of Foreign Sources By GEORGE J. EDER

HA\-E been introduced to you as a lawyer in World Affairs, and, above all, the many basic I and an economist, and you may well wonder and current publications of the United States what qualifications I can possibly have to address Department of Commerce, particularly the For- this meetmg this afternoon. R'ell, in law school I eign Commerce Yearbook and their new World was taught not what the law was, for that was Economic Review, the Foreign Commerce & constantly changing, but where to find the law, Navigat~onof the United States, and the Monthly the science of using books, and in economics I Summaries. In one of the Commerce Department was taught to d~stmguishbetween the false and publications, the Commercial Travelers' Guide the true, so that if I had profited fully from my to Latm America, which I had the pleasure or instructors, which I am afraid I have faded to do, pain of compiling, I included a very complete, I might lay claim perhaps to the preliminary although selected bibliography on Latin America training of a good librarian. and on foreign trade in general, that may be of Really, aside from the mechanics of library help to you. science, I presume that that is all that a spec~al Your greatest difficulties, however, will not be librarian must know - where to find information in the realm of basic reference works but in the and how to evaluate ~t - in other words, merely field of current publications, and it is here that thc whole range of human knowledge. Luckily, you must be most careful in selection and ap- in my training I have been fortunate enough to praisal in order to include all that is necessary come under the guidance of such splendid special without burdening your shelves and your budgets librarians as Miss Cross and Miss Carmody of the with unnecessary material. For the foreign trade Department of Commerce, and Miss Cavanaugh or financial library that IS already well equipped and her able corps of assistants at Standard Sta- and is seeking merely to round out its possessions, tistics \Vith that background, I shall try to tell Miss Rossi's monumental work, the International you something of the saurces available in the Finance Source Book, is, of course, the most foreign field, and some of the pitfalls in their complete reference work in that field. For the appraisal. average library, however, the task is not so much Let us assume that you have been asked to to include everything, but to select the best or build up an ent~relynew library for your firm most essential in each field. I have, therefore, pre- covering the general field of foreign finance, for- pared for you a list of some two hundred current eign trade or fore~gneconomic appraisal. You periodicals in the foreign field which I have found would. of course, be familiar with the technical or most useful in my work, and which may serve asa trade journalsand other publicat~onsin your par- guide in building up your own requirements Per- ticular sphere and would include those that ap- haps the most appealing part of th~sl~st is that peared to jou to be the most essential. You would approximately half of the publications may be have as a guide the excellent handbooks put out obtained free of charge and that, strangely t)) your o#n association and such bibhographies enough, some of the frec mater~alis the most as those of the Sational Foreign Tndc Council valuable of all. and the Lnited States Chamber of Commerce to In the General list, you will find a number of assist you You would be sure not to overlook the items that are by no means confined to the foreign basic reference books, frequently omitted from field, and which you will already subscribe to specd b~bliographies,but none the less essential. in your dornestic work. Nevertheless, some of I refer, of course, to such tools as a good en- these will be your most useful tools, such as the cyclopedia, forelgn language dictionaries, an atlas New York Tzmes with its monthly and annual arid ,I gazctecr - the best you can afford -the index, which is the greatest single source of cur- I-:upor~ers Encyclopedia, the International Sta- rent international information available in the t is[ 1c.11 \'e,~rbook, the Yearbook of Agriculture, world. For the small library which wishes to Kelly's D~rectory,the Polltical Handbook of the cover the foreign field as completely as possible, \\orid, the Smesman's Yearbook, the South yet is restricted in its finances, I should suggest Anierican Handbook, the World Almanac, the confinmg the list to these general publications to Sew lntcrnational Yearbook, the United States the Department of Commerce bulletins, to the July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 143

appropriate bank bulletins which are issued with- Finland, all three wr~ttcnin English. It so hap- out charge, and to one or two of the outstanding pens that Sweden and Finland are both e~anlples Urltish journals. of a managed currency in successful operation, Of course, no single source, however good, is and the occasional economic articles by Professor completely satisfactory The New Yo~kTimes Cassel of Sweden and Risto Ryti, Governor of the and other leading papers in this country, which Bank of Finland, are extremely enlightening in are, of course, a sirre qrta noa for the international connect~onwth our own experiment in this coun- library, have an annoying hab~tof occasionally try. In Latin America, I believe I should nlention omitting some bit of foreign news which for our the reviews of the Banco de La Sacion and of particular purpose may be more important than Ernesto Tornquist in Argentina and the Revista the headlines announcing the latest sensat~onal del Banco de la Republica in Colombia, wh~chare murder case or Dillinger's whereabouts. The outstanding in that part of the world. Commerce Department circulars are necessary, Aside from the bank journals, I mentioned as yet at least 50 per cent of the information they essentinl certain English publications. I have in publ~shIS worthless because of the strange hal- mind the Economist and the Statist, pnrtlcularly, lucination of the authoriiies in that Department although all of the publications listed in our that the longer they withold their informat~on, bibliography are excellent in their sphere. I hate the more valuable it becomes. On the average, to choose between the Economist and Statist. Commerce Department articles from ther foreign Each contains certain features not found in the field staff are allowed to age from two to three other. The style of the Economist is superlor, in months before bemg considered sufficiently ma- my judgment, Its supplements on war debts, in- tured for public consun~ption.That is unfortu- ternational problems, and major economic ques- nate, yet, in spite of that, you will find that the tions are unequalled anywhere, here or abroad. Department publications are essential in your On the other hapd, the Statist contains certain work. statistical data that I find essential. The Statist- The British bank journals are a delight. The Saucrbeck index is famous. The Statist, morc- fact that they are generously distributed without over, is the only British journal of standing with a charge makes them an unmitigated delight. Their liberal to~le,and helps to give ihe other side of the clear style, their excellent discussiohs of current picture in many cases. I suppose, however, that if economic matters not merely in England, but in I had to choose between them, I would choose the the world at large, make them amongst the most Economist, - and ever afterwards regret missing useful items on the shelf. Naturally, they are for the Statist articles. the most part conservative in tone. Perhaps that That completes the list of absolutely essent~al is putting it mildly; I am sure that they would publications; the others on the list would be prefer to be called reactionary and that they chosen according to the nceds of your particular would delight in the epithet of Tory. There is one libraries for specialization by countries, and untlcr exception, the review of the Midland Bank whose the general heads of Eurcpe, Latin America and chairman, Sir Reginald hlcKenna, is one of the the Far East I mention certain publications that strongest British supporters of the New Deal in will cover the general field without the need for America and of the managed currency policy here further specializaLion by countries. The League oi and in England. With reference to other bank Nations material and the South American Jour- publications, I am tempted to quote the Midland nal stand out as particularly useful. In former Bank in its statement that "Central Banks have t~mes,I would have included the Frankfurter never been conspicuous in the van of monetary Zeitung as the most informative publication cov- progress. . . . It becomes more and more clear, ering all of Central Europe us well ns Germany, with every step forward in monetary technique but under the present rbgime I cannot be so cn- and in the world'a understanding of the theory thusiasiic regarding its contents. It is, ne\wtlre- underlying it, that a policy excogitated by central less, still the best publication in Germany bankers cannot but be lame and halt. . . . The Finally, there IS a third class of library nlateri;il Bank should be a center of study and hvcntion in the foreign field, after you have laid the ground- rather than an instrument for slow-moving prog- work with the reference works and with the cur- ress held back by undue regard for the past and rent publications. I refer to the official statistical lack of insight into the preeent and future " mater~al I have not Listed any of this m~terial There are other bank reviews which must be In my bibliogmphy Obviously, all of the govern- ranked almost or quite on a par with the best of ments in the world of any imp~rt~lnce,as \\ell as the English bulletms I must cite particularly the States and Municipalities, if you must clel~~c'1s reviews of the Skandlnaviska Kreditakiiebolagct , deeply into your sources ns that -we do ill our the Svenska I-Iandelsbanken, and the Rank of work - publish annual, monthly, n eekly .~ncl SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 perhaps dally books, bulletins and sundry releases does not mean that government figures are in- w~thevery class and character of statistical ma- variably dishonest. As a matter of fact, there are terial, - imports and exports, production, prices, only a few governments that are purposely pre- vital stat~stics,and so on down the I~st,culrninat- paring their published statistics in such a way as ing in the huge census volumes of such countries to mtslead the public. Those cases are eas~lydis- as England and France. tinguished. The interpretive statistics are the For the small I~brary,the United States De- most dangerous. The original statistical sources partment of Commerce Foreign Commerce Year- are generally as accurate as the government can book and the League of Nations publicat~onswill make them. It IS when the government publishes suffice. The larger l~brarymust go to the original secondary material attempting to analyze these sources, and here the librarian is confronted with statistics and interpret the~rmeaning that politics the difficulties of language, statist~calarrange- generally enters in. I can cite examples in our own ment, and last, but not least, the difficulty of country such as the censusof uneniployment that getting the fore~gngovernment offices to send the counted men selling apples on street corners as material regularly. I know of no best way of get- employed - in the retail fruit business I came ting this material Of course, if you have agents in into contact, sometimes into violent conflict, with the principal foreign countries, you can easily many other instances of the distortion or sup- arrange to get the necessary publ~cationsas soon pression of stat~sticsfor polltical purposes, and as they appear. You can also get Br~t~sh,Cana- the story is as sorry a one in this country as in dian and certain other publ~cations without any country of the world. I cm only warn you difficulty, but when it comes to the smaller coun- against interpretive statements and counsel you tries of Europe and Latin America, issued lrrcgu- to go to the orig~nalsources. You must then en- My, with varying prices and exchange rates, you deavor to ascertain precisely how the figures were will have a problem on your hands that can only compiled, as otherwise it will be impossible to be met by persistent checking and recheckrng of analyze them. If the interpreted stat~sticsare your ~ncomingmaterial. If you are within reach sometimes fallacious because of polltical influence. of the Commerce Department library in Wash- the original stat~sticsare nearly always misleading mgton, the Public Library in New York, or some because of lack of adequate statistical training on s~milarlibrary of general inforrnat~on,you can the part of the comp~leru. determine bhich of these publications you will In our own work, I find that the greatest safe- require, and, with a little more difficulty, inas- guard against inaccurate government statistics is much as those two sources receive much of the~r the fact that we have on file the annual income material without charge, you can determme how accounts and balance sheets of every important much the various publications will cost you. conlpany in the world, and analysis of the in- In any event, you wdl find that this section drvidual companies will often reveal fallacies In of your hbrary is the most difficult to keep the compiled government figures. For example, up, and requires the most work and probably the Italian figures of electric power consumption expense show a large increase which would normally be Remember that there are always several ways taken .IS a sign of increasing prosperity. I find of getting the material you need. If you wlsh to from analysis of the various company accounts, know Argentine imports from the United States, however, that the companies are selling a greater for example, it is not necessary to have Argentine percentage of thew power at nominal rates to statistics The Un~tedStates Monthly Summary indigent famrlies, indicating that the paying of roreign Commerce 1s much more up to date, customers are buying less power, but that an and Commerce & Nav~gat~onmuch more coni- increasing number of people officially entitled plete. Those publimt~onsare useful, too, in check- to electricity at below cost have increased their ing the accuracy of forergn statist~cs.If Germany consumption. From analysis of German bank and reports a heavy unfavorable balance of trade, it corporate reports, I am able to check on the true might be well to check United States, British and state of the German balance of payments, and French trade nith Germany and see whelher the the repatr~ation of German securities at the German statistics are as accurate as they should %metime that Germany 1s officially pleading her be. They .Ire not, as a matter of fact, and these inability to meet service on the foreign debt. The discrepancies furnish a very important clue to the oflicial gold reserve figures are hkewise shown up true state of German affairs. to be fallacious, and I find that the German cor- Ilefore closrng the subject of foreign govern- porate reports give me a better grasp of the Ger- ment statistics, I wish to give you a word of warn- rnan situation than anythmg I can read in any i~~g:Se\w accept them at their face value That of the official reviews. July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 145 Statistical Planning in the Federal Government By ROGER JONES

months ago we found our 1len.s- who had lricllvidual plans for the gather~ngof A papers carrying the first accounts of Dr. data pertmnt to i he purposes of that particulu \\'~rt's 10-day cyclone. I-leadline, and edi- agency, bul at first there was no general staff, torla1 featured the Iloctor's charges and his and. I might add, there is not even today a warnings against too niuch planning in povern- Rolmt E. Ixe of statistics in Washington. There ment. I'lannmg, ~t would seem, becomes plotting is, howevcr, a cobrdinating .tgency about which ~f care, foresight, and adrnmistratlve ability are I should like to speak It is probable that few of the corner stones. To a great extent, the pro- you have heard of it. I refer to the Central nouncements of Dr WlrL have becn forgotten, Statisttcal Board of 17 members. Lists, usually, but for a fen days they were news, and we may are boring readmg, but In this case I feel justified well ask why. In ordinary times such pronounce- in taking time to read the names of the members ments are not front page news, and in ordinary and their ofiicial cclpacities outside of Board times speakers are not called upon, even by the membership: Special Libraries Association, to discuss the Winfielcl W. Riefler, Cha~rmanancl Econon~ic statistical planning of the Federal Government. Adviser to the Executive Council. Oscar E. Kiessling, Cli~ef Economist, Kl~tieral In the man, 1 think, "statist~cs"in this country Statistics Divis~on,Bureau of hfines. connote to the ordinary citizen such things as Mordecai E?;ekiel, Economic Adviser to the stock market quotations, or perhaps the publtca- Secretary of Agriculture. tions of a few half-mysterious Washington (Louis Bean, Economic Adviser to the Ag- ricultural Adjustment Administration, 31- agencies headcd by Lhe Bureau of the Census. ternate) Our present times, however, arc not ordinary; John Dickmson. Assistant Secretarv of Com- they are times of stress, and we have only to look merce back through history to see that people in general (WdIiam L. Austin, Director, Bureau of the Census, alternate) are not concerned about the social sign~ficancc Isador I~bin,Comniissioner of Labor Statistics. of the doings of their fellow men except in times E. A. Goldenwemr, Director of Research and of stress. Hcnce, II we adrn~tto the stress of thc Statistics, Federal Reserve Board. tunes, we must also admit to a wide interest ill (Woodlief Thomas, Research Assistant, Federal Reserve Board, alternate) the national administration of affairs. It is not Leon I-Ienderson, Director, Research and Plan- necessary In your presence to draw in the con- 1,ing Division, National Recovery Administla- necting Imks belween administration and statis- Lion. tics, but ~tmay be necessary, perhaps, to call your (A. J. Hettinger, Jr , Research and Planning Division, alternate) attention to a fact that is not widely recognized Meredrth B. Givens, Executive Secretary, Com- today. Statist~calplanning is not n new th~ng, mittee on Government Statist~csand Informa- and the plar~ningwh~ch has come to the fore tion Services. I during the past year and a quarter is not sta- E. _ Dana Uurand, Chief Econon~~st,Tar~ff Cornmission. tist~cally new and slranpe. Do not be disap- Corrington Gill, Assistant Administrator and pointed, therefore, if the outlines of the picture Director of Research and Statistics, Federal which I am about to present to you as a rough Emergency Relief Administrat~on. sketch seem to be farn~liar Stuart A. Rice, Assistant Director, Bureau of the Census. In one of the biographies of Robert E. Lee \V, R. Stark, Chicf, Section of Financ~aland there is an anecdote concerning all argument be- Economic Research, Treasury Department. tween Lee and 111s Assistant Chief of Staff. The 0. C. Stine, Chief, Division of Statistical and Colonel was taking his General to task, hardly Htstotical Research, Bureau of Agricultural Economics. with a due amount of subord~nation,for allow~ng Georae C. Haas. De~utvGovernor, Farm Crerl~t seven divis~oncornmnnclers to waste Lee's time Adhnistratidn. ' - by the presentation of seven plans for the in- Dexter M. Iceezer, Consumers' Advisory Board, vasion of Pennsylvania Lee l~stenedmeekly and Nationnl Recovery Adrn~nistration. M. 0.Lorenz, Director of Stat~st~cs,Interstate then replied, "Those men are division comnnnd- Commerce Commission. ers, and they never forget the fact. A division 1s W. H. S. Stevens, Economics Divisio~~,Federal i~nportant.Let them have their plans, C'oloncl, Trade Commission. perhaps we can colirdinate those pl;~ns" \\'.~sIi- The Central Statistical Jhrd a~lseslablishecl lngton a year ago had a number of division com- by Executive Order ill July, 1933. In the tan- manders The new agencies were headed by Inen guage of the order, its purposes are "lo lurmul.ltc lG* 146 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934

