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Special Libraries, 1928 Special Libraries,

1-1-1928

Special Libraries, January 1928

Special Libraries Association

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This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1920s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1928 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 19 January, 1928 No. I

Feature Articles by HARPER LEECH C. L. JAMISON SAMUEL C. HOOKER

Entered as second class matter at the Post OAlce, Providence, R. I. under the Act of March 9, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of Oetobor 8, 1917, authorized October 22,1927. Ratea: $5.00 a year. Foreign $5.50; single copiw 50 cents. Special Libraries Association Founded 1909 A CLEARING HOUSE OF INFORMATION Created to promote the interests of the commercial; industrial, technical, civic, municipal, legislative, welfare libraries, statistical bureaus and research organizations. Also to serve special departments of ~ubliclibraries and universities. PUTTING KNOWLEDGE TO WORK __C_ General Office EXECUTIVEOFFICER-Mrs. H. 0. Brigham, 11 Nisbet Street, Providence, R. I. Phone, Angel1 3206. Executive Board PRESIDENT-F~~~C~SE. Cady, Nela Research Laboratory, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio. ST VICE-PRESIDENT-~\'I~~~L. Alexander, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, City. ~NDVICE-PRESIDENT-Carolyn Faltermayer, Phdadelphia Rapid Transit Co., Philadelphia, Pa. SECRETARY-TRE,~SURER-ROS~L. Vormelker, White Motor Co., Cleveland, Ohio. BOARDM~~~~Rs-Wilharn Alcotf; Globe, Boston, Mass.; Byron, E. Edwards, Standard Oil Co. of California, El Segundo, Cal. Committees CLASS1 FI CATION Chm.-Louise Keller, Independence Bureau, Philadelphia, Pa. CONTINUATION READING Chm.-Linda Morley, Industrial Relations Counselors, New York City. EXHIBITS Chrn.-Alma C. Mitchill, ~LiblicService Corp, of New Jersey, Newark, N. J. INDEXING LEGISLATION Chm.-Herbert 0. Brigham, State Library, Providence, R. I. INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE CLUB Chm.-Franc~s E. Cady, Research Library, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio. MEMBERSHIP Chm.-Lewis A. Armistead, Boston Elevated Railway, Boston, Mass. NEWS Chm.-William Alcott, Boston Globe, Boston, Mass. PROGRAM Chm.-Eleanor S. Cavanaugh, Standard Statistics Co., New York City. PUBLICATIONS Chm.-Rebecca B. Rankin, Municipal Reference Library, New York City. TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANSHIP Chm.-Rebecca B. Rankin, Municipal Reference Library, New York City. Group Officers COMMERCIAL AND TECHNICAL Chm.--Alma C. Mitchill, Public Service Corp. of New Jrxsey, Newark, N. J. Vice-Chn1.-D. F. Brown, Standard Oil Co., Elizabeth, N. J. Sec.-Elizabeth Wray, United States Rubber Co., New York City. FINANCIAL Chm.-K. Dorothy Ferguson, Bank of Italy, San Francisco, Cal. Vice-Chm.-Ethel L. Baxter, American Bankers Assn., New York City. Sec.--Emma Boyer, Union Trust Co., Cleveland, Ohio. INSURANCE Chm.-Daniel N. Handy, Insurance Library Assn., Boston, Mass. NEWSPAPER Chm.-Agnes J. Petersen, Milwaukee Journal, MII:-, .Wis. Vice-Chin.-Maurice Symonds, Daily News, New York City. Sec.-Treas.-Marie A. Walker, New York Times, New York City. SPECIAL LIBRARIES Magazine of the Association EDITOR, Herbert 0. Brigham State Library, Providence, R. I.

Associate Editors IYilliam Alcott, Lewis A. Armistead, D. N. Handy

Department Editors Ethel Cleland, Business Branch, Public Library, Indianapolis, Ind. R. 13. Johnston, Bureau of Railway Econon~ics,ll'ashington, D. C. Henry H. Norris, Boston Elevated Railway, Boston, Mass. Mary C. Parker, Federal Reserve Bank, New York City. Rebecca B. Rankin, Municipal Reference Library, New York City. Margaret Reynolds, First \;Visconsin National Bank, Milwaukee, \Visa A. A. Slobod, General Electric Co., Schenectady, h'. Y. Local Associations SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION OF BOSTON Pres.-Howard L. Slebbins, Social Law Library. Sec.--Gladys L. Saville, Christian Science Monitor. CLEVELAND CHAPTER Pres.-Emma A?. Boyer, Union Trust Co. Sec.-Minnie W. Taylor, Cleveland Museum of Natural I-Iistory. ILLINOIS CHAPTER Pres.--Frederick Rex, Municipal Reference Library, , 111. Sec.-Frances Cowan, Dartnell Corporation, Chicago, Ill. NEW YORK SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Pres.-Angus Fletcher, British Library of Information. Sec.--W. L. Fowlison, National Automobile Chamber of Commerce. SPECIAL LIBRARIES COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA AND VICINITY Pres.-Mrs. Gertrude W. Maxwell, The Electric Storage Battery Co. Sec.--Helen M, liankin, Free Library of Philadelphia. SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Pres.-Jessie Callan, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Sec.-Henrietta Kornhauser, Mellon Institute. SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO Pres.-Bonnie Strong, Standard Oil Co. Sec.-Margaret Hart, San Francisco Bulletin. SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Pres.-Josephine I-Iollingsworth, Municipal Referencc Library, Los Angeles, Cal. Sec.-Helen D. Townsend, Barlow Medical Library, Los Angeles, Cal. Recent Publications Special Libraries Directory, 2nd edition, 1925...... $4.00 Handbook of Commercial Information Services, 1924...... 2.00 Cumulative Index to Special Libraries, 1910-22...... 2.00 Cumulative Index to Special Libraries, 1923-26...... -50 Information Bulletins No. 1-5...... each .25 Directory California Special Libraries ...... 50 Directory New York Special Libraries Association...... 1.00 Our Field SPECIAL LIBRARIANS BUSINESS CONSU1,TANTS STATISTICIANS RESEARCH ANALYSTS EXECUTIVES ECONOMISTS Contents

ARTICLES

Business Library as an Aid to the Business Man (The). By Harper Leech...... 7 Business Research in American Universities. By C. L. Jamison ...... 1 I Chemist and His Work: A Plea for a Great Chemi-

cal Library (The). By Samuel C. Hooker ... , 13

Croap and Convention Reports : Insurance ...... 18 Secretary's ...... 2 1 Treasurer's ...... 23

NOTES- British Empire Overseas ...... 16 Engineering Index Research ...... 22 Institutional Members ...... 23 Meeting of Cleveland Chapter ...... 22

DEPARTMENTS

Associations ...... 19 General Ofice Notes 1 7 Editor's Desk ...... 1 7 Events and Publica- Personal Notes...... 2 1 tions ...... 20

Special Libraries

Published Monthly September to April, bi-monthly May to August by THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

Publication Office, 11 Nisbet Street, Providence, R. I. All payments should be made to Mrs. H. 0. Brigham, Executive Officer, 11 Nisbet Street, Providence, R. I. Special Libraries

-- JANUARY, 1928 No. 1

~ ------

The February issue of Special Libraries will be the Pittsburgh Number, to be edited by the Pittsburgh Chaptcr. The March issue will be devoted to Life Insurance, a branch of the Insurance Field which was not covered in the Insurance Number pul~lishedMay, 1925.

