Special Libraries, April 1930

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Special Libraries, 1930 Special Libraries, 1930s

4-1-1930

Special Libraries, April 1930

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, 1930 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 21 April, 1930 No. 4 How The Public Library Serves The Business Man

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THE EDWARD KlRSTEIN MEMORIAL LIBRARY, The New Buslnerra Branch of thc Boston Fubllc Llbrary

San Francisco, Calif. JUNE 18, 19, 20, 21

Entared u mcond class matter at the Post OfBce, Providence, R. I. under the Act 01 Mmreh 3. 1879. Aeesptrnm lor mailing at mpecid nb 01 postage provided for In &Ion 1108, A& 01 Chtobr 8, 1917 muthorlred October 22, 1927. Rat-: $6.00 m yemr. Forelen $6.60; dnglo copies 60 cent.. 102 SPECIAL LIBRARIES ~~ril;1930 1909 . Special Libraries Association 1930 Executive Board I~wrrsmcsr-K~llrmAlcott, L~l~mllnn,Boston Globe, Boston, llass FIRST~ICI:-~RCSIDE.\T->I~~S Florence Umdlc), Librarmn, .\Ierroyol~tanLifc Insurn~~ceCo., Sew S'ork, S Y. Sccosn \'ILI:-Pacs~ur-ST-1Iiss llargarct Reynolds, Librarian, F~rst\V~sconsin Sational Bank, ll~lwaukcc,\\ 15consin TR~:.\s~-u~R-~I~SSEli7abcth (1 Cullcn, Reieren~eLibrnt~an, Burcau uf Railway Econom~cs, \Vasll~ngton,D. C. D[a~c~o~ts-FrancisE. Cad?, Cleveland, Ohio; IIiss Elcanor S Cnldnaugh, Librar1.1r1,Standard Stntistics CO , Sea- York CI~J,Arthur E Rostn-ick, L~brdr~an,Public L~bra~y, St Lours, 110.; Angus Flctchcr, L~brman,UII~IS~I Librnr! of lnlor~nation,Sew York. S. Y General Office ESPCLTI~TSI-CR~T.\RY-.\I~S. hly H. Brigham, 11 Xisbet Stleet, Providence, R. I. Phonc, Plantat101isOi89.

Convention Committees

\Ir Tlion~.~sConlcs, Cha~rman;3I~s I< Dorothy Ferguson, Acting Chairman; lliss Gracc n-cbbe~,llrs. L. C. \Yillcms

Snn F~nllc~sco,3Irs. A. 11. Caja, Cli~lrman,llrs Lundgren, I-irgmia Rucker, Ruth Snider, Miss Scston, Bonnie D. Strong; Los Angeles, Mrs. Annc Leidendeker, Ruth E. Jones, Anna Frey; Nc\\ York, Eleanor S. Cawnaugh, Florence Bradley, Florence Li'agner; Chicago, Ed~th 3I;\ttson; Pittsburgh, Henrietta I

Snn Francisco, Miss Margaret Hatch, Annette Wmdelc, Dorothy IGisher, William A. \Vorthing- ton, Mrs. Agnes Reinero; Los A~~geles,Guy E hlarion, U).IOIIE. Edaards, Joscpllme Hol- 1111gs\\orth;Sew York, hlary Louise Alexander, Narguer~teBurnett

Regislruliorr Comnrz/tee Snn F~ancisco,Margaret 31. hl~ller;Los Angeles, Miss M. G. Robertson. Altendut~ceConzniittee Los Angeles, R.~lpliA1 \l7liit~ng. Travel Cornmiltee Neu I'ork, Angus Fletcher, Chairman, Mary LouiseAlexander; Washington, El~zabeth0. Cullen.

Publrcity Commrltee San Francisco, Miss R. Turner, Chairman, Isabel H Jackson, Los Angelcs, Miss M. G. Robertson; New l'ork, Florcnce Wagner; Chicago, Mildred Burke; Detroit, Ford M Pettit; Boston, W~llnrnAlcott; Cleveland, Elsie Vogt; Cincinnati, Edyth Cowe, Pittsburgh, Jessie Callan, Philaclclpl~in,Joseph k'wapil; Milwaukee, Margaret Reynolds. Contents ARTICLES Boston's New Business Library. By William Alcott ...... 110 Business Branch in San Francisco. By Anita Levy ...... 121 Business Branch of the Providence Public Library.. By. Dorothy G. Bell 114 Business Idea in Libraries. By Rose Vormelker ...... I1 I Economics Division of the New York Public Library. By R. A. Sawyer 1 18 Public Library's Service to Business Men. By Marian C. Manley .... 107 Publicity for Public Business Libraries ...... 122 Service to Business Men through the Savannah Public Library. By Ola M. Wyeth ...... I 19 What Indianapolis is Doing. By Ethel Cleland...... 115

CONFERENCE DEPARTMENTS Annual Conference ...... 125 Hotels ...... 127 Associations...... 130 Nominating Committee.. ..123 Classification and Indexing ..... 127 Program ...... 126 Editorials...... 124 San Francisco Day Letter ... 127 Events and Publications...... 133 NOTFS- Hartford ...... 1 17 Personal Notes ...... 132 Wichita ...... 109 President's Page ...... 124

Editorial Board EDITOR, Herbert 0. Brigham, State Library, Providence, R. I. Associate Editors D. N. Handy, Insurance Library Association of Boston; M. E. Pellett, Library The Port of New York Authority; Rebecca B. Rankin, Municipal Reference Library, New York City. Department Editors Charlotte L. Carmody, Department of Commerce Library, Washington, D. C. Ethel Cleland, Business Branch, Public Library, Indianapolis, lnd. Elizabeth 0. Cullen, Bureau of Railway Economics, Washington, D. C. Emilie Mueser, Engineering Societies Library, New York City. Louise Keller, Independence Bureau, Philadelphia, Pa. Marion C. Manley, Business Branch, Public Library, Newark, N. J. Mary C. Parker, Federal Reserve Bank, New York City. Margaret Reynolds, First Wisconsin National Bank, Milwaukee, Wis. A. A. Slobod, General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y.

- - - - Special Libraries .Published Monthly September to Aprll, bl-monthly May to August by THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Publicat~onOffice, 11 Nisbet Street, Providence, R. I. All payments should be made to Special Libraries Association, 11 Nirbet Street, Providence, R. I. SPECIAL LIBRARIES April,' 1930 Institutional Members

California Metcalf & Eddy, Boston Los Angeles Public Library, Lor Angelen Social Law Library, Boston - Standard Oil Company of California, San United Fruit Company, Boston Francisco Pacific Gas & Electric Co., San Franciaco Michigan Connecticut Detroit Newr, Detroit Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Co., Hartford Detroit Public Library, Detroit Yale University Library, New Haven General Motors Corporation, Detroit Delaware du Pont de Nemours, E. I., Wilmington Kaneas City Power & Light Company, Kansas City Byllesby & Co., H. M., Chicago Chicago Tribune, Chicago Commonwealth Edison Company, Chicago Bakelite Corporation. Blwmfield. Elizabeth McCormick Memorial Fund, Chi- Combustion Utilities Corporation, Linden, cago N. J. Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Chicago New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, Newark Insurance Library of Chicago Newark Public Library, Business Branch, Museum of Science and Induatry, Chicago Newark Public Service Corporation of New Jeraey, *Peoples Gas Light & Coke Co., Chicago Newark Indiana Standard Oil Development Co., Elizabeth Lincoln National Life Insurance Co., Fort Wayne New York Marylmd Alexander Hamilton Institute, New York Consolidatcd Gas, Electric Light & Power American Bankers' Association, New York Co., Baltimore American Electric Railway Association, New Maryland Casualty Co., Baltimore York American Geographical Society, New York Massachusetts American Institute of Accountants, New York Baker Library-I-Iarvarcl School of Business American Management Association, New York Administration, Boston American Museum of Natural History, New Boston Elevated Railway, Boston York Boston Globe, Roston American Society of Mechanical Engineera, Christian Science Monitor, Boston New York Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Boston American Telephone & Telegraph Co., General Federal Reserve Rank of Boston Library, New York First National Bank, Roston American Telephone & Telegraph Co., Law Insurance Library Association of Boston Library, New York Jackson & Moreland, Boston Association of Life Insurance Presidents, New Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Li- brary, Cambridge York Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., Baker & Taylor Co., New York Springfield I ankers Trust Co., New York Massachusetts State Library, Boston Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, New York Wow memben jolned dnce Iwt laaus a1 Spdal Llbmdu. Aprd, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES

Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York Time, Inc., New York Blackman Co., New York United States Rubber Company, New York British Library of Information, New York Walker Brothers, New Yark. Brooklyn Edimn Company, Brooklyn Western Union Telegraph Company, New York Brookmire Economic S~rvice,New York White & Kemble, New York Child Study Aeaociation, New York Wilson Co., H.W., New York Cleanliness Institute Library, New York Consolidated Gas Co. of New York Ohio Davisson, Manice, New York Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus. Doherty, Henry L. & Co., New York Ohm Oil Co.. Findlay Electric Bond & Share Co., New York Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati Federal Reserve Bank of New York Oklahomr Ford, Bacon & Davis, New York U. S. Burcau of Mines, Bartluville General Electric Co., Main Library, Scht- nectady Pmnsyl~mia Grant Co., W. T., New York Armstrong Cork Co., Lancaster Grosvenor Library, Buffalo Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Guaranty Company of New York Houghton, E. F. & Co., Philadelphia Haskina & Selb, New York Jones & Laughlin Steel Company, Pittsburgh Industrial Relations Counselorr, New York Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh. John Price Jones Corporation, New York New Jersey Zinc Co., Palmerton Library Bureau hio on, Rernington Rand Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, Business Service, New York Philadelphia McCall Company, New York Philadelphia Company, Pittsburgh McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Inc., New York Philadelphia Electric Company, Philadelphia Merchants Association of New York Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company, Phila- Metropolitan Life Insurancc Company, New delphia York *Philadelphia Rccord, Philadelphia Municipal Reference Library, New York Pittsburgh Railways Company, Pittrburgh National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, Provident Mutual life Insurancc Cob, Pbila- New York delphia. National City F~nancialLibrary, New York School of Fine Arts, Univ. Penna., Philadelphia National Investors Corporation, New York Westinghouse Electric Research Library, En New Jersey Zinc Company, New York Pittsburgh Wyomissing Trade School, Wyomissing New York Telephone Company, New York New York Times, The, New York Rhoda Island North American Company, New York Rhode Island State Library, Providence Port 01 New York Authority, The, New York Wisconsin Putnarn's Sons, G. P., New York First Wisconsin National Bank, Milwaukee Railway & Utilities Inventing Corp., New 'K~rnbcrly-Clark Corp., Kimberly. York Marshall Ilsley Bank, Milwaukee Russell Sage Foundation, New York On.& Schwarzschild, Otto P., National Statistical Service, New York Hydroelectric Powet Commission of Ontario, Selected Industries, Inc., New York Toronto Sinclair Refining Co., New York Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada, Toronto Standard Brands, Inc., New York Inrurance Institute of Montreal, Montreal. Standard Statistics Company, New York Royal Bank of Canada, Montreal Sutro & Company, New York Toronto Transportation Cornmimion, Toronto Special Libraries

