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Special Libraries, 1919 Special Libraries, 1910s

9-1-1919

Special Libraries, September 1919

Special Libraries Association

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This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1910s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1919 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 10 SEPTEMBER, I g 1.9 No. 6 Special Libraries

Proceedings

OF THE Tenth Annual Convention

OF THE Special Libraries Association

ASBURY PARK, N, J. JUNE24, 25, 26, 1919

Published by The Special Libraries Association PUBLISHED MONTHLY EXCEPT JULY AND AUGUST

Kntelwl :~tthc Post Okcc at Roston. Mass.. ns SCCI~I~~~111s~. mutter. Acceptnnce for mnili~~pnt the spetinl rntc of postngc prorlded for 111 scrtlan llrn, ~ctof 0ctol)er 3, 1917, :iutl10~17cclJllne 10, 19W. 150 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Special Libraries

SEPTEMBER, I g I g No. 6

Looking Back on the Convention

Tho tenth annual convention was perhaps We shall wol-1; out own future on the the most noteworthy in the history of the basis of our own conrrete experience and Special Libraries Association-noteworthy not on the good-willecl b11t erratic co~lcep- in attendance, in accomplishment, in spirit tions of outsiders who in a world of reality anti In outloolr. Measured by numbers, the and practical affairs are living a dreamer's attendance at some of the sessions ran well lire. That is what the session follol~ingthe over 250. Measured in another way it may report of the Executive Boarcl signified. be notcd that those who attended the ses- Confident of the future ns we are, and de- sions and registered at the central desk termined that none bult special libraries came from 21 different states, representing shall control the special libraries movernell,t, every section of the country. To say this the spirit ol the Association as of the con- of a meeting held at a. place bordering on vention is one of helpfulness and service in the Atlantic is to inlply a great deal The its broadest significance. The sessions of clistril~utionof those attending indicated not the newly-organizecl Enginee'illg Section of only the national scope of the Association the S. L A. displayed' this spirit. On a but also the widespread interest in it. In larger scale the discussiona on the resolu- addition there was one representative from tion pronosed by the Executive Board re- China, while another from Sweden who had questing representation on American Li- hoped to be present was prevented at the l~rary Association committees onlv whe~e ow interests are involved brought out an last inomant. elmost unanimous expression of friendship So we continue in our worlr, undaunted by for the A. L. A. In fact most of the, opposi- problems which to those who 1mOw apllear tion to the resolution centered not about the overwhelming. Gradually, however, we injustice of our demancl, bat about the im- master them all, not perhaps so much be- plied criticism of an association with which cause of our superiority as an organization we are affiliated, for which during the war but because the idea upon which the Special we have all been glad to worlr and to which Libraries Association rests is sound. Upon We are all inclined to look when national that solid foundation we have been experi- policies are to be cleterminad. menting to determine the type of structure The convention was infused with a get- that we shall builcl. together spirit which animated all. Copies But experiments take time. We do not of Xpccial Lzlwa?-ie.9 were distributecl liber- feel that we have yet evolved an ideal for111 ally with n "when this you see remember of association. That is what the institution me" festive spirit. Ou,r own committees of an Advisory Council, as deter~ninedby and those ol' the A. L. A. outclid tl~eniselves the Convention, signifies. Howevar, the in malting this a real after-war convention. neth hod of procecl~~reof the Executive Board The A. L. A. is making plans for the fo- is apparent to all. We will build slowly, ture of American librarianship in the draw- but what we shall build will not crumble. ing up and carrying out of which it is con- Having iaith in democracy we will proceed fidently hoped that we shall have a share. only by democratic methods. Anyone pres- But the spirit of active enthusiasm which ent at the meeting at which the Advisory has always characterixed the Special Libra- Council was formed saw the methods of ries Association will find expression in denlacracy at work as one rarely does. We lnany directions. Foremost among these is will not have an assoc~ationrun by the few a drive to Increase our membership. "Every for the few. Too often in the past have we special librarian a member of the S. L. A." been content to follow other models; toclay is to be our slogan, and we hope that every me aye deter~nine~d,that we shall not be a member will clo his or her share in the joint tail to any association kite. task J. H. FRIEDEL. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION will naturally become a prop to the public Tenth Annual Convention, New Monterey, library itself in its time of need. No public Asbury Park, New Jersey, June library in a large community of diversified 24-26, 1919 industries can ever hope to compete with its public funds as backing against the spe- cial libraiy when well de~velopedin any one The first session of the convention of the indmustry and backed by its unlimited re- Special Libraries Association was called to sources, but on the other hand the public order by the President, Guy E. Marion, library should encourage the co,ming and Tuefiday afternoon, June 24, in the Lounge growth of these special libraries to of the New Monterey, Asbury Park, New strengthen its own resources. In such a Jersey, with aDproximately one hundred per- community I picture a progressive public sons present. This was the tenth annual library doing everything to lead its loca,l in- convention and as Mr. Marion was one of dustries to establish special libraries of the charter members of the association, the their own by loaning boolcs and other data opening of his presidential talk was retro- pertaining to their work and thus sowing the spectwe. He compared the association to seed, so that in time the public library may an invention which passes through the be able to command through its contact states of ridicule, experimentation and ac- with these highly developed special libraries ceptance and mentioned many definite con- information which would never have found tributions which have been made to the available. In this way we have a complete libraty movement in recent years. In Mr. and entire library system for the whole na- hiarion's words "The formation of the spe- tion. It centers in the Library of Congress cial libraries was a direct result of the de- at Washington, from there it radiatea to mand for ready reference material furnished every state in the union to the several State with expedition, coupled with its present* Librar~es,thence to the local public libraries tion in organized and digested form. This within each state and these in turn will be function with due justice to its numerous surrounded by a group of financial, commer- readers the public library could hardly be cial, industrial, medical, technical and other expected to periorm. Hence the creation of special libraries. We thus disarm all OD- the sgedal libraries." position and construct a whole organism. . . . Mr. Marion extended thanks to the mem- hTo one element alone is complete with out bers of his Executive !Board who have faith- the others. All are stronger with the other's fully supported him during the year. The help." work of Miss Williams, secretary-treasurer, The Secretary-Treasurer's report was then and Mr. J?riedel, editor of the 8pecial given. Owing to Miss Williams recent ill- ness, Miss Phail was acting secretary for Libraries received special comment. Miss the duration of the convention. In consid- Williams has .placed the association on a eration of the fact that all the secretarial firm financial basis due to her untiring work for the year has been done by Miss efforts throughout the year. Williams, she was asked to read the re- Bpecial Libraries speaks for Mr. Friedel's efforts. Its increasing quality and mesit port. The most striking statement was that showed the result of Ids untiring work. the Secretary-Treasurer received a balance oP of $10 in 1918 and turns over a balance of The following definition a special 5273.26 to the incoming Secretary-Treasurer. library was given by Mr. Marion in his The effort Miss Williams has made this year addres~s: speaks for itself. "A special library consists of a good The report of the Editor of Bpecial: Libra- working collection of information either ries, Mr. J. H. Friedel, was given. Mr. Frie- upon a specific subject or field of activity; del gave a history of the revivification of it may consist of general or even limited Special Libraries. At the beginning of material, serving the interests of a special the year, the magazine had a mailing list of clientele, and preferably in charge of a spe- 325 subscribers and 150 exchanges. The end cialist, trained in the use and application of of the year shows a mailing list of 430 sub- the particular material " scribers and practically no exchanges. The With this definition as a guide, Mr. Jacob, editor was given a rising vote of thanks for Chsiiman of the Survey Committee, will his faithful services of the past year. proceed in the worlc of collecting data about The program shows, as Mr. Marion very special libraries throughout the country. aptly states "That men with breadth of ad- Mr. Marion laid great stress on the de- dress, vlsion and executive qualities have sirability of all library systems working in identified theniselves with the Special Li- harmony. Again quoting from hls talk: braries Association and are willing to bring "These special libraries should be built up their rich business experience ,to our meet- and rapidly and effectively under the helnL~ inzs.-- --. stimulus of the local jublic librarian. If en- As the papers will appear in Special couraged and helped thus to get Onto their Lib-arks during the coining year they will feet, every one of these special libraries only be mentioned here. The first paper was SPECIAL LIBRARIES