The Business Library as an Aid to the Newspaperman* By Harper Leech,

WAS a little hesitant, when Miss Burke libraries is in itself a very significant I asked me to tax your patience this thing-it is just one of many symptoms evening-and for a very good reason. of a great cultural change taking place Libraries and librarians are my raw in our civilization, as the result of the material to such an extent that policy, speeding up and mechanization of the if not gratitude, would make me very economic proccsses, upon which its wary of boring them. But just what are culture and habits of thinking, reading you going to do when you talk to people and talking are based. about their own business, which they Far be it from me to say whether these necessarily know a great deal more about changes are for better or worse. I am than you do? In spite of the fact that not a "better worlder," and I am not so much of my stuff comes from li- flattering myself with the idea that my braries, and that I owe so much to li- fellow workers or yours are responsible brarians, what I don't know about to any great extent for the mental libraries and what's in them, or how it is changes which are taking place. I don't collected, classified, and managed, is a know that I would care enough about very respectable vacuum. The efficiency them to pronlote or oppose them, if I of librarians is to blame for this. You had any such Aladdin-like power. All really don't need to know much about I know is that they are on the way and them, in order to get the benefit of them. we arc on the boat. I started in the I see by the program that I am set newspaper business in pursuit of a very down as a special writer-which re- definite objective: I was determined minds me how many aliases have been that whatever might betide, I was not invented for the newspaper reporter. going to starve to death, and it so hap- Yet that's what I am, even if I get a good pened that the editor of an afternoon deal of my stuff from libraries-and the paper had stations on my free lunch fact that, reporters nowadays resort to route of those days; so we became

Whis talk wae'given before the Illinoia Chapter 01 The Special Libraries Association at the meeting on Novem- ber 7, 1027. 8 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 acquainted and I got a job. That was days with statistics and trade-well, an 17 years ago, and reporters and li- exporter was a former employe of the braries had very little to do with each Pullman company. other. Of course a big paper, as the That newspapers now devote more Tribune was even then, had some sort and more attention to their own li- of library. Editorial writers and old braries and reporters can be caught in time personal Editors were often men libraries 'most any old time, is one in- of great reading and general culture- dication of a change in the mental although many were not, and acquired weather-not so much noted as jazz, their knowledge of the world almost the tabloids, and the comic strips, exclusively fro~fipersonal contacts. But but just as pronounced. We have had the newspaper shop itself was not a lot of nonsense about the supposed usually cluttered up with books beyond inanity of the comic strips, but they have Ayer's directory, the dictionary, a Bible, grown better every year-their char- and the publications of the type acters have more validity than the psy- founders. Most newspapers had chological nlechanis~ns of much con- morgues, but an ill kept morgue is temporary sophisticated fiction-and worse than none at all, and many were Moon Mullins for instance is a very badly kept in those days. You could valid historical document, on a large never be sure about the pictures-I school of contemporary manners. The remember that in our paper Madam tabloids too, if you will read them care- Caillaux was a blonde, although the rest fully, will be found to be good news- of .the . -- world had her a brunette. papers as well as good thrillers-pro- ductions in which the news is distilled The New York Evening Post had a to its utmost values-perhaps too much grand library for generations back. so, as compared to well edited standard It was even said that they had a carpet size papers, but the toil and sweat of on its floor--although this rumor was tabloiding news is a greater intellectual repugnant to us Hairy Apes who heard feat than printing reams of undigested about it. Doubtless you will recall the dispatches and documents. But the old quip to the effect that the function increasing use of the resources of the of the New York Sun was to make vice libraries is what I came to talk about, attractive in the morning, the function and it proves that a vast army of news- of the Post to tnake virtue odious in the paper readers today require facts and a evening. discussion of facts which cannot be In the first five years that I practiced treated properly without checking and the newspaper art, four of them as comparison with the accumulated know- managing editor of an afternoon paper, ledge of the race, stored in youi- institu- I doubt if four assignments in that time tions. took a reporter to the public library of Two great sources of news interest that city. The works we conned were have been increasingly tapped by the the police blotters, the tax lists, the poll newspapers in recent years. The use sheets, the historical records of the of the cheap automobile and of small criminal court clerk, the show programs, electric machinery in house, shop, and and a few other lively varieties of office, has whetted the curiosity of the belles lettres. A reporter of that time people about science and engineering, and place calling on a library reminds about power, fuels, and processes. The me of the Montana cattleman who came widely diffused economic prosperity, to Chicago for a wife. The matrimonial which has flowed from these new in- agency fixed him up, but in about a dustries has given millions an interest year he was back with a repeat order. in finance and the news of the markets, "Why man, we supplied you with a fine who never read such things before. It wife just a few months ago," said the has imposed upon the news writer the wedding broker. "Oh, sure-she was task of popularizing this kind of stuff, all right-I like your line." "What be- of translating it, from the technical into came of her?" "She broke her leg and the everyday vernacuiar, and to do that I had to shoot her." So far as the aver- he has had to go back toward the funda- age news writer was concerned in those mentals of industry, back to science January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES itself, and that road lies through the public has become. We could both laugh library. I can very well remember my over old times, and without any stultifi- own transition in this respect. The cation. He smiled as he recalled how newspapers that I worked on for many the watered common stock of companies years never had any financial pages, capitalized on a five cent fare franchise because our readers were all too close basis, in days when labor was fifteen to the bread line to know the difference cents an hour, vanished into the blue between stocks and bonds. Both were with the coming of war prices. "Don't things owned by big-bellied silk hatted brag about your winnings, don't cry Wall Street ginks, who appeared in over your losses" was his comment. Yes, cartoons, that's all. The actual finances the world had changed a good deal for of our constituency consisted in matching him, as the economic world has changed the Saturday night pay envelope against for the vast majority of newspaper the grocery bill, provided that the readers, ancl as a result more news stories man of the house got home with that today have a library angle. much. Every one of these papers today All the issues we had fought over had has a financial pageevery one discusses been settled, in a way nobody could economics on those pages in language have foreseen, to the satisfaction of that the small investor can grasp. As nobody's pet theory or grouch. Both from eighty to ninety per cent of their sides had been part right, part wrong- readers are motorists and most of them neither had cared much for the abstract- are familiar with power driven ma- ions of economics. The library and chinery at home, in office or shop, they what it represents of racial and national find a new sort of reception for stories experience had bee~iconsulted but little. which would once have had but a limited New questions have arisen to take the appeal. place of the old ones. They too may be It was in 1919 and 1920 that this settled in the same unforeseen and un- changed outlook became so notable to planned ways, but if more sense is newspaper men. The discussions of the applied to them and more foresight high cost of living and wage rates in results in less injustice and disaster, it those years were accompanied with a will be because this generation is more good deal of the old fashioned im- generally interested in economic ques- passioned muck raking, but in the midst tions, more ready to consult statistics, of rent and traction fare fights I found it more skeptical of soap box rhetoric- necessary to send reporters over to the and therefore making greater uses of the public library to get dope on the course library. Of course it is easy to exaggerate of prices and wages after the Civil War the cultural change. I think there is for comparison with our own post war undoubtedly a shift from the humanities period. I found that the bank circulars to the mechanics. But it will be a long were beginning to be very interesting time before as many people will get a and that economic facts taken from kick out of Clerk Maxwell's electro- them and applied to every day con- magnetic theory of light as can be ditions brought a lively response. thrilled by Hamlet-both works of Now prior to 1912 about all the stuff supreme genius. It will be millions of on such subjects I ever wrote consisted years perhaps before as many will get of the dissection of traction company the point of giving a whoop about balance sheets and tax statements. It Hamlet as will enjoy Little Orphan was easy work-no trouble to prove Annie, but on the whole I think the that the straphanger's nickels were swing toward the engineering and mathe- disappearing down Wall Street's greedy matical type of interest is rather marked. gullet-for one thing it was so dis- I note that boy books today have a lot appearing-and then people always like of their interest in airplanes, and ma- to be toltl that somebody's gypping chinery of various kinds. When I was a 'em. Last month I ran across the former kid, we liked Julcs Verne, but wlietl~er head of one of the great traction holding it was the nice respectable I-Ienty Books companies, with which we had done such or the equally innocuous and impossible terrific verbal battling. The traction heroics of Nick Carter and Diamond baron was as mellowed by time, as the Dick there was less of the machine and 10 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 of modernity in our reading matter. me as a most progressive and advanced Miss Burke said that I was to tell you step. I should imagine that the United what I expected to find in a library. States Daily will prove very useful to That's a large order. I usually find what the librarian trying to keep the stock of I am looking for, and when it isn't there, statistics and trade information up to it's mainly because it has never been the minute. worked out before-and it is surprising The official reports in Mr. Rex's what large subjects have as yet been library represent another type of docu- untouched by writers and statisticians. ment, which will have increasing im- In the past few months for instance portance. Last year I contributed an there has appeared for the first time a article to a supplementary volume of crude sort of compilation of bond issues that great propaganda publication-the classified as to the issuing houses. Our Encyclopaedia Brittanica, and if it llad statistics of capital flotations are in- not been for Mr. Rex's institution, it complete back of 1922. The volume of would have taken me months to have trading on the stock exchange has only assembled the facts which went into a recently been recorded with real ac- few paragraphs. curacy-the older figures are but crude In short the library is beconling as guesses. I myself appear to have worked important as the conventional newspaper out the first gorgeous guess as to the morgue to the newspaper worker. As total annual power consumption in the effect of this financial, mechanical terms of man hours in this country, and power driven civilization of ours and I would hate for any hard-hearted makes deeper imprints upon our con- critic to dig into that estimate. temporary culture and habits of think- But these gaps are being rapidly ing, the importance of the library will filled. I need not tell you what has grow, because the new kinds of news happened to government statistics since which this civilization generates are not Herbert Hoover took charge of the De- so much simple spot cwnts, depending partment of Commerce. Many of the upon a few primitive dramatic elements great corporations and the trade as- for their appeal. The new news consists sociations now issue important volumes, of developments which can only be usually unbound. The trouble in the treated in the light .,f pa:,t knowledge future is going to be the very mul- and contemporary facts about them. tiplicity of such documents and the They must be found in the library. Let space to put them in. I have collected me illustrate. Not long since Judge so many that I must get a bigger flat Gary died. I was askcd .to write a life or I will be given a divorce. story, relating him to the development The other day the contractors boring of the steel industry, ana the civilization the Moffat Tunnel under James Peak of the age of steel. got out a wonderful illustrated booklet- The morgue had ample materials for a semi-advertisement-which certainly a mere personal sketch. But the morgue should have an honored place in the did not have the history of steel, as af- archives of the State of Colorado. The fected by Gary and as it affected him. National Electric Light Association has There were in the Tribune library, printed an analysis and forecast of the however, two very good books on the industries and population of the Great subject-aside from Ida Tarbell's bio- Lakes region, which should have a place graphy. I might say that I got most in every library hereabouts. The recent help from a book which was not written report on Chicago Terminals and the about Gary at all, but which did trace analysis of Chicago's manufacturing the immensely complicated effects of by the Association of Commerce are the changes in the steel industry in types of these documents, which the which he played a part. The fact that older 1ibrariesSeldom had to deal with. this story-necessarily historical-got The habit of the Crerar library, and over a column of space in several news- probably others, in keeping the n~imeo- papers-is indicative to my mind of the graphed releases of the government increasing importance of libraries and bureaus on file, until they are superseded librarians in the making of modern by the later printed documents strikes newspapers. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 11 Business Research in American Universities By C. L. Jamison, Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin

N the past few years collegiate schools As a present aid to business, the ac- of business have taken an increased curacy of conclusions drawn from re- interestI in business research. Of the search in business, as in any social thirty-eight members of the American science, is usually of less consequence Association of Collegiate Schools of than the accuracy of similar research Business, twenty-six have been conduct- in the natural sciences. That is to say, ing researches in business. These re- it is impossible to predict from the search surveys have embraced a variety phenomena of past behavior just what of fields of activity pertaining to costs, the future behavior of men will be. For profits, turnover, methods and prob- this reason the science of business will lems, labor and personnel, market sur- never be an exact science even though veys and credit relations in retail, whole- it may approach more closely to esact- sale, and manufacturing. They also have ness than it is at present. Quite apart gone into the subject of transportation, from the value of business research to building, banking and finance, real educational institutions the project is estate, public utilities, taxation, fore- worthy of support for the information casting, and miscellaneous fields per- it gives to business men. taining to economic theory and method. Business research presupposes in- The purpose of this research is gener- vestigation into business methods and ally twofold. First, to assemble material an analysis of the results obtained from of practical business transactions for those methods. It is essentially an ac- classroonl work. Also for the purpose of cumulation of facts. Those facts must enriching the college curricula and ac- be obtained in some form of expression quainting teachers of business with such as numerical measurement. All prevailing business methods. It further facts obtained from accounting records gives them business contacts which are expressed in numbers and usually they miss in the isolation of many of in terms of money. Other facts of a their teaching connections. statistical nature pertaining to market- Second, the results of the research ing and personnel analysis also are ex- are analysed, interpreted and made pressed in terms of numbers. Much available to business men. It is hoped research in business, however, deals that the material contained in the with human relationships and these can research reports will prove useful to be described only qualitatively but not business men in pointing out the best in quantitics. Nevertheless, for the methods that are followed in business purpose of averaging and comparison practices and the results that normally all statistical data must be expressed should bc obtained. in terms of numbers. This is a wcakness As a means of improving college of business research that cannot be courses in business the research does not corrected. That is to say, if a person is directly interest business men. It attempting to analyze the advantages should interest them indirectly, how- of location of a store, for example, as ever, because the men who are being compared with the advantages of other trained in business courses in American locations, the advantages cannot be es- universities are presumably the men who pressed by adjectives in a manner that will rise to positions of esecutive re- will give a definite idea to all persons, sponsibility in future years. The train- for the reason that descrip$ve adjectives ing that they receive in the University connote different things in the minds of will be used in a practical way event- different persons. Thcrefore, such re- ually. search is expressed in terms of quantita- 12 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1918 tive values such as the number of people results of a hurried consideratio~lof the that pass the site in an hour or a day, problem and do not reflect the real which is a thing that can be measured truth as well as answers based upon mathematically. Further than this the more deliberate consideration would do. intent of the persons that pass the sits Some types of business research can be can only be estimated and the esti- conducted by simply studying and analy- mates reduced to some arbitrary numer- sing financial statements that are given ical measurement. The passers-by may out by business men. If the accounting hurry along or they may Joiter, they records are correct and the statements may be intent upon sho,pping or they have been correctly taken off, the re- may be intent upon reachmg their places sults of the research are reasonably of employment or thelr homes or a place dependable providing a large enough of amusement. The investigator in assortment of statistics has been ob- order to reduce the results to some corn- tained to be representative of an entire parable expression, will assign a value field of industry. to what he considers as the shopping On the whole, the best source of facts potentiality of the people. The measure- in business research is thc business men ment may range from zero to loo%, themselves who are in contact daily the latter measurement representing with the problems of their own industry. that all of the people are intent upon If business men can be induced to give buying something and all of them have the facts fully and accurately, a supply money in their pockets with which to of statistical data can be assembled that buy. Even though the investigator may will be accurate and dependable. The be sure that all the people have come interpretation and analysis of the data along the street for the purpose of buy- can well be done by collegiate schools of ing and all have money with which to business whose faculty members are buy, he still does not know how much supposed to be analytical, unbiased, and each one is able and willing to buy and possessed of the scientific desire to follow again must give some numerical value the truth wherever the truth will lead. to the degree of purchasing power repre- The greatest achievement in business sented by these passers-by. statistics, therefore, will come in the The foregoing illustration is intended future when business men themselves to emphasize the difficulties which arise supply the facts and college professors when attempting to approach absolute analyze and interpret the facts. accuracy and the futility of comparing resdts of one business research with the results of another. Altogether apart from the difficulty The Membership Committee of the of being able to analyse, interpret and S. L. A. met on Friday, , compare the results of business research 1928, in the library of the Standard there is the difficult problem of obtain- ing facts. Facts may be obtained by Statistics Company, New York City. personal observation and personal inter- This Committee, under the leadership views with persons who know the facts, of Lewis C. Armisted, is one of the and by questionnaires that are presented most active committees in the associa- personally by investigators or that are tion. sent through the mails. To send per- sonal investigators who ask the ques- tions and fill in the questionnaires is a costly procedure. To send question- naires by mail is still costly but very The Committee on Amendment to the much cheaper. Nevertheless, business Constitution of the Special Libraries As- men find that mail questionnaires are so bothersome that only a small per- sociation has been appointed by Presi- centage of such questionnaires are re- dent F. E. Cady, consisting of Miss Re- turned. The facts given in the ones becca B. Rankin, Chairman ; Miss Jessie that are returned frequently are the Cal!an and Mr. Lucius Cannon. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES The Chemist and His Work: A Plea for A Great Chemical Library By Samuel C. Hooker* recent years the apprcciation of the or even for a lifetime, on a single task. INimportant place of Chemistry in the The pleasure of accomplishment, the world's affairs has been steadily growing, satisfaction of work well done, and the but the full extent of its enormous thrill of gratification to which the dis- influence upon the development of every covery of a new fact, or the corrobora- form of human activity is still but im- tion of a new theory gives rise, are perfectly recognized. Xevertheless, sufficient reward; and it matters little wherever we turn, we are confronted by whether or not the work is immediately evidences of the chemist's work. The appreciatecl, as sooner or later, if very foundations of the civilization we properly recorded and nlacle available enjoy, the comforts of our l~olnelife, to other investigators, it will surely aid the art in which we rejoice, thc allevi- in reaching some in~portantgoal fraught ation of pain in sickness and under with possibilities for the furtllcr progress opeiation, the control of disease, the and happiness of the huinan race. Thus, ability to navigate thc air ancl circIe the while the researches of the individual globe, havc all been made possible by chemist may be entirely unknown to the the chemist's labor. For it is he who has multitude, and his name may soon be furnished to his brother scientist, to forgotten, a record of his work stands the physician, to the inventor, to the in the scientific literature; and the engineer, to the artisan and to the artist, combined effect of the researches of thc products with which to make their thousands thus preserved and contin- tools or to carry on their work. He has ually* drawn upon and developed, is made available the raw materials taken excrc~sing an immeasurable influence from the earth, or produced upon its upon the welfare of the world. surface, for the multitudinous uses of From year to year, upwards of 26,000 modern civilization; and he has suc- chemists are adding to the sum of our ceeded in creating countless additional knowledge by the publication of the substances to meet the never ending results of their researches. The formula- call of the onward march of science and tion of new theories, the substantiation industry. or rnoclification of earlier ones; the generalization of curre!lt or previous The marvelous progress 01 the iron work; the investigation into life proc- and steel industry, the extraordinary esses; the inquiry into the wonders of usefulness and wide application of mod- radium emanation and the structure of ern cement, the existence of a suitable the atom; the methods of preparation alloy or metal for every demand, the of thousands of new substances and a colorful dyes, the indispensable drugs, record of their properties; the descrip- photography, the storage battery, arti- tion of new processes, the improvement ficial silk, and a thousand and one other and development of older ones; these, evidences of the chemist's activities-all and almost countless other investiga- proclaim the inestimable service of tions in all branches of chen~istry, chemical research to mankind. annually give rise in the aggregate to a Necessarily preceding the countless very large increase in the chemical useful applications of the chemist's literature. Year after year the newly work long periods of exacting study and discovered facts grow in numbers, in- experiment in the realm of pure science crease in usefulness, and open up new are the rule. Patiently, and usually and undreamed of possibilities; for seeking no selfish ends, the man of science knows no boundaries, and each science frequently labors for many years, new discovery furnishes but an addi-