Yol. 20 APRIL, 1930 No. 4

PUBLIC LIBRARY BUSINESS NUMBER HERBERT 0. BRIGHAM MARIAN C. MANLEY Edltor Speclnl Edltor The Public Library's Service to Business Men Its Development and Present Phase By Marian C. Manley, Branch Librarian, Business Branch of the Newark Public Library HAT constitutes the service that supplemented by pamphlets in the same W public libraries give to business field. men? They use the different depart- A directory collection is the back-bone ments of all large lib~ariesin varying of this service. In certain libraries, city degrees. The picture collection, the directories are looked upon a little technical collection, the general history askance as being of use only for mailing collection, the economic collection, all list houses. This point of view is short at some time have their uses in the world sighted. All directories are keys to of business, thus any progressive li- markets, and markets are the founda- brarian can say with a certain amount of tions of commercial life. Not only must justice that his entire library is used for every individual at one time buy, and business. therefore need to know where his pur- There are, however, variations in the chase can be made to the best advantage, degrees of speed and facility in this use. but also all must sell and through the Certain sources of current information directories, a commodity' of any kind are consulted almost entirely by business may be marketed. men, and by them used frequently A11 public libraries, therefore, who though briefly. Libraries where material wish to hold a favorable position with of this type is concentrated in a central, the marketers of their conlmunities easily accessible room or branch and should plan to have available a com- made readily available find that their prehensive collection of this kind. Books service to the business world has in- on current: phases of business activity creased in its efficiency immeasurably. are important but their place in the The type of material most suited to individual's life can be taken to some this purpose has proved to be a com- ehtent by his own experience. For prehensive directory collection including markets he must turn to directories; and those for cities, states and foreign coun- the public library is the place where tries and as many trade directories as these espensive tools may be made avail- are available; a complete collection of able for the whole community. investment manuals ; a collection of state It is such material, directories, invest- and city documents such as the legis- ment services, legislative manuals, trade lative manuals, banking and insurance papers, etc., that business men need for reports; Chamber of Commerce pub- quick reference a dozen times a week. lications, and street maps for cities; and Where it is concentrated in a central a collection of business reading such as easily reached spot with free access, a that found in the outstanding business man can come in, look up his investment, and trade publications and the best find the address of his competitor or current books on business methods, prospect in a distant city, look in a trade 108 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930

directory for the producers of a certain raphy, " 1600 Business Books" was pre- needed commodity and perhaps glance pared by the Business Branch. It was at the latest issue of one or two trade by Miss Ball and under Mr. Dana's papers and go on about his business all direction that the initial pamphlet on in a short time and without delay oc- the establishment of such a branch was casioned by waiting for assistance, or in produced. visiting widely separated departments. Interest in this specialized field grew \Vl~ere a central collection of this and at about the time that Miss Ball special type of material does not exist, resigned from the Newark Public Li- another man may go to one department brary staff to develop a special library for a city directory and because it was for an industrial concern and Miss a minor feature, find the directory out of Linda H. Morley succeeded her, one or date; to another for investment inlorma- two other business libraries were formed tion; to a third for a trade directory -the Minneapolis Business and Muni- bearing on his need in the technical cipal Reference Library, starting in 1916, field; and if he has time, back to one and the Indianapolis Business Branch for his magazine reading;-and in all in 1918. departments needing perhaps a certain In the meantime Mr. Dana's interest amount of help because of the size and had been unabated. He had been an comprehensive nature of the collections. advocate and the first president of the It is the practice of concentrating Special Libraries Association and had selective, current, constantly used busi- contributed articles on this phase of ness material made easily accessible library work to many periodicals. that is an important factor, a factor that provides for enthusiastic support. Miss Morley was quick to fall in with A library that can provide a room or and further his plans for the Branch and branch for this service can still rely on soon after becoming branch librarian, the more extensive collections of other compiled under his direction and with departments for prolonged study of the aid of Miss Kight, "2400 Business certain problems. Here, however, the Books: A guide to business literature" average business man in hundreds can and at the direction of Mr. Dana and be satisfied quickly and sent on his way with the approval of the Board of rejoicing, a warm friend of the library. Trustees, removed all general reading Were he to use instead, a library with- matter from the Branch, so that be- out such a special division, he might find ginning 1918 the Business Branch of in several departments more material the Newark Public Library was the first for prolonged research, but the quick branch of a public library to be solely answer for his immediate question would and entirely devoted to business. not be as easily found in the same time. Newark, with Minneapolis and Indi- His appreciation of the resources would anapolis following some time later, has be over-shadowed by the necessary de- been the pioneer in this work. Within lay. the last few years, however, more li- The development of special work and brarians have realized the value of such special collections for business men in a feature for their communities. A public libraries began in the early part survey undertaken in October, 1929, by of the 20th century when Newark the staff of the Newark Business Branch, started in 1903 a small general down- with the approval of Miss Winser, the town branch with a few trade and city librarian, shows the wide geographic directories and subscriptions to the busi- range of this movement; the libraries, ness magazines then in existence. varying in size, funds and methods, but John Cotton Dana, the librarian, was all making a special effort to reach and interested in this development and he serve business men. imbued with his own enthusiasm the first In New England, Boston is opening Business Branch librarian, Miss Sarah the Kirstein Business Branch, the gift B. Ball. The collection was developed of a Boston business man; for some from a small one to a directory col- years the Providence Public Library lection of 250 volumes. To arouse inter- has had a Business Branch in the rooms est the first important business bibliog- of the Chamber of Commerce: the April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 109

Business Branch of the Hartford Public to build up the collection so as to be Library was established in 1927 and up-to-date and comprehensive in its New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury fields. It consists of directories, invest- have business and industrial and busi- ment services, necessary state docu- ness and technical departments, all ments, business periodicals and specific making special efforts to serve their volumes dealing with all aspects of busi- communities. ness management. For prolonged re- For the Central Atlantic states, Al- search not completely covered by the bany in its general downtown branch is material on file at the Business Branch endeavoring to build up such a collection there is access to the circulating and and service. The new Queens Borough reference collections at the main library Library plans to establish a separate and the reference resources of the New business room. Trenton, in its Business York Public Library and certain private and Technical Department, is doing libraries in New York. well in this line, while the Business Because of the definite limitations of Branch in Newark and the Economics this collection, it remains selective and Division in New York continue their not so large but that it can be used with work as established leaders of their re- ease by the public. Here the collections spective types. of directories line the walls apd are The South makes its definite con- in no way fenced off from the library tribution in the Savannah Public Ii- patrons. This increases the ease with brary Downtown Branch where a busi- which the material can be used and ness collection is well under way. permits the time saved the library assist- Through the central portion of the ants to be used in preparing additional country, Pittsburgh in its Business Dis- tools by which the resources are more trict Branch combines general work and closely analyzed. a business collection; Detroit with the In a large library system where there Business and Commerce Division in the is no such branch or room for quickly Down-Town Annex; Indianapolis with satisfying the frequent questioner, the its Business Branch; Cleveland with a library patron must go ill satisfied or the newly established Business Bureau; the time of the assistants who could be using Business and Technical Department of their skill to better advantage is em- the Fort Wayne and Allen County ployed helping one who with this Public Library; and the recently in- selective type of business library could stituted Business and Industrial De- help fiimself. partment of the South Bend Public Such a business room might act in Library; the Business and Municipal New York, Los Angeles or St. Louis Reference Library at Minneapolis; and and will probably act in Cleveland as an the Business Division of the Kansas eliminator of incidental work for the City Reference Department all are extensive reference departments of eco- moving forward with the times, while nomics, applied science, etc., yet acting on the Pacific coast, Portland with its as an agent for these departments in Business and Technical Department, passing on to them patrons who need San Francisco with its new Business the use of these collections. Branch and San Diego with a Business Wichita and Technical Department in an annex Miss Ruth Hammond, Librarian of of the main library building are carrying the Wichita Library, has a readable ar- on pioneer work. ticle in The Wichila Magazine for Decem- Conditions in Newark and in Boston ber 18, 1929, under the title "Wichita are perhaps nearly ideal. Boston will Library Serves Trade Territory". The have not only a well selected collection, writer emphasizes th:'value of the Wich- but the fine resources of the main li- ita Library as a wholesale supply ! brary as well as the Harvard University house" for the neighboring cities in Libraries on call. Kansas. Correspondence with the Li- Newark has for more than ten years brarians covers a wide range of questions had a separate collection entirely de- and shows the service that a large library voted to business in the centre of the can render to smaller libraries in the business section. It has been possible community. SPECIAL LIBRARIES Boston's New Business Library

By William Alcott, President, Special Libraries Association

many years little attention was Fifteen years ago, while James M. FORpaid by librarians to the business Curley was Mayor of Boston, he under- man who wanted help in his business took to provide a business library for or to the individual who desired informa- Boston. The Aldermanic chamber in tion not contained in books of fiction. City Hall was available for that purpose Of late however, conditions have and he commissioned one of the trustees changed. of the Boston Public Library to visit The importance in which business other cities for the purpose of studying as such is held today is shown by the the business library situation. The great business schools which have been trustee selected for this work was established in recent years. The most William F. Kenney, day editor of the conspicuous of these is the Harvard Boston Globe. Mr. Kenney visited Graduate School of Business Ad- Newark and New York. He found that ministration, a cause to which George 200,000 people used the business branch F. Baker has given $6,000,000. in Newark, that 20,000 used the city, The latest addition in Boston in a state and telephone directories; that similar field of service will be the Ed- 15,000 used the maps and atlases; that ward Kirstein Memorial Library, whose 10,000 consulted the reference books, and building is now approaching completion. that 1,000 persons used the typewriter It is located on City Hall Avenue, in the provided for the public. rear of Boston's City Hall, and comes as Mr. Kenney reported in favor of a gift to the city from Louis E. Kirstein, establishing a business branch library one of Boston's outstanding business in Boston, but that was in October, 1914, men, and a trustee of the Boston Public when Europe was ablaze with war, and Library. The memorial is named for his it blocked all plans for the time being. father. At that time, as Lincoln said of another This Edward Kirstein Memorial Li- war, "neither party expected for the brary building is the second building in war the magnitude or the duration which America to be erected for a business it attained." So not until Mr. Kirstein library, the first being in Newark, N. J. came forward with his generous offer to But the Edward Kirstein Memorial provide a building to contain a business Library is the first business library build- branch library was it possible for Boston ing to be erected in the United States as to proceed with its long cherished plan a gift of a business man. There are for a business library. nearly 70 cities in the United States The Edward Kirstein Memorial Li- which are giving business library ser- brary will include the besi features vice, but not more than a dozen give of all the other business branch li- this service through a separate business braries in this country, and will have branch. other additional distinctive advantages. John Cotton Dana who started that For some years the Boston Public first business branch library, was a Library, under the direction of Charles believer in the great value of that sort F. D. Belden, has had a working ar- of information and he started the busi- rangement with the great Harvard Busi- ness branch library in Newark in the ness Library by which the bnoks of face of severe criticism from many of the that collection are made available to the old-type librarians. But he became in Boston Public Library. By another ar- a few years the most valuable librarian rangement the books of the Harvard in this country, if not in the world, if University Library, the third largest value is to he measured by salary re- collection in America, are ~nacleavail- ceived, for he was given the largest able. Mr. Belden also hopes to make salary ever paid at that time to a an arrangement with the many special librarian. libraries in Boston for co-operation in April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 111 supplying information through this busi- ing is to be perhaps the outstanding ness library. center in America lor obtaining in- The person who will have charge of the formation helpful to business in its Edward Kirstein Memorial Library has widest sense. It will have a live col- been selected. The librarian will be lection of books and material. It will Mrs. Mary Watkins Dietrichson, who have the pick of books on many sub- was for 12 years in charge of the Minne- jects. Through the Roston Public apolis Business Branch Library, one of Library we have an arrangement with the outstanding business libraries of the the Harvard Business Library which will great Middle West. Added to that give the people of Boston ur~usual experience has been a year of service facilities. We are also planning for an at the Harvard business library and advisory board of special librariaris on another year in the statistical depart- the selection of books, and we are looking ment of the Roston Public Library, for co-operation of the special libraries which she has re-organized, and Boston in this vicinity. is to be felicitated upon having a person The new building is expected to be of such exceptional training for the new ready in the Spring of 1930, the year of Edward Kirstein Memorial Library. Boston's tercentenary, and its dedica- In speaking of the Edward Kirstein tion will not be the least among the Memorial Library, Mr. Belderi said : many notable events which are planned "The Edward Kirstein Memorial Build- for the coming year." The Business Idea in Libraries By Rose L. Vormelker, Business Research Librarian, Cleveland Public Library