"Documentation in tlie Field of Rehabilita- fan, Detroit Public Library, Detroit, Michi- tion of the Disabledv given by Mr. Douglas gan read a paper on "A Technology Depart- McMnrtrie, Director of the Red Cross Insti- ment as a business Investment." tute for Cripples, New Yorli City. This niost Mr. R. 8. Rife of the Bond Statistical interesting paper was followecl by a moving Division of the Guaranty Trust Company plcture called "The Cheer-up Film," the New York gave a very enlightening and in- story of a man who had lost both arms, yet teresting discourse on "Investment of Capi- was cheerful and capably earning his own tal in Foreign Countries-America's Oppor- livlng. tunity and Resgons~bilily." Mr. F. M. Peilier, Editoral Director o,f the hIc. F. S. Faurote, hftmager of De'pt, of McQraw Hill Company Inc, New Yorlc City Eclucation and Sales Pronlotion of the Cur- gave a short talk on "How the Special Li- tis~Aeroplane & Motor Corporation, New brary Can Help Build Industry." The paper York City gave an illustrated talk on "Avia- brought forth m11c1i discussion. A motion tion-as applied to the Indexing of Aero- was made by Mr. Friedel and seconded by naut~calLiterature." He made a special ap- Miss Carabin that a committee of five or peal to the members of the dssocialion for lnore 11e appointed by the Chairman to con- suggestions for a classification applical~leto sider with h'Ir Feiker the problems of the his work. coming year. The following committee was Mr. Leon I. Thomas, Editor of "Factory" appointed : Chicago, Ill, gave some sage adv~cein "Some Mr. G. W. Lee, Stone & Webster, Bos- Whys and How of Our Library and a Few ton Mass,-Chairman. Dont's." Miss Cawpbell, Goodrich Rubber Co., Miss Edith Pliail, Librarian of the Scovill Alcron, Ohio. Mfg Company gave some interesting sug- Miss E. L. Baechtold, College of En- gestions in "Aids to R'lagazine Routing Sys- igeering, Urbana, Ill. tems." Miss L. 13. Krause, Byllesby & Co., En- A short business meeting was held, but gineers, Chicago, Ill. due to the lateness of the hour the meeting Miss Gaston, Western Electr~cCompany. adjourned to an extra business session to be New York City. held at 9.30 A. M. June 26, 1919. Miss Edith Phail, Scovill Mfg Co., Waterhury, Conn EXTRA BUSINESX SESSION Mr. W. F. Jacob, General Electric Com- The extra business session was called to pany, Sclienectady, N. Y. order at 9.30 -4. 31, in the Lounge by tlie Mr. George A. Deveneau, Representative President, Mr. Guy E, hlarion with about 75 froin the Federal Board of Vocat~onalEd- present. ucation, gave a ten ~ninutetalk describing The report of the Nominating Committee the work tlie Federal Board is doing with was read and accepted. the returned disabled soldiers. Monographs It was moved and seconded that the Sec- covering 104 occupations for disabled per- retary be instructed to cast one ballot for sons can be obtained upon request. the nominees as proposed by tlie committee. Mr. F S. Crum, Asst. Statistician of the The officers for the cornii~gyear are as Pol. Prudential Insurance Co , Newark, New lows: Jersey, gave an excellent address on the Li- President-Miss Maud E. Carabin, Libra- brary and Statistical Work with the Pruden- rian, Detroit. Edison Company, Detroit, tial. Mich. A motion was made by hfr Lee and sec- Vice President-Mr. E. H. Redstone, Li- onded by Mr. Johnston that a nominating brarian, hlassachusetts State Library, committee be appointed by the Chair to re- Boston, hIass. port at the next session. The following were Secretary-Treasurer-Miss Estelle L. appointed on the No~ninatingCommittee: Liebmann, Librarian, National Work- Mr. D. N. Handy, Chairman. men's Compensation Bureau, N. Y. Miss Mary B. Day. Executive Committee-E. H, hIcClelland, Mr. Herbert Brigham. Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh, Pa, for The Hrst session adjourned at 6.30 P. M. two years. Mr. J. H. Friedel, National Industrial Conference Board has another year to The second session of the Special Libra- serve on the Exocutive Board. ries Association was called to order at 3.00 Another ~lrogressive step made at tho P. M. by the President, Mr. Guy E. Marion, Special Libraries Association was the divi- with approximately two hundred and fifty sion of the Association members into groups person8 present. of allied interest. Mr. E. D. Tweedel, Asst. Librarian, John After the report of the Executive ~~~~~~d Crerar Library, Chicago, Ill. read his paper had been mad,e by Mr. Friedd, a motion on "Special Libraries and the Large Refer- was made and seconded that the forma? ence Libraries." tion of un Advisory Council to the Ex- Mr. D Ashley Hooker, Technology Llbrar- ecutive Board be chosen to represent the 154 SPECIAL LIBRARIES various groups in the Special Libraries As- fare Dept. of the National Civic Federation. sociation, each group to elect two members. gave an illustrated lecture on Welfare Work The groups were formed by those present in Industry. and the following elected on the Advisory Miss- Klager of the U. S. Dept. of Labor Council. spoke of Bulletin 260 which describes wel- fare work in all its phases in the U. S. Cmmerclnl grozcp. The qualifications of a Librarian for a Miss Rose Cameron library of a League of Municipalities are Miss Laura R. Gibbs. vely aptly put in the1 paper "The Library and the League of Municipalities" by Mr. Fznn?tcial group.. Homer Talbot, Executive Secretaly of the Miss Alice Rose New Jersely State League of Municipalities. Miss Josephine, RT. Ilefron. Mr. Leslie Willis Sprague of the Commun- Insurm~cegroup. ity Motion Picture Bureau, New York City gave an illustrated talk on "Americanization Mr. Daniel N. Handy by Indirection." Miss Estelle L. Liebmann. The last session adjourned at 11.16 P. hf. Legislntive Rererence grozLp. The convention was most satisfying as Mr. Clarence B. Lester. a whole. New members and subscriptions Mr. Dorsey W. Hyde, Jr. were received daily at the Registration Desk. The Association can look forward to Technical tC- Engineering gr.oup. a bright future. Miss L. E. Baechtold EDITH PHAIL, Secretary. Miss Anne E. Draper Indust?iuZ group. June 24, 1919 Mr. Wm. I. Jacob Address of the President Miss Edith Phail. INTERPRETING THE LIBRARY 'MOVE- Welfare group. MENT Mr. F. W. Jenk~ns Miss Orrena L. Evans. By Guy E. Marion, Dire,ctor of Record Sect~onof Commun'ity Motion Picture Meeting adjourned at 12.30 P. M. to an- Bureau, New York City other short business session to be held at It is now ten years since the Speclal 6.00 P. M. Libraries Association came into existence. EXTRA BUSINESS 6'ESSION I am convinced that library ideas may grow into facts not differently from inventions in The extra business session was called to the scientific world. As the invention order by the President, Mr. Guy E. Marion passes through its stages of ridicule, exper- at LO0 in the Lounge, with about fifty pres- imentation and acceptance so we have had ent. our vicissitudes, but looking backward I am Tho report of Mr. Jacob, Chairman of the certain that defin~tecontributions have been Survey Committee was heard and accepted. made to the library movement as a whole. A motion was made and seconded! that-that Men with breadth of vision and executive the committee be continued for the coming qualities have identified themselves with term. our Association. They have brought into The report of a number of other commit- our counsels from their rich business ex- tees closed the business session at 6.00 P. M. periencc new ideas and a fresh approach to our problems. The entrance of these per- THIRD SESSION sonalities into our library conferences hns The third session of the Speclal Libraries acted as a strong leaver and has had a Association was begun at S.00 P. M., Thurs- marked beneficial effect upon the parent day evening June 26, by the President, Xr. organization and its nfilliated societies. The Guy E, Marion, w~thabout two hundred and formatior. of the special library was a direct flfty persons present, Miss Estelle L. Lieb- result of the demand for ready reference mann acting as Secretary. material furnished with expedition, coupled The flrst paper on the program was "In- with its presentation in organized and di- dustrial Accidents and the Library's Share gested form. This function w~thclue justice in their Reduction" by Miss Estelle L. Lieb- to its numerous readers the public ltbrary mann, National Workmen's Compensation did not perform. Hence the creation of the Bureau. special library. Mr. Dorsey W. I-Iyde, Jr. Librarian of the This association was born out of that idea. New York Municipal Reference Library gave For two or three years it suffered from the a very interesting paper on "Good Govern- criticisn~~t met at the hands of the older ment and Better Citizenship-via the Civic school libraries who had little sympathy for Library." this rather rough treatment of their cher- Mrs. G. B. Easley, Director of the mTel- ished ideals. Yet it forged on in the hands SPECIAL LIBRARIES of a devoted band of supporters-I could and helped tide over the period until her name many of them, I see them sitting here recovery. before me-passing through the experi- To Mr. Friedel of Boston who took up the mental stage working out many of its owl1 Editorship, when Mr. Power left for France, ideas and practices until it stands today a we owe many thanks. He not only did this well recognized and accepted fact. The actively and earnestly but the results have Special Libraries Association has builded itfi been only too evident in the increasing qual- success around this new idea and still cham- ity and merit of the paper itself, Mr. Red- pions it. That the idea, then, as originally stone, our Vice President, who during the conceived and promulgated, has proven it- year has personally undertaken his largest self to be the correct interpretation of libra- work as State Librarian of Massachusetts rianship is ever more and more increasingly has found time and energy to devote to the evident from the attending facts. Today WQ worlr of our Ebtecutive Board, attending dl are a strong body of over 400 members its meetings. Many others have helped in widely distributed in every corner of the one way or another. country and overseas in several foreign AR a result of much corre~pondenceand lands. Let us accept then the fact that the several conferences we now advance the fol- "Special Library," perhaps unwisely sr, lowing definition trusting that it will cover called, for lack of a better term, has found with some degree of fiatisfaction the ideas itaelf and become a real living and vital Part of all. of the whole library movement. "A Special Library consists of n good With this thought in mind, may we call working collection of information either attention to a few of the striking occur- upon a specific subject or field of activity; rences of the past year as they have im- it may consist of general or even limited pressed themselves upon your President. material serving the interests of a special A year ago we,, too, stoocl "at the cross- clientele, and preferably in charge of a spe- roads." The affairs of th~sassociation were cialist trained in the use and application of at a critical position. Larger national issues the particular material." had compelled many to devote less time to To thus consolidate the ideas of many into the usual plans and their encouragement. a concrete definition, I consider to be one of After passing this meeting new officers were the accomplishments of the year and one installed by a nominating committee which which will do much to remove opposition the convention had charged with this dim- and concentrate, on the other hand, diversi- cult task. Let me say here and now that fled interests into solid support. such a method of election should never We should turn ourselves to the problems again be resorted to by this or any other of asing this definition. It is so clear that body should it even become necessary to any business man can understand it. He lock the doors and compel an election by can, without our help, on seeing this defini- real congressional methods. Fortunately, tion, classify himself as "within" or "with- we have had a most happy Issue out of all out." It was our one thought that this our afflictions clue to the devotion of each should be so clearly done that this might l.%2 and every one of my assoclatos upon the true. Then, with wide publicity through Wxecutwe Hoard and to the cordial and loyal technical papers, we can hope to unearth sUPP0rt of our members everywhere at and bring to light many now unlcnown spe- large. Here let me aclrnowledge to you all cial libraries and gather to ourselves, their publicly the splendid work done by our new sul~l~ortgiving in return our cooperative Secretary-Treasurer, MISS Williams of Wil- help. It should be one purpose then of the mington, Delaware, who has devotedly stucli next administration to bring about a com- to her work even undcr the trying condi- plete survey of the Special Library Field tlons imposed upon her as a result of the throughont the United States and in for- increased price we were obliged to put on eign countries. the magazine, necessitating as it did much 'l'his problem is a vital one and requires additional correspondence with our entire careful work. Your president during his ad- membership. I am told she did most of thls ministration 11as been privileged to cross upon her own personal time. We fear that the country from coast to coast and sce the Association even may be guilty of caus- special libraries in a new light and also in ing her recent illness which finally forced relation to the whole library movement. It her to give up the secretarial portion of her is but yesterday that it could be safely said duties However, we know where her hear1 that there were a few sl~ecjallibraries in the is and we have been able to command the larger cities along our eastern sea board and help, through her influence, of Miss Phail, that was all. This is no longer true. In a the othcr member or our Executive Board thriving Pacific Coast city I found no less who took up her work and consented to see than 10 or 12 such small library beginnings, it through until the date of this Convention. one in a large power company, another in a Our acknowledgments are also due to Miss prominent furniture store. two more in the Elizabeth Kruse, Miss Williams' assistant, motion picture plants of the larger pro- who stootl at the wheel during her illness ducers, still others in the lending banks and 156 SPECIAL LIBRARIES manufacturies of the city. Tomorrow they information collections will grow up in spots will be full fledged special libraries, well or- heretofore uncultivnted. This is more likely ganized, properly manned and performmg a to be true than thaL a wider use of public vital service in that community. I may add libraries will immediately follow, for the that I discovered these without the help of workmen always asks to have his tools close the local public librarian and from this fact at hand. This will mean a new group of I wish to draw some observations. T'hese special libraries in every city not a lot of special libraries should be built up rapidly new branch l~bra~iesin each community. and effectively under the help and stimulus Ii'urthermore, we must always remember ot the local public librarian. If encouraged that where there may be one public library and helped, thus to get onto their feet, every system in each community there may be as one of these special libraries wlll naturally many special libraries as there are separate become a prop to the public library itself in important enterprises able to support them. its time of need. No public library in a Recently a publisher has prefaced his cir- large community of diversified industries cular letter to sell books with this state- can ever hope to compete with its public ment, to the effect that many of his custorn- funds as backing against the special library ers "have found that it paid to install libra- when well developed in any one industry and ries of practical boolrs of interast to their backed by its unlimited resources but on the employees and workmen. They have found other hand the public library should encour- that it not only stimulated production, but age the coming aud growth of these special improved the personnel of their force, by libraries to strengthen its own resources. developing more interest iff the work and a In such a community I picture a progressive higher state of mentality. This sums up public library doing everything to lead its well the essence of the special library move- local industries to establish special libraries ment and I have only hoped to polnt out of their own by loaning books and other these things to the end that our friends- data pertaining to their work and thus sow- perhaps I should say ouT foster parents- ing the seed, so that in time tlie public the public librarians will eventually accept library may -be able to command through us and aid us, that we in turn may gladly contact with these highly developed special and willingly uphold their hands. We are libraries information which it would never both parts of one organic whole. have found available. In this way we have If this then be true, we believe a spirit of a complete and entire library system for the cooperation should exist between the two whole nation. It centers in the Libmry of groups and neither one should encroach Congress at Washington, from there it radi- upon the other's fleld. It is no more ridicu- ates to every state in tlie union to the sev- lous to see a special librarian assuming to eral State Libraries, thence to the local run a public library than it is to see a public public libraries within each state and each librarian con~placently attack a special of these in turn will be surrounded by a library problem feeling his own capacity to group of financial, commercial, industrial, do the thing without the help of the one who medical, technical and other special libra- has spent his days and nights working in ries. We thus disarm a11 opposition and this particular field. Each should loolc nat- construct a whole organism. Special libra- urally and logically to the other for those ries should ,be helped not hindered, their as- things belonging within the other's scope. sociation should be supported and fostered. I have been impressed further on return- and the very gratest cooperation should ing by way of Chicago by finding a great exist between all libraries. No one element technical library well handled and with a alone is complete without the others. All fine conception oC its relation to the sur- are stronger for each other's help. rounding smaller libraries of which you will Another reason why we should begin to hear more during this conference. And un- see this whole problem in its entirety is this. der the same roof we found a highly devel- The war has sown the libraly idea far and oped and flourishing special library in the wide and sown it through the support of all world's greatest retail merchandising eni- classes of librarians alike. Where may we porium. We think this latter type of library 1s but an expression of what will ultiniately look for the first reaction from this effort? be found in hundreds of similar establish- I am lead to believe that these thousands ments in all of our cities. of young men returning to industrial and It is gratifying to note the westward trend commercial hfe will not fail to remember of things. I have no doubt a complete sur- that they looked up some things in boolrs vey carried out this coming year will reveal and pamphlets while engaged in the worl(1's s~milarconditions along our entire west greatest undertaking and mere able to do coast cities and 111 many of our midland the thing at hand better becallse of informa- areas. Abroad we have noted signs of Eng- tion in print. If th~sis so, they will call for land awakening to the special library idea books and they mill use the printed page in as expressed at York and other cities. Hard- their daily work Our business executives ly a great enterprise in this country was will readily accede to their denlands and started of n war character during the con- SPECIAL LIBRARIES