standards for and to effect coordination of the of the projects, and, when necessary, made sug- statistical ices of the Federal Government gestions for improvements, curtailments, or other incident to the purposes of the Kational Indus- changes. While this job was the biggest single trial Recovery Act." It is given the power and piece of cobrdination that the Board has under- duty "to appraise and advise upon all schedules taken, it is by no means the only one. Some 75 of all government agencies engaged in the pri- other schedules have been cleared with the mary collection of statistics required in carrying Board, whose work has obviated many duplica- out the purposes of that Act, to review plans for tions of inquiry and has done much to limit the tabulation and classification of such statistics demands upon the public for information. As and to promote the coordination and improve- regards revlew, the Board, again through an ment of the statistical services involved." Re- advisory committee, has been instrumental in cently, the original Executive Order establishing improving the quality of releases and in seeing the Board has been amended; and the revised that the various agencies are cognizant of the order provides that "the Board shall plan and findings of other agencies. It has taken the first promote the improvement, development, and steps in facilitating a comprehensive review of coordination" of Federal and other statistical the economic statistical work of the Federal agencies and services and "shall plan and pro- Government. mote economy and the elimination of unneces- A short retrospect is necessary to make clear sary duplication of such services." the fourth point in the list which I gave a few 'Because of the rapidly changing informational minutes ago: recommendations to the NRA re- picture in Washington during the past year, the garding its policy toward statistics to be collected Board thus far necessarily has operated largely under codes of fair competition. Last June, be- on an emergency basis, and the tasks which fore the Board was formed, members of the chiefly have occupied its attention may be listed present Board staff and members of the Com- as follows: mittee on Government Statistics and Informa- tion Services, a non-government organization 1. Efforts to cwrdinate different inquiries and to avoid unnecessary duplication and created at the request of the Secretaries of unnecessatv solicitation of information bv Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor different aiencics from the same persons. - and supported by a grant from one of the philan- 2. Suggestions for the improvement of inquir- thropic foundations, drew up a memorandum ies by new organizations and for the cur- tailment of plans for inquiries that are too entitled, "The Statistical Services of the Federal ambitious, too burdensome, or likely to Government in Relation to the Recovery yield inaccurate, or biassed results. Program." This memorandum is popularly known 3. Advisory review for releases and other in Washington as the "Blue Report," a title publications of the Federal Government containing current economic statistics, derived from the color of the binding and not ~articularlvthose containinc". interoretative from the nature of the contents. comment. - One of the points made in the Blue Report 4. Recommendations to the NRA regarding its policy toward statistics to be collected was that "code enforcement information should under codes of fair competition. be collected chiefly by trade associations." In 5. Recommendations to provide for fillina addition, the Report emphasized the desirability major gaps in existing information and of having current information (other than in- assistance in the oreanization of new sta- tistical units and ser&es. formation for purposes of code enforcement) collected in large part by the permanent agencies It would be interesting, I feel sure, to take each of the Federal Government. one of these five groups and to tell you same- The Central Statistical Board has from the thing of the many problems which have come to start taken the position that it was particularly the Board's attention, but, unfortunately, I am important that general labor statistics should be limited to an outline. I do wish to mention in collected in this fashion since data on payrolls, passing, though, the notable and comprehensive employment, and time worked, are common to work which the Board has been doing in two all industries and give a very satisfactory general fields: cdrdination of inquiries and review of measure of the developments in different lines releases. Very soon after the Civil Works Ad- for purposes of comparison. The Civil Works ministration was set up, it was literally deluged Administration financed a project last winter for with plans for Fedenl statistical inquiries. The improving the coverage of the existing cumnt Board's advice was sought, and the volume of monthly information on payroll and employment thew projects made it necessary for the Board data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to appoint a special committee of four experts, and codperating stage agencies. This project has who advised on the usefulness and practicability very appreciably improved the coverage of the July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES reporting service of the Bureau of Labor Statis- tion reported to the government is confidential, tics in the non-manufacturing fields. and data collected by onc government agency are More recently, the Central Statistical Board not available to another for purposes of cross- has been working on the development of a service tabulation. This means either wasteful duplica- in which the Bureau of Labor Statistics acts as tion of reporting or the lack of needed and the agent of the National Recovery Administra- valuable cross-tabulations tion for the collection of monthly data on pay- The Board makes no pretense of claiming rolls, employment, and man-hours. that the dilliculties I have outlined can be re- The Board has had a peculiar problem in view solved immediately or even within a specified of the rapid expansion of certain types of govern- number of years. It believes, howevef, that these ment services and expenditures and the attempt dificulties eventually can be eliminated by the at economy in others. The Special Librar~es establishment of a uniform classification of firms Association has already taken an interest in the and plants, a well-planned relation between efforts of the Board at preserving certain existing current sample data and more comprehensive services, You may be interested to know that periodic surveys, and a reorganization of the according to the Inkrim Rejorl of the Board, statistical agencies and their official prohibitions (February 12, 1934): so as to make possible inter-agency exchanges of information and valuable cross-tabulations of "In a number of cases in which funds for statistical work have been reduced by adminie- data. This does not mean disclosure of confiden- trative action, the Board's advice has been tial, individual reports or the use of such reports asked. In four cases investigated by the Board, for punitive purposes, except when the reports it found that these reductions would make im- are collected with the understanding that they possible the maintenance of certain statistical service8 that were essential in connection with are subject to such use. the Administration's recovery program, and Before I close, it may be interesting to note recommended restoration of amounts necessary certain other features of the Blue Report, which, to maintain the essential items. In accordance in a sense, attempted to outline a plan for the wrth the Board's recommendations, provisions have been made to maintain important statistics development of the statistical services of the on minerals and on foreign trade, and certain Federal Government during the recovery period. important monthly data on industrial activity, In the first place, this report recommended the and to support an adequate fieIcI,force for the Census of hfanufactures for 1933. establishment of a Central Statistical Board such as the one I have been speaking of. This Board is There are other problems with which the not the first attempt by the Federal Government Central Statistical Board hopes to concern itself in the direction of coordinating the statistical soon. One of the most pressing of these and at the services. An organization under the War Indus- same time one of the most difficult to combat is tries Board known as the Central Bureau of the elimination of a number of difficulties in the Planning and Statistics, or Central StatisLical present methods of primary-con~pilation.In the Bureau, functioned during the war period in a past, a number of different government agencies manner somewhat similar to that of the present have collected diflerent items of information Central Statistical Board. from separately built-up mailing lists. Hence, Thc Blue Report pointed out that among the the data on the different item are unrelated and important gaps in our emsting information should often are not accurately comparable. In addition, be listed the following: much of the current reporting is on a voluntary (1) An inventory of the structures (houses, basis, and this means that the character of the factories, etc.) of the country. (A year ago sampling depends upon willingness to report there was practically no information of rather than upon the importance of individual this sort available and it should be added respondents in making up a sample. Moreover, that the Report pointed out the inadequa- cies of statistical information In the whole it is almost impossible on a voluntary basis to field of the construction industry.) obtain an historical statistical series that satis- (2) The inadequacy of information in the re- factorily reflects changes in ou~putor employ- tail field. ment caused by the opening of new firms, and (3) The need for more adequate information on commodity stocks. it is d~fficultto get such a series that portrays accurately the influence of shut-downs. The proposal for an inventory of structures of Different items of information about the same the country was one in wh~ch a considerable industry may fail to be comparable, not only be- number of agencies were interested, and ihe Civd cause coverage is different, but also because. two Works Administration made pssible the filling of series employ different methods in adjusting for a large part of this gap so far as the present situa- changes in coverage. Also, much of the infornia- tion is concerned. Under the Cwil [Vorks Ad- 148 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 ministration, the Bureau of 1:oreign and Domestic relief extended and number of famil~es on rehef. (Nothing like this has hitherto Commerce and the Bureau of the Census jointly been available on a comprehensive basis.) conducted an extenswe survey of the resider~t~al (2) Experimental work looking toward an properties in some sixty odd cities, covering the mproved retail price information serles. physical characteristics of all of these properties. (3) Plans for rev~s~on,improvement, and elab- In the retail field, the Bureau of Foreign and oration of the cost of living indexes. The studies undertaken and completed In thm Domestic Commerce has recently undertaken to field during the past year have been very develop certain mproved ~ndexesof the volume helpful in inting the d~rectionfor future of retail trade. The problem of representing retall work and Eve proved the contention that cost of livin indexes should be baed on a trade adequately is a large one, and a great deal of new set of iudgetary data. The Interim work still remains to be done. The Bureau has Report of the Advisory Committee to the projected several indexes in addit~onto those Secretary of Labor gives a rudimentary already developed to cover variety stores, chain picture of contemplated improvements, and it is expected that an even more com- grocery stores, and autonlobile dealers. The prehensive set of plans and recommenda- Federal Reserve Board already has an index of tions will be included in the final report department store sales. The Civd LVorks Ad- of that Con~mittee. ministration has provided us with another census I should like to go into a number of other sta- of wholesale and retail trade for the year 1933. tistical needs and the plans which have been It is not intended that the items mentioned evolved for the ultimate meeting of those needs, above shall be takcn to represent an exhaustive but time will not allow I think that the points I list of recent developments in statist~calinforma- have outlined will help, perhaps. to show the tion. Among other recent developments, although trend of econon~icand statistical planning in even this list is not exhaustive, may be men- Washington today, and I feel sure that you will tioned: agree with me that such plans are far from plots (1) A comprehensive monthly report on public upon the stability of our nation.