years the Cleveland Public Li- in nature to belong to the separate FORbrary has been serving the business subject divisions. It served business interests of Cleveland through its cen- with its year books, city and trade trally located Main building. The directories, gazeteers, pamphlet and library units most instrumental in serv- clipping files, business services, governing business and industrial Cleveland ment reports, indexes, cable codes and were the Stations Department; and the other up-to-the-minute material. General Reference, the Technology and With its engineering pocket books, the Sociology Divisions of the Main books on business administration and Library. advertising, books on trades, govern- The Stations Department has placed ment statistics, professional pt~blica- collections of books in 118 agencies. tions, and foreign and domestic period- Of these, nineteen are in factories, six icals concerning industries, the Tech- in ofices and banks, and four in depart- nology Division made a specialty of ment stores. In addition to these col- having reading matter along trade, lections, it makes available all of the technical and business lines and gave resources of the library by means of special service often amounting to re- reserves and telephone service. When search work in the fields of technology possible, specific material so requested and industry. is sent to the client by the regular The Sociology Division also had a delivery service. On other occasions, large share in the library's contribution reference sources are laid aside and made to business interests. Here was to be ready for the client's use when hc comes found the material on statistics, corpora- into the Main Library. tion organization, banking, investments, The General Reference Division, public utilities, finance, real estate, in- strategically located on the first floor surance, economics, as well as law, of the Main Library housed all the political economy, social service, capital cyclopedic and other material too general and labor, and education. 7 * iia SPEC~ALLIBRARIES ~pril,1930 As business became more and more 5. More publicity of our business re- complex and assumed the dignity of a sources, including the publica- profession, it was evident that the li- tion of a monthly business bul- brary must make some intensive effort to letin. co-ordinate all of these facilities and to 6. Co-ordination with all depart- develop others. The Stations Depart- ments in the library and co- ment with its many contacts already operation with outside sources of established in some of the leading manu- information. facturing and business organizations seemed to afford an obvious starting With the idea in mind of giving even point for such efforts. Interviews with more effective service to Cleveland busi- the executives of these organizations ness men, it was found necessary to were arranged, in which we conferred organize the work as a separate Bureau on the library's esisting facilities to be rather than as a division of the Stations used for their service and on its further Department. development for their business needs. To this end, on December 17, 1929, The results of these interviews proved the Business Information Bureau was to us that our path was not to be without organized and moved to the second floor thorns. Some, of course, were en- of the Main Library in the room ad- thusiastic about the fact that the public joining the Technology Division and library was interested in serving business formerly used for the Patent collection. intensively. Others assured us it was a This location affords the nearest ap- hopeless task. "Public libraries are proach to a central or single place for too conservative," "take too long to get business and industrial "print" possible things," "have too many rules that make in Cleveland Main Library building. their use impractical," "staff doesn't Here are available: the commercial appreciate our needs or know the sources and investment services, market analysis of information," "can't get what you studies, and trade directories and cable need when you need it." Several men codes formerly found in the General expressed surprise that the public li- Reference Division; the books, pamph- brary should make any attempt to serve lets, periodicals and special reports on business executives, but made very help- such subjects as statistics, business fore- ful suggestions for such a development. casting, banking and finance, invest- These objections and suggestions were ments, public utilities, corporation pro- exactly what we needed to guide our cedure, formerly housed in Sociology; course. They helped to clarify our prob- and books, pamphlets, periodicals and lem which simmered down to: special reports on transportation, foreign trade, office management, factory and 1. Speedier routine for book ordering. business organization and management, 2. Book selection from a more in- foremen training, industrial savings and tensive business point of view. insurance plans, salesmanship and advertising, formerly a part of the Tech- 3. Re-consideration of "reference nology Division. only" rules. In addition, an important feature of 4. Developing the library's collection the idea is to utilize and co-ordinate the of such material as: a. Bank, material in other divisions in answering advertising agency, and brokers a specific question. This can be illus- letters and reports on business trated with some of our retail trade and economic conditions; b. questions. Take e. g. the question of Trade catalogs; c. House organs style. Considerable material on this (especially for Cleveland) ; d. subject is readily available in the Busi- Government mimeographed re- ness Information Bureau, such as re- leases (the list compiled by the ports of the American Management Financial Group of the Special Association, the Metropolitan Life In- Libraries Association has been surance Company, the National Retail indispensable in checking for Dry Goods Association, and periodicals, these) ; e. Publications of various such as Retailing, and books on retail Research Bureaus. trade. Other books may be classified in April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 113

700ts, for example, Nystrom's Eco- on various subjects and to lists of recent nomics of Fashion, and still another is business "print." classified in 300's, e. g. Hurlock's Psy- Some lypical pzdestions: chology of Dress. And the end is not yet-some of the periodicals in the Series of stock prices that goes back general periodical room, Brett Hall, also to 1875 that may be compared with the have material on this subject and need Dow-Jones series. to be consulted. Operating costs of various makes of motor trucks. In such cases the Business Informa- Forecast of corditions in the leather tion Bureau acts as the liaison office, industry. and gets the material to the reader Price of cet tain chemicals. rather than to refer the reader to the List of mergers. various divisions. Comparative figures on amount of Manufacturers, bankers, statisticians, freight carried by rail, air, water and research workers, office esecutives as trucks. well as clerks and students are numbered Prices of various stocks. among our clientele. Manufacturers ask Stock of record dates for various for information on new uses for their stocks. products; new prospect lists; business Statistical data on various industries, and trade conditions; wage rates and e. g. bottle industry. labor conditions; industrial savings and steel barrels. insurance plans; statistical data on paper boxes. specific industries. sewer pipes. Investors use the Bureau to check up Employment in Cleveland in 1929. their holdings and the usual questions Denartment store sales in Cleveland asked by this group are: "What was in 19i9. the 'high' and 'low' of-stock for- Condition of Cleveland banks at the period?" "What are the ex-dividend end of 1929. dates for-stocks?" "When is the Nutnber of wage earners in Cuyahoga annual meeting of stockholders for County. -Corporations to be held?" "What Total number of manufacturers of dividends do-stocks -~av?" - trucks, busses, boats, airplanes, and Occasionally it is necessary to state number of busses, trucks, boats arid air- rather emphatically that we are not planes in operation in 1929. brokers and cannot give opinions; that Names of companies which are na- our function is to provide and produce tionally advertised but which distribute only that which is in print. their products through a single dis- tributor. Research workers keep us busy with Purchasing power of the dollar today their search for statistics and statistics as compared with 1914. and more statistics. How many die Name of an organization of manganese castings were produced weekly in Cleve- manufacturers in Virginia. land for the last five years? M1hat are Costs of distribution by retail stores. weekly figures on new financing since Net sales of twenty industrial com- 1925) What is the number of shares panies from 1921 to date. sold daily, weekly and monthly? What Ase and Houghton indeses of busi- are the total monthly sales of chain ness activity. stores? J3gures upon which Brookmire charts In addition to questions like these are based. are the hundreds who want to know Automobile registration by cities. who makes what and where; what is the New business ideas-suggestions for one best book on-; what is a good reading during noon hours. book on standard costs, on training Transportation on the Great Lakes. salesmen, on collection letters; how can Production of storage batteries. this message be decoded; and so on. Merchandising an auto service. The Bulletin, issued monthly, is Value of I. Q.'s in hiring workers. devoted to lists of sources of information Personalizing service in public utilities. 114 S PECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930

Who are the members of the New Consumption of steel by individual York Stock Exchange? railroads and how ! American agents for several German Prices of pig iron and scrap iron in tool manufacturers. 1914 and 1915. How many passetlger cars were ex- Early methods of transportation. ported from the United States in Construction and management of gar- October and November 1929? ages. History and present status of auto- Bookkeeping for a millinery motive industry, printing and publishing store. industry, and pamt and varnish industry, in Cleveland. Amount of fee required in various Twenty books on business for high states for foreign cor~orations. school students. List of banks in Northern Ohio. Manufacturers of leatherette. Types of printing. The Business Branch of the Providence Public Library Some Striking Features By Dorothy G. Bell, Librarian, Business Branch LTHOUGH the Business Branch of wire connects the Branch with the main A the Providence Public Library has library across town. been organized on much the same lines A third special feature is the con- as the other Branches throughout the nection between the Industrial Depart- country, several distinctive features ment in the Central Library and the stand out. First, there is a very in- Business Branch. There is considerable teresting cooperative arrangement be- over-lapping between these divisions of tween the Providence Chamber of Com- the Library's work,-and so the same merce and the Providence Public Li- librarian serves as the head of both com- brary. Through the Chamber of Com- partments. In this way, she is able to merce, the library secures the free use keep in touch with work at the Central of two rooms with direct entrance to the Library as well as at the Branch and thus street, including light, heat and janitor bring about closer cooperation and co- service, and the use of whatever maga- ordination between these two highly zines are purchased by the Chamber. specialized branches of the library's In return, the Public Library agrees to service. maintain free business information service and reading room facilities. This is The service of the branch has in- the first instance of a Public Library and creased steadily, with an inforn~ationand a Chamber of Commerce joining forces reference service count of 14,816 for the to establish and maintain a Business year 1929; 3,179 telephone calls were Library free to all. The plan has pro- received; and 8,769 books were cir- vided a very intimate introduction to the culated. The current year is showing a business men of the city and places the marked increase in circulation, the first Branch Llbrary right In the heart of the three months indicating an increase of business district. It is three-quarters of over 500 for the quarter. The book stock a m~lefrom Central and across the city's includes 3,149 volumes in addition to a center. battery of vertical file material. Another noteworthy feature is the The coijperative plan of organization telephone service. 13y means of direct makes the matter of advertising rather wires, both through the Chamber of simple. Through the special interest Commerce and via the Central Library, of one of the Chamber of Commerce readers are able to secure assistance even officials, plans are under consideration though they have had no previous per- which should bring the branch and its sonal contact, and therelore, often resources very close to the city's leading develop into future readers. A private business men. April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES What Indianapolis is Doing By Ethel Cleland, Librarian, Business Branch, Indianapolis Public Library IGHT-THIRTY and the morning it in hot haste. Three men pore over E mail. Clean newspapers and fresh geological maps from a western state. magazines. Energetic early customers Suddenly the storm dies down. There dash in with, plainly, a busy day ahcad. is a lull before thc afternoon's onset. Others, more leisurely, stroll irl lor a And now, along with business men and quiet hour with a favorite journal. A women, troop in high school pupils stenographer leaves a book on her way from commercial classes and college to work. The crowd grows thicker. students drop from courses in business. City and telephone directories from By 5 o'clock the tide has definitely other cities are in demand. Special turned. Folks are on their way home tracle directories are consulted. Many now from desks and offices. Adult a nlailing list gets its start here. A huge students taking estension courses in book of maps has teen pulled out of the business stop for assigned books or an atlas case. The big dictionary is llever hour's study. Directories lie neglected. idle long. Massive reference volumes lie The telephone grows quiet. The few around, evidence of the search for in- who remain are absorbed in their read- formation. The morning lengthens and ing. Once more is order restored out of more chairs are occupied. Colorful the chaos on the tables. Books are trade papers are scattered about. shelved. The day's Ioans arc counted. Pamphlets, clippings, maps and pic- A last energetic customer dashes in for tures, taken from the files to furnish a last book. The last reader, oblivious special data, strew the tables. All this of time, is gently urged out. Six o'clock must be straightened before the noon and the door is closed for the day. rush begins. Noon-with both copies of the local TllB LIUHARY AND TIIE NEED directory working hard. Rivalry, de- What kind of people use the Bhiness velops over the biggest trade directory, Branch of the Public Library on Ohio the brand new Chicago directory and and Meridian Streets? What questions the Indiana Gazetteer. Watch ac- do they ask? To answer adequately countants, insurance men, realtors, sales- would take a volume. Perhaps a sample men, advertisers! They all know just package will do. where the books of their trades are. Research workers, statisticians and in- Advertising Men want such things as vestors need not be told twice where to layouts for furniture ads, ideas for find the economic, financial and sta- posters, window displays for pottery, tistical services. One man pauses at the clever selling letters, pictures of every- "New Book" shelf, another at the "Take thing under the sun from a fly to the One" table to examine the gay-colored Floradora Sextette. lists of business books. The latest one Accountants, with a hand in every is on advertising. The next will be on business, often seek aid on special accounting. A regular patron brings in accounting systems for cunsigmment a friend and shows him around. Two sales, building and loan associations, advertising men discuss samples of com- motor bus operation, manufacturers of mercial art displayed on the bulletin silverware and radio cabinets, motion board. The back file of a newspaper is picture production, fire insurance re- called for. The School Business Office serves and good will. in the same building wants the city The Store Manager demands forms building code. Books and magazines are and records lor the alteration depart- being lent in a steady stream. A list of ment, an organization chart for a big magazine references must be looked up. store, how to handle demonstration Girls from a department store ask for sales, store focation in relation to com- books on selling. A banker telephones munity centers, inventory methods, how for a book and sends his messenger for to mark down and yet keep a profit. 116 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930