flict that did not ralndly build up informa- all the seCretarial*work for the year, bliss tion close at hand for its workers. We are Wi1lh-m was asked to give the report. facing the future confidently believing that Outlinillg in a brief concise way the enor- the next ten years may see the Special Li- mous amount of work she has accomplished braries Association equal or outnumber the in the past ear, a most important recom- parent organization. menclationl was made that the Association Of the problems of our internal organiza, in the near future should be able to engage tion I shall barely speak. Much is needed the services of a secretary permanently. to take care of our steady growth. The This Would give stability to the Associa- work, if it continues to be voluntary, will tion. A paid editor for Special Lzbrwies have to be split up. A Vice-President might was also recommended. The double duties well be added, perhads two and a definite of carrying. on one's own work and that of assignment of duties for each laid down. the Association are extremely b~hrdensome. The office of Secretary-Treasurer may need An advertising manager was suggested. to be divided. A publicity manager becomes imperative Treasurer's Report d we are to get the much needed revenue SPECTAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION so easily to be1 found in this fleld. A hand- Statement of the Financial Condition as book, which has often been urged, 1s still of the above date. highly desirable. These are all construc- tive plans useful to make us develop as we Receipts should. Paid services with increased in- Cash on hand July 20, 1918...... $ 10.76 come can well supplant volunteer effort in Received from membership dues and our: work, in fact paid services are becoming subscriptions ...... 1273.60 imperative if we grow much more: It is Received from sale of back numbers 46.75 worth while for us to be consldermg the Received from advertising...... 35.75 problem of a headquarters in some large -.--- eastern city, since our stronghold lies here Total ...... $1366.86 still, where the Association's activities could Ex'penclitures be pressed not sporadically but daily as e part of a regular program. These things I Publication or Special Libraries. ... $798.37 lay before yon ancl urge that you do not go 8liscellaneous printing...... 31.11 away from this conference without d~s- Postage and expressage...... 55.12 cussing and acting upon as many of them as Telegrams ...... 2.10 you deem wise Envelopes and office supplies...... 19.30 In conclusion I can do no better than to Refunds and exchange subscriptions. Stenographic scrvices for editor. .. 40.00 qwte from a recent letter from our ,former Miscella~~eous...... 4.99 Vica-President, Mr. Herbert Brigham, who ---- urged that more stress be put upon tho de- velopment of resea~~chin the Special Library Total ...... $880.99 fleld. He continues "By research I mean an ...... active development to keep pace with the Cash balance on hand.. $45'5.87 changed conditions due to peace and the Accounts receivable ...... 501.25 Accounts payable ...... 828.00 unusual position of the United States in ---.- -world politics. The exbort fleld, transporta- tion, business costs and kindred commercial Balance ...... $273.25 problems will arobably require extensive re- search. Total Financial Resources...... $759.12 "The Special Libraries should have a Upon motion it was voted that the, report stronger background in commercial l~ractice ol' the Secretary-Treasurer be approved and and should be ready to meet the growing de- pr~nted. Miss Williams deserves great mands for subjects that I have enumerated. credit for the splendid way she has handlecl The special librarian should be more than her cluties. It is to be greatly regretted the keeper of books; he should delve deep that illness made it impossible for her to into the problems which surround the speci- finish her year as secretary to the Assoc~a- fled business to which the special library t~on. -- Is attached and should have a ground work for the larger aspects of the business Report of the Editor of "Special Libraries" world." By J. H. Friedel As editor of the official organ of the Special Libraries Association I am pleased Report of Secretary-Treasurer to be able to make the same, report of The Secretary-Treasurer's report was progress, as have your other officers. 011~ given. Due to Miss Willinms' recent illness work tl~isyear has been two-told, internal Miss Phail was acting secretary for tlle ancl external. The internal work is that with duration of the convention. In considera- ~+rl~ichthe members or the Association are tion of the fact that Miss W~lliamshad done perhaps least acquaintcd and 1 shall touch 158 SPECIAL LIBRARIES