Trade Association Project Report

HE Trade Association Project has been Also they are finding that the new orders and Tmade possible for the Special Libraries rulings arising through the preparation and en- Association through the generosity of the Carne- for~ementof codes are consuming endless time gie Corporation of New York. They appropriated and brir~gmg to them confusing problems. It $7,500 to the Association for the purpose of therefore seems particularly fitting that libra- extending library service to Trade Associat~ons. rians and research workers with their special This money grant was received the latter part of qualifications which are so applicable to the pres- January, and the work on the Project was ent needs of Trade Associations and of Code initiated on February 1st. Authorii~esshould be enabled to offer their as- The NRA has brought to Trade Associations sistance and service to these groups at this time. not only opportunities for development, but also Growth of special library service is, of course, has added to their responsibilities. The new de- the objective of our Project. Whde the scope of mands imposed on the Asmciations to supply our plan is more or less elastic, it may crystallize accurate and specific data in compliance with the itself into at least four definite avenues of requirements of the New Deal Program have approach: brought to the attention of the Associations the 1. To furnish specific information to Trade practical value of readily available factual in- Aasociations to meet their individual needs. formation. Some of the Associations are equipped 2. To advtse in reorganizing existing libraries and files of Associations and bring them up to function satisfactorily in th~stransitional to date period because of established Research Depart- 3. To organize libraries or information bureaus. ments and organized libraries. But by far the 4. To create positions for special librarians by greatest majority of the Associations have no selling the idea of library service. facilit~esto meet the present situation What the spec~fic needs of the individual Since last slimmer, when the NIRA became Associations are remalns to be discovered by effective,Trade Associations have been faced w~th personal contact. Their requirements will, of organization and pol~cyproblenls which require course, determine the way in which the Project unusually careful attention and considerat~on. can best serve them. July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 1 49 Because of the uifluence of the XRA on thc Iiearmgs, specrhes, and announcements of ap- Trade Associations, md In view of the rBle we pointments, etc. are hoping to assume under the Sew Ileal, ir \ic havc complete files of Codes and Code seemed advisable as the initid move to make a Authorit~es,\\liich wc file nunier~callyand which prehninary v~s~tto its I-1e.ldquarters and to ex- \re ale ~ndexmg Th~sinformation, issued by the plain to some of its key representatives who are Department of Commerce, constitutes a very work~ngmost closely with Trade .\ssoc~ationsthe unique tool It givcs narncs of the Code :\uthori- details of thc service uhich wc are prepared to ties, addresses, and complete organization set-up oller, and to seek their adv~ceand reactions to the of Code Authorities, inform.it~ondiflicult to find proposed Project. So \nth this aim In mind, hliss in other sources. \i'e receive thc Bulletins of the Alexander and I went to \\'ash~ngton the firs1 NRA, and current material d~stributedby the week in February. \i'~th mtroducLions from various agcncles of the NIU - such as the Con- former Deputy-Administrator Malcolm Muir, we sumers' Board, Labor Hoard, etc. The Tradc had the opportunity of outlining our Project to Association divisions of the Department of Com- persons of importance in the Tradc Association merce and the Chaniher of Commerce of thc field, such as Dr. Wilson Compton, Mr. C. Jud- United States also keep us supplied with copies kina, Mr. Philip Gott, Dr. Willard Thorpe, and of their publications. nmly other speciahsts in the NRA and the De- As a brief reference to our routine procedure, partment of Commerce. The plan was cordially we clip the New I'ork Times carefully for NRA, received and the idea had the enthusiastic en- Trade Association, and related inforn~ation,and dorsement of all of those with whom we dis- we index regularly Lhe COhIMBKCI.lL AND cussed it. It was grat~fyingto find such favorable FINANCIAL CHRONICLE, BUSINESS response at every hand. WEEK, and DORIESTIC COLIPIIERCE. Of On February 27th we called a meeting of about course we endeavor to keep in touch with the fifteen librarians adrnmistermg Association and per~odicaland current book and pamphlet litera- related libraries to d~scussthe Project and to ad- ture by means of the regular tools vise on the details of the plan. The experience of Considerable time has been spent also in pre- this group and their interest made the conference paring b~bliographies.One on TRADE ASSO- particularly helpful. CIATIOSS is now ready in prclirninary form, a The Project demanded first a formulalion of copy of wh~chis on display in the Tradc Associa- foundation plans It was necessary lo define our tion exhibit near the Registration Desk, and may policy, to prepare a practical method of pro- be consulted by anyone interested. Lists of cedure, and to assemble our foundation working teferences on il'ages and Prices are being tools. This groundwork, of course, required timc developed and perseverance. It meant establishing certain Our FILES contain copies of all memoranda contacts for the acquls~tion of the sources we furnished Lo individual Associations in the vari- were wanting for a Master Information File, and ous Project assignments. Also, a file is kept of to follow up these contacts until we were assured l~braryarid research personnel as the information of a constant in-flowing of this basic information. reaches us. All of the rest of the material in thc The value of our Washington visit was empha- Files is such as would bc of interest in relation to sized in this foundation work, for from some of TRADE ASSOCIATIOSS and he SRA. these key men we met there we have received Thc January issue of SPPCI.\L LIRII\IIIES,the invaluable assistance. Especially are we mdebted riuniber devoted to TRADE ASSOCIATIONS in th~sregard to Mr. C. Judkins of the Depart- has been very useful to us in our contacts wit11 ment of Commerce; Mr. Wharton Clay, Special the Associations It never fnils to arouse interest Assistant in the Trade Association Division of when attention is called LO its contents, and often NRA, and Mr. Pliil~p Gott, Manager, Trade it has servcd as a wcdge to foster interest in the Association Department of the Chamber of Project. Con~nlerceof the U S. Another publication just rcady lor d~stribution, The results of our begmning efforts may be of whose use we are anticipat~ng,is that prepared by interest to the members of S. L A. We now have a Special Committee of S. I-, .A. under the chair- at Headquarters a very workable ~nforrnationfilc manship of bliss Jameson, Librarian of tl~c of some five hundred folders. It covers thc NRA - Kation;ll Industrial Conference Board It is a Code and Code Authorit~es,and Trade Asso- ~nembership1st of Tradc Associations, ant1 the ciations - individual and general. We receive information it presents sliould prove a real aid to currently the PRESS RELEASES of NRA. This the Project provides us with NRA inforniat~onand news of PIIiss Nat.~l~eUrouvi, IZcsearch 1.ibmri.m who the individual codes, Labor Board activities, was for several years in the Econo~nicsDivision 150 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 of the Kew York Public Library, organized the for avalling themselves of our research facilities. Foreign Policy Association Library, and recently Our leads to these contacts have come either was associated w~ththe National Bureau of from personal recommendations or from press Economic Research, joined our Project on Aprd notices of opportunities which seemed to be in 1st. She has been doing some excellent work In lme w~thour Project. building up our Master Information File, and in Time will not permit for elaboration of all of assistirlg on the Project Assignments Her services these assignments; but three activities should have made possible the development of the have special mention. In one case our services Project were requested for the preparation of a prospectus The most interesting part of the work on the for a joint library or information bureau for Code Project has, of course, been in our contacts with Authorities. A plan to house one hundred and Trade Associations and Code Authorities. We fourteen Code Authorities and other agencies of have personally contacted twetrly representatives local NRA under one roof in the Port of New of these groups, and in nine cases have had actual York Authority Building is being considered. In opportunities to demonstrate our services. The this connection it is desired to give thought to a types of service we have been asked to give are joint library to serve the group. Our prospectus briefly outlined as follows: was acknowledged and we were told that it would 1. Furnishing information on publicity and be given consideration a little later. ybliciFy campaigns. In another instance a Central Statistical 2. uppl mg a hbrar~anfor organizat~onof the Bureau was reported as being given favorable files ora Trade Association Commissioner. consideration at the Controller's Congress of the 3. Furn~shingservrce(on a service basis) of an up-to-date Code Authority card index. National Retail Dry Goods Aasociation. After a 4. Furmshing information to one Association personal investigation of the plan we were given on the status of codes in related industries the authority to submit a supplementary pro- as of a specific date. spectus. No further action has been taken. 5 Preparing a six-page memorandum on Sea- sonal Variations in Trade and Employment. The third case is one which seems to have 6. Preparing a three-page memorandum on the unusually promising possibilities. At the solicita- evaluation of a Code Authority Information tion of the Trade Association Executives in New Bulletin. York City, we were invited to set up a prospectus 7. Preparing a four-page library prospectus for a Joint Information Bureau for Code for a joint Information Bureau for their members. Auihorities. We submitted suggestions and a sample budget. 8. Preparing a four-page library prospectus for Our proposals were more pretentious than they a Joint Information Bureau for Trade Association Executives; submitting a three- could cons~deras an initial move and we were page revised prospectus, and sending a asked to scale it down to be more nearly propor- follow-up letter elaboratmg services to be tionate to their program. We acted on th~ssug- rendered by such a facrlity. gestion with a rev~sedbudget. That estimate was 9. Preparing an eight-page supplementary prospectus for a Central Statistical Bureau. also more than they could undertake at present. We therefore made a counter suggestion in which As an illustration of the types of Associations we agreed to enter into a joint arrangement with and Code Authorities included in these contacts them, our Association to transfer the present are: THE NATIONAL RETAIL DRY GOODS set-up of files and personnel at Headquarters as ASSOCIATION; THE TRADE ASSOCIATION the nucleus of the Bureau, and they to furnish EXECUTIVES IN NEW YORK CITY; THE space, with accompanymg charges, and to pay ASSISTANT TO GENERAL JOHNSON IN the salary of a librarian, thereby making it in REGIOXAL COMPLIANCE; ASSOCIATED actuality a laboratory for our Project. GROCERY MANUFACTURERS OF AMER- Since this same idea has sprung up spontane- ICA; METAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIA- ously for similar groups in other localities, it TION, MATCH INSTITUTE; NATIONAL seemed fitting that the New York group, because ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING ASSO- of its strength and position, should be the first to CIATION; PAPER, STATIONERY, AND effect such a service The proposal has had the TABLET MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY approval of the members of their Executive We have received letters commending the Board, and the plan has been set forth in a letter services rendered In some cases the Associat~ons to the members of the Asmiation. Our Associa- have specifically stated that, although not in a tion has followed this letter with one setting financial position to institute information bu- forth more fully the value of this service to the reaus or make provisions for library service in members personally, and explaining what such a their organizations, they would like, a little service would include. These letters have gone later, to provide a place in their budget programs out so recently that there has not been time to July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 151 report on the reaction to this proposal. We have, gram for a brief presentation of the story of our however, personally received one letter from a Project. Code Authority for whom we prepared a special We also had a very satisfactory talk w~thhlr. assignment. He is in full accord with the idea and Frederick M. Feiker, formerly Director of the volunteered to bear h~sshare of the cost of such U. S. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- an undertaking. merce, and at present Executive Secretary of the Such a pooling of sources would seem to offer American Engineering Council. Mr. Feiker has an ideal opportunity to demonstrate to the full worked very closcly with Trade Associations, and what is meant by Library Service. The T A. B. has a very thorough understanding of the Trade of New York has about 150 members, and they Association movement. He expressed a keen ap- are some of the stronger and more representative prec~ationof the Project and later wrote Miss of the local Trade Associations. An Information Alexander about our plan as follows: Bureau for this group would, therefore, give us a very keen insight into Trade Associat~onprob- "The idea you have is tca big to be lost in a discussion of details and in my opinion it is hon- lems and, with the backing and prestige which we estly worthy of being dramatized Is there not would gain through our asmiation with this in- some way to make it clear that a special librarian fluential group, our Project would, we feel, be is not just a cataloguer of odds and ends of In- materially strengthened. formation, but a research assistant to an execu- tive, who collects and interprets information from It is natural to expect that Trade Associat~ons printed sources, that has to do w~ththe produc- and Code Authorities are going to postpone such tion sales of admmistrative policies of an or- matters as library service until things are more ganization? " stable. They are besieged with vital problems, and it stands to reason that some of the service This evaluation of the Project from one who facilities of which they might avail themselves are knows Trade Associations ao well, and IS in a disregarded at the present. position to loek to their future development, is But when one sees a statement such as that of evidence of the worth of our plan It is such ex- W. Clement Moore, business economist and au- pressions of enthusiasm and interest that give a thor of "Code Authority Procedure," appearing real incentive to the Project. in the New York Tsmcs of June loth, "urging the It is with sincere regret that I am facing the collection and dissemination of actual facts on termination of my leave of absence on July lst, operation by code boards in order to refute the because I feel that this work which is so vital has exaggerated statements and unfounded criticisma just begun. I should be far sadder did I not real- of the Recovery Act, and asserting that 90 per- ize what an impetus the Project is to receive cent of Code Authoritiea are only guessing at the through the acquisition of its new Director, M~ss effect of the NRA on their industries," the im- K. Dorothy Fergumn. Her active contacts with portance of our Project is magnified. The realiza- Trade Associations on the West Coast, her splen- tion that there is a place for us in the New Deal did work on the compilation of the excellent Trade Program, is strengthened. Assoc~ationDirectory, and her strong equipment Since our initial visit to Washington, Miss and background make me face this break with Alexander and I have attended two meetings, only added enthus~asmfor what is inevitably the one in Washington and one in New York. The future of the Project. It has been a most worth latter was the Trade Association session of whde experience, and I should like to express my the AMERICAN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIA- appreciation to the Executive Board of our Asso- TION meeting. The former included the sessions ciation for allowing me the privilege of taking a of the American Trade Association Executives small part in this real activity of the Special meeting held in connection with the Chamber of Libraries Association. Commerce of the U. S. Conference. One contact This report cannot be closed without at least a worthy of mention therewas Mr. M. 0. Maughan, word about the inspiration I have received from Secretary of A. T. A. E. Through MISSVormel- our President-Mary Louise Alexander. No one ker's efTorts during her work as Chairman of our can appreciate the time, the interest, and the de- National Com'mittee on Trade Associations. Mr. tailed consideration she is giving to the Trade Maughan was acquainted with our Project. He Association Project, until he has been given the expressed to us his interest in the plan; invited us opportunity, as I have, to work under her to attend the A. T. A. E. convention at Galen guidance. Hall in the fall; suggested that we prepare for the DOROTHYBEUIS, Meeting a MODEL LIBRARY EXHIBIT; and Dtreclor is planning to arrange for a place on their pro- June 19,1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES PRESIDENT'S PAGE

our I'resident. \\.11l the times I)c right for our Trade .\ssuci;~tion projectJ Is S 1- .\. a sufli- ciently mnlule org.uli~.rt~onto suppnrt coopera- tlve elfort! .\re nc rcady for the test of "Putting linowletl~eto \\'orkn as an .\ssocia11ori as we arc ~ncl~ridunlly'Th~ough lliss S.~vord, S. I, A. achicvecl th~s('arnegie gdt; now 111 turn ~t must bc through S. L A. that 11iss Sa\ord \\ill realize the final ach~evernentof spending ~t nisely and effectively. Khatever is signific.int about our pro- fcssion in the research world will have a clia~ice to express itself. \\'hatever originality and cour- age our Pres~tlentpossesses will be drawn upon enormously. It is interestmg to contrast MISSSavord's early cataloging experience in the Cleveland Pubhc Library, at the University of Illinois, and the Public Library of Newark with her consistent tendency these latter years toward bibliographi- cal work. Her "Union List of Period~calsin Spe- cial Libraries of New York" has been an invalua- ble contribut~onto S. L. 4.Her work on the Langer and Armstrong "Foreign Affairs Uibliog- RUTH SAVORD. President raphy" (Harper) gave her such grasp on interna- ONCEmore S I.. A, IS tb have a presiding tional literature and authorities that she now officer who halls from our great m~ddle contributes an annual bibliography to Mr. L~pp- west. As librarian of the Councd on Foreign Rela- mann's annual survey of "The United States tions, forn~erlya member of the research depart- in World Affa~rs."Miss Savord has served S. I,. A ment of Batten, Barton, Durstme, Osborn, then as president of the New York Chapter and in as libmrian of the General Education Board, and various Executive Board capacities. \Vhile it 1s before that of the Fr~ckArt Reference Library, the highest compliment to Miss Savord that we Ruth Savord may now qualify as a Xew Yorker, i~~v~teher to accept this final responsibility, we but her background and early evperlence place know her capacity for work, her ambition for our her among those energetic and original librarians profess~onand, her great faith in S. L A. With who have had a try at interest~ngjobs in their such an officer at such a time, 1934-35 bids fair own public libraries and then must turn to the to be as significant as it is interesting, with our larger cities for rnore arid harder work Is it the own b~tof experimentation to do in these years old pioneering spirit expressing itself in the fron- of challenge. tiers of this modern world that gives our presi- dents such zest for euperime11tation7 From Mr Cady, who would increase our membership in- Her Message come by dev~smgnew forms and terms of pay- ment, to hliss Alexander, who would reduce our NOTHER conference has come and gone. budget to fit our income and then turn to outside A Alnny instructwe and constructwe sugges- sources of revenue, we must recognize in each tlons were voiced by both outsiders and by mem- president that force to euperiment that gives bers of the profession. MISSAlexander's Presi- character to the~rterms of scrvice, and originality dential address voiced the greatest challenge of to their contributions to S L. A. all -to the whole Association and to your new As Miss Alexander said in her presidentla1 re- Xdm~nistrat~onto heup to the record she has port last month, we must give due cred~tto Miss set and to carry on. While everyone can well be .Savord for bringing to successful Issue our re- proud of S. [.. A's achievements during these two quest for money to the Carneg~eCorporation. years of depression, we must, if we are honest, lay Hut \vhich 1s the most difficult - LO get money, much of that ach~evenlentto her unerl mg ir~stmct or to spend it lluch is at stake these next few for leadership \Ve must accept that challenge, for months for which we must glve moral support to we st~llhave many unsolved problenis. July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 153 Xrlrniberslrzp. - While our membership record ber, and particularly ever Chapter, should bc on of a 20 perccnt incre,ise is remarkable in these the alert to make worthwhile contacts with other days, there are many who are mterested and have associations and with individuals outside the pro- much to contribute nho are still outs~dethe fold. fession m order to tell our story. Wc should be A word of warning, however, may not be out of placing news stones In trade and general papers place. \Ye want more members, but we do itol and 111 our local newspapers, thus educating pro- want mere names - ac want and need working spective employers, which will inevitably result niembers, each one contr~butmgh~s or her share In the formation of new libraries when the~rvalue for the good of the whole. is apprec~ated. Persotral Reso~irces.- Closely allied Lo mem- Recricitirrg aid Tratuiitg. - If we arc successiul bersh~pis our appdllmg lack of knowledge of the in stimulating new Libraries we must be prepared ab~l~tiesof our members. Kith our far-flung to suggest well-tromed, competent librar~ansto membership it 1s irnposs~blefor a national head- organize and adminster them. Are we prepared quarters or a national administrat~on to know to do this? I think not \Ye need new bloocl, re- each and every one, or to know in what particular crults with vision, energy and ambition, young way any one mdwidual may best contr~buteto and alert to the special library's opportunity the success of our many projects This is a waste to go along \nth the times Each of us should he a of manpower that \\e, who hke to think of our- m~ssionarynot In urgmg mdiscriminate additions selves as efficient, should deplore. How can it be to our ranks, but in a sclect~veprocess of search- changed? Surveys arid questionnaires have fa~letl, ing out the college student who is decidmg on a for as indiv~dualswe sccm to be struck dumb by career, the public librarian w~tha special library modesty as Lo our own accomplishments. How- viewpoint, and by urging the library schools to ever, we need not bc modest about our colleagues' offer suitable tra~ning..A beginning has been mdde ach~evenients.So, won't each of you consider this but again the efforts of a few must be enhanced a personal appeal to send to me, or to head- by the efforts of ninny. quarters, a note on any of your friends and co- These are only a few of thc really pressing prob- workers for whose abihties you can speak. We lems faced by your new Admin~stration I warn need suggestions for committee work - whether you that I expect to call on you for much assist- as chairmen or as members: we need to know who ance durmg the coming year, which, whatever can write well; we need to know who has a "news else may be said about 11 in advance, promises sense" and therefore would be valuable in pub- to be a most interesting and important per~ocl111 I~c~ty,we need to know who is interested in what working out the problems of our profession. I - n~cthods,classification, tra~nmgand recruit- urge you to present to your new oflicers ideas and ing. etc Only so can we " know ourselves " suggestions for lmes of action as you see the need Prib1icily.-We as an Association and the arise. An articulaLe ~nenibershipis an active and services we can offer are not known. Every mem- constructive one. Rcm S.\vono