Sales Managers ask for topics for "Have you an organization chart for a big weekly "pep" talks to salesmen, ideas btore?" for sales contests, conventions, stand- "I want books on managerial control." ardized sales talks, exclusive agency "How are salaries of executives estimated in a contracts, and maps for territorial analy- business budget?" - sis. "What is the annual expenditure for jewelry, The Factory Manager's needs are candy, shoes?" simple. He wants operation sheets for "How are demonstrat~onsales handled in a production progress, rate selling for piece big store?" work, Bedaux system of wage payment, "How is this new stuff, celanese, made and and calculations for labor turnover. dyed?" The Office Manager, all for organiza- "I want some kind of an electric light stunt tion, investigates the cost of typing a to attract attention to a second story window." letter, the merit system in offices, "Have you anything on store location in clerical salaries, and the qualities by relation to community business centers?" which one can test the efficiency of office "What correspondence schools give courses workers. on interior decoration?" The Salesman's main interest lies "I.Iow much hardware was sold in this city in the goods he is selling, whether it be last year?" rayon, electric refrigerators, umbrellas, "What is the effect of direct selling on de- candles, men's clothing, or millinery. partment store sales?" List Compilers dig in strange places "Have you something that tells the story of for lists of perfume importers, flying cosmetics?" fields in the United States, rice polishers, "I sell men's clothing and I need some new dog raisers, greeting card houses, fea- ideas." ture syndicates, weekly newspapers, "Is there anything on how to sell art goode biological laboratories. I have a new job In the gift department." Hundreds of other questions refuse "Have you a file on sales contests in a big to fall into groups, as for example, the store?" duties of a hotel hostess, form for a chain "I am working on Cl~ristn~nsads-haven't store lease, management of a sandwich you a lot of Christmas pictures?" shop, ground value fluctuations, jobber "What is the latest dope on time-payment co-operation for a new product, mor- accounting?" tality table for women, air rights for the "The boss is thinking of putting in intelli- builder, how much is spent on candy,the gence tests for our salespeople-have you any number of commercial failures, the sample test?" average family and its average income. "Could you fix me up a reading course on QUESTIONS collection letter wr~ting?" A FEW RANDOM These sample questions taken at "An accounting system for consignment random for the monthly reports of the goods, please." Indianapolis Business Branch Library "We are reorganizing our fitting department. constitute evidence enough that retail How are alteration rooms in other stores man- trade has discovered the library. Here, aged and have you any samples of their forms among this vast army of busy people and records?" who, either through separate, smaller "Just what are the duties of a sales promotion establishments or through the big de- manager?" partment stores, are occupied in supply- "How many pairs of hose are sold per fam- ing us all with the necessities and the ily?" luxuries of present day life, lies an "Everything you have on selling mechanical enormous potential market for the public refrigerators." library. "We are putting in a new book department- ANTICIPATING THE DEMAND can you give me some ideas for posters?" "I am working on a sales manual for my To meet this growing market ade- department but I'm stuck-have you some quately, anticipate its demands and hold sales manuals I could see?" its interest by well-selected goods and "Any suggestions for layouts for furniture efficient service, librarians all over the ads?" country, in smaller towns as well as April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 117 larger cities, should be thinking about of a single retail establishment! Why, their stock in trade. Is it going to be retail trade employs practically every what will be asked for-is the supply business function! In the large store large enough-are the goods well ad- these functions are carried on by de- vertised - are they attractively dis- partments, in chain systems they operate played - and, above all, do the library from central offices, in the small store or salespeople know the goods and how to shop they are done by the individual. A sell them? library that tries to meet the book needs If it is only in quite recent years that of just the retail trades people of its officers and employees of retail stores community will soon find that it has have been coming to the public libraries built up a good all round collection of asking for assistance, it is largely be- business books. cause it is only in recent years that li- Can yo11 visualize them besieging the braries have had much to offer them that public librarie-the executives and offi- is really useful and constructive in the cers, the store managers, the members management and operation of retail of the big research departments, store businesses. accountants and auditors, budget mak- Industry has revolutionized the meth- ers, credit men, purchasing and stock ods used in the production of goods, department staffs, the men responsible has adopted scientific principles for the for the store inventory, personnel chiefs management of big factories, has proved and educational directors, the advertis- the value of, or rather, the necessity for, ing department with its window display industrial research. And today market- forces, copy writers, commercial artists, ing and merchandising are experiencing cardwriters and poster makers, sales similar changes. managers and countless salesmen, the Retail trade is developing its own big corps of ofice workers and delivery scientific methods of operation and, men behind the scenes! through the combined efforts of the Let librarians, in active communities United States Department of Com- where the stores are lively and the mer- merce, trade associations, schools of chants progressive, try out, at least for a business administration established at year, the experiment of adding regularly all larger colleges and many smaller to their shelves a few books on the prob- ones, chambers of commerce, progressive lems of retail trade. With local co- trade papers and all sorts of other active, operation and good publicity for the wide-awake agencies, a new science of plan as a whole and for the books as they commercial research is being evolved appear, a real new clientele for the public and a great mass of reliable statistics, library may be unearthed. Personally, surveys, studies and up-to-the-minute I believe business books will pay, information has been made available for the special use of the business man. Hartford Publishers of business books have The dcvelopn~ent of a Busincss Branch kept pace with business trends. Busi- Library at Hartford in the latter part of 1928, ness books have changed radically in was duc in large degree to thc ncceasity of giving the last decade. In the newer type of special considerntion to the business intercsta business book, vague generalizations, of the city. As the space in thc central library heavy treatises and dry-as-dust text- was inndequate to house a collection of this books have given place to a livelier type, suitable quarters wcrc found in the Old economics, closer study of definite prob- Times Building at Main and Grovc Streets lems of business organization and opera- and on January 2, 1929 the building was opened tion and more careful analyses of busi- to the public. Special nttcntion wae givcn to ness data. Even their style has altered books on advertising, sclling and general Iner- and dull, bombastic or "inspirational" chandising with ernpl~asis upon insurance, language has become simple, straight- banking and investrncnt. A collection of two forward, interesting reading. hundred trade periodicals rcceived by the library proved a valuable source of information. RETAIL TRADE A FEATURE A series of lectures on investment subjecte How many different phases of finance wcrc undcrtnken as n rncans of intcrcsting and business are employed in the conduct people in the library and its merit. 118 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April; 1930 The Economics Division of the New York Public Library By R. A. Sawyer, Chief of Economics Division those who ask why the New York and government documents of all coun- Public Library has no business tries which are essential to the under- Tbranch it is often pointed out that almost standing of present economic and social the entire library is now being used by conditions and which in later times "business." Situated at the center of will enable the economic historian to one of the most rapidly growing business reconstruct and interpret our life today. districts in the world and surrounded by This involves the attempt to discover innumerable commercial organizations and secure the following. and special libraries requiring informa- 1. The works of the leading tion on the widest variety of subjects sociologists, economists and political this library is furnishing research facili- scientists in all countries, as well as ties to business men in nearly all its the most useful monographs on im- reading rooms. But in a narrower sense, portant industries, natural resources, information along lines usually as- banking, economic geography, labor, sociated with the word "business" is in foreign trade, etc. general sought in the Economics Di- vision. 2. Economic and sociological per- Called "Economics" for convenience, iodicals, trade journals, proceedings of the present division is really a combina- associations and chambers of com- tion of the former divisions of Economics merce, bulletins and annual reports of and Sociology, and Public Documents. the great banks, annual handbooks, Having to deal with all branches of stock exchange manuals, trade di- economics, many of the other social rectories, and statistical indices such sciences, and government publications as the Harvard Economic Service of all kinds it cannot be called a special and its foreign counterparts. library as that term is commonly under- 3. The fundamental government stood, for its field is obviously rather publications, by which are meant the general. Furthermore it cannot hope to parliamentary debates, laws, official collect and arrange information on journals, reports of principal depart- particular commodities or industries to ments, and particularly statistical the same extent as a library engaged in reports and periodicals. Of American restricted work. As part of a great federal, state and principal municipal reference library intended for the use of documents the Library has of course future generations as well as those now always acquired the collected editions living it cannot expend all its funds and and most of the departmental edi- energies on material of purely con- tions, but it is not so generally known temporary value, whereas a commercial that foreign, national, provincial or library may reasonably consist of little state, and municipal documents have else. It is not intimated that the been gathered on the same scale. As Economics Division neglects current examples of this collection may be interests,-far from it, as anyone who mentioned the British House of Com- has seen the throng of readers around mons Papers of which there is a partial the current periodicals and financial file from 1731 to 1825 and a complete services can testify, but the permanence file from 1826 to date; similar files of the collection is always considered in are here for the British colonies and making selections. dominions, and the other principal With upwards of three hundred thou- countries. As might be expected in the sand volumes on its shelves the growth largest port of the country foreign of the division is directed toward the trade statistics are in great demand acquisition of those books, periodicals and every effort is made to have com- April. 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 1 19