on that in a moment. The external work have come to, us, to help 1~1thadvice those involving the olppearance and co,ntent of who were seskmg to prepare tliem~selves Sl~ecialLibmries as you see it each nloilth, for special library work, to help thobe seek is perhaps more familiar to you. The fav- ing employment and those seeking em- orable comment which many have made ployees to get together. Our range of w- of the work of the editor has narturally been tivity has been broad, indeed, but wherever a eource of pleasure. But actuxtlly we have there has been opl~ostunity to serve, we perfolmed no miracles; all I have tried to do have tried to do our best. is to reflect your own thought and opinion The work has, liowe~ve,r,not at dl times as I have been able to catch it. If, them been easy and most of iL has fallen upon fore you have seen any merit, it 1s with your editor. To whomesver he turned for yourselves that you should be pleased. aid in any fomn, he was never disagpointerl. When your editor began his work, there Your oficei~and ,the associate editors haxe was in the t~easui-yas YOUP treasurer has sholwn a most comnlendable spirit. But Tve told you less than $20. When I tell you cannot and sho,uld not forever rely on vol- that the average cost of an issue has been untary effort alone. We should aim to have between $150 and $200, you will realize that a paid assistant to aid the1 editor and aim It requi~eda certain amo,nnt of audacity to ultimately at some profitshasing soheme fo~ begin. But we did, and I am glad to say the entire editorial staff. A permment sec- that in your support you never faltered. ieta~ywould not only prove la boon to the We found a mailing list of 325 paid sub- Association but be also a great aid to tlie scriptions 'and about 150 unpaid, mainly ex- editor in his work. changes who received free copie,s. In other We have made great ,progress this year, words 325 were also carrying the burden and the rnonlentum 09 success will carry of the 150. It seemed neither right nor us forward even further. Pressure of other wise. So after due deliberation, every free work may necessitate illy withdrawal from copy was cut off at ane time and the proper the editorship be,fore anotlier year. Team- persons notifled. Many thereupon becanie wo~lrhas madme for success; let us continue subscribers. Today our mailinlg list con- our team-work. sists of 430 subscribers and only one es- (Upon motion it mas voted that the re- chanpe, the Library Jownal which we find lport of the Edi,tor be accepted. A rising necessmy in our work. And from a working vote of thanks was given the editor for his fund of $10 we ,are .able to enter upon the commendable work during the year.) next year's work with a balance greater than any that tlie Association has ever had. We have no fears for the future. Report of the Executive Board. By J. H. In taking over office, I found no satis- Friedel factory mailing list, no manual of style, no I have been asked to present the report ,plans for the future, no records of the past, of the Executive Board. The Executive not a single paiper ~hicllmight be used in Board consists of yonr President, Mr. Maid- a forthcoming number. Those early days on, yonr Vice Presideell, &1r,Redstone, your were not ,pleasant. But we have reinedied Secreb.ry-Treas,ul7er, Miss Williams,. Miss all this, and your next editor when he starts Phail and mgself. We have had meetings on his work will End material gabhered in New York, in Boston, and at Asbu~y for at least one or two numbers. W'e have Park. At every one of theses meetings a.11 made our plans and never Por a moment the mmtbers of the Executive Board were have we hesitated in going fornard. We present. This will seem the more commend- have tried to help the Association to. find able to you when I tell you that your Associ- itself, and have aimed to clevelop tlie in- ation makes no i~rovisionfor the remunera- tere,st of new members. If you will look tion in any way of any oC its ofllcers, and through the issues of Special Libvaries Porl. each of the memmbers of yaw Executive this year and compare them with those of Board has had to meet his O,I- her own ex- former years, you will see that we have suc- penses in attending tlie meetings. Not once ceeded in getting new wlSitemrsand that we has a. inember been absent. This shows the have nmotcatered to a fixed group for onr spirit which has antmated your Executive maaterial. The contrtbutions have invariably Board, and I will say that the' Board feels been of a higl~order The relsult is that more than recompen.sed for i,ts hbors by today me have subscril~erson every conti- the very large attendance wl~kliwe have nent. Instead of a second-rate magazine we noticed at these sessions. have become a pace-setter. I wish I could Your Board wishes to recommend to you read to you some of the letters that have two distinct pro~posals, lone is for tlie crea- came tot me. You would realize then why tion of an Advisory Council to ble chosen I am able to report to you that your official from among you to advise with the ofkens organ is very widely regardled as tho best on clues-tions d volicy as the need nay library magazine in the country. arise. We feel that as ,the Association is We have tried to answer questions that growing that we are loslng touch with you SPECIAL LIBRARIES 169 individuall~. We do not want that to go on, direct charge and personal supervision of and we feel that with an Advisory Council Dr. Fredellck L. Hoffman, Third VicePresi- we shall be able to maintain the #direct con- dent and Statistician. In fact the present tact no matter what our size may be. Our library represents a growth and extension suggestion is for two representatives to be of Dr. Hoffman's private library which he elected trom each of the s-everal groups in brought with him to the Company Lwenty- the Associat~on, the Cou~~cilto ee~~vefor flve years ago. one yem. Each section shall have power to elect in ~tsown mannes, to recall its Collection of Information representatives :mil employ such checks up The accessions to the library have been on them as it may deem best; it shall also secured largely in the usual ways. Constant work out some means of contact with its perusal of catalogues, and personal selec- ~~epresentatives. tions from secondhand and other bookstores, The other proposal is of a different nature. have added greatly to the utility and value It toaches upon our relations with tlie of the library as most of the sets of omcial American Lib,rary Association. We feel reports on insurance, help, labor and other nlom and more the need of a representative subjects have thus been completed and many of the Special Libraries Association on now rare and almost invaluable documents, every committee or offilcial body of the A. reports and books relating to the early his- L. A, where our interests are concerned. tory of insurance and to allied subjects have Today this condition does not maintain. We thus been secured. Special efforts have al- Iiavel no representatives .on such commit- ways been made to secure all Federal, State tees as. that on War Wbrk, on Professional and Municigal reports which may be of any Trainhg, on the Committee on Enlarged value in our insurance, statistical, public Program, yet we are told by those in charge health and other work. Our collection of that the Library War Se,rvice is being car- such docu,ments is Gxceptionally complete. ied on as a special library service, while We have also laid special elnpllasis on the the proger tr,aining of persons for special importance of making the foreign section of library endeavor, and the place of tlie spec- our library as complete and valuable as pos- ial lbbrary in recon~truc~tionare of con- sible. To this end thousands of letters are cern to us all. sent out every year to the officials of some I have8 tried to state our position in an 140 different and more or less politically in- editorial in the June issue1 of fipecial dependent foreign states and countries. This LiBraries. If the A. L. A. Is to be the na- section also has been largely supplemented tional association of librari,ans which it aims by purchase of books selected from cata. to be, it should obviously represent and give logues of new and secondhand books and in representation to the associations affiliated part by personal selections. with it whenever their interests are con- In the foreign division of the library we cerned. We feel the need of it. We sug- also have a special section containing in- :est to you that a resolution ,be drafted and formation relating to life insurance com- sent to the Council of the A. L. A. apprising panies of the United States and foreign thelm of our position and ,our att~tude.(Here countries. This information includes annual a suggested resolution was read.) reports, special reports, rate-books, policy We have no critici,s~nof tlie A. L. A. but torms, application blanks, etc. We here wo think the, present situation anomalous, have in conveniently available form data and that a cliang-e should ,be made,. This is for some 460 life insurance companies located the report of your ExecuthTe Board. ihrou~ghout the world. (After due discussion it was voted upon Another valuable and more or less unique n~o~tionThat an Advisory Council in the part of our library consists of clippings from n~annersuggested by the Executive Roard newspapers and from medical, in~ura~iceand be created. The nanles of those elected other periodicals. These clippings are dated, are given elsewhere. It was also voted to the source inthcated and they are then filed reler the question of relatio,ns with the in strong, linen-cloth-linen envelopes-the 8. L. A. to the incoming Executive Board envelopes being labeled and classified in al- with, full power to act.) phabetical order under five main classifl- cations. When the Items on any give11 topic become too numerous for convenient use in June 25, rgIg tlie envelope file, they are pasted in book form, indexed and placed on the library LIBRARY AND SmTATISTI,CAL ,WORK shelves. We literally have hundreds of WITH THE PRUDENTIAL, FREDERICK thousands of these clippings thoroughly S. CRUM, P,H. D., ASSISTANT classifled and indexed and not a'day passes STATISTICIAN but that this information is found sugges- The Library of which I shall speak is the tive and practically useful. I shall refer the library of statistics and information of again to this feature of our library under The Prudential Insurance Company of the heading of organization of information. America which has nlways been under the Our book lcnowledge has always been sup- SPECIAL LIBRARIES

plemented also by special inquiries, by ger- nary branch to the encl of 1918 some 88,457 sonal investigations, etc., and the results in death claims had bee11 paid. These have all all cases have been made a matter of care- been coded and the data transferred to ful record. If it were a territory investiga- punched cards, making any tables or analy- tion, or an occupation inquiry, or an ela,b- sis which may be required easily and quick- orate study of some' phase of inmrance or ly obtainable by mechanical methods. mortality, in any and all cases the data are carefully classifled and the flnal results are Organization of Information usually bouna in book form and provided Our library proper is divided into nine with a thorough index. In this way all of main divisions with three additional sub- our reports are made a matter of record and divisions. For convenience we designate- are aiways readily available for future these as follows: reference. Division A-Statistics and Economics.

