Special Libraries, February 1949
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San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Special Libraries, 1949 Special Libraries, 1940s 2-1-1949 Special Libraries, February 1949 Special Libraries Association Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1949 Part of the Cataloging and Metadata Commons, Collection Development and Management Commons, Information Literacy Commons, and the Scholarly Communication Commons Recommended Citation Special Libraries Association, "Special Libraries, February 1949" (1949). Special Libraries, 1949. 2. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1949/2 This Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1940s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1949 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Special Libraries VOLUME40 . Established 1910 . NUMBER2 CONTENTS FOR FEBRUARY 1949 Religious Libraries in Profile . HOLLISWEBSTER HERING The Administration of a Library of Religion . JOHN F. LYONS Classification and Cataloging in Theological Libraries . HELENBORDNER UHRICH The Religious Library and the Professor's Attitude . R. PIERCEBEAVER Cooperation in Boston . FRANCISW. ALLEN It Will Happen in Los Angeles . HAZELA. PULLING Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux Twenty-third Annual Conference, September 17-19, 1948 . RUTH M. JACOBS International Federation of Library Associations Convenes for 14th Session in London . RUTH M. JACOBS SLA Chapter Highlights . SLA Group Highlights . Announcements . Indexed in Industrial Arts Index, Public &airs Information Service, and Library Literature ALMACLARVOE MITCHILL KATHLEENBROWN STEBBINS Editor Advertising Manager The articles which appear in SPECIALLIBRARIES express the views of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinion or the policy of the editorial staff and publisher. SLA OFFICERS, 1948-49 ROSE L. VORMELKER,President Business Information Bureau, Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland 14, Ohio MRS. RUTH H. HOOKER,First Vice-president and President-Elect Naval Research Laboratory, Washington 20, D. C. MELVINJ. VOIGT, Sewnd Vice-president Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh 13, Pennsylvania DAVIDKESSLER, Treasurer . Department of Public Relations, General Motors Corporation, Detroit 2, Mich. MS.KATHLEEN B. STEBBINS,Executive Secretary 31 East Tenth Street, New York 3, New York MRS.IRENE M. STRIEBY,Immediate Past President Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis 6, Indiana DIRECTORS ELMAT. EVANS,Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Buffalo 21, New York. DONALDT. CLARK,Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, Boston 63, Massachusetts. MARGARETHATCH, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, San Francisco 20, California. SPECIAL LIBRARIES published monthly September to April, with bi-monthly issuer May to August, by The Special Libraries Association. Publication Office, Rea Building, 704 Second Ave.. Pittsburgh 19. Pa. Address all communications for publication to editorial offices at 31 East Tenth Street. New York 3, N. Y. Subscription price: $7.00 a year; foreign $7.50: single copier, 75 cents. Entered as second-class matter February 5. 1947, at the Post Office at Pitfsburgh, Pennsyluania, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage prodded for in the Acf of February 28, 1925, authorized February 5, 1947. Essential Books for Every Religious and Social Science Library FEBRUARY AMERICAN SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHIES Edited by LOUIS FINKELSTEIN,President, Jewish Theological Seminary What do I believe in and why? Fifteen noted Americans, representing a variety of races, religions and occupations, vividly answer this question in intimate, personal terms that will provide inspiration and guidance to every American. $4.00 THE FAMILY OF TOMORROW by CARLEC. ZIMMERMAN,Professor at Harvard University ". a book which could be significantly helpful in saving our civilization."- PROFESSORF. ALEXANDERMAGOUS, hi. I. T. A popular history of the family, illuminating the serious threat to our cultural stability growing out of our weakened moral values, and proposing a solution. $3.50 THE FAMILY: Its Function and Destiny Planned and edited by RUTH NANDAANSHEN "This book does more than clarify thought on a vital question; it actually creates thought."-No~~~~CO~SINS, Editor, Saturday Review of Literature. Twenty promi- nent authorities here throw light upon the problem of the modern family against the background of the complicating social forces of today. $6.00 GROUP WORK WITH AMERICAN YOUTH A Guide to the Practice of Leadership by GRACECOYLE, Professor of Group Work, Western Reserve University ". represents a professional contribution in refining and defining the group work rnethod."