News and Projects Mentioned at the Convention

HE National Directory of Special Libraries of the library and the names of I~brar~ans.Th~s T is rapidly nearing complet~on, and it is has entailed a treniendous amount of work, but planned to have it off the press by September. the result will prove an illuminating document, AIiss Cavanaugh and her committee sent out especially if studied in conjunction with the 1925 some twenty-five hundred questionnaires during Directory. February and March, approximately sixteen hun- The geographical arrmgement will facilitate dred Lo members of the Special Librariee Associa- the placing of advertisements which are to be tion, and another thousand to libraries found by carried in order to reduce the cost of printing, as checking all known lists of special libraries, in- ~t is planned to print those of advertisers from cluding all special libraries in universities. each state in the same section as the l~brariesof Through persistent attention some twelve hun- that state. Some advance advertisements hale dred and fifty questionnaires have been assembled been received, but the help of local groups and and are ready for the prmler. individual members is needed The value of this The Directory will be arranged geographically guide to the informational resources of the coun- with spec~alindexes under type of library. Sub- try should speak for itself in any sol~citationof ject headmgs are dlx, ~ndexedas well as the name advertisers. 154 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 The award for the highest percentage of in- books by librarians, but would be, instead, an crease in paid-up memberships this year went index to reviews by authorities. to thc Philadelph~a chapter. In 1933 this *** award was first inst~tutedand was carried OR by Montreal It conslsts in the use for the chapter Three S. L. 4. publ~cat~onsmade their initial nicetings of the gavel wielded by the President of appearance at the Convention. These workn~an- S. L. A at the Annual Convent~on Next in line hke, inexpensive, reference tools were developed for the award stood the Balt~morechapter to simplify the use of information sources not Although Phdadelph a had the highest per- easily treated by orlhodox means "The Trade centage of Increase in paid-up active member- Catalog Collection; a Manual w~thSource Lists," ships or the~requivalent, three other chapters by Granville Meixell, w~llbe of great assistance had the d~stinct~onof a fully pa~d-upmember- to the technical librarians struggl~ngto handle ship Montreal succeeded in obtaining this line easdy and systematically a varied accumulation standing before June first, while P~ttsburghand of such publications. Her clear, definite account Baltimore cleared thew records between that date of the methods by which such material may be and the Convention. organized will set many on the r~ghtpath, and a * * * marked increase in the number of efficiently LVclcorne news at the Convention was that of handled trade catalog collect~onsshould follow. the formation of the Connect~cutChapter. Many The Manual includes four important supple- active and institutional members have hoped for mentary lists as follows: 63 condensed catalogs, such an organization, and the luncheon meeting 55 trade catalogs worth considering as manuals held in the spring at Hartford doubtless d~dmuch and handbooks, 228 per~odicalswith lists of cur- to crystallize the movement. The new chapter, rent trade catalogs, 210 house organs containmg under the able leadership of Laura A. Eales of the techn~calmaterial, as well as an excellent subject Dr~dgeportPublic Libmry, can look forward to an index. Addresses are given for all publishers. The interesting and stimulating future. Are there not Manual IS, as a whole, a stimulating guide to a other parts of the country with possib~litiesalong ~ealthof technical data. this heJ The second list, "Association Membership ***. L~sts," while somewhat sinipler in form and A new project is recewng serious consideration scope, is particularly pertinent with its data on by the Executwe Board of the Association Ever trade association memberships. It gives for 337 since the discontmuance of the adrnuable Techni- associations, addresses, the mode of publicat~onof cal Book Review Digest of the Pittsburgh Public the membership lists, and other related data. The Library, a need for an adequate successor has list is arranged alphabetically, but a subject index been felt. Th~swas brought to the fore during the indicates related associations. sprlng by efforts to incorporate some such service The third list, whde hnited to New York City in SPECIALLIBRARIES and by the problems faced collections will have no such geographical limita- by the Book Review Committee of the Science tions in value. This "Union List of Services in 34 Technology Group in carrying on its work. Libraries in Manhattan" is not offered as com- The result has been that the Science Technol- plete, but it does show that 118 services are to be ogy Croup recommended to the Executive Board found in one or more of 34 libraries, and furntshes that a committee be appointed to consider the some indication of their respective popularity. possibility of developinga self-supporting Techni- Librarians in other c~tiesas well as New York will cal Rook Review Digest Bulletin. This problem is know where to turn for author~tativeinformation now under consideration and its feas~bilitywill be on the value of services when considering expan- tested durmg the fall. The co6peration of the sion of their own lists. members of the Association wdl be needed to These three pamphlets all reflect the ability of discover whether such a Bulletin can be self-sup- the Publication Committee to survey the field of porling. special library operattons and discover ways in A tentative survey made prior to the conven- which the work may be expedited through such tions showed that the demand for this was wide- guides. It 1s the opportunity to cooperate in the spread. The proposed Technical Rook Review development of such tools that makes member- Digest should act as a guide to elusive informa- ship in the Special Libraries Association a stimu- tion on special books, as a help in deciding the lating professional activity. Th~sfeature is rec- value of books for replacement orders, as a key to ognized by those outside the Association as further mformation in the same field, and as an Randall Ftench illustrates in his review of authoritative record of the permanent value of "Guides to Business Facts and Figures" in the the listed titles It would not consist of reviews of July hbrary Quarterly: July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 155 "The urge to comment on the opportunit and of the FI. W. Wilson Company under the auspices the trend ~n the library yfession whicK the of the American Standards Associat~on. members of the Special Li rary Association are pomting out is too strong to res~st.Their publica; The purposeof this codperative movement is to tions, as a rule, have an air of 'We mean business secure the adoptm of certain uniform practices in both senses. We find no irn ression of amateur- in connechon with reference data for periodicals ishness and wasted effort so often found in library These recommendations, while involving in- publications. These librarians note a defin~teneed for an instrument to increase their effic~encyin a expensive adjustments, will be of inestimable special field and proceed to make one. The im- value to those keeping files of magazines. They pression is given that these publ~cationsare de- include such specific data as recommentl~ngthe signed for a specific purpose and not for the sake use of the same t~tleon cover, title page, contents of publishin son~ethingor of prmtmg names on t~tle-pages.konomic crises bring out the fact page, and inside of mnganne, that such informa- that libraries are regarded by some as superfluous. tion as the general business address, ed~tor's Th~sis true not so much In the spec~al-library name, publisher's name, annual subscription field, however (because the special library would prlces, prlces per copy, frequency of publ~cat~on, have been eliminated at the first ~ndicationby a busmess of needlessness), as in the general public etc., be printed in a uniform place throughout thc I~brary.Any special library still in existence has year; that an entire volume be paged continu- proved its value. It is hoped that the attitude and ously; that the title and size of a magaz~nebe feeling that libraries are absolutely rndispensable, changed at the beginning of the volume and prcf- instead of being considerecl somewhat costly luxuries, will become universally prevalent. A erably at the beginning of the calendar year, and library must justify its existence by the value of other similar details that are of help in cataloging its service. The Special Ltbraries Association of permanent files. through its group of able librarians is showing the This Committee has worked under the general way." *** direction of Miss Carolyn F. Ulrich, with hlr. Fred R. Davis of the General Electric Company, The need for small units for closer cooperation well-known throughout the publ~shingworld, as in the study of problems has been felt by many Chairman of the Steering Committee The work special librarians. Progress was made along this of the Committee has been an interesting demon- line at the convention by the development of stratlon of the effectiveness in securing attention three new groups: one for biological science for such problems by un~tedeffort through a librarians, one for departmental librarians in col- number of influential bodies. The tremendous lege libraries, and the other for public librarians amount of detail work done in connection with doing busrness work The great help secured this Committee has been carried, to a great through informal round tables and the discussion cxtent, by the Chairman, and any improvement by small gatherings is definitely realized. These In such records by period~calpublmtions can be newly developed groups are taking advantage of directly atir~butedto her energy and pers~stence. the opportunity to form working units along these lines. The Science-Technology Group, with its many sections for chemistry, petroleum, public TWOexhibitior~s of special interest were placed utilities, and others has demonstrated another near the Registration Desk The table devoted to way of dealing with the same problem. trade association projects and panlphlets had as * * the pike de rdsislance, the trade association An interesting report at the Convention was b~bl~ograph~prepared under the auspices of the made on the cooperatwe project of dealing with S. L. A. trade association project. Th~scompre- periodical publ~cationproblems. This work has henswe document was most ~mpressivein ~ts been carried on by the joint committee of the preliminary form. American L~braryAssociation, represented by Another impresswe ~ndicationof the ability of Carolyn F. Ulr~ch;Agricultural Publishers As- S. L. -4, members to put over projects in an ef- sociation, represented by V. F. Hayden; Ameri- fective manner was the display featuring "Public can Council of Learned Societies, represented by Admmstration Libraries: A Manual of Practice," H. M. Lydenberg; Associated Business Papers, No. 40 in the list of Public rldmmistration represented by H. J. Payne; and Special Libraries Serwce publications. This comprehenswe and Association, represented by Marian C. hlanley, well-edited publicat~onwill be a definite help to and the committee includcd in its membership the libraries in many fields, and the display \\as a following conferees. F. W. Faxon, President of fortunate way of acqualniirlg many of the mem- F. W. Faxon Company; Fred R. Davis, General bers not only w~ththis particular manual, buL Electr~cCompany; Rollin A. Sawyer. New York also with the interesting series. It is note worth^ Public Library; Norman Shidle, Society of that such a publication should be considered an Automotive Engineers; H. W. Wilson, President important number in a series of this type. SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION FINANCIAL OPERATIONS I

*I)urs and Subscript~ons...... $5,815 $6,945 $5,870 I'ubl~cntion Sales ...... 914 83 1 2,081 Advertising Ikvenue...... 1,2 18 1,692 728 Convention...... 93 354 26 hIiscellnneous ...... - - - rmtd ...... $8,040 $9,823 $8,705

EXPENDITURES Salaries ...... $2,360 $2,016 $1,950 Local md Group Ihdgets ...... 903 1,100 1,278 Travel...... 523 1,084 294 ' blications...... 366 1,289 1,545 "~pecialLibraries" ...... 3,185 2,497 3,034 Convention ...... 13 230 285 Operating Expenses ...... 675 484 1,559 Transfer to Publication Fund...... Miscellaneous...... 23 149 6 - - - Total...... $8,048 $8,849 $10,051 Final Balance for Year ...... $2,090 $3,064 $1,718 Publication Fund Balance ...... Carnegie Trade Association Balance...... *Note: Current year...... $3.686 Prepaid for following year...... 2,184 July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES

Reports of Officers and Committees

THE PRESIDENT'S REPORT tinuity of financial policy and would supervise June 92,1934 and intelligently gulde the president and treasurer of this Association. HIS morning you are to hear full reports Next in importance to finance is our member- Tcovering the major activ~tiesof this Asso- sh~precord. It is phenomenal, I feel, that we ciation I want to emphas~zea few of the more should have achleved a 20 percent increase in important accompl~shrnentsand give you a sum- n~embershipthis year. Th~sis due, of course, to mary of the year 1933-1931. Th~shas been a short the zeal and faith of Marlan Manley, hlember- year, since our last convention was held In October ship Chairman, and to the help she has had from 1933. Fortunately many of our committee chair- the chapters and from the headquarters office. men were willing to continue their work, so there The rccords she will soon present speak for them- has been little lost motion this year selves, but we cannot measure the intangible These committees have accomplished a great spirit and enthusiasm she has generated in the deal of constructive work, and wcare exceedingly last two years. She has been a constant stlmula- grateful to them. Much of our progress is due to Lion and a very great comfort to me. the increased confidence noticeable everywhere Our future opportunities In membership are in the United States. Last year many of us were very great, both in the new members wl~ichwe worried by decreased stalfs and budgeis, and should secure and in the increased income to be naturally our own jobs required all of our time expected when active members become inst~tu- and energy S L. A, suffered accordingly. This tional members and associates become actwe year we know that the country is on the way out members. Each special library in the country of the depress~on.In fact, the New Deal is making should have 100 pcrcent representation from its life twice as mtcresting and exciting for all of us. staff in this As~oci~ition.It is no longer charity on It isn't possible these days to sit back and do the part of librarians to join th~sAssoc~ation It is the same thing in the same old way, -at least it a privilege and thew very great loss if they fail isn't advisable, for one would soon find oneself to do so. high and dry. It behooves us, then, as individual Of next importance in our activit~esis our librarians and as an assocration to examme the magazine, SPECIALI,IBR,~IES Our menlbcrs things we do, see if they are good, necessary, and support the Association, and the magazine is our in tune with the tmes Croup thinking and group chief contact with the members and with the act~onare demanded and this means for all of us world. In reviewing my two years as pres~dent in this room - the group known as Special I realize that the edltor is the one person In Libraries Association. S. L. A. who has sullered most from the depression I think that we can all take real pride in and from our retrenchment progranl. Just think S. L. A.'s position today. The treasurer will report that in the years around 1928 we published a to you in detail, but it is s~gn~ticantand very forty-two to mxty-eight page magazine which cost comfortable to know that we have about $10,000 us about $3,000 a ycar In Florence Uradley's to our credit at th~smoment in comparison with first year as editor she was cut to a sixteen-page a little over $2,000 this time last year, and less magazine, and this year has been allowed o~lly than half that in June 1932. To be sure, some of twenty-four pages. She has, therefore, had to this money is represcnted by the Carnegie grant make up in quality what she was denled in and some of it 1s ear-marked Tor our publication quantity. This has been very difficult when our actlvlt~es,but our working capital IS now ade- interests are so varied dncl it is necessary that the quate, and so our economy and hard work have magazine contain something for everybody. This paid I hope we can build our funds up to a much magazine must always be a professional tool for larger and more permanent balance, because cash Associa tion members and still of general rnterest in the bank lends stabil~tyand confidence, and to outside readers. Our great problem in recent the world could never take an assoc~ationvery years in connection with the magazine has been seriously which constantly operates on a shoe- the need to combine the features of an official string. organ and a gcneral magamne. Th~syear we have I think th~smatter of money so important that relieved the sltuat~onsonlewhat by illstituting n I strongly recommend, for the future, the forrnn- special bulletin to local chapters which contains tion of a Finance Committee whose duty would all of the Associalion routme matters and adniin- be long-range planning. It would Insure a con- istration policies. Ruth Savord has written this 11 158 SPEiCIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 bulletin; ~t has been excellently done and proved Chapters are missmg a real opportunity if they n valuable mnovation. fad to take advantage of the material available. I have had numerous comments from members One thing of vital concern to us now, if our recently which proved that in many cases the profession is to grow, is the recruitingand training magazine is the most important Associat~on of special hbrarians. There is actually a shortage activity for them. We offer our sincere thanks to of good librarians and we must, therefore, work Miss Bradley for the splend~dwork she has done w~thl~brary schools in an attempt to persuade for our Assoc~at~on. them to offer special courses, and with colleges Another major actwity is our publications in an effort to interest the right type of person in program. As librarians well know, publishmg IS a our profession. We have made a real start on this business in itself. It requires editorial ability, a program this year by making contacts w~thpro- thorough knowledge of the needs and the extent fessional people in personnel and vocatronal of the market, a knowledge of type, printing guidance work. The pamphlet called "Spec~al processes and costs as well as selling and advertis- Librarianship as a Career," wr~ttenby Ruth mg ability. Savord, has been distributed in great numbers In the last five years our Associat~onhas pre- We have had representatives at several vocational pared and prmted twenty-five individual publ~ca- guidance conferences and have found the ~nterest tions, amounting to 20,000 copies, at a cost of In our profession to be very great We should con- about $6,M)O. On these the Association has tinue these contacts and enlist the active support realized a profit of nearly $3,000.Full responsibil- of the vocational guidance profession. ity and credit for this program belongs to Linda It is a pleasure to be able again this year to Morley and Adelaide Kight of the Industrial announce the affiliation of a new chapter. We Relations Counselors. None of us can know the have been working with a group of special libn- time they have spent on this work. What we do rians in Connecticut during the past year, and a know is that we have had the service of experts, pet~tionhas just been signed and approved by that our publicat~ons meet high professional the Executive Board. We welcome the Connecti- standards and have proved useful tools. Many cut Chapter. people know S. I,. A, only by its publications, and We are pleased also at the interest shown in the think well of them. Weare grateful to Miss Kight formation of new groups. Three have been formed and Miss Morley for this. during th~sconference: Business Departments in Other committee reports will be given to you Public Libraries, Departmental Libraries in Col- in detail. I want to mention particularly, how- leges and a Biological Science group. These are ever, the work of the Classification Committee. also welcome in our Association, and we shall miss Robie of the Standard Statistics Co. tmk give them all the support we an. over this work in February of this year and the So much for committees and groups. Speaking file material, which has been housed in Phila- now for the Executive Board, there have been delphia for so long, has now been transferred to several important developments this year. Of our headquarters office, has been thoroughly re- perhaps first rank was the money grant received organized and is ready to be loaned to members from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to and to new libraries needing classification sys- further the development of libraries in trade tems or subject heading suggestions. associations. Dorothy Bemis, who has directed Classification is of growing importance in this project, will report to you in detail, and Ruth library work and S. L. A. should develop stand- Savord, as Chairman of the Ways and Means ards and come to be known as an authority in Committee, wdl tell how we secured this grant. this field. This committee, therefore, has great I feel that it is a tremendously interesting oppor- potential power, and it is gratifying that it is in tunity. both because of the opportunity for such good hands. library service in trade associations and the Another committee of growing importance to opportunity for our Aseoeiation to show what we us is that formerly known as Codperation in can do. If S. L. A. does an effective, thorough job 13usiness Library Service. This has handled the with this money, it should be only the first of exchange of discarded material, and during these many grants to our Association. I feel perfectly times of reduced budgets this committee is prov- sure that we shall measure up to our opportunities. ing particularly valuable. Many special libraries Another executive activity of importance this are glad to receive books, directories, etc., which year has been the reorganization of the head- may be a year or so old; hbraries that discard quarters office. As you know, Miss Rankii found these books are glad to have them continue a it necesaary to be relieved of her duties aa secre- useful life. Thls work could be much more thor- tary and in December 1933, the Board employed oughly organized in local chapters than it now is. Elizabeth Lois Clarke to direct our office. Miss July-Augurt, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 159