ARRANGEMENT OF LIBRARY

U. S. STATISTICS AND INFORMATION 1 General Information and Maps. 12 Commerce and Trade. 2 Government and Annual Execu- 13 Labor and Factory Inspection. tive Reports. 13a Worlimen's Compensation and 2n Statistical and Legislative Year Industrial Accident Boards. Books. 14 Immigration. 2b Public Finance. 15 Education. 2c Banliing. 16 Railway transportation 3 Laws and Legislation. 16a Water Transportation. 4 Army. 17 Public Works and Engineer- 4a Navy and Marine Corps. ing. 5 Geographical and Geol ogi cal 17a United States Engineering Re- Surveys. ports. 6n Water Supply. 17b United States Coast Survey. 5b Mining and Mine Inspection. 17~Rivers, Harbors and Port Ter- 6 Climate minals. 7 Census 17d Canals and Inland Waterways. 7a Anthropology. 17e Drainage and Flood Control. 8 Public Health and Vital Statis- 177 Irrigation and Reclamat~on. tics. 170 Sanitary Engineering. Y Agriculture. 17h Rural Engineering and High- 9u Markets and Food Control. ways. 10 Forestry. 17i Parks, Reservations and Lands. 11 Fisheries. 18 Judiciary and Crime. 9-11 Conservation of Natural Re- 19 Charity and Socid Work. sources. 20 Hospitals and Instltutlons

Aside from these~ - and- other~ ~~~~ outside sources Division B-Insurance. of informahon it is one of our important Division E-~ccup~tions and Industries. functions to compile and analyze the insur- Division E(a) -Labor Department Re- ance experience and particularly the mortal- ports. ity experience of our own Company, The Division F-U. S. Statistics and Informa- Prudential. It is doubtful if any other life tion. insurance company in the world has so ex- Division G-Foreign Statistics and Infor- tended and so thoroughly well-analyxed an mation. experience as The Prudential. The mortal- Division H--Public Health and Vital ity in the Industrial branch alone to the Statistics. end of 1918 represented 2,546,931 death Division H(a)-U. S. Census. claims and of that number 836,764 have been Division H(b)--Hospitals and Institutions. coded and the data transferred to punched Division I-Medical and General Scientific. cnrcls in such manner that any useful analy- Division J-Anthropology and Immi gra- s~scan readily and quickly be made by me- t~on. chanical methods. Similarly, for the ordi- Division I<-Expositions and Exhibits. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

The library is l~hysicall~so divided as to envelopes, inclucli~~~275 on recent war, caorres~ndwith these divisions and the floor foreign cou~ltriesalld cities are Plan of our department, w111ch is available by about 1,000 envelopes; medical on request, indicates how this is done. I 3,000 and race and nativity, 600. persollally have direct supervision of Divi- We also have on ale some extrelllely Val- sion A-Statistics and Economics. An as- uable and unique data supplementing the sistant has direct charge of Divisions B, E vital statistics as reported by the Federal and E(a), that is, of Insurance, Occupations Census and by .State and municipal registram and Industries and Labor Department Re- tion officials. In many the ~~~tl~~~and ports. Another ass~stanthas direct charge Western States and cities, o~cialrecords of ol' Division F, another of Ditision G and an- cleaths are either entirely lacking or are at other of Divisions H, Hta), Il(b), I and J. best very incomplete For this reason we The books and panlghlels are arranged topi- have collected a large number of rcords of tally and in alphabetical order in Divisions births and deaths from the tombstones in A, B, a and I. In L)ivisions F and G logical hundreds of cemeteries. These data give us and unifornl classifications of the data have the ages at death and knowlng the dates of been developed and these are used for each t~irth and death, tabulations are possible State or Country.as the case mas. be Divi- showing the average duration of life at dif- sion 13 lends Itself readily to a classification ferent periods, in diffel*ent sections of the by states and municipalities. The states are United States and with distfnctioll of sex. arranged alphabetically and the cities for We have collected at least 120 thousand of which reports are available are also flr- these records and have fo~lndtheln quite ranged alphabetxally under their respective s~~ggestiveand helpful in determining states. whether or not certain areas are healthful. The following sublect inclex for Division F may prove useful and is, therefore, given Use of Information in detail: Enow11 has gerhaps been said under the A similar inrlex of subjects is used in tile headinm "Collecti~n of InPolnlation" and Div~sionot Foreign Statistics and Informn- "Ormniaation of Infornmtion" to give .a tion (GI. of course we do not have data fairly coinplete resume of how we ohtam on all these subjects for every state and 21nd IIOW we classify 01. organize our in- country. If, however, inforlllatjon 1s avail- fo~nl~ti0n"to give a fairly complete resume able a properly labeled library palnphlet box of how we obtain and how we classify or of strnda1.d size acts as subject divider organize our information. It now remains and usually also serves a useful purpose in me sketch briefly some of the keeping pamphlet and other data on the uses which this truly enormous given subject in good Illace condition. amount of information is made to serve. These boxes, which are used throughout the Every large life hSuranCe conlpany is con- library, hear differellt colored labels accord- fronted with many problems relating to sub- ing as they belong to one or another ~i~i.standard lives. The aplllicant for insuraWX sion. Boxes for Division A bear neutral may be physically substandard; he may be grey labels, Division B light brown, Division engaged in an ~n~~ealthfulor dangerous oc- I3 yellow orange, Division I? yellow green, cul~tltionor he may be below standard for Division G green yellow, Division 1 blue other reasons. Our exact knowledge of oC- green, Division J red orange, etc. cugations, our extensive information on In Division F (u,S. Statistics and Infor- height and weight and other physical condi- mation) we have a special and very valuable tions in their relation to probable longevity, file containing health, topographical and our exact and comprehensive information on other illformation by coulnties for every the healthlrllness or otherwise of lacahties comty (nearly 3,000) in the United States. in this and other countries and our large An envelope, size 61k2 x 10 inches is used for fund of knowledge relatirlg to race and n* this particular purpose. tivity as factors in disease, mortality and This brings me again to the subject or lOllgeVitY, make it possible for us to render envelopes for filing of clippings. For this bctter judgment on doubtful risks than would purpose we use a strong whits envelope, size otherwise be possible. Substandard risks 4% x 10%illcl~es. In our clipping files we are thus rated according to the best avail- have the five tollowing maill divisions. 111- able facts to the mutual advantage of the surance, Occnpation, Foreign, Medlcal and conlpany and the policy holders. Much of Nativity This envelope system of fil~ngand the rating ~racticehas now become so stand- classifying fragramentary and fugitive in- ardized that only occasional changes require formation we have found extremely helpful to be nlacle in the prillcipal industries- In and it makes possible the quick availability recent years phos~llorusmatch making has of a mass 01 current information which. we bcen abolished in this country and also in could not otherwise so readily control. recent years a new and less health-injurious Under insurance there are approximately process of cut glass polishing has been gen- 4,000 envelopes representing as many differ- erally introduced in the cut glass industry. ent subjects; occupations require over 2.000 These are illustrations of how important ft SPECIAL LIBRARIES is to keep 1111 to date in our information so SPECIAL LIBRARIES AND THE GEN- that our policy holders may get the advan- ER,AL REFERENCE LIBRARY tage of lower l~remiurnrates when occupa- tions formerly hazardous or health injurious By Edward D. Tweedell, Asst. Librarian, become relatively safe and healthful through John Crerar Library changes in industrial processes, methods, It has been my good fortune to be con- etc. During the last flye years we have ren- nected with a large reference library located dered written reports and recommendations in the city of Chicago. We are practically a on 1564 cases referred to us by the Issue series of special libraries under one roof. Department on account of the occupa,tion of Covering pure and applied science and so- the applicants; 277 cases have been referred ciology, we are able to be of service to the to us on account of doubt as to the healthful- business house in all its activities both from ness of applicants' residence in the United the ofRce and workers' standpoint. States and 395 cases have been referred If one looks about our reading rooms. for recominendntioii on account of proposecl most any time of day, nt least one of the fore~gnresidence of the applicants. In short special librarians will be seen making use In short, our extensive and thoroughly well- of our collectioas. I have. often thought classified information 1s an invaluable aid how different the methods in a special li- in our company's effort to rate its applicarlts brary are from those used in a large refer- wit11 fairness and with the nearest possible ence collection, and have often discussed a~proacl~to scientific accuracy. this question with the special librarians to We have always given wicle publicity to our mutual advantnge. ClUr Company's Insurance and Mortalily Ex- I belleve ~t was Dr. Dewey who said that perience Our industrial mortality data have the public library wau a well and not a cis- been analyzed and charted and our insurance tern. If this is true the modern business statistics have been put in graphic form and library is an up-to-date water works system exhibited at all the International Exposi- with water pipes leading to the individual tions since 1900. desks of the heads of all departments; in We have also made wicle use of our in- some cases ~erhapsfurnishing Altered mter forlnatlon for educational purposes and for in mall quantities, in others delivering un- the promotion of all disease-prevention concentrated and in bulk according to the agencies, the promotion of the campaign for desires of the individuals as discerned by safety, the anti-tuberculosis movement, the the librarian. fight against cancer, malaria, lel)rosy, polio- 1'0 carry the illustration a little further, ~nyolit~s,measles, whooping cough, scarlet the house library is a small and efRcienl fever. diphtheria, influenza, etc More than reservoir constantly kept full by a high- 300 books and ~)aniphletshave, been gub- powered gasoline engine pumping from its lisl~ed by The Prudential and given wide own resources. However, there is a pipe publicity through gratuitous distribution in 11ne of large dimensions connected with the order that our valuable data may be made Public Library which is, a large natural lake ava~lableto anyone to whom they may be supplying in emergencies or when the gaso- serviceable. line engine has not succeeded in giving the In the organizat~on and development of desired water. The librarian is an expert our library the primary aim "hns not been to in gasoline engines, sources of supply, and viping.-. collect rare and interesting works of anti- BU~to speak seriously, it seems to me quarian value, but rather to meet the needs that the spec~allibrarian must depend on of a large company, transacting life insur- the large city libraries for considerable of ance busmess throughout the United States his material. Miss Krause in an article in and Canada." Every helpful source has been Publ~cLibraries, says, "We will keep our drawn upon for material which will help us library down as far ss possible to a working to solve the numerous ~~rohlemsconstantly collection of hooks ancl our librarian shall arising In a business mhich touches and af- be a go-between for us and the other library fects almost every human interest. There facilities of the city when we want informa- is no limit lo the practical utility of the nu- tion not ava~lablein our own collection." I merous facts now conveniently available in believe this is the only econolnical adjust- our library and statistical archives. We ment in a large city having s library large realize, l~owevcr,that new problems will enough to meet the clemands made upon it continually arise; problems which will re- by the local institutions I refer to the de- quire new methods of attack if they are to mands Tor technical inforillstion and not to be solved It 1s our constant endeavor to the furnishing of general material for edu- collect new data in advance of emergencies cational and recreational uses, which is so for we have long since realized thar to be necessary and so well done by many libra- preilared in advance is the determining fac- ries. It seems to me this is easily possible tor in deciding whether or not a library of provided there is a mutual understanding statistics and information for insurance pur- between all concerned ancl En honest desire poses i8 to function w~thcomplete success to know one another's needs and liniitations SPECIAL LIBRARlES