plete files on this subject. The asking for information or bibliographies progress of America as the world's which clearly cannot be supplied by banker is attended by requests for the libraries in the vicinity of the writers budgets and financial accounts of receive as much attention as may be foreign nations and municipalities required to send an adequate answer. which are to be found here in great numbers. One other feature of the work of the Economics Division which should be of A collection of this character and interest to special librarians is the assist- size is not easy for the public to use, ance it renders to the Public Affairs since it is far too large to be kept on Inforniation Service. The Bulletiri of open shelves, the catalogues have be- the P. A. I. S is published co-operatively come so estensive as to bewilder the in- by an informal association of libraries experienced, and because much of the of which the Ncw York Public Library reference work must begin where the is one. Though the Library assumes no catalogue ends. Consequently visitors responsibility for the Bulletin it permits expect and receive all the help the staff the editorial work to be done ip the can give them in discovering whether Economics Division, an arrangement of certain information is to be found in the mutual advantage. Subscribers to the library. And it is nearly always in- P. A. I. S. receive what is really a sub- formation, not a specified book, that is ject indes to the most important weekly wanted. For this work the division has accessions to the New York Public a staff of ten trained librarians and Library, covering books, periodicals, eleven clerical and junior assistants. proceedings, pamphlets and government During a greater part of the year they documents in English, wherever printed. have to attend the needs of about five hundred readers a day, besides requests I11 the conduct of its work the Eco- which come by telephone and mail. nomics Division is often indebted to As a rule no research work is done for special librarians for their willing assist- readers by the staff, but information ance and the present opportunity is requiring no great time to look up is taken to offer in return any service it given by telephone and mail. Letters may be in our power to perform. -. Service to Business Men Through the Savannah Public Library By Ola M. Wyeth, Librarian, Savannah Public Library HEN the Savannah Public Library invited us to use one room. This offer was built fourteen years ago, the was accepted and the more up-to-date Wmistake was made of locating it in the books and current magazines on business residence district, two miles from the and the trades, together with a small business center and two blocks from a collection of fiction arld general litera- car line. Thus, it was handicapped ture, were transferred from the Main from the very beginning in its attempt Library as a nucleus for the new branch. to reach the business men and women, This room is entirely too small; it is on and others living in the Northern sec- the second floor, and somewhat re- tion of the city. Almost from the first, moved from the active business section, there was talk of a down-town branch, but it is within easy walking distance but rapidly increasing needs had to be of anyone in that section and several car met with slowly increasing appropria- lines pass the door. tions, and not until a room was offered The association with the Morning us, rent free, were we able to consider News has been a happy one. Not only such a branch. do their large staff use the library as we In May, 1926, one of the leading news- like it to be used, but they have been papers built an addition to its plant and most generous in giving free advertising 120 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930 when they have had the space, as well feature of the Down-Town Branch as occasional feature articles and edi- more often than to any service the li- torials. For someLime they ran a daily brary offers. Successful displays have 2 x 4 advertisement, the wording of been installed in this window of books which was changed every week. Some and magazines on Savannah's industries, exam~leswere: salesmanship, retail stores, stocks and REALIZING bonds, and capital and labor. ON REALTY As a further effort to stimulate in- Study the books on Buying, Building terest in our really creditable collection and Selling of business- --- - books. our Branch Librarian Awaiting you at the Down-Town Branch has been making' calls on the heads of SAVANNAH large firms, telling them what the branch offers to them and to their employees. PUBLIC LIBRARY Lists of department heads have been MORNINGNEWS BUILDING secured at such times and these names 105 Bay Street, W. Phone 1549 added to our mailing list for occasional Open 10 A. M. to 7 P. M. form letters and for notices of new books The MAN in likely to interest them. Management By these means we are making the How develop him is answered in many business men realize that the library is books available at th'e operated for them as well as for their Down-Town Branch wives and children, and when they want of the the help that we can give, they are more SAVANNAH apt to turn to us than they were three PUBLIC LIBRARY years ago. Many stenographers, clerks, MORNINGNEWS BUILDING and messenger boys form the habit of dropping in for a part of their lunch hour 105 Bay St., W., Phone 1549 and very soon learn that they can get Open 10 A. M. to 7 P. M. quick information for themselves or ??? their employers by telephoning the Any Old Direclories? branch. The Savannah Public Library will However, it seems doubtful whether a greatly appreciate the donation of any really successful business branch can be copies of the old (1927) Savannah direc- operated in connection with a general tory. Books may be left at any of the branch, unless there is enough space branches, or will be called for if you'll to allow a certain section to be reserved iust 'phone 1549 between 10 A. M. and for business purposes. We take it that P.M. Savannah is not unique in having We Thank You more readers of fiction than of prac~ical SAVANNAH books. Their presence in such numbers PUBLIC LIBRARY in our small room and the resultant confusion is apt to discourage the serious Down-Town Branch reader, but Savannah needs a general MORNINGNEWS BUILDING branch in this neighborhood quite as 105 Bay St., W., Phone 1549 much as the special one, as, through it, Open 10 A. M. to 7 P. M. many people are reached who would not Just recently they ran a half page ad- otherwise use the library. vertisement for two days on the subject As the demand does not warrant it, of advertising, listing many of the books nor funds permit it, we are not likely to be found at the branch and the Main to have an exclusive business branch for Library. At the same time the books many years to come. Our Mayor and were displayed in a store window, the Council seem almost persuaded of our use of which a generous firm has given need for larger quarters on the ground us lor an indefinite period. floor and more strategically located, Although this window is used for and we are now hoping that the neces- advertising the whole system, attention sary funds for this may be made avail- has been called to the special business able in the not too distant future. April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES The Business Branch in San Francisco By Anita Levy, Branch Librarian LITTLE less than a year ago the through its Business Branch to supply A time seemed ripe for an experi- these aids and to make them easy and ment in the San Francisco library world. convenient of access. The Main Li- This experiment, the opening of a brary is behind the Branch and in a Business Branch at 1104 Russ Building, position to supplement what the Branch in the financial center of the city, has lacks in the way of reference material. more than justified itself by the hearty Semi-weekly service between the Main response and appreciation of its patrons. Library and the Rranch enables the As in all pioneer movements, it will busy man to have his information take time to be "noised abroad." Only brought to him. Telephone service is a limited number of business men know encouraged when more immediate ser- of the convenience that is within a few vice is required. minutes walking distance of their offices, but already the Branch is growing in As the actual Reading Room consists favor and patronage. of the usual office room of a modern building it is readily understood that the Many organizations and private cor- space problem has necessitated apparent porations have their own libraries, neglect of directories as valuable mater- specializing in their individual subjects. ial. I-Iowever, patrons are referred to It remains for the Business Branch to any of three collections in the vicinity: be the storehouse that will supply the Polk's Directory Exchange, The San necessary data for all types of business. Francisco Chamber of Commerce or Business Branches are now a common the Main Library. There is no doubt factor in the East, many cities estab- that in time we will have our collection. lishing them since the opening of the The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Newark Business Branch nearly twenty- Company has been kind enough to sup- five years ago. Newark was fortunate ply us with recent telephone directories then in having a man of such broad and sympathetic vision as John Cotton which are still useful. Dana to pioneer the undertaking. San While this branch opened originally Francisco is fortunate now in having a as a reference library, the demand for Board of Trustees and a Librarial~ home circulation of the books was so willing and able to emulate him. And great that our librarian yielded to it. San Francisco is the pioneer in the West! The larger part of the collection (fully The Branch is starting modestly in three quarters of it) is circulating under small quarters, but has every expecta- the same system and with the same tion of outgrowing these present quar- privileges as the Main Library. Of ters as it becomes better known and course such books as are purely sta- patronized. Already all available space tistical do not leave the branch, but are is being rapidly filled with additional for reference use only. The research business and statistical books so that student is referred to the Main Library the collection may be kept up to date for more intensive study. During the and comprehensive. Magazines give nlonth of January, of the 960 volumes the most recent data on all current on the shelves, 428 circulated. happenings and our business services As the demand grows, there is every are found useful to the stock and bond reason to believe the Business Branch men. will increase its collection and improve Few business men can afford the its service. How fast that growth is, espensive outlay entailed in maintaining will depend largely on the interest and private libraries of their own in up-to- encouragement shown by those it is the-minute business literature. It is the meant to serve, the business people of aim of the San Francisco Public Library San Francisco. 122 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1990 Publicity for Public Business Libraries ERTAIN business departments of Directories and therr publ~cuse. Newark. C public libraries issue at regular in- Directory Journal, May, 1929. tervals bulletins on their collections. Getting the most out of other people's ad- Other libraries plan to do this eventually. vertising. Indianapolis. Library Journal, The bulletins already established are: Octoher I, 1929. How business can profit from the library. Cleveland. Business Information Bureau Newark. Forbes, December 1, 1929. Monthly Bulletin. This is a two page leaflet Libraries as business research centres. New- devoted to notes on current business informa- ark. Library Review, Autumn, 1929. tion as found in books, services, pamphlets and Library servlce for business men. Cleveland. perrodicals and to lists on specific services. Libraries, March, 1930. First number, January 1930, lists sources of Speeding up. Newark. Libraries, June, 1929. inforination for the investor; the February issue deals with the library's resources on retail Book notes from the Business and trade. Technical Department of the Portland Newark. Business Literature, formerly library have appeared in the Pacific called The Business Branch of the Newark Engineer and in the Credit Ledger; from Publ~cLibrary; a monthly note of services. the Technical Department of the Tulsa This is a two page leaflet issued the tniddle of library in the Oil and Gas Journal, and all months but July and August by the Business the Refiner and Natural Gasoline Manu- Branch in Newark Special numbers for 1929 facturer: and from the Newark Business and 1930 are "Business and the Use of Print," Branch in Special Libraries. September, 1929; "Investors and the Busrness In the bulletins of the respective li- Branch," November, 1929; "What Every braries, articles have appeared as follows: Business Man Should Know," December, 1929; "Directories for Business," February, 1929; Building and loan associations. Newark. The and "Other Directories for Business," March, Library, May, 1929. 1929 The Business Branch creates demand. Providence. Busmess Branch of the Provi- Newark. The Library, October, 1929. Business Branch keeps a diary for a day. ,dence Public Library This conststs of a re- Indianapolis. Reader's Ink, January, 1929. print from "Books for All," the library bulletin Chain stores. Minneapolis. Community of that sectton devoted to annotated lists of Bookshelf. March, 1930. business books and notes on special collections at the Business Branch. Cross word puzzles at the Business Branch. Waahlngton. Monthly nlultigraphed bulle- Indianapolis. Reader's Ink, January, 1930. Leeds and Newark. Newark. The Library, tin, Technology Division News. Started November, 1928 and lists many business books April, 1929. and items of interest to business men. It is In the library bulletins of Hartford, distributed at the main library, the Technology Indianapolis, New Haven and Portland, Division, and the Branches. space is devoted each month to annotated lists and other notes from the During 1929 and for 1930 to date, Business Branches or Sections. magazine articles for business men and print by public librarians have appeared In certain cities the Chambers of Com- as follows : merce have co-operated in various ways. In Detroit, notices of new books appear An undeveloped market. Newark. Retail in the Detroit Board of Trade circular. Bookseller, September, 1929. In Hartford,lists of books on advertising, Husiness Branch of Hartford Public Library automobile insurance and professional Directory Journal, May, 1929. merchandising have been printed in the Husiness men and print. Newark. Library Chamber of Commerce organ, as well as Journal, Aprd 15, 1929. a story on the Hartford Business Branch; Uusiness men are reading. Indianapolis. while the president of the Chamber of Nat~on'sBusiness, October, 1929. Commerce has co-operated by sending Creating demand. Newark Library Journal, over his signature letters to brokers in Octoheil, 1929. Hartford on the resources of the Busi- April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 123 ness Branch. In Los Angeles, Southern Special printed book lists were brought California Business, the organ of the out during the year on the following Southern California Chamber of Com- subjects: merce, had an article on Our Public Hartford, Advertising arid Selling. Library Investment. In Oregon Busi- New Haven, Office Practice; Advertising; ness, Portland was represented by Ore- Publicity and Display; Seliing; Accounting; gon Rich in Minerals, an article on Banking and Investment; Real Estate; In- books available at the library. In surance; Statistics and Graphs: Personnel New Haven the Chamber of Commerce Work. has used in its journal a one page story Newark, Books for the Executive and Be- on the work of the business library, and ginner: Some Invest~nentBooks, 1926-1929. has distributed 14,000 pay envelope Pittsburgh, Investing; PsychologyApplieil to insertions. In San Diego the Chamber Business; Salesmanship and Salesmanagement; of Commerce organ contained an article Banks and Banking. on the Business Department of the San South Bend, Advertirring; Accounting; Real Diego Public Library. Estate; and Salesmanship. Tulsa, a six page list on petroleum. Libraries have co-operated with house and association organs by, in Detroit, Special pamphlets brought out during furnishing articles and lists of books for the same interval were: the J. L. Hudson Company house organ, Minneapolis. Volume I of Occasionnl Notes, those of trust companies, the Crowley City Manager Plan. Milner Company house organ, etc. Newark. 500 Business hiagazincs Classified Portland has sent book notices for by Subject, and The Business Brmcl~,a re- Montgomery Ward and for the Meier print from the pamphlet on the branch li- and Frank Store house organs, and the braries of Newark. Oregon Merchants' Magazine. Hart- Pittsburgh brought out a four page folder ford furnished notes for the Sage-Allen devoted to the work of the Branch. Department store house organ, while Los Angeles has had articles in the Los For special publicity in Albany, Hart- Angeles Realtor and the Los Angeles ford and Newark, blotters have been City Employee. distributed advertising the Business Branch. Detroit distributed a book mark Newspapers give space for regular with a map of the city. Hartford weekly lists of books in Bridgeport, used the Business Branch for five lectures Hartford and San Diego, while lists, on investment information by R. L. special items and editorial comment have Smitley, and Tulsa had at the Inter- appeared in papers in Los Angeles, national Petroleum Exposition an ex- Newark and South Bend. hibit of an oil and petroleum library.