Clarke is not a I~brarian.She IS a business woman, because much might be accomplished through w~thextensive experience In assoc~ationmanage- personal conferences. Each unit In our A=&- nlent and activ~ties.In six short months she has tion should try to acquire the national v~ewpoint. systematized our metl~odsand records, improvmg Naturally groups and chapters feel that their own them greatly She has developed more effective affa~rsare of the utmost importance, yet we all contacts with committees, chapters and groups. realize, I believe, the imporlance of numbers and She has taken full charge of the advert~singfor the prest~geof the larger association None of us the magazine and shown spectacular results. We could operate tllen without the National Asso- have also had the help of Harr~etBarth, a stenog- ciation, and I therefore plead for greater support rapher. I know them to be as efficient, loyal for it on the part of all. workers as S. L. A. has ever had, and we are fortu- I shall mentlon only one more crying need, and nate in our headquarters personnel. that is that we should know our individual mem- The really significant thing about this head- bers, their abil~tiesand their interests Too much quarters arrangement is that S. L. A. is now on a of the mportant work of the Associat~onfalls to business basis. No association can hope to prosper the same people year after year, and we shor~ld through the purely voluntary efforts oJ its mem- integrate new members and interest old members bers, and we have no right to accept so much in taking a more actlve part. Th~stask logically tune from the people who have served the Asso- belongs to the local chapters. They should give ciation in execut~vecapacities. Our goal for the all of their members a chance to work on commit- next few years should be to put our other major tees and then suggest to the natlonal those who activit~eson the same business basis as head- are best fitted for certain projects. It should r~ot quarters now is. be necessary either to urge each member to accept I cannot leave this brief summary of some ac- any assignment given them. Such opportunities complishments without saying that infin~tely arc so dec~dedlyto one's own advantage that they more still remains to be done. In my opmion some should never be refused. of the more important Immediate problems are I feel that the opportunities for S. L. A. were these. never so great. The business and professional Fmt, a continuing publ~citycampaign. The world 1s recognizing as never before the impor- article which appeared last Sunday in the New tance of the l~braryservice Our Assoc~ationis Ymk Times is an excellent example of the type of alone in its field. It is compact and effective story which could and should be written about The New Deal is supplying a great impetus to our us, and prove mteresting for publication in vari- profess~on. The Association needs leadership in- ous busmess and trade journals. When I assumed spired, unselfish, practical leadership in all phases my duties as pres~dent two years ago, I had of our work. With this and the active sympa- thought that one of my first chores would be to thetic support of every member, there is nothing inspire special librarians to write articles about that S L. A, cannot accomplish. their libraries I now feel that such articles should MARYLOUISE ALEXANDER be written by "outsiders," trained writers with a news sense, who can succeed in placing such SECRETARY'S REPORT stones when librarians could never hope to. There is enough news and romance in connection HE increase in headquarters activities with our work if we will &Iy find the proper peo- Tduring the five months' period, January 1 to ple to wr~tethese articles. However, librarians June 1, 1934, IS indicated by the count of In- must consider it their duty to collect and supply commg mail, which totalled 4,051 pieces, com- stones showing the value of special library serv- paring with the twelve months' 1933 record of ice. Only through publicity can we encourage the 4,158. In addition, during the last five'months, formation of new special libraries. 253 telephone messages and 58 callers were re- The greatest weakness in our national organi- ceived. zation at present, I feel, IS in the cwrdination of The outgoing mail from January 1st to June 1st local chapters. The machinery is adequate, but it totalled 9,788 pieces, but for this figure there are IS not effective at the present time. We need much no comparative statist~cs. closer contacts and far greater interest on the The books for 1933 have been aud~ted,and part of locals in national affairs The Association complete final records furnished coverlng the needs the help of local chapters in its profes- different divisions of the national work. On Janu- sional problems, and many of them need more ary 2, 1934, the three cash receipts books for- interesting, stimulating programs than are now merly mair~lainedfor (1) Memberships, Subscrip- offered. I hope that members of the Executive tions, Advertising, and Miscellaneous Revenue, Roard could visit local chapters quite regularly, (2) Pubtication Sales, and (3) Sales of the In- 160 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 formation Bulletin series were consolidated into signed contracts are already in hand for the bal- one Cash Receipts Book, with an auxiliary record ance of the year amounting to $250, making a itemizing each publication sale A Voucher minimum revenue for the year of $597. Several Register, Journal, Ledger, and Tr~alBalance prospect~ve patrons have also indicated their Book are being installed to clarify and modernize interest in starting advertising campaigns at the the bookkeeping practice, thus makmg more end of the summer or early in the autumn. readily avadable accurate records of the opera- Again this year an exhibit of SPECIALLIBRA- tions of the Associat~on. RIES was requested by Time Incorporated, for Since the initlation of the Carnegie Trade As- inclusion at their booth at The Century of Prog- sociation Project on February lst, equipment and ress Exposition, and three copies are being supplies have been furnished for the Director, furnished monthly, from May to November, with half-time assistance from the headquarters incluswe. staff. To the Exchange list has been added "Revue Immediately upon publication early in the year, du Livre," of Paris, which at present is the only copies of "Business and Trade Dictionar~es" representation in France. were distributed to Institutional Members. A new subscription has just been received To increase local interest, ample sets of all from Poland, making the nineteenth foreign coun- publications have been furnished to the Boston, try on the mailing list of the magazine. Baltimore, and San Francisco Chapters Notificat~onsof memberships are now mailed In response to a special request from the Sum- at the end of each week, instead of daily, to the mer Session of the Inetitute of Education of New National Membership Chairman and to the York University, an exhibit has been furnished, Secretary and Treasurer of each Chapter. In- consisting of the ,standard reference tools and tensive checking of records has resulted ~IIthe latest publications, together with copies of the present agreement of data on file in the offices of magazine from January to June, 1934. the Chapters, the National Membership Chair- Publication sales have been augmented by the man, and Headquarters. enclosure of the List of Specialized Reference To increase the paid-up membership before Tools and Dictionaries In correspondence relatlng Convention, 600 bills for membership dues were to membership inquiries. And, on the other hand, mailed from the headquarters office, with excel- a number of new memberships have resulted lent results. Th~sservice has apparently met with from information contained in letters replying favor on the part of Chapter Secretaries, some of to requests for data in regard to publications. whom have experienced difficulty in the collec- The regular work carr~edeach month for the tion of dues, both at meetings and by mail. official magazine includes the addreswgraphing Much time has also been devoted to the addi- of envelopes for the mailing list, covermg Insti- tional checking of records for Group affiliation, tutlonal Members, Active Members, Subscribers, in cooperation with the several National Chair- Exchange and Review copies. Marked copies men, and lists or cards have been furnished to all are also ma~ledmonthly to contributors and ad- except one of the National Groups Changes have ver~isers. been made to indicate the preference of the At the end of January, the advertising port- former Commercial-Technical Group as to Com- folio was transferred to headquarters. A letter merce or Science-Technology membership, or was wrltten to members of the Advisory Council representation in both'Groups Also, since the hsking for cotiperat~onin obtaining advertising affiliation of the Philadelphia Council on January for SPECIALLIBRARIES in their territory. Special lst, territorial and group preferences have been mention should be made of the assistance given recorded as advised by the Council Secretary. by the Philadelphia Councd and the Southern In connection with the questionnaires returned Californ~aChapter. furnishing data for the new National Directory of Besides other daily activities, as much time as Special Libraries, the information has been possible has been devoted to the increase of ad- checked with the headquarters membership rec- vertis~ngrevenue. The channels of letters, tele- ords, thus insuring greater accuracy as to spelling, phone calls, and peeanal solicitation have been title, and address in the membership mailing list. utilized. Three new atnzual contracts have been Material has been multigraphed as follows: obta~ned,one for one page, one for one-quarter page, and one for one-e~ghthpage, -in addltion For the Membershi Committee to 14 advertisements for single insertions or for 1,000 Letters to 8rospects orders covering publication in two successive For the Insurance Group 200 Letters to Professors of Insurance issues. The income for the first half of 1934 has 100 Letters to Foreign Insurance Conipa- amounted to $367,a monthly average of $73, and nles July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 161 For the Chemistry Sect~onof the Science- the sum of $2,249.50,making the total amount Technology Group of cash on hand and in the bank, $3,228.54. I 300 Letters regarding membership believe that I am safe in saying we began the For the Convention, 5,000 stickers were year 1934 in a healthier condition than any pre- printed and distributed to members of the Execu- vious year, particularly any recent year. tive Board and Adv~soryCouncil, and used on There were no outstanding bills- the slate each letterhead mailed by the Convention Com- was absolutely clear. mittee and the headquarters office. Fifteen hnn- Since the first of the year, I am speaking now dred copies of the Tentative Program were re- of the five months ended May 31, we have added printed from April SPECIALLIBRARIES for use by $4,124.38, making the total cash in hand $7,- the Membership and Convention Committees. 352.92. The disburwments during this same Other printing included 500 programs, registra- period in 1934 were $3,020.83,which leaves a tion cards, and tickets for the Roosevelt Banquet balance of $4,332.09 in the general fund. and the Westchester Country Club Dinner. This figure does not, of course, include the Special thanks are due Miffi Cavanaugh for her publication fund of $1,307.73,nor the Carnegie cooperation in making possible the mimeograph- Trade Association Fund of $5.956.21. ing of the headquarters schedule, through the Thanks to Miss Manley and Miss Clarke who, facilities of Standard Statistics Company, Inc. as you know, set out for a 100 percent paid It is also desired to mention with thanks the rnembersh~pby June 1, the dues and subrrip- services volunteered by Miss Brunhilde Grassi, tions have literally been pouring in. The receipts who for three weeks in March increased the effec- thls year are comparable to none. Although we tiveness of the National Office, in the advertising do not have a 1W percent paid-up membership, and membership divisions. our record is remarkable, and, if these two could To facilitate further a knowledge of all activi- be given an extra month or six weeks, the Associa- ties, copies of all process material has been fur- tion would be able to boast of nt least a 99 percent nished as issued to all members of the Executive pa~d-uprecord. Board. We have gone ahead so rapidly during these Alm, carbon copies of all correspondence have last fcw months that it is not possible to estimate been mailed to members of the Advisory Council the Association's receipts and d~sbursementsfor and Chapter Secretaries and Treasurers of mat- the balance of the year. 1 might, however, say ters relating to their particular department or that if we were to spend durmg thc seven months territory. remaining in 1934 an average of $604 a month, In order that the national files may be com- which amount is the average spent nionthly from plete and kept uniformly up-to-date, it is re- January to hlay inclusive, we would use slightly quested that all Committees, Groups, and Chap- more than $4,200, which is approximately $100 ters mail to Headquarters two copies of all less than that in the treasury on June 1. printed, mimeographed or multigraphed material, In comparing the figures shown in the May as issued. financial statement with the budget of the year, ELI~ABETIILOIS CLARKE, wc will find: Secretary Dues and subscriptions receipts already $500 more than was estimated. TREASURER'S REPORT Publication sales but $44 behind the budget for the year, and we have over half the year T WOULD seem somewhat of a waste of time, left to sell our wares. I and time is priceless this morning, to delve Advertising revenue, $97 over and above the too deeply into the subject of finances in view of figure we dnred hope we might reach in the the very complete financial statement sent out full twelve months. monthly by our Secretary, Miss Clarke. And miscellaneous receipts, $127, for whlch we I shall, however, briefly go over the figures at had not accounted. the close of 1933 and at the end of May 1934. Adwe have seven months to go l Those of you who heard or read my report sub- L.4lJRA A WOODWAI~D mitted at the Chicago Convention will recall that I estimated there would be a balance in the treas- REPORT OF THE EDITOR ury at December 31, of approximately $1,000. We did end the year with $919.04, which is but ITH January of 1934 the editor of SPE- $21 less than our estimated figure and, in addi- w crm LIBRARIESbegan, for the first time tion to thls so-called "left over" sum, we had had in her two years of service, to find it poss~ble paid in advance for 1934 dues and subscription, to follow a general policy for developing the SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 163 Magazine. Up to lliat time, space was limited to Trade Associat~onnumber to announce the Car- 16 pages including front and back covers, table negie grant and the appointment of Miss Bemis. of coriients and advertisements. There was still To this number was contr~buteda general article the open question of Local reports -how to gel by a trade assoc~ationexpert to grve some general the news and then edit it into some consistent statement as to the relations of the special I~bra- form for a department. Never at any time did rian to the trade association world. Another issue the editor have in hand sufficient copy, nor in gave space to the Philadelphia Council, and was such form, nor of great enough interest to make an important number from every point of view. its use seem to justify. Therefore, when hliss The only Group number was assigned to the new Savord was appointed to develop a Bulletin for Science Technology Group, which needed full Locals, it cleared away th~sparticular problem explanation before the Convention. If we want from the Magazine, and the editor was grateful to answer the question of special issues for Groups for the release. I think it can best be found by restoring to the Paging has been increased this year in two Groups their department pages. But the Maga- ways First the Executive Board approved my zine cannot offer that much regular space until request last October that in January we be al- it is 40 or 48 pages in size. When can it carry such lowed 24 pages as a minimum size instead of the paging again? I should say not until the Groups 16 pages which we adopted as a retrencliment contr~buteto yearly advertising. measure. To this we have added 4 pages for the The incoming editor will have only three issues last four consecutive numbers because of in- to plan, as the next two numbers will have to be creased advertlsing, This was a delightful and devoted to proceedings and reports. How fortu- novel experience to the editor, who wishes to nate we are to have Marian Manley respond to congratulate our new Secretary for the energetic the emergency of being our editor, I do not have measures she has pursued in the matter of pros- to explain to this membership For years she has pects At this point I wish to urge that every contributed our Busmess Books D~gestdepart- Group, Local and individual member owes Miss ment which, we may feel assured, will contmue Clarke not just a vote of thanks for her advertis- with her editorship. In addition she has given me ing work this spring but they should feel a definite advice and help on many difficult problems, so responsibility for sending her constant sugges- that I pass on my editorial dut~esto her w~th tions. Do you realize that you do not have to write much convict~onand satisfaction. the letter, nor go begging for ads, but rather just h4ay I thank you all for the privilege of learn- to have ~deas!If you know of a local publisher, ing how difficult but how interesting it is to be an binder, dealer in supplies or office gadgets, it editor. should be possible for you to suggest not only FLOREXCEBRADLEY the item to be advertised but how the appeal June 19, 1934 should be made. The editor has had two object~vesin working out a policy for the Magazine- to interpret REPORT OF WAYS AND MEANS the professional developments that most affect COMMITTEE the special librarian, and to report Association affairs to the membership and to general readers. HE Ways and Means Committee of 1932- This latter was done by always presenting a T1933 was continued with the same personnel Presidenth page and then following it by a re- in order that it might conlplete the negotiations port, an appeal or an interpretation of work by with the Carnegie Corporation which had been some other officer such as the Secretary, Member- inaugurated last summer. ship or Employment Chairman. In this way we These negotiations comprised an application have accomplished a running history of what our for assistance in carrying out two projects which Executive Board and Headquarters office have were interrelated and which offered the possibility done from month to month of aid to Trade Assocrations in assembl~rigthe My second objective - that of interpreting data which is so necessary to then1 under the professional developments that are of significance Nat~onalRecovery Act. to the special libranan - brmgs us to the point of The first project called for a grant of 510,000 considering "special numbers." For a number of to enable us to organize an advisory senwe for years it has been our custom to assign certain trade associations. The second called for $5,000 issues each year to the Groups. Do we want to to subsidize the Manual of Business Library continue this at the expense of certain general Methods, which is in course of preparat~onby professional interests? This yezr we have had no Miss Motley. insurance nor newspaper issue, but we did have a After due consideration, the Executive Com- 164 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 n~itteeof the Corporation adopted the following Montreal ...... 4 5 $25.00 New York .... 7 23 52 272.00 resolution on December 19, 1933: Philadelohia .... 2 76 86.00 ~ittsbui~h...... 2 2.00 Resolved, That, from the balance avadable for 5 10.00 appropriation, the sum of seven thousand five San Francisco.. .. 1 hundred dollars ($7,500) be, and it hereby is, So. California . 1 6 21.00 No affiliation ... 21 7 112.00 appropriated to the S cia1 L~brarlesAssociation - -- toward support of a liEary project for the Trade -- Associations. Total 11 71 226 $746.00 Payment was made on January 25, 1934, and An extensive three-way campaign committee work on the project began on February 1, 1934. for members was planned and carlied out during RUTHSIVORD, Clrairman April and May 1934. Letters suggesting member- ship were sent to some 700 special librarians, and REPORT OF MEMBERSHIP COMMlllEE their names by geographical divisions were sent to committee members for coaperation through EMBERSHIP work for 1933-34 has the local chapters. At the same time, New York stressed the necessity for prompt payment M members with allied interests were sent short lists of dues wlth the result that the 1934 convention, that they might write special letters of ~nvitation held four months earlier than that of the pre- to the convention. Sixty-seven New York mem- ceding year, finds 1,219 membeis with current bers helped in this work. Their splendid cooper- dues paid, instead of 999 as In 1933. The standing ation and interest in learning of other workers in of the various chapters on June 1, 1934 is shown their own field shows the merit of th~sslant in in the appended table: developing membership work. The growth of the association continues at a steady gait, Some chapters have shown particu- The satisfactory condition of our membership larly good results in th~sconnection. Dues for records is clearly demonstrated in the following 1933 1934 new members total $746 for January-June 1934 comparison of and statistics: as against $719 for the January-September period of 1933. Sept. IS, June I, 1933 1934 1, 1934 Total number of members. .. 1,329 1,570 January-June Institutional ...... 126 128 Chapter Inst. Active Assoc. Dues Active...... 427 465 Baltimore . . . 2 11 $21.00 Associate ...... 776 977 Boston. .... 6 45 75 00 Possible dues...... $4,906 $5,828 Cincinnat~ . . .. 1 3 800 Paid-up dues...... 4,166 4,465 Cleveland . 12 3 28.00 Paid-up members...... 971 1,219 Illinois ... 1 5 6 46.00 Michigan.. ... 1 2 2 27.00 MARIANC. MANLBY,Chairman Milwaukee...... 2 3 13.00 Membership and Subscription Comnaittee