The four large libraries of Chicago with- library it is a difficult matter to see all the ont any written agreements have, for over titles that come in, let alone tile bmlrs thenl. twenty years, carried on an arrangement by selves. Let us hope, however, that enough which each develops its own lines without cataloguing is clone to enable the successor overlapping. This works out witho,ut any to find out what is in the library. with a machinery or apparent effort on tlle part of changing and large reference staff good cat. any concerned. aloguing is a necessity. The old time as- Publ~clibraries with an understanding of sistant Call answer numerous queries from the needs will attempt to meet them. A previous experience nnd this is very *leas- number of years before this Association was ant for the reader ancl tor the assistant but formed the Providence Public Library had equally ull~lcllsallt for the new assistant, one entire floor known as the Special Libra- who would be entirely lost except for the ries Floor. Dr. Foster realizecl the needs or catalogue. However, C~taloguingand classi- the community and placetl his technical fication llOt be considered a nlelltal er, books and books on art and design In close ercise for those engaged in the worlc, proximity, and th~swas nluch appreciated The special library can gather in the by the jeweler engaged in designing. e1,henleral and fleeting illaterial much easier The demands for assistance needed by the than the large library. As the ~110has business house are so great that it is not the reputation [or telling good stories ]]as possible to give all the time that is needed. good stories told to him, so business llollses Special librarians must inalte thcse searches have lnuch matemrialsent to tllem which the themselves. A chart of a particular business gene,ral library must aslc for. organization was a small mattes but it tool: It seems to me that for reference purposes many hours to locate it. ordinarily the very short time loan is suffi- Frequently we are criticized for our lack cient. In my own experience I fi~ldthat il of recent material and in many cases this is I am permitted to hove ,z book two meelis, I just, but consider the difference in the ma- use it the flrst day and allow it to remain 011 chinery of a large reference library and that my desk until considerable fine has accumu- of the business house. We havc to take lated before returning it. not to duplicate; being in charge of trust We, at tlle Crerar, have a very fine exa~u- fnnds we cannot buy if there is a possibility ple of the mutual benefits of cordial co- of obtaining the book as a gift. A mlllti. operation between a large business house plicity of records have to be made, etc and ourselves. Many of you are doubtless Whereas, in a business house you are practi- Familiar with the crop reports issued by the ca,lly buying. for yourself. I look forward American Steel and Wire Company. You to the time when, alter having ascertained also Ii110w the value of the articles on a sne- that a book has not been purchased, we will clfic subject which occupy the inside pages. be able to call up the local book dealer and One week it may be the castor bean, use of have it sent np and charqed on a n~onthly pota.to flour, the inanufacture of starch, rab- bill. bits, goats, or take-all. This material is all Routine is a wondcrful thing and a dim- worked up in The John Crcrar Library 1)s cult proposition to get around, but it seems Dr. I-I. E. Horton, their Agr~cultural C:oln- to be necessary We, are graclnslly elimi- missioner. Historical and research experi- nating unessentials. The war camp library ence with a coinplete bibliography are found will assist to some degree but not so much 111 our 1il~ra1.ywhile I'rom his connections as some of us lhought I was interestecl in with firms and indiviclnals in active work noting that it was the sense of the A. L. A's he is able to give the practical experience of Coinmittee that not Inany of the methods Of these people. I11 a recently Issued bulletin the camp Iiblaries could be adopted in the on guinea hens you will see some very fine general library. What we wlll pain, how- reprocluctiolls which were talcen from Elli- ever, is the rlesirc to 11e more generous, to ott's Fhanisidiae. One would hardly expect give out our inforlnatiol~where needed 1~1th the business library of a steel and wire ~0111- the least routine, rules and reasons The pany to have this somewhat rare book, but business library has many similarities with it is exceedillgly helpful to have a nearby the camp libraries. They are to meet emer- large city library where it can be obtained gencies. Rules do not exist and arc not ~t would be inll~ossiblefor the most 11ighlY necessary. One does not have rules for one's erldo\ved public library to give the reference own private library. Although some years service necessary to ascertain the facts used ago we recovered nearly one hundred books by Dr. FIorton \Ve gain m having Dr. Hor- which had been stolen from the public libra- toll as n genial expert 011 whom we nwcall ries of Chicago and the thief had inserted for information in regard to sources and re- his own book plate which had this, fy a hal,llity of certain work~and also in mat- motto, "Positively no loan of this book. ters of classification. However, the greatest In a small business library your file is service is in bringlrlg to Our attenti011 de- your catalogue in many cases. The rules of sirable llew titles and in turning over to cataloguing a,re of the simplest because a, great (deal of material inlpossible for everybody sees what conles in. In a large us to obtain. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