Nominating Committee Report

The Nominating Committee, Miss Elizabeth Second Vice-president: Miss Louise Dorn, B. Wray, Chairman, submits the following list Detroit Edison Company, Detroit, Mich. of candidates, as officers for the ensuing year: Treasurer: MISS Elizabeth 0. Cullen, Ref- erence Librarian, Bureau of Railway ECO- President: Miss Margaret Reynolds, First nomlcs, Washington, D. C. Wisconsin National Bank, Milwaukee, Wis. D~reciorfor Three Years: Angus Fletcher, First Vice-president: Miss Jessie Callan, Librarian, British Library of Information, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad, Pittsburgh. New York, N. Y. 8 124 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930 S, L. A, and Its Field HE experience of twenty-one years in the history of Special Libraries Associa- T tion demonstrates certain things clearly. When John Cotton Dana explained to the members of American Library Association, in 1909, the reason for organizing a movement in the special library field, it was because of the great difficulty then existing of learning anything about others engaged in special library work. At that time the United States was the most library-minded country in the world. It claimed then, as it does today, the largest library association in existence, and that Association had been organized for a third of a century. Yet the knowledge of the special library field, its work and extent, were almost wholly unknown. And it was because of that condition that Special Libraries Association came into being. The first of several things which S. L. A. has demonstrated is to reveal the extent and diversity of the special library field. Today nearly 1,200 members in a nation- wide organization attest this fact. In ten large cities of this country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, local associations of special librarians have been organized and are functioning effectively. Other groups of special librarians, each in a single field, have been organized with far-reaching results and have given a new meaning to library organization Groups of special librarians in the fields of finance, insurance, journalism, (to mention only three), possess organizations of inestimable value. S. L. A. has produced a new literature in the library field. For two decades a magazine has been published, which easily stands at the head of publications dealing with the special library field. Through the magazine and in separate publications a large number of bibliographies have been published. Directories of the national and local fields have also been produced. Every year since 1909 a national conference has been held with increasing value. These conferences have aroused new enthusiasms, created new contacts, and have imparted valuable idormation to all who have attended them. One of the striking illustrations of this occurred in 1923 when a British special librarian attended the conference at Atlantic City. He was so thrilled and impressed with the value of such a conference that he returned to England and proceeded to organize a similar association, which is now functioning successfully in its seventh year. Probably the greatest service which S. L. A. has rendered in the past twenty years to the whole library field, has been in the organization of annual conferences, and in this respect, the approaching conference in San Francisco in June may well be the best of all in interest and value WILLIAM ALCOTT, President.

ISS K. Dorothy Ferguson, Chairman of the iProgram Committee, informs us M that the climate of San Francisco, in June and July, demands the use of heavier garments than are usually needed in other parts of the country. She sug- gests that the ladies include a knitted sport suit or a suit and fur neck piece for day- time wear and provide themselves with a fur coat or heavy wrap for evening wear. Miss Ferguson has made no suggestion regarding the men, but we trust they will be guided somewhat by the advice thus given.

HE Editor regrets an error which appeared on the editorial page of SPECIAL LIBRARIES for March. The Columbia School of Library Science was referred toT as the Columbus School of Library Science, and we extend our apologies to our readers, to Dr. MacPherson and Professor Rhodes, for the blunder. SPECIAL LIBRARIES Business Branches

HIS issue of SPECIAL LIBRARIES is devoted to the Business Branch of the Public Library with Miss Marian C. Manley as special editor. The growth ofT these branches within the past few years has been noteworthy and Miss Man- ley's rCsumC of the business library field, presented on another page, is evidence that the business branch serves a real need in the community. The contributions to this number have all come to us from librarians in this particular field, with the exception of a description of the new business library in Boston, recently given by Mr. William Alcott, Librarian of the Boston Globe and President of the Special Libraries Association, as a radio talk. We have also included the Economics Division of the New York Public Library in the group of business libraries, as the wide range of service of this library and its strategic position in the modern trade center of New York City, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street gives it proper place in this category. A visit to these libraries or even a casual study of their activities clearly shows the extent to which they are used by persons from all walks of life.

Statistical Sources of Information HE Commercial-Technical Section of the Special Libraries Association has, as one of its projects, an index to statistical sources of information, with Miss TMarian C. Manley, Branch Librarian of the Business Branch of the Newark Public Library, as chairman of the committee. Through the co-operation of Mr. W. P. Cutter, of the Baker Library of Harvard University, a rough outline of a chart for this purpose has been made available. The committee is now working on the project and plans to have definite progress to report at the San Francisco convention, if not before. Anyone interested in such an index, and with suggestions to offer, is urged to get in touch with the chairman.

Annual Conference NE of the best programs ever prepared for the annual conference of Special 0 Libraries Association is now about complete for the coming conference, which will be the 22nd annual conference, and will be held at Hotel Cliit, San Francisco, Calif., from Wednesday, June 18, through the remainder of the week. Sessions are planned for forenoon, afternoon and evening, with a wise distribution of time for relaxation and sightseeing. Both breakfast and lunchtime will be utilized for group conferences. The program committee consists of Miss K. Dorothy Ferguson, librarian, Bank of Italy, San Francisco, Chairman; Miss Marian C. Manley, librarian, Business Branch Library, Newark, N. J.; Miss Margaret Withington, librarian, Scripps College Library, Claremont, Calif.; Ralph M. Whiting, Municipal Reference Library, Los Angeles; Miss Sophia J. Lammers, librarian, Schaffner Library of Commerce, Northwestern University, Chicago. Thomas Cowles, librarian of the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, is chairman of the local committee of arrangements. . Angus Fletcher, librarian, British Library of Information, 551 Filth Avenue, New York, is chairman of the Travel Committee, and Miss Rebecca B. Rankin, librarian, Municipal Reference Library, New York, is chairman of the Hospitality Committee. The tentative program is as follows: 126 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930 Tentative Program D~scussion: "What the Public Business Librarian Offers the Special Librarian, WEDNESDAY, June 18. and vice versa. Miss Rose L. Vormelker. 10 to 12-First General Session. "Llbrary Service to Business in San Almer J. Newhall, Addresses of Welcome. Francisco:" President, San Francisco Chamber of Com- (a) By the Public Library, Robert Rea, merce; Milton J. Ferguson, State Librarian, Librarian, San Franc~scoPublic Sacramento. (5 mm. each) Library. (5 min.) Response. Miss Eleanor S Cavanaugh. (b) By the Mechanics Library, Otto Addresses: (a) "The Industrial West," Von Geldern, Chairman of the F. T Letchfield, Wells-Fargo Bank. Board. (5 min.) (b) "Part Library is Playing in By Specral Libraries of San Fran- Development of Industrial West," Thomas (c) cisco, H. A. Worthington, Pacific Cowles, President Special Libraries Association Gas & Electric Co. (10 min.) of San Franc~sco,introducing Mrs. Amy Caya, 12.00 to 2.00-Luncheon Conference Finan- State Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco; cial Group. Miss A. Windele, Financial L~brarles. 2:00 to 4.00-Group Sessions. Guy E. Marion, Research Department, Commercial-Technical Group. Los Angcles Chamber of Commerce, in- Newspaper Group. troducing B. E Edwards, El Segundo Stand- 4:00 to 6:OO-Tr~p around the City The San ard 011 Company; Miss H. G. Percy, Para- Franc~sco Chamber of Commerce has mount-Famous-Lasky Corporation, Hollywood; arranged a tour to all places of interest. Mrs Creveling, San Diego Consolidated Gas 6:OO-Dinner in Chinatown Chinese-Ameri- & Electric Company (5 min. each) can menu. After dinner there will be a President's Address. trip through Chinatown, including Chinese 12 to 2:OO-Luncheons. Theater, Society of Six, Pckin Exchange, 2:00 to 4:OO-Group Sessions Chinese Native Sons Hall, and to other Financial Group, Stock Exchdnge Au- interesting places, with plain-clothes es- d~torium cort. 6.30-Banquet, in Western Women's Club Ballroom. Milton J. Ferguson, toast- master. Addresses: Robert Newton Lynch on FRIDAY, June 20. "Pacific Relations;" Judge J. F. Davis 8:30-Breakfast Conference. Civic-Social on "California;" Gerald Can~pbell,Brit- Group. ish Consul Gener.11, "The Far East " 10:OO to 12:OO-Third General Session. Group Reports. THURSDAY, June 19. Local Association Reports. 8:30 - Breakfast Conference Civic-Social Committee Reports. Group. Report of Nominating Committee. 10:OO to 12-Second General Session. Sub- Election of Oficers. ject: "Public Libraries for Business Use." Plans for 1930-1931. "The Municipal Reference Library and 12:OO to 2.00-Luncheon Meetings. Its Service to Business," Miss Josephine 2:00 to 4:OO-Group Meetings. B. Hollingsworth, Municipal Reference Insurance Group. Library, Los Angeles (15 min.) Clvic-Social Group. "How the Private Business Librarian 4:OQ-Tr~p to Palo Alto via Skyline Boulevard, Helps and is Helped by the Public Business and visit to Hoover War Memorial Li- Librarian." Mrs. A. F. Leidendeker. brary, Stanford L~brary,Stanford Chapel. (15 mtn.) 6.00-Dinner at Woodside Country Club, on "What the Public Business Librarian return from Palo Alto. Return to San Offers the Special Librarian, and vice Francisco through San Mateo and Bur- versa." MISSFlorence Bradley. (15 rnin.) lingame. "Summary of National Survey of Public Busmess Libraries and Suggestions for SATURDAY, June 21. Co-operation between them and Spec~al 10:OO to 12:OO-Group Meetings. Librar~es." Miss Marian C. Manley. Commercial-Technical Group. (15 min.) Financial Group. April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARlES Hotel Rates San Francisco Day Letter HEADQUARTERS: CLIFT SEND IN YOUR NAME TODAY STOP GEARYAND TAYLORSTREETS Room with bath, $4.00, $5.00, $6.00. CONVENTION LESS THAN TWO Double Room, bath, $6.00. MONTHS OFF STOP TRAVEL COM- MITTEE HAVE HAD GOOD RESPONSE Double Room, bath, twin beds, $6.00,$8.00. Room with bath, each extra person, $2.00. TO THEIR EFFORTS SO FAR BUT THEY WANT TO HEAR VERY SOON FROM Parlor, bedroom, bath, $20.00. ALL MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE BELLEVUE HOTEL TO MAKE UP TIIEIR MINDS ABOUT GEARYAT TAYLORSTREETS ATTENDING STOP FROM WHAT ONE Single room w~thbath, $3.00. HEARS THERE WILL BE VERY REPRE- Double rooms with bath, $5.00. SENTATIVE GROUP FROM EAST STOP Double rooms with bath, twm beds, $6.00. THERE IS SURE TO BE LARGE DELE- Extra cot per person, $1.50. GATION FROM WEST OF ALLECNANIES Two-room suite connecting bath with double BUT COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE HAVE or twin beds, $8.00. NAMES SO THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE SIR FRANCIS DRAKE HESITATING MAY BE HELPED TO POWELLAT SIITTERSTREETS MAKE UP THEIR MINDS STOP ONE OF Single room with bath, $4.00. GREAT ATTRACTIONS OF CONVEN- Double room with bath, $7.00. TION THIS YEAR IS THAT IT ENABLES Double room twin beds, $8.00. US TAKE THIS INTERESTING TRIP Extra cot per person, $1.00. IN MOST CONGENIAL COMPANY AND WESTERN WOMEN'S CLUB NOT AS STRAY TOURISTS STOP WE ARE SUTTERAND MASONSTREETS ASSURED A WARM WELCOME FROM S~ngleroom with bath, $3.50. OUR FRIENDS AT SAN FRANCISCO Double room w~thtwin beds, $5.00. AND LOS ANGELES STOP WE SHALL BE Note-All rates are per day for each AMONG FRIENDS ALL THE TIME STOP pereon. TRAVEL COMMITTEE ASKS YOU TO RESTAURANTS AND TEA ROOMS PLEASE SEND IN YOUR NAME TO The local committee state that there are LOCAL PRESIDENT OR TO MR ANGUS numerous tea rooms near the hotels which FLETCHER 551 FIFTH AVENUE NEW serve inexpensive luncheons and dinners. YORK STOP Classification and Indexing Louise Keller and Emilie Mueser, Department Editors Advisory Council Florence Bradley, Constance Beal, Harriet D. MacPherson, Isabel Rhotles and Katllrine Malterud Lettere concerning Advertleing received by Classification most of tl~emdevised for par- the Department Edltora ticular situations and not well adapted to 1. "We would appreciate any information general use. The quantity and type of material you can give us as to whether or not there is a to be classified, and jts specific use are among classification for advertising books." the questions that must receive consideration. 2. "We are interested in working out a re- For a small' library the classification of the vision of the classification for thc business, Lippincott Library of the Wharton and Even- marketing and advertismg sections . . . " ing Schools, University of Petinsylvanin, 3. "Has your association compiled subject Phila., may serve. classification suitable for an advertising agency library?" Selling and distribution is assigned a three 4. "We wonder if you may not have knowt- figure number. edge of an advertising agency . . . which There are nine form divisions and seven sub- would furnish us with an adaptable classifica- divisions, of which buying and selling methods tion . . . " of retailers is the only olle furlher sub-divided There are several classification schemes on by figures. It is suggcsted that the specific Advertising in the files of the Committee on selling and distribution aspects of commodities 8 * 128 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930 and businesses be arranged alphabetically by vertising field, Calling, Personal persuasion, Commodity and Business. 659.13-Visual propaganda: Serials, Illustra- Other main sub-dwisions arc-Buying and tlons, Newspapers, etc. 659.132-Direct ad- selling methods of producers, and manu- vertising, 659.133-Posters, Shows, 659.134-- facturers; Buying and selling methods of co- Moving posters: Sandwich man, Wagon ad- operatives; Distribution costs; and Warehous- vertising, Airplane and pyrotechnic methods. ing and storage. 659.135-Advertising illumination, 659.136 Ad- Advertismg follows Selling, and also has a vertising on special objects, etc. 659.138 De- three figure number. The sub-divisions are vices for attracting attention, 659.139-Various History; Ethics; Psychology; Trade Marks; questions concerning removable letters, fasten- Media; Technique; Advertising agencies; Ad- ing signs, decorations, etc. 659.14--Audible vertising of specific commodities, etc. (with publicity. 659.15-Propaganda through pre- alphabetic arrangement). Media has eighteen sentation, show, arrangements for exhibits, sub-divisions, and Technique five. frames and holders. 659.16 to 19 includes I'ub- The classification has been made with the licity propaganda by gratuity systems, Means advice and co-operation of the professors of the of stimulating purchasing, Bankruptcy ad- School and is intended for a small to moderate vertising, etc. size collection of books. It could readily be How the expanded D. C. may be used in a expanded for the classifying of file material. clipping file of an Advertising Agency: Ex. The portions described are in the collection 659.138.82 :677 Moving pictures and the textile of the Comm~tteeon Classification and may be industry or 677 :659.138.82 Textile industry borrowed. and moving picture advertising. For institut~ons or libraries not definitely 677 Textile industry limited in scope it would be better to consider 659.138.82 Moving plctures for advertising. a more universal classification such as the : indicating relation betwccn subjects. Library of Congress (L. C.) or an expansion of 368.3 :659.115.023 Follow up methods for the the Dewey Decimal Classification (D. C.). life insurance salesman. To use a comprehensive classification making 659.115 04 When dunning 1s a hindrance in ad- selections from it for special application is vertising. better than to start with a tool that is in ~tself limited. 659.72.03 Newspaper advertising rates. The L. C classification for Commerce is HF, 659.135.8 :658.878 Neon lamp signs for small under this heading HF5001 is Business, includ- stores. ing Buying, Salesmanship, Department stores, Two other classification schemes also in print, Markets, Warehousing, Business organization may be mentioned: 1, Elliott-Business Library and administration, Accounting, etc. Then Classification with Index, 1923, a decimal follows Advertising HF5801-. Under Meth- scheme in which 150 is Advertising: 151 Or- ods we find: Signs, Bill boards, Motion pictures, ganization and management; 152 Direct ad- Window displays, Street car advertising, vertising; 153 Display advertising; 154 Posters; Catalogs, circulars, newspaper advertising: 155 Newspapers; 157 Personal servlce; 158 history, rates, form of ads. In the n~iscellaneous Special industries; 159 Advertising in foreign group are several sections that suggest al- countries. There is no further expansion. 2, phabetic arrangement, e. g., By special business R~der-Tentative Decimal Classification for A - Z, Individual advertisers A - Z, Advertising the Literature of Busmess, 1924, a decimal agencies, Advertising pamphlets, Romance of classification and system of subject headings advertising and Special lines of busmess, to be for the literature of business compiled for use arranged alphabetically by name'of business. in editing the Business Digest. This classifica- The D. C. expansion issued by the Brussels tion was started as a list of subject headings Inst~tute has the most comprehensive and and then thrown mto a decimal classification flexible classification. Under 659.1 Advertising form. The sections Banking, Advertising and we find first a serles of zero subdivisions that Sales Promotion and Store Management are may be used to qualify any of the regular sub- rather full, one is inclined to say, too full for divisions, as: .013 Psychology of publicity, any but very large clipping files. 3.100 Market 023 Follow up work, .03 Rates, .04 Errors, analysis. D~stribution; 3,200 Advertising; Nuisance caused by advertising, etc. The regu- 3.300 Copy. Layout. Make up; 3.400 Advertis- lar div~sions~ncludc 659.11 General organlza- ing mediums; 3.500 Advertising to special tion: Advertising bureaus, choosing the ad- classes; 3.600 Advertising of specific subjects; April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES I29