Membership Standing By Chapters

PAIO1934 ClrapIet I~asl. Ad. Assoc. Total Act. Assoc. Total Baltimore ...... 2 11 16 29 4 Boston...... 9 21 207 237 22 Cincinnati ...... 1 8 27 36 16 Cleveland ...... 2 16 15 33 12 Connecticut ...... 3 9 1 13 2 Illino~s...... 10 36 39 85 18 Michigan...... 5 13 22 40 17 Milwaukee ...... 5 13 9 27 6 Montreal ...... 3 13 15 31 New York ...... 54 109 198 361 130 Philadelphia ...... 10 28 82 120 24 Pittsburgh...... 3 14 13 30 9 San Francisco...... 5 16 29 50 21 So. California...... 1 13 24 38 23 No affiliation...... 8 69 12 89 ------4.7 Total ...... 121 389 709 1,219 35 1 July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 165

REPORT OF PUBLICATION COMMlllEE REPORT OF CLASSlFlCATlON COMMITTEE JNCE the report read in October, 1933, at thc BRUARY, 1934, marked the moving of S Chicago Meeting, the following publications F"the classification files from Philadelphia to have been issued: New York headquarters, where it is thought that they may be of even greater value than before. Business andTrade Dictionaries, prepared by a The excellent work of M~ssKeller and Mr. Special Committee, Alma C. Mitchill, Chair- Vanderbilt shows itself in the collection of classi- man. fications and books on classtfication which have Union L~stof Services in 34 Libraries in Man- come to us. hattan, compiled by M. Margaret Kehl. The present aim of the Committee is to collect Association Membership Lists, prepared by a schedules more closely allled to the specihc work Special Comm~ttee,Mary E. Jamiemn, Chair- of special libraries. \t71th this in view, we have man. made an appeal Lo the group cha~rnlanto gather Trade Catalog Collection; a manual with source from the members of them group, all available I~sts,by Granville Metxell. classifications which, wry from the Dewey and There is in preparation a new edition of the Library of Congress classifications. If possible National Directory of Special Ltbraries under the we hope to obtain evaluations of each of these direction of Miss Cavanaugh, and an index to classifications. In the event that we are unable the "American Procession " prepared in 3l iss to obta~ncopies of the actual class~fications, we Alexander's Library. shall have a card list of those schedules which In addit~onto this the results of the Museum may be borrowed for any length of time The Survey, taken by the Museum Croup last year, response to our group requests has been quite are being incorporated into the new National favorable. I should hke particularly to mention Directory. The Civic-Social Group has compiled the exccllenl work that the Museum Group has a manual for the administration of a public done, both in sendrngclassifications of their books administration library, the P~ttsburgh Chapter and of their lantern-slides. For the assistance of has compiled a Union List of Periodicals of the L~ISgroup, the Classificatiotl Committee has Pittsburgh District, the San Francisco Chapter compiled a list of thc avatlable lantern-slide a directory of Trade Associations in the San classifications. Franctsco Area, and the Montreal Chapter has A new subject index of all the actual classifica- two new projects under way (a Canadian Sta- tion schemes has been made. t~sticsof Comnlodities Chart and a Check List of From the service point of view, we have Periodicals in hlontreal, this last a joint project assisted in the workmg out of a few projects, with the Quebec Library Association). and in the establishment and reorganization of a Several Exhibits of Special Libraries Associa- few libraries. We have cotiperated with the Trade tion publications for display purposes have been Association Project in helping on thew classifica- sent to fill requests. Among the chapters asking tion problems. for such exhibits were Baltimore, Boston and For the future, the work of the Classification San Francisco. Committee should grow and expand to covcr Direct mail publ~cityhas been released on the fields closely allied to classification. Classification pamphlet, Business and Trade Dictionaries, and can be a most valuable aid to the servlce depart- will shortly be released on the three new mimeo- ment 01 the library and it is our hope to greatly graphed publications. Advertisements for these further its usefulness. \Vith this view in mind, we also appear in I~rdrcstnalArls Index and our own shall continue to collect classifications on specific magazine, SPECIALLIER~IRIES. subjects and publish feature articles written by Owmg to the fortunate circumstance that the special librarians in each major field of spectal President and Miss Savord, of the Executive library work. These articles will not appear in Board, were in the same ctty as the Chairman of the Publication Committee, it was possible to the I~braryjournals which are read by people who cobrdinate closely the work of the Publication already know about classification work, but in Committee with the activities of the Association trade journals which cater to specialists ignorant as a whole, and also to have the benefit of their of the finer artsof librarianship, but needmg prac- adv~ceand assistance which they have given t~cal assistance in arranging their "files" of consistently and ungrudgingly throughout the special books and If the work is done year. This has been an important factor in the well, this sl~ouldwin new friends and members work of the Committee. for S. L. A. ADELAIDEC. KIGKT ~IILDKEOE. ROME 166 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934

REPORT OF COMMl'llEE ON METHODS REPORT OF EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE HE work of the Comrn~tteeis primar~ly I-IE Employment Committee report for the Tconcerned at present with the preparation Tyear May 1, 1932 to September 1, 1933, was of a book on business 11brary administration. included in the Secretary's Report for that year. Work on this has contmued through the year as On September 1, 1933, the active file of regis- time of the chairman permitted, and progress is trants seeking employment totaled 318 names being made. X plan 1s non under consideratlon From that date untd June 7, 1934, 131 more urnhereby some of the completed chapters may be persons asked the Employment Committee for published separately in prelim~naryform and the assistance. .At least 95 percent of these people material thus made available on ccrtdin subjects consulted personally with the Chairman, and and activities of the business library about which many made several vis~tsor telephone calls. there is llttle or nothing now in print. This is The number of registrations is about the same especially desirable as the results of the Business as we have had during the past four years; it Library Methods Clinic are being mcorporated %asnot unduly large. in th~sHandbook. The chapter on Period1c3ls,for During the year we \\ere forced to remove 21 instance, is just being completed. Except for one names from the file for lack of proper address, and or two short articles in SPECI.\L I,IUIL~IICS. 96 others were dropped at their request for there seems to be little in print on the methods of various reasons, 14 persons succeeded in finding discovering, selecting, cataloging, recording, ab- employment for themselves and 29 other special stracting and general care and use of business librarians we helped to temporary governmental periodicals work. Your committee is now working in cooperation Durmg the eight-month period the Committee with the joint committee on materials for Re- had calls for librarians for 28 positions. As far as search of the American Council of Learned Socic- we know, five of these positions are still open, and ties and the Social Science Research Council. the candidates that we suggested have not been Recently these organizations have realized that rejected or accepted In three instances we could research in the fields of economics and sociology not recommend any sultable candidates for the is seriously handicapped bemuse so little material position offered -for instance, in one use the other than books and magazines is kept in public librarian must be a bacteriologist, in another a and university l~braries.They have appointed a person with legal experience, and in a third the sub-comm~tteeto study the mcthodsof collecting posit~onwas located in the far south which no and organizing this so-called "fugitive" material candidate would consider. We were successful in and have recognized that special hbraries much filling 14 positions with special librarians regis- more than other kinds of libraries have employed tered w~ththe Committee. and devised satisfactory methods of collecting Of the 28 opportun~tiesfor special librarians, and organizing this type of material. Mr Kuhl- three were for newly organized collections and man, Assistant Librarian of the University of might be considered very desirable. Two were for Chicago Libraries, has been asked to makc this good positions. All of the others were positions survey and to prepare a manual of methods. in established libraries and were that of assistant, He came to Sew York a few weeks ago and had clerical worker, typist, or cataloger, and at several conferences with business libmr~ans.As he lower salaries than previously paid for such work. was interested in the work of the Methods Clinic The Employment Committee, a8 you know, and the Handbook he has asked the chairman of was transferred from the New York local am- this committee to cooperate with them. ciation to the national asof June 1,1932. Previous During the year several local chapters of the to that date the Committee functioned lor eight Association having read the description of the years under the local association and w~ththe Sew York Methods Clinic wanted to do some- same chairman. Therefore, the Committee has thmg of the same sort, and have written the Com- now been functioning for ten consecutive years. mittee for suggestions of subjects and questions In that time 1,343 librarians have registered with that could be used. The Chairman went over the the Committee, and we have sought to help them questions used in Sew York and selected those all. Of course, everyone has not been provided that seemed to lend themselves most readily to with a position when destred, but undoubtedly it group discussion. Copies of these selected ques- has been a personal encouragement to a great tions have been sent to the several chapters many special librarians in a time of need. We requesting them. have many evidences of a real appreciation of this LINDAN. MORLEY service which the A-iatron has rendered. JIII~-AU~II~, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 167 For the past two years the Chairman has aimed terment, there is no fee attached. Consequently to make the employment service national in we cannot advertise our service except in our own scope. One way of accomplishing this has been journal or publications In 1929 the Chairman to request the cooperation of the chairman of the made a recommendatton to the Associat~onthat employment committee in each local chapter a delinite effort be made to attract the attention Not all chapters are activc in this way. Boston, of more employers to our employment service. Philadelphia, Illinois, and Southern Californ~a This recommendatron was not followed at that reported some employment work with small re- time and, thereiore, I presume to reiterate it sults in the year 1933. For this eight-month pe- again and ask the Executive Board to give the riod, Illinois Chapter reports 56 persons registered matter careful cons~deration. It has also been with the Employment Committee, but only six brought to my attention by some of our loyal of that number were out of work. Two employers speaal librari~nsthat there arc a good many in- requested librarians; one of which was filled dividual hbrarians who do not know of the Montreal reports only one McGill Library School Association's employment work. It 1s suggested graduate out of work in the special library field that we give more emphasis to th~sfeature of the Philadelphia reports 19 applicants this year Association's assistance to its members in SPECIAL with an actwe file of 77 The Committee co- LIUR~IES,and in all its publications. Every operated closely with C.W.A., as did Illinois and officer and every member can help to publicize Roston. No placement accomplished. Roston has this sewice among librarians by word of mouth. had nine new registrants th~syear wtth a total R~necc.~B RANKIN, Chnirnran registration of 42. No openings occurred. Five of those regrstered w~ththe Committee qcured REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COOPERA- temporary work. TION IN BUSINESS LIBRARY SERVICE Much time, effort, and expense has been ex- pended this year in cooperating with the govern- HE work of this Committee has grown by mental alphabetical agcncies. The unemployed T leaps and bounds. In the report for 1932-33, librarians for the most part have occupied in stress was laid upon the fact that more spec~al C.W..4. or C.W.E S. temporary projects due to libraries should be participating in the work this effort. Therefore, spec~alefforts have been made to As far as we are able to tell without thorough make more special libraries conscious of this work checking with Headquarters, the Employment and communicate with the Committee, either to Committee was directly instrumental in securing dispose of duplicate niaterial or to seek publ~ca- nine associate, seven active, and one institutional tions lacking in their collections. The results have members during the past eight-month period. been well worth the effort. The followmg table The Chairman suggests that in the future, at indicates the great increase. Special attention is least once every three months, a list of newly called to the fact that, during the past year, registered names in the S. L. A. Employment efforts have been made to furnish publications to Committee file be submitted to the Membership special libraries, as well as to publicand university Chairman so she may try to enroll them as libraries. This is the first time that a need has members of the Association, basing perauasion on been felt for this kind of help. Due to drastic the service rendered them through the Employ- budget cuts, it has been welcomed. ment Committee as well as the contacts that may As a result of letters sent by the Membership be established through affiliation with local chap- Chairman to those non-members to u-hom publi- ters of the Association. cations have been sent, one institutional and nine In the pages of SPECI.~.LIDRARIES we have active members were secured. recorded some encouraging activities in employ- Notices of the Con~mittee'sactivities appeared ment, and this in addition to reports at conven- in the state library bulletins of Indiana, Kansas, tions has stimulated registration of special New York and \\'isconsin. Thus, the distribution librarians from all parts of the country. We have of these specialized publications was brought to some registrants from all of our local chaptera in the attcntion of those libraries which need them the national file. Seven of the 26 requests to 611 most - where s~cializedcollections are being special library positions came from cities other developed, but whose need is not sufficient to than New York and from different parts of the warrant the purchase of the latest editions. country. Numerous requests uere received as a result. Since the Employment Committee's work is MRS. MILDREDCLMP CHAYBERLIN, Newark, done purely for the purpose of professional bet- Choirnran 168 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-Augud, 1934

COMMITTEE ON COOPERATION IN BUSINESS LIBRARY SERVICE GROWTH OF THE WORK Sept. 1931- June 1932- Oct. 1933- June 1932 Oct. 1933 June 1934 Libraries receiving publications ...... 37 82 110 Publtc...... 26 .. 59 .. 59 .. State ...... University. .... Spec~al...... la .. Libraries contributing publications . .... :.. . i9 . 22 .. 37 Publications distributed...... 371 . . 821 . . 1,313.