*Dr. Hooker is Chairman of the library committee of the Chemists' Club. 14 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 tional stepping-stone from which many investigator, so that he may not only paths radiate into the great unknown. benefit by the accumulated knowledge, The researches published of interest but be prevented from repeating some- to the chemist which should be available thing. that has been accolnplished al- for reference in the course of his work if ready, and perhaps well established long necessary, are printe? ill upwards of a before. A thorough search of the thousand current periodicals embracing literature is also very apt to disclose the 'Proceedings' and 'Transactions' of some forgotten fact or some suggestion, the many Chemical and Scientific Soci- which may prove of great value to the eties as well as the scientific, chemical development of the work in mind. A and technical journals. These serials further search may show how similar which appear either monthly or at more cases have been most efficiently handled or less frequent intervals, are constantly and what may be expected under a increasing in number and inlportance. certain definite line of experiment; or They are printed in many countries, as difficulties are encountered tem- and in many languages, for chemical porarily, and inexplicable results ob- research is world-wide. Many publica- tained, a reference to a previaus work tions have been issued regularly for may clear up uncertain points, analogous upwards of fifty years; a number of difficulties having been already solved others date back to the 18th century. in the past. Or, it may be that a sub- The Philosophical Transactions of the stance with certain definite properties Royal Society of London were first may be required, or a particular com- issued in 1665. In addition to all these pound to be built upon for some new periodicals, hundreds of books, pamph- and important purpose. And so, in the lets, etc.,' written by specialists, dealing course of his investigations, the chemist with every branch of chemical science will be continually appealing to the and industry are printed every year, Library for information, for guidance, and swell to enormous proportions the and for inspiration, and great is his dis- current chemical literature. appointment when a particular reference Now, every worker must have his or book needed at the commencement, tools, and other things being equal the or in the course of his work, is not better the equipment, the more efficient available. Unfortunately this is too and satisfactory the work. There is no often the case because the large and exception to this well recognized fact; rapidly increasing Inass of chemical it applies equally to the chemist as to literature, and the rarity of much of the other workers, and of all his tools, the older material makes it difficult for the most important and indispensable is the scientific libraries, as they are now library. organized, to more than approximately In the present advanced state of cover the field. knowledge no matter how new or how It is true that there are many excel- radical a discovery may seem to the lent scientific libraries in this country, layman, it has nevertheless been led notably those of the great universities. up to and only made possible by the There are also a number of other ex- work of hundreds who have gone tremely important scientific and tech- before, and whose researches have been nical collections such as those of the recorded and made available to sub- New York Public Library, of the John sequent investigators ; and, similarly, Crerar Library of Chicago, of the before that new discovery can be made Franklin Institute of Philadelphia, and capable of its greatest service to man- of the numerous libraries in Washington. kind, many brains will have been con- All these are of inestimable value to the centrated upon its developnlent and investigator, but the many fields of the library again records the steps of knowledge which they usually cover progress. make it difficult to do full justice to When entering upon new work, all cvery subject, even if the necessary the literature bearing upon the subject means were available which, unfortu- should be available for study by the nately, is not generally the case. , Recent