3.800 Personal salesmanship; 3.900 Sales sclrenles of classification in existence. At thc management. end of Chapter 11, on pages 42-43, he gives some sound principles as to the vanous points "Ie there any available literature In clas- that should be characteristics of a good clas- slflcation conetryction?" sification. There seems to be in existence no volume These suggestions, do not, of course, at- entirely devoted to the art of classification tempt to constitute an exhaustive guide to construction. It is possible to gain a knowledge classification building. There may be other of the trials of such an undertaking only from sources where one can gain useful information, periodical articles or from scattered chapters but this appcars to be a field in which literature in general classification manuals. For recent of the subject 1s decidedly scarce. art~clesthe "Industrial arts index" is helpful "Why do they put Insurance in with at suggesting periodical contributions. Tlre IIoepitals, The D. A. R., Boy Scoutn, numbers from 1926 to date include under the etc.?" headings Classification and Classificakon, Dcci- ma(, many articles that contain suggestions for At first gl,mce Insurance does seem out of classification construction. Another good gen- place where it is found in the Dewey Decimal eral guide to the subject is t<~be found in Classification, in the 360 class, among or- "Bibliography of library economy," hy H. G. ganizations for socinl and reformatory work, T. Cannons, the last edition of which was pub- clubs and socicties, Insurance is thought of hshed by the American library association in now-a-days as a very important field of business. 1927. A list of such articles is given on page The reason for making it n subd~visionof 360 434, Section 03, under the heading Classijica- must have been that insurance corn11nrries in lion-principles, theory and conzlruclton their origin were private organizations, for ' Then the earlier volumes of the "Library mutual indcninification by thc members against journal" contain some information that would losses and damages. Although the business prove useful. Especially in the '80's there wcre aspect of insurance in the prescnt cap~talistic numerous articles written by Charles A. Cutter, order of things 11aa come to be prcdorninant, Melville Dewey, J. Schwartz, and others, who the original idea is still there, applied in a wcre interested in the problems of working out variety of ways of which some even are identical the early American schemes. in character with the early insurance socieiies. Among books devoted to the subject of An instance is an association of,Austrian manu- classification, "Classification, theoretical and facturers in whicli the members bind lhemselves practical," by Ernest Cushing Richardson, to indemnify ench othcr against losses causcd contains a greaL deal about the theory of by strikcs in thcir factories. classification, and takes up in detail such large Seeing the subject from such a point of view topics as the order of the sciences or of the sub- and realizing that the fundamcntal griuciplc divisions in the field of knowledge, classificat~on of it will remain while methods of ~pplications applied to books, and an outline of the various multiply and change, it docs not sccr~~so unknown schemes of classification in existence. reasonable to classify Insurance as D. C. lm It is not specifically devoted to the building of done. classifications, but is helpful because of the treatment of the whole subject with particular As to the grouping of the other subjects men- stress on the reason for certain schemes berng tioned above, one itnprovement has been ef- as they are. "The code for classifiers," by fected in the new edition of the Universal William Stetson Merrill was published in a new decin~alclassification, often referred to as the edition by the American library association last Brussels Scheme and sometimes as the C. D. year. In Section 14 of its beginning pages there (Classification DCcimale.) This is an expansion is a brief treatment of Method us. subject-maller. of the Dewey Classification worked out by an Then Section 13 deals with Relation, meaning international committee and published in relat~onshipthat various subjects bear to each French. othcr. Mr. W. C. Berwick Sayers of England In the recently published second edition of has issued a number of books on classification, the Universal decimal cl;~ssification thc two of which the best adapted to class~fication class numbers for prisons and penitentiaries building would probably be "Cannons of have been provided for under 343 (Sciences classification." Like Richardson he lays much pbnales) which has an excellent arrangement of stress on the plans and histories of the various subdivisions. 130 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April, 1930 Associations Through some mischance the reports from the Southern California Chapter have not been received by the Editor. We herewith print a summary of the meetings that have occurred during the few months.

Illinois (especially if they wr~teto M~ssAlexander), The February meeting of the Illinois Chap- they will surely get satisfactory answers. ter of the S. L. A. was held at the Home Service hfiss Bradley told of the formation of a new Auditorium, Peoples Gas Building, on Feb- committce for the exchange of mforrnation ruary 26th. The meeting was called to order by regarding quack or fake directories, and for hlr. Joseph A. Conforti, Secretary-Treasurer, investigating inquiries about other question- and after the read~ngof the minutes Mr. Oscar able publications. Miss Margaret Bonnell, in E. Norman, Chairman of the Committee on the l~hraryof the Metropolitan Life Insurance "affiliation of Illinois Chapter with the nat~onal Company, is chairman of this committee, and associat~on," reported that the postal card it is requested that ail inquiries and com- questionnaire had been entirely affirmative, munications be made to her in writing. and the comm~ttceon the strength of these The speaker of the evening, Mrs. Martha replies recommended immecl~ate affiliation. Bensley Bruhre, told us somcthing about her The benefits of institutional membership were research work in the industrial field-how in- brought out in the discussion and it was moved vestigations that get into print are made, that the Ill~no~sChapter affiliate with the why they sometimes fail and how they suc- national asbocidtioh. ceed. When Mrs. BruPre was working on her Mr. Oscar E. Norman gave an entertaining first study "How Nursemaids and Nursery and instructive illustrated talk, "Is there Governesses are Treated in Amcrican Homes," Romance id Business?" His talk was based on she went out as a nursemaid; and when she set exper~encein coaching and supplying informa- out to ascertain "What Life IS Like for a tion and slides to public utility speakers, Workingman's Wife," she posed as a car- histor~cal matter for the History of The penter's widow-"a grand stunt"-possessing Peoples Gas Light & Coke Company and in a beautiful, sympaLhetic understanding. We writing his book, "The Romance of the Gas New Yorkers got a bit of a jolt to learn what Industry." Illustrated literature was dis- an important place the Mississippi Valley tributed relating to Chicago and the work of occupies in any industrial study as the region The Peoples Gas Light & Coke Company. most accurately reflecting the national point After adjournment many of the librarians of view. visitcd the Library of The Peoples Gas L~ght &Coke Company. Philadelphia New York Keen mterest in the discussion of Special Libraries problems has resulted in a number The Auberge was, we thought, an old Ftench of small group conferences this year. Subjects Inn, but the sight of gay garlands adorning for discussion were bibliography, classification somc of the guests, made us think we had landed and reference work. The first bibliography con- in Hawaii, until it was explained that thcy ference has been reported. A follow-up dis- were meant to distinguish the new members. cussion on this subject with 11 participants They were so becoming that we heard several took place two weeks later. One of the high old members announce their intention of re- spots of this conference was the rccommenda- signing, so that they could join again tion for bibliographical notes which would The Membership Committee reportcd 60 enahle the researcher to discriminate among new rrmbcrs, 30 of whom were present. A many references Notes giving features of flash-light photograph was arranged, through ed~l~ons,slant and opinion of the author were the courtesy of Cleanliness Institute, by Miss recommended. Miss Charlotte Noyes brought Pidgeon, who also madc a number uf strikmg all her wide experience in this kind of work to placards to designate varmus groups. the conference and made an unusual leader. Mr. Pletchcr, of the Travel Committee, Mrs. Falterrnayer led another snlall group announced that hc had a Inass of material on January 22, which considered reference ready to answer any question about the trip problems. This was a practical experience to San Francisco. If any members write, meeting in which a number of participants April. 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 131