What Each National Group Has Done During the Year A Summary

N ANY review of the reports of the various their wlshes, have agreed to sponsor a proposed I Groups of the Association, one cannot help ordinance to provide for systematic distribution but be impressed, not only by the accomplish- of municipal documents, by cities of 100,000 ments In themselves, but by the tremendous population and over. enthusiasm brought to their initiation and con- The second con~mitteehas concentrated on the tinuation, and by the breadth of our interests, as compilation of a manual on public administration evidenced by the scope of our activities. libraries, which left the press on June 9th, and To recapitulate briefly: which may be purchased through Public Ad- min~strationService of Chicago. Such manuals Conznrerce - CARRIEMA~DE JONES, Chairman ore definitely needed by every Group, and this With the division of the Commerce-Technology one is so beautifully done that it might well serve Group, there was inevitably a vast amount of as a model for future publications of this type, sorting and separating before either of the new though all Groups might not have such fortunate Groups could really get into their strides. The affiliations in the matter of publication. Commerce Group has carried on the excellent Not content with these major achievements, Water Transportation Bibliography, and also the the Group is now organizing a committee for con- Book Review project, this last through a joint sideration of subject headings for material in the committee held over from the old Group align- field of social science. ment One Book Review Bulletin of 52 pages was compiled. Financial - EMMAM. BOYER,Chairman Information on subject headings and classifica- At the Chicago Convention, the Financial tion practices has been collected, and i~ is hoped Group, after consideration of a list of proposed may be put into form available for distribution. projects, agreed to concentrate on a Book Review A group news bulletin was attempted, but was Bulletin. Two of these have been distributed to found to be impracticable under existing cir- the 150 members of the Group, in the attempt Lo cumstances. meet the need for critical estimates of financial Civic-Social - LUCILEL. KECK,Chairman publications. A bibliography of "Mimeographed, Multigraphed and Other Near Print Publications The Civic Social Group has ~lrrieclon through of the Federal Government," an outgrowth of a two major committees. The Municipal Docu- discussion at the Chicago meeting, has also been ments Committee has cobperated very closely made available. A list of subject headings has been with a similar con~mitteeof A. L. A. in an attempt prepared, and action upon its availability is now to evolve a satisfactory plan for the centralization pending. of the exchange and distr~butionof such docu- ments to libraries and other research agencies. After exhaustive surveys and questionnaires, the Insurance - EDITHM FLACG,Chairman committees, with full realization of the dificulties The Insurance Group has worked on subject in the way of an immediate consummation of headings, The Insurance Book Review Bulletin, July-Auguat, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 169

and the sale of the pamphlet, "Creation and bers by name, by company when designated, by Development of an Insurance L~brary" type of library and by locality, which in itself is The Subject Headings Committee has ready almost a full year's program. Chapter representa- for presentation a plan for the filing of the several tives were appointed to act as liaison officers, and lists contributed, with 5. L. A,, where they may it is believed that these direct contacts must prove be consulted by anyone interested. helpful in insuringcotiperat~onin Groupactiv~ties. Insurance Book Reviews has proved to be so The Rubber Section has compiled a list of for- valuable that ~t has been promoted to quarterly eign periodicals containing abstracts; at~dover 30 publication. A fine notice in the May Itrdrrstrial books on rubber have been reviewed for the Book Arb Index is indicative of its value not only to Review Committee. A list of subject headings has librarians but to the insurance world at large. been submitted for discussion, and the section has Gratifying sales of the pamphlet above men- under cons~derationplans for (1) a cooperative tioned have been made through circularization of subject index of Abstracts of the Research Asso- instructors of insurance in colleges, and associa- ciation of British Rubber Manufacturers, (2) a tions both here and abroad. unlon list of periodicals in libraries centered in Akron, Ohio, and (3) a brief bibhography on Muserrm - NORAE. CORDIKGLY,Chairman rubber tires and rubber abrasion. The major activ~tyof the Museum Group has The Public Utility Section has directed its been the survey made, bringing out points of efforts to obtaining a complete and up-to-date similarity and difference in museum libraries. list of members. The interests of th~ssection are This mformation was gathered through question- so divers~fied that many are engaged In other naires which were returned by 32 Art - 24 Group activities, so no especial project was Sc~enceInstitutions - a remarkable response In instituted. view of the many demands upon reduced staffs - The Petroleum Section also has had no definite and has been sumniar~zedand turned over to activity, but has plans leading to publicity In oil the committee on the new S. L. A. Directory. mdustry journals. The original replies have been preserved and The Chemistry Section has worked upon plans should be invaluable in future work in this field. for interlibrary loans, exchange of duplicate mate- The Group met officially with the American rial and interchange of discoveries in the way of Association of Museums at Toronto, lMay 30th- short cuts in library methods. June 1st. In connection with the Commcrce Section, a book review bulletin of 52 pages was compiled. Newspaper - ALMAJACOBUS, Chairman After a thorough study ol the situaton, this com- The Newspaper Group has this year, as always, mittee feels that the matter of book reviews been alert to extend its membersh~p,by numerous should be seriously cons~dered,and recommends letters and the distr~butionof the program for the that the Executive Board appoint a committee to present Convention, to a list of 225 newspapers pass upon the possibility of a Technical Book selected for location and circulation. Review Digest, ns an Association project. The Ethics Comm~tteeconducted an interest- It is impossible in a general report of th~ssort ing investigation by questionnaires sent to 125 to treat in detail the work of the Groups in pre- member papers, and other similar hbraries not paring such programs as have been offered at the officially affiliated. Report of this survey is a Group meetings here. The enormous amount of feature of the group program. thought in determining the subjects of greatest The Group sustained a heavy blow in the death interest to each Group, and of effort In obtaining of Mr. Joseph Kwapil of the Philadelphia Ledger, the best informed persons to present these sub- always a prime mover in special library and jects, has provided a list of meetmgs whose only newspaper library activities. drawback is the fact that it is impossible to take advantage of all the good things offered. If the Science-Technology - LOUISEGRIEPENLTROH, days had twice the number of hours, and the Chairman week twce as many days, stdl they would be all Aside from the work of the four sections com- too brief for such a convention as this. Every prising th~sGroup, there has been a general Group Chairman has devoted almost unlimited effort to determine Group affiliation and interest, effort to his job, and the result is plainly evident which has resulted in a more than doubled mern- in increased interest and enthusiasm for our bership. A card file has been made, giving mem- Association as a whole 170 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934 What the Local Chapters Have Done During the Year A Summary +AD the enthusiastic reports on the for exchange and news notes. Pittsburgh and Toyear's"" activities of our local chapters as Cleveland have entered the field this year with submitted by their presidents, is to realize again excellent issues. Pittsburgh even boasts on each the importance of these smaller groups which, number a special cover design. Chapters that are united, go to make up the Sational .Association. not yet offking this service to their members are ! That this link is duly appreciated by both local urged to undertake such a project as soon as ! chapters and by the executwe officers of the na- possible, as it is one of the best means of keeping tional body has been evidenced this year by the the interest and enthusiasm of their members, closer cooperation maintained by the haison and of arousing the interest of prospective officer who was appointed early in 1934 A chap- members ter actwities bulletin was inaugurated with the idea of keeping local chapters informed of proj- DISPLAYOF S. L. A. PVBLIC.~OSS ects completed, underway and planned for the A number of chapters have displayed S. L. A. future. Favorable comment on this undertaking publications at their meetings. This is a service appears in practically every report, lmked with which appears to have proved its worth, as the the hope that th~smay be a continuing policy. opportunity of actually examining the specific publications was much appreciated both by PROGRAMSAND ~IEETISGS members and by outsiders attending the meeting. All chapters this year felt the importance of In several cases this display served to call S. L. A. relating their activities to the times and many to the attcntion of people who were unacquainted meetings were devoted to the S.R.A., Trade with our activities and services, thus making Associations and other pertinent- questions of the extremely important contacts, and incidentally day on wh~ch librarians need to be informed. increasing sales, which of course, forn~sone of Other meetings aimed to make the members our chief sources of income. acquainted with the fac~litiea and services of Special Libraries in their community, and also COMXII~EES to make people outside the profession acquainted Membership. - Membership Committees have with the Association and its work, and with the been particularly active this year. Each one work of individual members. Pittsburgh had a working toward the idea of completely paid-up particularly successful Methods Round Table membership before convention. Miss Manley based on questions used in the Methods Clinic will give in her report, detailed figures to show which was conducted in New York last year. the success that has attended them efforts. Montreal also reports a helpful Methods discus- Employment. - While such a committee has sion. Baltimore devoted one meeting to classifica- been at work in almost all chapters, economic tion and subject headmgs, one to Government conditions have prevented their eflorts from documents as sources of information, and one to bearing fruit. However, Boston has taken this an "experience" meeting where various members opportunity of checking all employment records outlined the scope and organization of their and bringing them up to date, so that they have respectwe libraries. While this may not be as only an active file of registrants. This might well helpful as visits, it serves to inform members on be an inspiration to other chapters. Many of the resources and, of course, more libraries can be chapters cooperated with various Rel~efEmploy- covered in a short time. ment Agencies to the advantage of everyone. News. - Boston, too, I believe, holds the rec- ord for news items with a total of twenty-four Gradually more of our chapters are issuing published during the year. If any other chapter local bulletins. San Francisco's is especially was more successful, no mention was made of it. complete, each issue including announcement of In reporting on committees, attention should the forthcoming meeting, report on the past be called to Cleveland's plan of appointing meeting, news of the National Association, book younger members as chairmen of their commit- reviews, descriptions of two or three San Fran- tees this year They report the experiment as cisco special hbraries, lists of mater~alavailable extremely successful, serving to bring fresh July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES points of view upon the Aswc~ation'sobjectives, should be made, particularly the splendid meeting and as fostering a permanent sense of responsi- devoted to this subject which was held in Baltl- bility toward the chapter and toward the Ka- more recently. However, San Francisco went one tional Association. step further and prepared a thorough survey of Trade Associations in Northern California. The Chapter alm sent a representative to a Pittsburgh has completed and recently issued meeting of the Council of Trade Association exec- their rev~sedunion list. This is a very good plece utives, who brought to the attention of this of work, and the chapter is to be congratulated group the functions and methods of Special on bringing it to completion. Cincinnati, Michi- Libraries and the services available through the gan, Montreal and Philadelphia report Union list Association. projects under way. Every chapter which has not This summary, of necessity, brings you only yet assembled such data should plan to do so as the highlights of the many-sided interests of our soon as circumstances permit. Even though it is chapters. These should serve as a challenge and not possible to publish the results, if the informa- an inspiration for even greater accomplishments tion is assembled at a central point, readily avail- in the future. able to all members, it would prove invaluable. Cincinnati, Baltimore and Philadelphia have NOMINATING COMMITTEE each compiled a local directory of the Special HE Nominating Committee is pleased to Librar~esof their community. Cincinnati suc- Tpresent the following candidates for officers ceeded in having theirs printed in their local of Special Libraries Asmiation: paper. This not only was advantageous from a President, Miss Ruth Savord, Hew York financial angle, but also was extremely good \'ice President, Miss Dorothy Remis, Philadel- publmty. Baltimore issued a 27-page mimeo- phia graphed bulletin containing information about Vice President, Miss Marion Mead, Chicago all special collections available for reference use. Treasurer, Miss Laura Woodward, Baltimore Philadelphia is ready for printing. Montreal is Director, three years, Mrs. Jolan Fertig, Pitts- also working on a Canadian commodities chart burgh similar to that issued in 1931 by our Commerical- Director, two years, Mr. Ford Pettit, Detroit (to Technical group. It is hoped to publish early in complete hlr. Kwapil's term) the fall. Boston sponsored various courses for their Mr. Herbert Brigham and Miss Mary Louise members. That on elementary princrples of cata- Alexander, D~rectors,will complete the roll of loging and classification consisted of twelve les- officers. sons attended by five people; present-day print- It has been the object of this committee to pro- ing craftsmanship was covered in five lectures vide candidates who will insure an efficient, withanattendanceofeleven, while thesame length harn~oniousand representative government for course on construction and treatment of books the Association. We have made no haphazard interested twelve persons. choice, but present in this report the result of Boston has also made an interesting experi- long-considered selection, not only on the basis ment this year in working with the Appointment of individual quality, but also with regard to the Bureaus of Radcliffe and Wellesley Colleges and special needs of the Association and to the ideal the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. balance between experience and new ideas. We The chapter sends notices of its meetings to these have tried to insure, through group and geo- Bureaus which, in turn, pass them on to students graphical representation, as many direct contacts who may be interested. As a result, aeveral stu- with the board as is possible with an efficient dents have attended each of the last three meet- administration. ings, thus calling to their attention Special Our candidates are known through their Librarianship as a career and helping in the activities in the Association, and need no individ- mruiting campaign of the National Association. ual iritroductioris to this body Respectfully submitted, EDITHM. hl \TTSOS, Chicago Proof that Special Librarians are alive to the (AIRS.) I