1Bibliographia Chimtca, a periodical publication gives about 8,600 titles for 1925;for 1926 about 3,000. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 15 compilationsZ by making known the ture, because room was needed for other specific scientific and other periodical publications; and the scientific books literature available in each of about 200 being relatively few in number, wcre not libraries of this country have added sufficient to attract thc specialist who greatly to the convenience and resources will naturally turn to that library where of the investigator. he is reasonably sure of finding all or Many of the scientific collections of most of the referenccs needed to pursue the future will be undoubtedly highly his studies. specialized; and subjects not intimately Thus, by the weeding out of material connected with the main one will be from libraries in which it is out of eliminated. Thus the collections, though place opportunities are offered from time more complete in their respective fields, to time to add to the great and more will be smaller, much more readily highly specialized collections. accessible for study and service, and, The Lil~raryof the Chemists' Club in by having the undividccl attention of the New YorIc, located in the Club Building librarian, much more readily kept up on 41st Street between Madison and to date by the accession of old as well Park Avenues, contains one of the as of new material. Moreover, the largest collections of strictly chemical rapidly increasing nunlber of publica- publications in existence; and it differs tions adding greatly to the espense of from all other libraries in this country the library, requiring in the aggregate in that it is confined to such literature enormous shelving3 and frequently con- as that with which the chemist is siderable sums for binding, is giving directly concerned. Founded in 1898, concern to many librarians, and so in increased in 1912 by the gift of the itself, bringing about specialization library of the American Chemical whereby unnecessary duplication is Society, the collection has steadily avoided. The library of the Royal grown year by year by gift and by College of Physicians in London has purchase. Moreover, a number of very been forced to part with many books of important libraries such as those of such collateral subjects as chen~istry Prof. Morris Loeb4 and, more recently, and general science. Periodicals in these of Prof. C. F. Chandler6were bequeathed classes which have been taken, pre- to the Club, and thus hundreds of val- served and bound for decades have been uable and difficultly obtainable books discontinued and sold to make room for have been added to its shelves. the more strictly medical publications. This Library, which is freely open to The library of the Royal Society of the public throughout the day, has ac- Arts of London has likewise been under- quired an international reputation going a reorganization in recent years amongst chemists and scientists. It is and much of the essentially scientific called upon for service almost hourly, periodical literature, dating continuously by investigators, economists, inventors, back for many years, has been removed scientific institutions and the industries. and sold, so that the entire shelving It contains in all about 40,000 volumes might be available for technical publica- and many thousands of pamphlets con- tions. sisting of monographs, dissertations, In this country many a general library reports, etc., but notwithstanding the has found it necessary to dispose of its broad field of the chemical literature high grade scientific and technical litera- covered, there remains much to be done

=Union List of Scr~alsfn the Libraries of the Umlcd Slulcs md Canada, Win~fredGregory, ICd~lor. Published by The H. W. Wilson Company, New York. Thm lib1 covers about 76,000 titles. 'The main building of Lhe New York Public Librnry has in its fiteel stack and readma rooms combined ahout 75 mdes of shelvmg. 'Morrm Loeb, a son of Solomon Locb, one of tho founders of the Banking House of Kuhn, Loeb & Compnny, was for a number of years director of the Chem~calLaboratory of the University oi New York. Bcsides be~nga d~stingu~shed chemist he was no less prominent as n philanthropist, contributing largely Lo mnny charities, founding with his brothor, James Locb, the Wolcott Gihbs Memor~alLnboratory at Hnrvntd, and beins extremoly helpful in making possible the Chemists' Club wth ~tshne building and notable library. Charles Freder~ckChandler, one of America's most dlstingu~shed chemists, and the recipient of many honors here and abroad, was for mnny yearb the beloved head of the Department of Chemistry of Columbin Unlvcrslty, of which he was omeritua professor at the time of hls death in 1025. 16 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 before that completeness is reached for British Empire Overseas which every chemist hopes. The catalog of the Royal Colonial There can scarcely be a doubt that Institute, the publication of which is the United States is ultimately destined about to be undertaken, should form a to have the prcmier chemical library of valuable bibliography of the literature the world, with the most complete col- relating to the overseas portions of the lection of chemical literature in existence. British Empire and to proble~ns of This would seem to be assured by the colonial administration gcnerally, both enormous resources of this country; British and foreign. As brief biographical by the indispensable part which chem- particulars of authors will be included istry plays in its daily life, and as a it should also form a qseful biographical means of national defence; and by the reference work. vision and generosity of its leaders and The Library contains nearly 200,000 mcn of wealth. books and pamphlets relating to the It cannot be too often repeated that overseas British Empire and problems the physical welfare, the moral well- of colonization and administration gen- being, the progress and protection of a erally, including foreign colonies. It nation is largely dependcllt upon scien- is particularly rich in works of history, tific research, and the importance of economics, and ethnology; a special aiding the development both of funcla- feature of the collection is a large num- mental scientific work and industrial ber of Official publications including research through unsurpassecl library Blue Books, Departnlental Reports, facilities, cannot be overestimated. Reports of Comlnissions and Comxnit- The immediate needs of the less tees, Parliamentary Proceedings, and fortunate of mankind must necessarily Statutes and legal proceedings. be providecl for; but the greatest philanthropies are those which reach The catalog will be divided into out to all, and of these the furthering of sections as follows : knowledge by scicntific research stands A...... Author Index alone in the vastness of its possibilities. B ...... General Subjects Every discovery properly recorded in C...... British Empire generally the library and inade available for fur- D ...... Geographical Divisions, ther study, no matter how apparently the most important sec- unimportant it may seem at the time tions of the catalogue, di- of its birth, will surely help to secure vided into subjects. the foundations of peace, happiness, E ...... *. E?iographies and prosperity throughout the world. F ...... Voyages and Travels The future will therefore undoubtedly G ...... Societies1 Publications point to the benefactions of the Rocke- H...... Botany, Agriculture, and feller~,the Carnegies, and those of Vegetable Products numerous other men of similar vision, I...... Zoology and Animal Prod- as being amongst the greatest gifts the ucts world has yet received. I<...... Mineral Products L ...... An~ericaand American Co- A Directory of Special Libraries in lonial History the New York Metropolitan District M ...... War of 1914-18 has been com~iledbv the New York N ...... Portraits Chapter of thi S. L. h. The valuable 0...... Title Entries and Period- book lists 373 libraries, arranged under icals eighteen sub-divisions. Following the P ...... Official Publications Classified List there is a Title Index Owing to the generous support of the and a Personnel Index with the Key Carnegie United Kingdom Trust it will number of the library appended to the be possible to sell the catalogue at much entry. The publication is a distinct below cost price. credit to the New York Chapter. Enquiries may be directed to the Copies may be obtained from the Royal Colonial Institute General Office at 11 Nisbet Street, 181 Northumberland Avenue Providence, R. I. London, W. C. 2, England January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 17 Editor's Desk T the mid-winter meeting in Chicago the American Library Associati011rece!ved A a petition from a group of business librarians asking for the establishment of a Business Libraries Section i? the A. L. A. Alter debate it was moved thzt the petition be laid upon the table and it is hoped that this marks the end of n con- troversy which first came to the surface at the S. L. A. mceting at Saratoga Springs in 1925. The whole question has placed the S. L. A. in a most embarrassing oosition and little has been said in the columns of S#ecial Libraries concerning the matter. We appreciate the action of the Council in connection with the petiticn as the' establishment of a Business Libraries Section would establish a serious precedent and create in this country two rival associations reaching out for the suport of the business world. The two associations should be able to collaborate in ihe solution of this problem which so vitally concerns the welfare and efficiency ci all busines libraries The solution will strengthen the bonds of affiliation sld will give us on our part greater opportunity to stress the'professional sick of our work which is equally important with fact-finding and research in thepopcr clevelop- ment of the S. L. A. *** General Office Notes N the formation of the General Office various problems conenling me~nhership I have arisen. We suggest that members or subscribers whm sending payments for renewals specify exactly their wishes. Our readers may recall that there are three classes of merroership: Institutional at $15.00, Individual at $5.00 and Associate at $1.00. In adition, persons who are not members are entitled to subscribe for the magazine at tle rate of $5.00 per year, or if a foreign subscription for $5 .SO a year. Sorrle of our most active members have been in the habi!of sending in subscription renewals through magazine agencies and a subscriptioll ~f ths type does not carry with it membership in the Association or a voice ir, ~tsmanagement. For renewals placed through an agency, the agency is entitled tc; 10% of the subscription renewal. Several public libraries have requested additional memberships, but in reality these are extra subscriptions to the magazine and should be so classified. In every respect the institutional membership which, under the constitution, includes any library, firm or organization maintaining a library, is the ideal type. The institutional members not only receive the magaz!ne, hut all other,publications of the Association without extra charge. Wc are maklng -apid strides In increasing the institutional memberships and believe :hat as our members more clearly under- stand its advantages we will still further augment this g-oup. M. H.B.