The special librarian must develop knowl- A TECHNO'LOGY DEPASRTMENT AS A edge of the library resources of the locality. BUSINESS INVESTMENT For instance, it was hardly to be expected By D. Aehley Hooker, Technology Librarian, that a historical and genealogical library Detroit Public Library would be able to furnish a list of dates ot Technology departments are a compara- the coming state fairs in South Africa. I tively recent development in public libraries am not sure that any library could furnish in the United States. the informatio~land least of all a historical Detroit, although a great industrial cen- collection. A business librarian should have ter was one of the last o,f the large cities to have one, although it had been trying been too well ~nfornledto write such a re- to secure one for many years. quest to a histor~callibrary. The private It takes n lot of money to start one and and public library facilities in any large city to maintain it, but it has met with instant deserve much study and will yield a great support and recognition. [leal or uscful iaforination. The public has been coming so fast and I have wondered many times if I was not continuously that there has been little time becoming a little over sensitive. Wrong or opportunity for the work of organization feelings are stirred up in me when a letter as we usually think of it. comes to the reference desk something like The department has just grown, and most this : of its growth has been the result of trying Librarian, The John Crerar Library. to catch up with the demand for one subject Dear Sir: Please send by return mail a after another. complete list of books and periodicals with These were built up somewhat in the fol- prices attached on the separation of nitro- lowing order:-aeronautics (this was the gen from the atmosphere. first collection we built up), millwrighting, accounting, mechanical drawing, blue print Yours truly, reading (when we started, there was noth- The request is sent in just as if the writer ing on this subject), weldin.g, liquid air (we were ordering h~swinter's coal and expected had the Sloane but not Claude), machine to pay as inuch for it. One responds more shop practice, shipbuililing, explosives, navi- willingly to a request lor infornlntion which gation, marine engineering and seamanship, one does not expect to pay for nor could ever manufacture of munitions, torpedo boats repay in similar courtesies if the request is and submarines, office management, stenog- raphy and typewritting, wireless telegraphy, less mandatory and shows some appreciation cost keeping for factories, scientific manage- of the effort which m~stbe expended. ment, coal and peat, petroleum, iron and Among the spec~ficways in which we feel steel, heating and ventilation, farm tractors, we are a help to the special libraries are lumber, lubrication, model engineering, toy storing long sets of periodicals and society making, building, mathematics and machine transactions needed only occasionally by shop mathematics, real estate and sales- them very much; canlerngraph service; fur- manship. nishing expensive textbooks in technical and In those early days, our hearts sank when allied hnes; I)ibliograpl~iccards. we went to the shelves and found nothing The special libraries aid us by their expert with which to satisfy hungry minds, but our knowledge of subjects and of means of ob- reward came when we were gradually able to satisfy those demands and began to hear taining information. We quite often call "That is just what I wanted." them up to answer qnestions put to us. Many sabmjects had received such good As in everything else the secret of great- attention that they needed little but to be est usefulness lies in having cordial rela- kept up-to-date. Among these were electri- tions between all concerned. I have felt that cal engineering, pure chemistry, #gas and this spirit was especially prevalent in the steam engineering and, of course, automo- library field. Visit any library and they will biles. give you all the data they have both as Among the1 subjects needing more atten- inethods and general iuformation. tion than they have yet received are phar- maceutical and technical chemistry. Tn the future I belleve the special library This list of wants revealed and supplied is going to depend on the large colleclians shows a natural sequence from demands for more and more of their material and the brought forth by the war into demands of large hbrary will receive and care for much reconstruction and peace. The books on niaterial which has a use but for which the the choicc of a vocation ,and business sale- current call has ceased. A clear conception manship, accounting, real estate and adver- of the idea of service and an understanding tising have been in especial demand since of the necessary limitations of the large li- the soldiers and sailors. began to come back brary's facilit~eswill react to the benefit and Only a beginning has been made in fllling l~elpfulnessof all concerned. in on the more important sets of periodicals SPECIAL LIBRARIES and society publications. We do not know fore my vision in print, I rather gasped for yet how far it will be advisable to go with breath If there are any in the audience that. It is doubtful if it is a proper function who are in the san~e~~osition I was in last of a technology department of a public year, I feel sorry for them. I went to the library to attempt to compete with the large convention for the main 1)urpose of finding university or reference libr,ar~esas store- out the best way to handle a large collection houses of technical literature. of magazines, therefore routing ot magazines This is one of the many questions that was my constant query. If you will ment- can be decided best by looking at a technol- ally substitute the words, "possible aid" for ogy department as a busmess investment aids, I will feel more comfortable to go made by the people of a city after due de- ahead. liberation by their representatives, the Last year a number of special librarians board of directors, or trustees. Up to the left the convention early and vlsited Mr. present time the demands have been so in- Jacob, the hbrariun ot the General Electric sistent that there has been no difficulty in Company. Of course illy insatiable curios- deciding how the people wanted the~rmoney I~J-about ~nagaxinesrouting syste~ustook invested. advantage of a sudden lull in the conversa- Ekerybody uses the department, from the tion. This announcement is the result of heads of businesses and factory departments that talk. to the humble workers in machine shops. In cliscussing the pros and cons of the snb- And that is as it should be, as they are all ject, we all agreed no st heartily that the participants in this investment and should quiclror the magazine rnulerial could be share alike in its dividends. vlaced before the business man the better. And we know that some have received a The plan for the quickest way, involved the direct personal financial return on their in- publishers of technical and business maga- vestment. We know of one whose pay was zines. lJrobably your cr~rios~tyis now aroused to the pitch where you1 are wonder- increased from 60 cents to, 80 cents an hour, ing what the "plan" is-it is simply this: another whose salary was increased $7 a The receiving ol' the contents sheets of the week and still another whose salary was in- magazines in advance of the issues. It will creased $1,000 a year. depend upon tlie publishers Lo submit them. These practical results raise the standard That necessitates only an extra quantity of of living of the recipient, enable him to be- the page-proof of the contents sheets of the come a more valuable citizen of the com- magazines being struck off at the time ot munity, and increase his opportunity of self- printing. TI7hile the nlagaz~nes are being developme,nt. flnished tlle contents of the coming issues The constant demand on our resources are nl the hands of tlie librarians. ~Mimeo- has made it inadvisable or impossible to do graph sheets of the contents cnn be made very much publicity work so we cannot and sent out for the heads of the depart- know very deflnitely what proportion of our ments to checlr tlie articles they would like possible public we are reaching and conue- to see. The checked sheets being returned quently what proportion of the bond hold- to the Library. Uy the time the magazines ers are receiving a return on their invest- begin to arrive, a inailing list for the in- ment. coming iss~~esis established. The valuc or The little we have been able to do has the nlagasine to the company can also be been direct publicity to the people especially dcterminod by the checked lists. Should tl interested in one line or another, an ex- certain issue prove very much in demand. ample of which was the exhibit we placed cluplicnte conies could be ordered, received in the Builders' Show held early in the and sent upon their way almost as soon as spring. the magazines which are reg~ilarlyreceived. However, we shall be able to do more of I have not put this plan into operation, rea- this direct publicity when our available sons, for which I have not the time to glvc space increases and when we are able to here, but I sincerely believe there are pos- serve a larger proportion of our investors sil)ilities in ~t Tor any one who cares to try Even now we feel that it has been a pay- it out. Now this is not the only use to ing investmenct and we shall be doubly sure which the advanced copies of the contents of it when we have completed and carried can be placed. During the year I havc used out plans for making every bond holder them to supplement the Industrjal Arts In- realize his opportunity of sharing in the des and Engineering Index. If the recent dividends. For this is the end and aim of an Issues of magazines happen to be in ,circultl- ideal investment tion-(and they usilally are)--and solne one - .. - . - wants to lcnoar where he saw a certuin AIDS TO MAGAZINE ROUTING SYSTEMS article, the copies of tlle contents usuall) By Edith Phall, Librarian Scovill Mfg. Co., places the artjcle 21nd tlie magazine is easily Waterbury, Conn. procured. When the title of this announcement- Then the blcGraw-Hill Conlpany put an- (1 would llarrlly call it a paper)-came be- other idea into my head by sending me some SPECIAL LIBRARIES contents sheets of magazines for which I carry on in civil life as well as a normal do not subscr~l~e.They happen to be maga- man. zines wliich I clo not need regularly, but All men who have been disabled In service tllrougli watching the contents I have sev- should be acquainted with the provisions for eral times sent for certam issues because their vocational rehabilitation, and the gen- they contamed certain articles which I could eral public should he instructed as to the use nature of this work so that they will he able If there are any general librarians here to inform these men and encourage then1 to they mlght use these sheets on a 'bulletin take training to overcome their handicap. board to advertise good techincal or busi- Under the Vocational Rehabilitation Act ness magazines. of June 27, 1919, provis~onsare made for the The use the lil~rariancan receive from vocational training, for the nlaintenance this plan has been fairly expounded, but while in training, mid for the placement in you are probably wondering how the pub- permanent positions of soldiers, sailors and lishers would recelve it. There will be the marines who have been disabled in line of extra mailing list, the postage, and the extra duty by disease, accident or wounds. The page-proofs of the contents. Tllere is no disability must he of such a nature as to better way of showing how the publishers prevent the man from successfully taking might be expected to receive the plan than up his former occuyation. While effort is to cite a number of Interviews Mr. Jacob made by the Federal Board to utilize fully am1 I had. We approached McGraw-Hill the man's previous experience and train 11in-1 Company first. I adn~itwith fear and mis- Por a better posilion within his old occupa- givings. We thought that if a number of tion, he is, however, tralned for a new oc- the publisl~erswere set to lhinking about cupation if it is des~rable. The man is this matter, by the time of this convention assisted in choosing the occupation for we mighi have a few of them in favor of it. which he will take trainmg by a skilled Our interview with the McGraw-Hill people vocational adviser who from his lcnowledge lasted ahout ten minutes. In the next week's of the requirements and opgortunities of the mail all the page-proofs of the contents of various occupations is able to give valuable the McGraw-Hill pu~blicationswere re2eived c.omsel to the disabled nlan as to the course and have been received promptly ever slnce. wliich is best adapted to overconle his dis- The same thing was true of Industr~alPress ability. The best tecl~n~cal,agricultural, for "Machinery." In reality ~t is a very acaclemx, and vocational schools and col- cheap easy way for the publishers of leges of the country are giving the disabled magazines to advertise. Industrial Press men vocational training. If the disabled issues a monthly announcement sheet giving man cannot attend the regular classes and a general idea of the scope of the coming needs special courses of instruction, the Fed- issue nut the page-proof of the contents eral Board makes arrangements so that he would not mean the setting up of extra type may receive the training he requires, and the contents sheets would lie much more "In some cases the men are trained on the valuable, bemuse they contain the axact job"_on farms, in oflices, shops and facto- titles and paging of articles. After c?, mimeo- ries. In this placement training special care graph copies are taken from t11e1n the is taken that a man shall be thoroughly and articles can be cut up and filed under subject carefully trained in the various operations for ready relerence. in the occupation for which he is preparing. It maybe that sonie one will find merit In every case the Federal Board endeavors enough in this plan to work out some of to have the course of instruction definitely these suggestions, I will be glad to answer adapled to the special interest and needs of any question to best of my ability, or talk the disabled man, and plannecI wit11 the idea with any one after the meeting. My own of training him so that he can earn a living routing system for magazines gives satis- as good or better than he earned hefore the factory service, but as soon as I have the War. time I espcct to work this plan into it. On the completion of the course of train- ing a permanent position is found for the man where he can make the maximunl use Remarks by Mr. Gee. A, Deveneau of the of his training. As the official friend and Federa1 Board for Vocational Education adviser to the disabled man the Federal As A~nericanswe should be very proud of Board keeps in touch with him for such a the excellent provisions our Government is perlod after he has entered employment as making to re-pay its debt of honor to the IS necessary to insure h~ssuccess at his men who have suffered in the war. Instead work. of paying the men a pension which coulrl As librarians and as patriotic citizens, you never be adequate to allow them to live in can help the Federal Board in the following conltort, yet which would be sufficient to act way: as an incentive to live in idleness. our Gov- Acquaint yourself with the provisions ernment is endeavoring to train the men for the vocational rehabilitation of disabled who have heen disabled so that they can soldiers, sailors and marines. SPECIAL LIBRARIBS