Outgoing Mail

THEROOSEVELT, June 29, 1934 those who had no committee or board responsi- Dear Mary Jane: bilities. That was the last quiet moment. ASN'T I glad that you urged me to bor- The lobby was a grand jam the first thing w row the money and come on to New York Wednesday morning, and was I glad I had regis- for the S. L. A.! It was fun to get back into har- tered the day before! The busy people at the desk ness again, especially now that I am all settled could hardly keep up with those who wanted for the fall. I've had a swell chance to reestablish attention. I saw any number we both know - contacts with the people I used to know, and, Laura Woodward, Marron Mead, Sue Wuchter, although the pocketbook is pinched, I've had a K. Dorothy Ferguson all the way from California, gorgeous time. Marion Todd down from Boston. The new I~bra- As for news about the convention, my head is rian of the Tennessee Valley Authority was whirling! Of course Xew York is a thrill in itself. pointed out to me, deep In conversation with Mrs. I don't know whether ~t means that things are Dorn. Mr. Cutter was there on his way back to looking up, but never have I been to a convention Bermuda. There were any number of attractive, with more interesting activities or a greater feel- snappy-looking people new to me also. I lwked Ing of unified effort and spontaneous friendliness. for Mr Brigham, but heard that he wasn't able I landed at the Roosevelt in the midst of that to make it this year since the legislature was in downpour Tuesday morning, just in time to session. That's one of the penalties of being an register and catch a train for the luncheon for important person. I missed Rose Vormelker, visiting librarians at Schdt's In Sewark. Did Grace England, Jessie Callan, and Margaret you have bad weather that day? We werc hav- Reynolds also. mg a flood, but in spite of that, the crowd kept I sent you a copy of the program, so you can SchraKt's busy adding tables-and at that, I see how hard it was to decide what meeting to heard they had prepared for fifty! And did every- attend so as to mlss the least In fact, it was very one have a good time! And was the food delicious! hard to go to meetings at all because of so many You should have seen Ruth Savord cornered by people you wanted to see. the photographer. The Newark Committee cer- The Financial Group meeting was a big draw- tarnly deserves congratulations on what they ing card, so I decided to take that In. I was in- have put over. Alma Mitchill had plans for those terested to see Rollin Sawyer of the New York of us who wanted to go to one place or another Economics Dwision. Mr. Reecc of Columbia was all worked out. "Rademaeker's" rallied round in on the spot also, and I caught a glimpse of Dr. great shape. I learned a lot there and then had a Gerould of Prmceton later In the week. nice visit and some delic~ousice cream at the There is no use my telling you about the speak- hluseum ers. After all, you will see most of their papers, I Of course the rain wrecked the garden party hope, but you won't hear so much about who was plans, which was just too bad; still refreshments around. You remember I was a little hesitant were served! Marian Manley was in the entrance about coming alone to the convention because 1 court to welcome special l~brariansand see that thought it would be hard not to have a running they came through with no delay. We were shown mate. Now I don't know but you have a freer the lovely garden we mght have been in, and time by yourself, -at least to meet people. taken to where Miss Winser was d~spensmghos- Rebecca Rankin was, as always, her cordial self. pitality. I remember years ago seeing her in Mr. Alcott was on hand with his friendly geetings Newark, and she is as much of a person as ever. and an attractive daughter in his train. In fact I In spite of all the excitement in New York, I saw gathered there was quite a delegation from Bos- that both the out-going and in-coming pres~dents ton. I saw them separately and collectively, and were there, as well as Florence Bradley and Dor- they were a most impressive array. Baltimore othy Bemis, Marion Rawls and Mrs. Wells from sent a number also. Chicago, Mr. Alcott down from Boston, and any Do you remember that delightful Mrs. Fertig number of other valiant souls. I went back to from Pittsburgh, who was running such an inter- Sew York feeling the trip had been a great suc- esting program when we stopped over for a meet- cess. ing there last fall? She was around, looking as That evening there was an Advisory Council pretty as ever and just as concentrated on the meeting going on, so I had a pleasant time in the various businesses in hand. lobby renewing old acquaintances with some of Almost everybody seemed to decide to go to July-August, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES the Civ~c-Socialluncheon at the Parkside, and 1 The Roosevelt Hotel did all in its power to went along to see what was doing. It is a very make life pleasant, and the mezzanine Owr seemed pleasant place to eat -high on a roof garden, to be almost entirely ours. The pleasant library and I had a visit with Mildred Potter of Hartford. In the front was a nice place to stop for a quiet She is another who believes in free lancing. Of moment. Any number of tete-A-t&tes could be course working in different parts of the country comfortably cared for in the corridors, and oppor- helps a lot. tunities were no1 missed. And you should have A big crowd turned out for the general session. seen the little dressing tables The acoustics of the ballroom were not suited to All thc meetings and all the luncheons and all most women's voices, although Miss Blunt, who the teas were interesting or festive, as was ap- talked about trade associations and their relation propriate. It would be fun to have a little more to us, was more than equal to the occasion; and time to get together in the halls. It is the year's Mr. James ia independent of amplifiers. We were best chance to see the people you want to see, left in no doubt as to the appreciation felt for our and you feel guilty if you walk out of a meeting - various stars by their respective bosses. To hear but what can you do rf you just spot an intimate the Hon. Morton Baum on the subject of Miss friend of three years ago who is taking the train Rankin and the Municipal Reference Library, in an hour' Mr. James on Miss Bemis, and what she meant The audience stayed pretty well put at most to the faculty of the Wharton School, and Dr of the meetings, though. But the one meeting Dublin on Miss Bradley, to say nothing of what when they were really held spellbound was at the Bruce Barton said about our noble president, was general session Friday morning. Would you have a treat. I don't know that I ever heard such a thought that a business session, and nothing but unanimous chorus of praise before. The nice part a business session, could have had an almost full is that one can cheerfully echo it all. house? That certainly spaks well, both for the Well, you have seen S. L. A, banquets before. indwidual interest felt in the affairs of the associa- You can imagine there were Bome perfectly gor- tion by the members, and for our president's geous gowns present, and some very good looking abdity to bring out that interest. Her report was ladies! It was quite a treat. Everybody had a swell. And what a tremendous amount of work good time. The Mayor actually came, even has been done in the past year! Of course the though a little late Bruce Barton was witty and meetlng was a perfect love feast, but we can en- stimulating Eleanor Cavanaugh was toast- joy that I got a real thrill out of the applause mistress, and knew how to bring out the best in for the president's speech. She even had to take a her victims. The music was a delightful surprise curtain call1 And how gracefully Ruth Savord Altogether, it went off w~ththe usual dash. took over the chair, expressing appreciation, not By the way, here are some copies of a new de- only of the work that had gone on before her, but parture which will help you - CONVENTION the thrilling opportunity for her to do more work. CLATTER. Pretty nice, don't you think? Es- And we know how she turns that out. She was one pecially for a rush job. And don't you like the of those ch~ellyresponsible for our success with plcture of Mary Louise turning over the fleet to Carnegie, you know her successor? I heard rumors that "Snips ant1 You should have heard Dorothy Bemis give Snipes" was responsible, and that is just one her report on the Trade Assoc~ation Project point where I fell down on your instructions. I Well, when you read it yourself, you'll bc stcrnned haven't yet found out who that girl was! I had at the ground covered. The only bright side to the reason to suspect a dashing lady with auburn fact that her leave expires July 1st is that the one curls, and a white dress tr~mmedwith scarlet, and only K. Dorothy Perguson puts her shoulder but I am not sure that IS right. to the wheel for four months1 Guelda Elliott from North Carolina was an- Look here, I am going on and on, and I have other one who believed in free lance travel, and about six dates tomorrow morning. I wlll be from my visit with her I gathered she found her telling you more later on. I hope you see the first appearance at the S. L. A, as delightful an convention a little from this. It certainly was occasion as I found my renewal of old times. She worth everything it cost me. There is nothing was very busy Friday afternoon on the petition likean S. L. A. convention to show you how many for a group for college departmental libraries. friends you have around the country and Itow That has been a pet idea of Linda Morley's for a many things we can get together to do. long time. Now it's well under way. Yours, Sun 174 SPECIAL LIBRARIES July-August, 1934

Publications of Special Interest

Byson, Lyman. State plan for adult education. A symposium of pager. presented at the 1'133 Confer- ence of the American Llbrary Asmuatron by autborihes American Assoc. for Adult Education, N. Y. in llbrary sience. Some of the problems discusvd are the 1934. 69 p. N.p. need for a clearing house for vatious typo of public docu- This describes the history and work of the California ments, the bibliogmphid weaknesses in the field, and moup In its varying phau. and methods. Helpful for those publication trenda. The detailed summary m "Rmnt interested in this type of work. Librarles should be alert Trends" by Mr. Tisdel, showing the preacnt practlee of to such inlormation aa they have a unlque opportllnity for publlcatlon and distribution of documrnta to Ubranes by u,ork in thls field. the various departments of the federal government. will be of eapec~alInterest. Index ~ncluded. Eder, George J. Selected bibliography of cur- rent foreign financial publications. Standard Lyle, G. R. Classified list of periodicals for the Statistics Co., N. Y. n.d. 5 p. Free on request. college library. (Useful Reference Selies No. Publications arranged under bmad geogiaphlcal locall- 51.)F. W.Faxon Co.,Boston. 1934. 102 p. S1.25. Eurow and Domlnlons. Latln Amencn, and Far tles A valuable wide bwk for college libranans In particular East, and subdlvlded by countries Also includes a general and other hbmrians in general, for purchase of periodicals list. Gives tltle and frequency. Basla of selection Is usfful- -both domestic and foreirn Various clas3ified headlnga ness for average financial library Interested In foreign are &en, including chemiatry. English, mathematics. sources of information. Free publicatfons are Indlcated. For each publleatlon there ia given frequency, place of Addresses are not glven. Mlmeo~raphed Doen not include publidion, aubectipt~on prim, date of Vol I, brief official statisrical bulletinn nor trade and tcchnlcnl descriptive annatatmn and index In which periodical IS journals. Tentative plana for the enlargement of this mentloned. The various lnderes themselves arc described. illuminating survey of sources of foreim lnformation and A titlc index to the clam~ficdlist also appcarn. The classi- its prepantion for publication are under way by the fication hendmg Is given at the top of each page-a Financial Group of the S. L. A. dedded advnntnge. English, H. R. Preliminary lists of books. Uni- The arrangement and annotations ahow on the whole. undentandlng of the needs of college Ilbrarlca. Some versitg of Wisconsin, University Extension atrange omissions occur. Tht Journal of Bualness of the Division, Bureau of Business Information, University of Chicago is not included under Buslneca Ad- Madison, Wis. March 15, 1934. Free on re- ministrat~on, and Specld Libraries is omitted under quest. L~braryEconomy, indicating comparative lack of famili- arity with that field. Except tor these erron. the bnok ia Subjects covered hy individual lists are business. an extremely u~cfuladdition to a workmg library. finance, including credita and collect~ona, business management, inveatmenta and speculation, office manage- ment, personnel management, real estate. salesmanship, Manley, M. C. Business information -keys to aecretarial work. These are aclcctcd lists of books recom- special flelds. Business Branch of Newark mcndcd for reference use Dncriptive not- are given for Public Library, Newark, N. J. June 1934. 2 p. those entries published withln the last three yearn. Each lob. list is arranged nlphabetically by author niving - Mde. author - titlc. pubhaher and date. Prim nre omitted Llsta apcdal bibliographic, that collected, would act because of constant changes. Mimeographed. as keys to the major fields of business enterprise. It Ir dwided under the heading, "Book Lilts," "Current Jameson, M. E. Association membership lists. Guides to Businem Readmg;' " Periocllcala," and "Llata Special Libraries Association, N. Y. 1934.39 p. of Directories." SO{. Meixell, Granville. Trade catdog collection: a .~lpllaheticallint of 337 association membership lists en-ine name. address, number of members. brlef derrip manunl with source lists. Special Libraries llon of ther nctivitics where this is not Indicated in name, Association, N. Y. 1934. 53 p. 51.00. and pnce. Subject Index also included. A gdmurce of lrlformation for the commercial appli- eatlon of engineering cqui~mcntis the trade catalog col- Kehl, M. M. Union list of services in 34 hbrmies lectlon- if it is well handled. This manual prnvidn an in Manhattan. Epecial Libraries Asfioehtion, tdeal rude for such a mllectwn. N. Y. 1934. I2 p. 35j. Ti~is.wlth the Handbook of Commercial and Financial Mdyneaur, Peter. What economic nationalism Services and ita supplement, furnishca librarfans with a means to the South. Foreign Policy Aswcia- snurcc of lnformat~onon services and their respectwe tion, N. Y., and World Peace Foundation, Bos- popularity. \Vhilc not complete. It is a beglnnlng and is useful as a qulck rcfcrence tool. ton. (World Affairs Pamphlets, No. 4.) 1934. =P. w- Kuhlman, A. F., ed. Public documents - state, This ia the fourth in a sednof World AKairn Pamphlets municipal, federal, foreign. Policies and prob- published by the Foreign Pollcy Asariatlon and World lems concerning issuance, distributionand use. Peace Foundation. In thls "dlscucaion of one of the moat American Library Association, Chicago. 1954. important issun facing not only the South, but the coun- try as a whole. Mr. Molynmux explalns clearly what 233 p. $1.75. conmuenma a pollw of utmne economic nationallam July-Augcnt, 1934 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 175 would entail for both the South In particular and the Taglor, J. K. Book reviews. Special Libraries country as a whole In general." Association, Commerce and Science-Techaol- ogy Groups, N. Y. 1934. 54 p. 506. National Recovery Administration. Report of the Books published during 1933 and 1931 in the field of New York Committee on the use of leisure science, technolo~yand business. Detalled annotations time. American Assoc. for Adult Education, by apec~alllbnrlana Who have found them useful provide N. Y. an autl~orlLatIvebade for their purchase Arrangement la 1934. 96 p. n.p. by broad aubiects such as advertising, economics, The report covera the present leiaure tlmc opportunities personnel administration. real estate and aalean~anshlp, In New York City and pves recommendatlona for their and glves nuthor, title, number of pages, publisher, date enlargement. A helpful b~bllomphyIs tncluded. and ~ricc.Brd author index M~mmgraphed. Wilcox, J. K. Guide to the oficial publications Rackstrmu, Elsie. Preliminary list of publications of the New Deal administrations (mimeo- of the federal government's emergency graphed and printed). American Library As- agencies. Federal Reserve Board, Washington, sociation, Chicago. 1934. 113 p. 51.00. D. C. June 1934. 14 p. n.p. An excellent mmprel~cnsivecheck list of mlmeogapl~ed Mlmwgrnphed bulletln~lv~ngtltlc, dnteand number of and pnnted omcial publrwtions of all the emergency ad- pages of pubhcntions of emergency agencies not in mln~atntionsfrom March 1933 to Aprll 15. lQ34. Pubhca- esislence before March 3. 1933 (exccptlng Reconstruction tions are listcd under the isaulng bodles, wh~chare ar- Finance Corn ). Thls clear preaentatlon of the number of ranged alphabetically. An index, with n key to abbrev~a- releases clanfies our undentand~ngof this mass of eludve tiona and authority for establishment, makes ~t easy to material. Among the most Important agenclea included find publ~catlonsof any emcrmncy adminratratlon and to are Amcultural Adlustmcnt Admlnistratlon. Farm declpher the Wnshinaton Alphabets. Credit Admin~atrntion.Federal Dewsit Insurance Corn, A chart ahowmg the more Important agencies of the Federal Emergency Relief Adminlatntion (subdivided Federal Government Is included. This publicat~ond~flers under Cwil Wurks Admmiatration, Works Dlv~alon. from "N.R.A. - The New Deal of Buaineaa and Industry Federal Surplua Rehef Corp.. etc). Federal Home Loan -A B~bllogm~hy,"May-August 1933, in that ~t lists Bank Board, National Rccovery Admin~stnlion, and only aficlal publlcatlons, whlle thc other hsts bmks. Tenncsee Valley Authority Dncnptlve notes nre not Pamfihlcfs, commercial smiccs, mngaarnc orlrrles, and rome included but usually enough information is lnd~catedby official publlcatlons as of that date. The first publlcatlon the title. Subdivlded accord~ngto printed and rnimeo- ahould not be dlacnrded becauee of thla wcond since it maphed matcrlal. brings upto-date only the hat of offic~alpubl~catlons

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