Librarians in the larger cities get a dual benefit from the national and the local memberships, librarians in the smaller places far remowd from the metropolitan centers will always be welcome at the monthly meeting of our chapters. Notify the General Office and we will put you in touch with thc local officials. *** In a rush of work which accumulated at the close of the year many excellent items of value have escaped our attention. We offer apolqies to our readers for the neglect. *** We expect to print a title page and index to volume 18 i.1 the next issue. *** Begin now to plan for the Washington conference which occurs in May, 21, 22 and 23,1928. SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 Report of Indexing on Life Insurance Material D. N. Handy, Chairman, Insurance Croup men I assumed the chairmanship of the Proceedings Insursnce Group of S. L. A. last fall, I found Association of Life Insurance Presidents that a project for indexing the literature of American Life Convention, Medical, Legal Life Inrurance was already under way There National Association Life Underwriters was ahdy a suggestion that if arrangements Actuarial Society of America could be made for scanning likely sources of American Institute of Actuaries material 2nd for indexing them and preparing Association of Life Agency Officers the copy, he actual mimeographing and dis- American Management Association tribution mqht be done by the Life Insurance Casualty Actuarial Society Sales Reseach Bureau in Hartford, Con- Life Insurance Sales Research Bureau necticut. Bu1ding on this foundation, I have National Convention Insurance Com- during the m~thsintervening since our last n~issioners meeting in Sepember carried on somewhat Association Life Insurance Counsel extensive corresphndence with members of our Association Medical Directors group in the attehpt to forn~ulatea plan for Natipnal Association Office Managers carrying these ideakinto effect. I am now able National Fraternal Congress to report progress shtantially as follows:- Fraternal Actuarial Congress First-That there is general agreement Convention Year Book among L~feinsurance members of our group In a letter from Mr. Niles, Manager of the that such an indexingproject, if carried out Life Insurance Sales Research Bureau, it is systen~atically,will be d great benefit to Life suggested that an attempt be made to assign insurance libraries and tleir supporters. a somewhat definite limit to the amount of Second-That at the beinning the indexing material that will probably need to be mimeo- should be done by a commitbe of Life insurance graphed and distributed each,month. In the librarians who shall be reponsible for ap- hope of being able to secure more definite data, portioning the sources of mterial to be in- I divided the sources to be indexed among dif- ferent members of our group, and requested dexed, ar.d for the work 01 preparing the manuscript and getting it into tae hnds of the each to submit a list of the articles deemed distributing agency. worthy of indexing which had appeared in these sources over a definite period of time. Thzrd-That at the outset, it will b better All the replies to this questionnaire have not to have the index mimeographed rathe than yet come in. Those which have give an indica- to attempt to put ~t on cards. tion of the number of items which we may Fourth-That the index should be distr~buted expect to index regularly. not oftener than monthly. It is apparent as the study proceeds that the Fith-That at the outset annotations, if work will be one of some magnitude, even if used, should be brief. undertaken at first in its simplest form. It will A circular was sent to intertsted mcmbers of require considerable effort and some expense. the group asking what makrial should be It is not likely that the Life Insurance Sales indexed. The following sourcs recommended Research Bureau will be in a position to assume arc given below in order of th: frequency with the entire expense, although it is poss~blethat which they appeared on thc replies to the it will be able to arrange for having the work circular :- of mimeographing and distr~butmgcopies of the index done in its office. Periodicals I hope that at this meeting, we may go over Insurance Field the essential details and decide definitely to National Underwriter what extent we are willing to support the Eastern Underwriter project, ~f undertaken. It is the Life insurance Life Association News hbraries and their supporters which will be Weekly Underwriter principally benefited by an index of this kind. Spectator It is to them, therefore, that we must look for Life Insurance Courant the support necessary to carry the project Life Insurance Salesman through. In a communication from Mr. Niles Best's Insurance News, Life which has been already distributed to members Underwriters Report of this group, the practical problems are very Printed Salesmanship clearly presented. We have reached the point, Trust Companies I think, where we can discuss those problems. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Associations