-Ju4~1~\ LICK, IJ. Y. Children's Bureau. ". gets eminently down to the meaningful facts that give us further con~prehensionof our society."-ROBERT RI. RIACIVBR.Columbia LTniver>ity. $3.50 ORGANIZING FOR COMMUNITY ACTION by CLARENCEKING, Professor of Community Organization, N. Y. School of Social Work A valuable guide for all con~munitylraders on the strategies of effective conununit) effort. ". brings this thing called 'community organization' down to earth and makes it intelligible to both volunteers and professionals."-Survey Midmonthly. $3.00 AT YOUR BOOKSTORE OR FROM HARPER & BROTHERS 49 East 33rd st. ~ewYork 16, N. Y. Please Mention Special Libraries When Answering Advertisements RELIGIOUS LIBRARIES IN PROFILE By HOLLIS WEBSTER HERING Formerly Librarian, Missionary Research Library, New York, N. Y. HEY were discussing the sermon universe." The staffs of religious libra- preached that morning by the ries suffer from an occupational disease Tyoung theological student, and of acute indigestion due to feeling the over which he had agonized at the semi- pressure to "describe the universe and nary. "But, heck!" protested the deacon give examples." We now, I hope, under- a bit indignantly, "thet wan't theology; stand to what we refer in this intro- thet wuz jest common sense." Well, per- ductory survey when we use the term haps the deacon's judgment was based "religious library." on a different definition of theology TYPES OF RELIGIOUS LIBRARIES from that understood by the student. In general, there are three major Definitions may seem prosaic, but they types of religious libraries : are generally useful, and frequently es- 1. There are the libraries in such sential if we are to understand what the theological seminaries as are themselves, other fellow is talking about. Let us, in turn, integral units of greater educa- therefore, start with a definition or two. tional institutions. These seminaries DEFINITION OF A RELIGIOUS LIBRARY may or may not have a denominational What do we mean by "religious li- tinge. Princeton Theological Seminary brary"? For this survey, let us say that is frankly Presbyterian (U.S.A.); one a library is a collection (indeterminate of the cherished possessions of the Di- in size) of ideas inscribed in such vinity School of Southern Methodist permanence of form that their record- University in Dallas, Texas, is a lovely ing may be consulted by various people little room devoted to Wesleyana; while at varying times. We fully recognize the Divinity School of the University the multitudinous materials which, in of Chicago goes its way in proud impar- the course of time, have been used to tiality to such denominational divisions. ensure the desired permanence:-walls It is obvious, however, that in all re- of caves, stone, papyrus, vellum, paper, ligious libraries of this type problems of microfilm, etc. Furthermore, we are scope and implementation are greatly quite aware that methods of inscribing influenced by proximity to and co-opera- , these recordings have been equally tion with the university libraries and numerous-as for example, pictographs, their centralized processes. There is no cuneiform, heiroglyphics, hand illumina- need for the seminary library to allo- tions, braille, print. In this paper, how- cate funds from its limited budget for ever, discussion is being limited to li- purchases in fields well covered by its braries of the present day in the U.S.A. university library, as for example, his- And "religious"? Here the American tories of foreign countries, techniques College Dictionary gives us yeoman ser- of physical anthropology, problems of vice, defining religious as "pertaining to mapping new terrains, etc. Nor need the quest of the values of the ideal life, it maintain a large cataloging staff involving the ideal, the practices for at- when much of its cataloging is done for taining the values of the ideal, and the it in this department of its university world view relating the quest to the library. environing universe." Please note that 2. There are the libraries in what here we are confronted by the formid- may be termed non-attached semina- able breadth of scope indicated in the ries. Such seminaries are frequently de- phrases "world view" and "environing nominational in origin and support, a 44 SPECIAL LIBRARIES [February condition bearing sharply on the con- the Bible, and its Library contains up- tent of the library. General Theological, wards of 16,000 significant issues of in New York City, serves Episcopalians; this Book or parts of it. These are in Lutherans will think at once of Mt. over 900 different languages or dialects Airy; an Evangelical and Reformed with a known 200 other written lan- Seminary is at Lancaster, Pa.; there is guages not yet