told of their methods in answering actual also a number of interesting speakers in view. questions which had come to them. The publicity subcommittee liae been busy on On March 21 an attempt was made to the letters being received from the East and in~tiate an inexperienced group into the the Middle West, the outlook is good for a classification labyrinth. Miss Keller who led large attendance at the convention to be lield this discussion had for her subject classification in June. Hotel reservations are already being vs, the classification of books. Miss Emilie made. Mueser, classifier, Engineering Societies Li- Miss Bonnie Strong, of the Standard Oil brary, New York, and Gilbert D. Thomas, Company Library, was named chairman of a Pennsylvania State College, wcre guests and history and archives committec. Annomce- contr~botedto the d~scussion. It IS hoped that ment was rnade of co-operation between tlic another study class such as developed last year two California chapters in tlic matter of tlie might grow out of this effort. revision of thc 1027 Directory of special li- The conference groups have had an average brarics. Mr. W.A. Worthington, of tlhc mem- attendance of about twelve. bership conimittce, reported his plans for Pittsburgh increasing the membership of tlie Associat~on. After dinner evcryonc visited the Library for The annual business meeting of the Pitts- a leisurely tour of ~nspection,for many questions burgh Special Librar~esAssociation was held to our kind hostesses and informal disc~~ssions on April 17, 1Q30, as thc guests of the Phila- among ourselves. Altl~ougli it was a very delphia Company. profitable and cnjoyablc evcning, foi wl~icliall The Prcsident rcad a lctter from Mr. Alcott, credit IS due to Mrs. Agnes Reincro, librarian, on the forthcoming convention in San Fran- hcr assistant, Mrs. M. E. I-Iansen, and to the cisco: speaker, Mr. Vincent. The follou~ingofficers werc elected for tlie Ssn Prmcisco year 1930-31: President-Miss Adeline Ma- crum, Tubcrculosis League of Pittsburgh Li- The California State Chamber of Comnicrce brary, 2851 Bedford Ave. Vice-President- Library was host to tlie Special Librarics Miss Edith Portman, Koppers Company Lab- Association of Stln Francisco on thc evcning of oratories. Secretary-Treasurer-Miss Esther Tuesday, March 18th. Members and their E. Fawcett, College of Fine Arts Library, guests dined at Bernstein's Fish Grottp prior Carnegie Institute of Technology. Executive to the rneetlng. After dinner tlie members Board-MISS Jessie Callan, Traffic Depart- adjourned to the headquarters of the California ment, Bcssemer and Lake Eric Railroad; Miss State Chamber of Commerce in the Fcrry Mary M. Lynch, Pittsburgh Academy of Medi- Building, whcre Mrs. Amy M. Caya, librarian, cine. opened hcr library for inspection. Mr. Herbcrt After tlie business meeting the members F. Ormsby, Director of the Researcli Depart- met with the Tact Club of the Philadelphia ment, discussed tlic organization and activities Company. Mr. E P. Griffiths and Mr. R. D. of the Chamber. This body, less than ten years McKinnis, of the Philadelphia Company, and old, has already many accomplishments to its Mr. Ralph Munn, of Carnegie Library of credit in its work of acting as a clearing-l~ousc Pittsburgh, were the speakers. for all sorts of information regarding the state, A lunch was served in "Utility Hall," of and this meetlng gave n good opportunity for the Philadelphia Company. acquaintanceship with the various types of special libraries in the Associa~ion. San Franclsco On Tuesday evcning, February lath, about Southern California 30 members of the Association and several The first meeting of the year was lield on guests met at the Pacific Gas & Electric Com- Saturday afternoon, October 10, 1929, at the pany Library. An excellent chicken dinner was Standard Oil Company, El Scgundo, wit11 Mr. served for us in tlie Company's cafeteria, and Byron E. Edwards, Librarian. Tlirougli tlie Mr. W. G. Vincent, vice-president and ex- courtesy of Mr. A. S. Russell, hInnagcr, tlie ecutive engineer of the Company, spoke after menlbers werc taken on a trip through tlie dinner interestingly and illuminatingly on Reliriery, a most unusual privilege. The riicm- Natural Gas. bers later nsscmblcd at the Boy Scout Camp Miss K. Dorothy Ferguson rcportcd on the in the Sand Hills west of the plant aliere a progress being made by the Convention com- business session was lield, followcd by an mittee and the program subcomn~ittee has informal picnic supper and a social meeting. 132 SPECIAL LIBRARIES April. 1930

The next regular meeting occured on Tuesday January 21st. The program was in charge of evening, November 19th, at the Los Angeles members of the library staff and proved to be County Free Library. MISSHelcn E. Vogleson, interesting and entertaining. Librarian, gave a talk on "I-listory and De- A joint session was held with the Aniericah velopment of Los Angeles County Free Li- Cl~emicalSociety at the Los Angeles City Club brary," after which the various departments on Wednesday evening, February 26th. The of the library were visited by the guests. speaker of the evening was Dr. H. E. Howe, On the evening of Tuesday, December 17th, Editor of the Journal of Industrial and En- Mr. Guy E. Marlon, of the Research Depart- gineering Chemistry, whose subjett was "Al- ment, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, cohols-Old and New." Mus~cal numbers acted as host. Dinner was served in the Cham- were gwen by the Los Angeles Soap Conipany ber of Commerce Cafe adjoining the Library. quartette. The Chapter was invited to par- Two interesting filtiis of motion pictures relat- tic~patein a dinner at the City Club, which ing to Los Angeles, made by the Chamber of had been arranged by the American Chemical Commerce, were shown. A visit was afterwards Soc~etyin honor of Dr. I-iowe. made to the Research Department and the In March the members 111et at the Bank of Library of the Chamber of Commerce. In Italy on the evenlng of the lath, with Miss addition to the entertainment enjoyed by the Marjor~eRobertson as hostess. MISS Grace members, plans for the forthcom~ngnational Stoermer, D~rectorof the Women's Banking convent~onsof the American Library Associa- Department of the Bank of Italy, spoke on tion and the Special Libraries Assoc~ation,were "Finance and Investment." A business meet- discussed. ing was held at which many matters pertaining ' The first regular meeting in 1930 was at the to the S. L. A. Convention and other business Los A~~gelesPublic Library, Tuesday evening, of the Chapter were taken up. Personal Notes Ruth Snider, formerly of the Silberl~ng Calvm W. Foss has been appointed librarian Business Serv~ce,has jomed MISS Margaret of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Mr. Poss Hatch at the Emporium Executives Library, was formerly reference lihrarian at tile Brook- San Francisco. lyn Public Library. Veron~ca Sexton, recently at the Oakland Beatrice Carr, for twenty-five years li- Free Library, IS now assistant in the library of brarian of Sutro & Company, New York, the California Academy of Sciences. resigned on April 17th and sailed for Europe for a trip of sevcral months. Miss Carr acts one Mrs. Walter H. Schoeller, formerly Gudrun of the founders of the New York Spec~alLi- Moe, has announced the birth of a son, Arne braries Association and her loyal help and Landm.wk, on January 25th. mterest will be missed by all the ~nembersof Ruth Wall, formerly In the library of the the New York Special Libraries Associat~on. \Visconsin Telepl~oneCompany 111 Milwaukee, Mrs. Plorlnne Miller died on February 21, is now in thc library of Btdsincss Week, the after an ~llncssof several weeks Mrs. lliller new publication of the McGraw-Hill Publishing was formerly librarian of the Nat~onal I'ark Company, New York. Bank and uuon the merger- of that bank tc~tli Anne Fossler, formerly in the catalog dep.~rt- the Chase National Bank, entered the Bank ment of New York University, has resigned Relations Departnw~~tShc has attended the from her position and is now living In Pasadena, local N Y. S. L. A. n~eetings,as well as the California. nat~onal ~onventlons, since joining the associat~onin 1027. Willard Iceyes, forn~erlyin chalge of the IIny S~~npsonhas resigned from her posltlon Boston IIerald library, is now connected with as hbrarian of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. the C. E. Goodspeed Company, the well known The Governing Committee passed a resolution Boston booksellers. convey in^ to Miss Simpson their appreciation. . George Winthrop Lee, fornlerly l~brarianof of the efficient and f;ithful service she had Stone & Webster, Boston, is now connected performed for them during the thirteen years with the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tcrcen- she held that position. During her adntinistra- tcnary Commission. tion the l~brarygrew from 4,000 volumes to April, 1930 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 133

13,000, iron1 6,000 bound pamphlets to 10,000 Savord is especially qualified for this new under- and the library quarters from one room to taking, the dut~csof which she is to assume on three--- stack~ - rooms,. an office for the librarian Mav first. and a duplicate room. Ill health forced Miss Simpson's resignation. Janc E. Molenaer, formerly indexer at the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, has been

Savordl lor years was the appointed assstant in the reference depart- librarian of the General Education Board, nlent, Societies Library, N~~ and a year ago accepted a position on the li- VnrL A ". A., brarv* staff-~~ of- Batten. Barton, Durstine & Osborne, has resigned from that position. She Mary K. Logan hns been appointed li- is to be librarian of a library being organized brarian of thc Cooper Union Muscunl Library, for the Council on Foreign Relations. Miss New York. Events and Publications Rebecca B. Rankin, Department Editor

The U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economcs "The Art Index'' is a new publication by the Library has issued a valuable bibliography on H. W. Wilson Company. The first issuc, dated "Valuation of Real Estate, with special refer- January, 1930, 1s prepared in the usual style ence to farm real estate," compiled by Emily 01 the Wilson Bibliograpliical Services, which L. Day. The library has also issued a selected now include the Readers Guide, International list of references on "Large Scale and Corpora- Index, and indexes devoted to agriculture, art, tion Farmmg," compiled by Margaret T. education and industry. The subject matter Olcott. include8 archaeology, arcliitccture, ceramics, **C decoration and ornament, engraving, graphic Reprinted from the Journal oj Chemical arts, painting and sculpture Educaliotz, January, 1930, a descriptive article in pamphlet form is "Educational Act~vitiesof Mellon Institute,'' Pittsburgh, by William A. The American Federaliotrisl for February pre- Hamor and Laurence W. Bass. An industrial sents a statement by A. F. Woods, Director of research organ~zationof this kind, of course, Scientific Work, United States Departn~entof emphasized its library and bibliographic Agriculture, on the work of the cornnhtcc of facilities. Rad~ohas also become one of its fifty on scientific research of llic ~iat~onal principal methods for education. federation of federal employees. **.I The objects of thia committee are: (1) To The John Crerx Library is responsible for promote in every feasible way scienlific work the issuance In mimeograph iorm 01 a "Diredory in Government service (2) To co-opcrate with of Press Clipping Burearcs," prepared by Mr. the Committee nf One Hundred on scicnlific Jerome K. Wilcox. This Directory will surely research of the American Association for thc be useful to special librarians; a copy may he Advancement of Science. (3) To pronlote secured from the John Crerar Library. We interest nmong prufessional and scientific nwn congratulate Mr. Wilcox on this well compiled in the Government service in their own eco- list. *** nomic welfare, particularly their need for an economic organization. The Library Bdlelin of Industrial Kctations Counselors, Inc., 165 Broadway, New York City, for January, 1930, is devoied mainly to a semi-annual survey of the current literature 1-1. 0.Severance, Librarian of f he University in their field. Interestingly enough, books on of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, Cliairlnan unemployment fluctuations and relief out- of the Committee for the Encouragement of number those in other div~sions.A bil~liography Research, would be pledsed to know of ally of books which include the 11.1mes of firms hav- research problems completed or any books ing certain personnel service activities will written in 1929 hy members of the Library undoubtedly be welcomed by many special profession and books and problems in process librarians. at the present ti~nc. I Pages 134-136 deleted, advertising.