Illinoia meeting. However, we were very fortunate in The Illinois Chapter met on Tuesday securing Professor Marcus Nadler, Professor evening, December 13th, in the luxurious and of Finance, New York University and Man- attractive quarters of the Library in the new aging Director of Institute of Internat~onal Stevens Hotel. Finance. Professor Nadler has had a wide ex- Mr. Edward L. Burchard, Treasurer of the perience in the financial field. In his talk which National Association of Comn~unity Centers was built around the contacts between Research was the principal speaker of the evcning, his and Special Libraries he told of the various subject being "The Public Library and the things that happened in his personal experience. School Community Center." Mr. Burchard The many ti~nesthe ~naterialneeded was ob- briefly traced the clevelopment of the com- tained very quickly through the knowledge of munity ccnter movement in the school builcl- the trained Librarian of the subject lnatcrial ings, outlmed the various activities connected involved. The speaker stressed very much with such centers, and showed how the branch that the research man without the trained public library, available for both school and Librarian was very greatly handicapped. community use, was but a natural adjunct of The talk given by Professor Nadler was very the public school conlmunity center. He cited interesting and all present could not help but the highly successful operation of branch public gain in ideas and enthusiasm. libraries in school buildings, available for both After the speech of the evening time was the use of school children and the adults in the taken to get better acquainted with each other. community, in such large metropolitan cities It was very informal and no doubt the con- as St. Louis, Kansas City, Grand Rapids, tacts thus made will serve a broad purpose. Minneapolis and Cleveland. Philadelphia An unusual treat was in store for the as- The Special Libraries Council of Philadelphia sembled guests, suitable to the season of the and vicinity held its regular monthly meeting year, when ~Mrs.Frances Clarke Sayers of the on Friday, December 2, in the,n~eetingroom of Adult Education Department of the American the beautiful new building of The Free Library. Library Association, in a most gracious and The subjects discussccl were government interesting way, spoke on a topic of extreme documents and pamphlets. interest at the time, namely: "Christmas Book Mrs. Martha C. Leister, Head of the Depart- Suggestions." ment of Public Documents of The Free Library, Miss Gertrude M. Clark, Librarian of the gave an interesting address on "Thc United Stevens Hotel Library, then gave a brief talk States Government as a Publisher and Dis- on the work of her library, intersperscd with tributor of Public Documents." interesting comment relating to distinguished Mrs. Esther C. C. Ware, Head of the Pamph- visitors of the hotel who had patronized her let Division, talked of the collection of pamph- Library. let material in The Free Library; how the New York material is acquired; its care and use. The second fall dinner meeting of the New The Special Libraries Council of Phila- York Special Libraries Assoc~ation was held delphia and vicinity held its January meeting at the British Luncheon Club, 53 Broadway, at the library of the Philadelphia Inquirer. New York City on December 6th, 1927, at The meeting was addressed by Professor Reese 6 P. M. James of the University of Pennsylvania, whose The meeting was well attended, 109 being subject was "The College-Trained Newspaper present. Mr. Angus Fletcher, presiding. Man and the Reference Library." Professor After everyone had enjoyed the very good James convinced the group that no newspaper dinner the more serious part of the evening was can serve its staff without an adequately run spoken of by Mr. Fletcher. He announced that reference library. He spoke of the splendid the membership Committee would very shortly cooperatioll of Mr. Foster in arranging to have some ngvs with regard to thc various have the university students work in the In- types of memberships and the amount of dues, quirer library. A tour of the building followed privileges, benefits, etc., attached to each class. and there was much interest shown in the Mr. Fletcher announced with regret the machinery and method which has been per- inability of Professor John Madden, School of fected in the printing of this important Phila- Business, New York Un~versityto speak at this delphia newspaper. SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 Events and Publications Rebecca B. Rankin, Department Editor Cleanliness Journal, vol. no. 2 for October, Under the heading "Women in Business" 1927, contains an article on new books which in the New York World of Sunday, December was prepared by Miss Marie K. Pidgeon, 25th, is a good article about special librariaus, librarian of the Cleanliness Institute. particularly Mary Louise Alexander of Barton, The National Research Counc~l and the Durstine & Osborn. It haw photograph of Japan Society have recently published a book- her with the caption, "Ask Her Another." let entitled "The Industrial Transition in Publishers' Weekly for July 30, 1927, carries Japan." In it are described pearl culture, an extensive article entitled "Bookselling Japanese fisheries, civil aviation, and the silk School at Columbia." In three parts: I. How industry by Mr. Maurice Holland, who made the course was conducted; 11. Columbia and an investigation of the industrial situation in its Program for the Book by C. C. Williamson Japan. and 111. Planning a book selection course for The October issue of the Bzdletin of the Booksellers by Sarah B. Ball, the work of the American Instilute of Banking contains an course is described. article on the "Investment of Trust Funds," The Municipal Reference Library Notes of a compilation by Beatrice Hager and Billy October 26, 1927, carried a "Bibliography on Neal of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Municipal Landing Fields," covering the period Library. (V. 9, 421-427.) from January, 1925 to October, 1927, sup- plementing the first one published on January The Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Com- 7, 1925. pany Library at Hartford periodically pub- The Merchants' Association of New York lishes attractive little leaflets about New Books has published a map showing the NEW New and the library. They use different colored York Metropolitan District. This new dis- papers for various months which are made in tricting is of vital importance to all businesses loose-leaf form to fit into a binding. as the 1927 Census of Manufacturers is to be The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Re- based on it. search has filed plans for adding to its group of In this Department, we have overlooked buildings a three-story structure to house its calling attention to a splendid bibliography library and'dining hall. It is to cost about which was issued during the summer. It is $soo,ooo. entitled "Reference List of Literature on Laura A. Thompson, librarian of the De- Urban Electric Railways." It was compiled partment of Labor, has compiled a bibliography by Lewis Armistead of Boston Elevated Rail- on Union-Management Cooperation which is way. It is conveniently indexed by cities. printed in the Monthly Labor Review for The Telephone Book Library maintained October, 1927. Reprints are also available. by the American Telephone and Telegraph "A Practical System for F~lingCatalogs," Company, numbers 4000 volumes and is much by Rue1 McDaniel is discussed in the Purchas- used for many research purposes, so states an ing Agent for October, 1927, pages 1100-1102. article in the New York Times of October 22, The Engineering Institute of Canada at 1927. Montreal has a library at headquarters which "The Growing Importance of Subject Filing," has been recently reorganized and recataloged, by Guy E. Marion, now of the Los Angeles and in their journal of October, 1927, they Chamber of Commerce, is being reprinted in print the new Regulations for the Library. The File of November and December, 1927. The Architectural Forum for December, 1927, The Iron Age appreciates special library is mainly devoted to libraries, illustrated by methods to such an extent that they have many attractive photographs. adopted a policy of printing "routing slips" The Boston Evening Transcript for November free of charge for each of their subscribers. 8 contains an article by George Winthrop Lee, In the Chicago Banker for November 19, 1921 librarian of Stone & Webster, Inc., entitled we read that Industrial corporations and the "Good English Card-Indexed." The sub- federal government spend about $200,000,000 heading is New Extension Service at Boston annually on industrial research. The corpora- Public Library Will Act as Local "Supreme tions spent $2 for every dollar spent by the Court" of Correct Usage. government. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Personal Notes Mary C. Parker, Department Editor

Those who have attended the Special Li- Secretary's Report braries Association Conferences will Iearn with sorrow of the death on December the eleventh The Executive Board of the Special Libraries of Mrs. Annie Rankin, mother of Miss Rebecca Association held four meetings since the last Rankin. Her gaX spirit had made her many Conference. At these meetings the various friends among the regular attendants of the con~mitteeswere appointed. Membership dues conferences. were changed to read as follows: Inst. Membership...... $15 Ind. Membership...... 5 Mrs. Mary McCloskey Burke has resigned Assoc. Membership...... 1 her position as librarian of the Mercy Hospital A strong plea was made to have local chap- Staff Library, Pittsburgh, and has been suc- ters and affiliated groups in various cities join ceeded by Miss Lillian Beiter. the S. L. A. as associate members where institute or individual membership was im- Miss Edith Norton has succeeded Mrs. Julia possible. This was done in Cleveland, New C. Wheeler as librarian of the Medical School York City, and recently in California. One new Library, University of Pittsburgh. local chapter was organized at Cleveland. There are twelve committees, four groups and eight local or affiliated associations in the Miss Margaret M. Morris has been ap- S. L. A. pointed librarian of the Philadelphia Co., The Secretary's biggest job this year has been Pittsburgh, to succeed Miss Margaret P. to get the mailing list corrected, and to verify Burns, who left to be married. this record required a great deal of comparing notes, and grateful acknowledgement is hereby Miss Gertrude L. Woodin has resigned as made to Miss Boyer and hliss Claflin, who librarian of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, Pitts- assisted in this task. burgh Experiment Station, to join the staff Correspondence: of the Smithsonian Institute. Her successor, This can be divided under the following Mr. Giles R. Taggart, takes up his new duties heads: December 16. Invzlalions: Most every State in the U. S. A. has invited the Special Libraries Association to hold their Miss Alice McCann, former librarian at the next Convention there. They offer us every Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, has been appointed librarian of the University of thing from moonlight rides to franking officers' quarters. Two States not heard from were Pittsburgh School of Dentistry. Nevada and Utah. Complaints: Mr. Edgar Jones Hughes, executive vice- About not receiving Special Libraries or president of the First Wisconsin National about sending them to folks who have died a Bank, died on December 12, after a six days' year ago ! siege with pneumonia. Nine and one-half years Repests for Il?formafian: ago it was Mr. Hughes who suggested that the Concerning the Association and its publica- First Wisconsin Library be organized. tions. And last, but by far the most interesting: Miss Flora Lilienthal, formerly Assistant Requests for specific help in organizing Librarian under Mr. D. N. Handy in the libraries, Thcse have come from Presidents of Insurance Library Association of Boston, has banks, insurance companies and industrial taken the position of Librarian in the Depart- organizations. ment of Indexing and Filing, Library Service Probably the best piece of S. L. A. publicity Division of the Rand Remington Business this year was Dorsey I-Iyde's af'ticle in a recent Service, Inc., in New York City. (Cottltnudd on page 83) 22 SPECIAL LIBRARIES January, 1928 Meeting of Cleveland Chapter abstract and comparison of business services issued by the American Management Associa- On account of conflicting interests, the meet- tion, known as Business Forecast; Bank Let- ing of the Cleveland Chapter of the Special ters-national and foreign; Letters of Broker- Libraries Association-originally announcecl for age Firms in Foreign Countries;Lettcrs and Re- November 16-was postponed to December 7. ports of Consular Offices; the Weekly Letter of It was held in the Treasure Room of the Cleve- the Dartnell Sales Service; the Sherman Ser- land Public Library with fourteen members vices; the Industrial Bulletin of Arthur D. Lit- and guests present. Dr. Alexander Meiklejohn, tle, Inc., which deals with technical research; who was speaking at the Women's City Club, and the new and especially important Weekly proved to be a serious rival. Card Index Service about to be issued by the A few items of general business were intro- American Society of Mechanical Engineers. duced. Miss Emma M. Boyer, President of The Harvard Economics Service was ably the Chapter, spoke of the type of program being discussed by Miss Leona ICohn, Federal Re- planned for the year and emphasized the aim serve Bank, after which Miss Vornlelker spoke of the Chapter to increase ~tsmembership. of the loose leaf service of the Corporation The greeting from S. L. A,, confirming the ap- Trust Company, the various U. S. Governtnent plication of thc Cleveland Group for mernber- publications, and the list of Commercial In- ship, was read; also, a letter from Miss Margaret formation Services compiled by Mrs. Jennie Reynolds, containing a plea for items for the Schramm of the Illinois Chamber of Com- We Do This column in Special Librartes. merce. This might, in a sense, be considered Mr. Francis E. Cady, Nela Research Lab- as a supplement to thc list issued by the Special oratory, suggested that on account of the Libraries Association in 1924. varying attendance at local chapter meetings, Illustrative material was circulated as the it would be well to take a few minutes at each publications were discussed, thereby establish- meeting to discuss the classes of nlembership ing a visual association which is always espec- and other pertinent topics so that the entire ially helpful. personnel of the chapter would eventually Mr. Francis E. Cady, National President, become more familiar with the organization as then told of his recent visits to the Boston a whole. Chapter and to the new General Office in Miss Boyer mentioned another aim of the Providence. He next proceeded to give a Chapter-to cooperate with the individual very interesting survey of the budget for 1928, members just as far as possible. To this end, as discussed at the recent meeting of the a union list of periodicals available in the Executive Board in New York City. It is in various special libraries throughout the city, deed gratifying to hear that the prospects for is conten~plated. Miss Aka B. Claflin, Federal 1928, both financially and otherwise, are so Reserve Bank, will be in charge of the project promising. and wlll work out a method for taking care of the list when completed. Miss Grace Haskin, Cleveland School of Index Art, was named chairman of the Committee Engineering Research on By-laws. . A remarkable piece of research has just been The special subject for the evening was completed by the editorial staff of The Engmeer- "Business and Financial Services." Miss Rose iag I?ttdex in preparation for The New Weekly Vormelker, Whlte Motor Company, opened Engineering Card Index Service, which goes into the cliscussion with a comprehensive survey of existence in January, 1928. services in general, including a definition of For the purpose of making the index conform the term, and mentioned some of the more to general usage, over twelve thousand en- important ones. Miss Emma M. Boyer, gineering subject headings have been sep- Union Trust Company, then gave a rather arately entered upon individual cards and detailed description of the publications of the upon these cards have been placed classifica- Standard Statistics Company, with helpful tions used .by the Llbrary of Congress, the comments on the special features of each. American Library Association, the Industrial Miss Vormelker continued with descriptions Arts Index, and the original Engineering of other similar services, mentioning the pub- Index. This minute classificat~on has thus lications issued by the Library Division of the developed a Master Index as one of the most H. L. Doherty Company of New York, giving valuable by-products of the new research a list of the services: abstracted, also, a similar project. January, 1928 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Institutional Members Alexander Hamilton Institute Western Unlon Telegraph Co. American Bankers Association White & Kemble American Telephone & Telegraph Co. Wilson, Co., H. W. Baker & Taylor Company Baker Library-Harvard School of Business Secretary's Report Administration (Continued from page dl) Barton Durstine & Osborn Bell Telephone Laboratories issue of Nation's Business. This article, and Boston Elevated Railway the success of the Rubber Bibliography which Brookmire Economic Service was noted in varlous Rubber and Chemical Child Study Association Journals, makes it most obvious that S. L. A. Christian Science Monitor would have much to gain by getting publicity Cleanliness Institute Library in general business, .trade and professional Consolidated Gas, Electric Light & Power, journals. People who never have and never Baltimore will read Special Libraries and Library Journal Consolidated Gas Co. of N. Y. do read System, and Scientific and Technical du Pont de Nemours, E. I. Journals. They are vitally interested in the Edison Electric Illuminating Co., Boston very things S. L. A, stands for, i. e.: "Putting Federal Reserve Bank of Boston knowledge Lo work." Federal Reserve Bank bf New York The term S. L. A. (for the Association) and First Wisconsin National Bank S. L. (for the Journal) are more or less of a Fleischmann Con~pany mystery to business men as are libraries in Grant Co., W. T. general. Our News Committee has a real Guaranty Company of N. Y. opportunity for service. Home Insurance Con~pany It is most necessary that a paid Secretary Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada be hired who can devote all his time to the Industrial Relations Counselors S. L. A. 227 letters that required dictation Insurance Library Association, Boston were handled by the Secretary since 1st Insurance Library of Chicago November, 1926. Jackson & Moreland McCall Company Treasurer '8 Report Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Li- brary The report of the Treasurer includes the Merchants Association of N. Y. period from October 1, 1926, through May 31, Metcalf & Eddy 1927: Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Balance from 1925-26...... $1,017.67 National Aseociation of Manufacturers Received from dues...... 2,478.13 National Automobile Chanlber of Commerce Publications...... 408.31 Newark Public Library, Business Branch Handbook ...... 24 00 New Jersey Zinc Company, New York Directory...... 123.46 New Jersey Zinc Company, Palmerton Index, Vols. 1-13...... 2 .OO New York Academy of Medicine Vols. 14-16...... 9.75 New York Telephone Company Bulletins...... 254 85 New York Times, The Magazines...... 1.00 Old Colony Trust Co., Boston Gifts...... 12.50 Price, Waterhouse & Company Rubber bibliography...... ---- 217 09 Proctor & Gamble Public Service Corp, of N. J. Total receipts...... $4,834.42 Research Laboratory, G. E. Company, Nela Disbursements Park, Cleveland Publications...... $2,684.15 Royal Bank of Canada Convention expenses...... 60.95 Standard Oil Co. of N. J. Stationery and postage...... 175.82 Standard Statistics Company Travel...... 188 92 Stone & Webster General...... 223.34 United States Rubber Company Balance, June 1, 1927...... $1,280.26 Pages 25-28 deleted, advertising.