Direct any men who have been disabled SOME WHYS AND WHATS OF OUR in the service and do not know the provh sions for their training to the nearest Dis- LIBRARY AND A FEW DON'TS trict Vocational Office of the Federal Board. BY Leon 1. Thomas, Managing Editor, Secure the Opportunity hlo~iographs and the Vocational Summary, and the posters of "Factoryfi Magazine the Federal Board and display them in your The sllecial library whicll we maintain in Ilbraxy. our is hardly a library at all, at Use such opportunities as are at your least as the layman understallds the term. disposal to assist the disabled men who Rather, it is a clearing house of information. have taken training to secure positions with It may obtain information from one depart- the industrial concerns which you represent. ment of ow business and give it in modified When these men have secured positions or classified or CO-ordinated terrns to another do what you can to help them to make good department. It map, and does obhin ~nfor- at them jobs. mation by letter from outside concerns and The Federal Board will be glad to send suppl~esthis inforrnatlon or data to sonle you its publications, and heartily appreciates one department in our business, or to some your interest and assistance in this work of reader of one of our papers who has made human reconstruction. an inquiry. It is true that this information is very often obtained from b001is or periodi- EXTRACT FROM ADDRESB cals, but not necessarily so. In other words, it is a reference library of inqulrp. The By F. M. Feiker, Ed~torialDirector, McGraw- library may be called upon to get cosl fig- Hill Cos,, New York ures on one department's worlc from our ac- Special librarians and editors of engineer- counting department and use them to pro- ing and industrial journals have sonlethillg duce an estimate to some other department. in common in the selection of certain classes The point I am trying to make is that to of information from the great masses 01 a layman, "library" means boolm and publi- material available. They must give to the cations, such as periodicals. In truth, books nlen in the business coming within the scope and Periodicals may play almost no part in of their worlc a definite sense of direction specla1 library work on one day and perhaps concerning w%at is being said and done another day the same week, form a very along those lines. I would like to see, closer large part in supplying the reques~ed in- cooperation come about between the editors formation. of engineering, industrial and other special- Now everything in the Buslness world ized publications, and special librarlana. must be sold. It will not sell itself, and that There are masses 01 material constantly statelllent applies equally well to special li- coming before us for attention. Out of these braries in business concerns. I know he- masses we must pick certain groups of sub- cause I have had to pay the salesn~anin jects that are vital to industry today and if selling some of the features of our hbrary to we pick these subjects broadly enough we our management. Now I wonder if some can keep all our specialization heading in hbraries are not making this sales work some broad general clireclion. difficult for themselves by the very use or I would welcome suggestions from special over use, to the exclusion of all qualifying librarians as to the kind of subjects their adjectives of the word "library" as a name clientele want to know about. I would like of this information department. You lrnow to know what kind of articles in the fleld the efficiency engineers had a hard time of of our pu~blicatio~lsthe librarians find a lack it mtil they learned to divorce the worc2 effi- of in order to answer specific questions. ciency, and now you find them as "manage- There ought to be some way of getting this ment engineers," "management service com- information back to the edltors to whom it panies," "industrial engineers," ancl so on, is of interest. thriving under the new names. To the lay- How can indexes to cnrrcnt technical and man, a library means shelf upon shelf ol business literature be made inore helpful? boolrs, ancl most executives are laymen inso- I should like to see some kmd of functional iar as libraries are concerned indexing done in such a way that the v~st I silllply leave it as a subject of thought storehouses of informaLion locked up in the and a possible suggestion to the Special volumes of these periodicals can be 11ut to Libraries Association that attention to ter- active use mlnology may be worth while. I have no ----- single word to offer to take the Place Of the Mr Raleigh S. Rffe, of the Guaranty T~ust word library. Perhaps one could be found. Company, New Yoa.k, delivered address on BU~,as a business man, learning for the first "Investwent of Capital in 17oreign C!oun- time what a special library would do for me. tries." Inaslnucll as this de~altmainly with I thin]< I could be brought to the point of finance, we have not seen fit to reprint the voting an apl~ropriationfor such a depart- address here. ]nent ,n~cheasier and quicker if It Were (The Editor.) a servjce Ijhrary, or information serv- 168 SPECIAL LIBRARIES

ice department perha~)~,tha?, under the This is not mere speculation on my part. academic term "special library. 1 all1 speaking f;onl experience. Frankly, I said a few minutes ago that everything the library in our company started with a must be sold. When we have sold the li- rather active interest; they all do. Then brary idea to the executive of a business, the came a period, of two or three years of pure selling job 1s by no means completed. We routine, without a specially live and active must keep 011 selling the services of the li- management applied to it. As a result, I brary to the whole organization, from week daresay there are fifty people in our omce to week, and from day to day. today that do not linow we have a library, You have all heard no doubt of suggestion and if they clid, haven't the faintest idea of systems which have been started in many what it is for, other than that library means large offices and manufacturing companies. boolrs to them. If you have heard about them you doubtless I am willing to malie this frank confession have also heard the wails which have gone because the condition is being rectified right up from many executives in these plants at the present time, and if I had been com- where the system has been adopted, to the ing here a month later, I would have some- effect that the suggestions come in well thing different to report, I feel sure, but when the scheme is first put in operation, perhaps for purposes of this meeting it is but after that the employees lose interest, better as it is, for it provides an example of and the scheme will not contin~~eto work. what not to do. Of course it won't work, of its own accord. As I see it, there is at least one useful It is not self-perpetuating, it must be adxer- and strong word in the tern1 "special libra; tisecl to such an extent that the interest in ry," and that is the word "special." If such it is maintained. Nine-tenths of the work l~brariesare anything they are special, and in maintaining a suggestion system Lo get in their nature, they ought to be so. A good results, is in sustaining an interest in library which might be highly smcessful in the acheme. Perhaps a dinner must be held my company, would serve you rather poorly every few months, a meeting called every perhaps. Is it worth the cost? This is the once in a while, ample space given to adver- test, for any special library, as I see it. It tising the system in the conipsny house or- may pay a life insurance company for its gan, or in fact, perhaps special l~teratureon librarian to make a very elaborate investiga- the subject. In other words, an active ad- tion of some subject for some one of its de- vertising campaign must be kept up contin- partments. Similarly, a company of chem- uously. ists may have its librarian make an investi- Now isn't just the same thing true of a gation at considerable expense, and yet have s~eciallibrary? A library into which no ad- the cost of it be very reasonable' in proportion vertising ever is put may be a nice quiet to its value. On the other hancl, obviously, corner with row upon row of neatly arranged in our company we could not afford to spend books and tables mlth nicely placed periodi- a thousand dollars in some library investiga- cal~,am1 that the library is there will be tion to answer an inquiry from some $2.00 a evidenced each month on the cost flgures year subscriber, unless it happened that his of the company. But how many inquiries inquiry was on the mouths of hundreds of will be answered, and how many asked, for other readers, in which case we would gladly that matter. How many people in the organ- spend that sum and ~nuchmore, too, and pul ization will be leaning upon the library as a the answcr In the magazine where these in- source of information necessary to thew quirers and other readers might see it. work? By this last statement I don't mean to im- Let us assunle for a minute the company ply that we measure the work we put in on has a very efficient special library, insofar as inquiries by any $3-a-year yard stick given efficiency is measured by the way in which to readers every year where the cost to us they handle the inqwiries askod of them. Let far exceeds the figure. And the reader in- as assume that the people in the organization quirer often says thoughtlessly or perhaps me the library amply. Let us also assume by hablt "Hurry it" and only in rare cases that no advertising of any form is done "Thank you." within the organization. Gradually the per- But it's good business just the same, we sonnel of that company changes; it is bound think, to give the information cheerfully and to change in some measure. Labor turnover give full measure too, forgetting the curt will always exist to a certain extent. NOW form of the request and assuming an implied after this has gone on for three or four "thank you." yea.rs, let us take account of stock once more. But I am getting away from the point, Say 100 new people have come into the or- which is that the special librarian requires ganixation in this time. Now how Inany of a sense of proportion. He should know tlns hundred do you think will even know where and when to dig deeply, and where tha~the organieatlon has a library unless it and when a shallow scraping is the proper may be that it is located in a very prominent procedure. position? Probably there will be fewer than It seems to me that the librarian of a spe- yon think. cial service library should be very clearly SPECIAL LIBRARIES

impressed with the policies of that library, or n~isadjuststhings in such a way that the as regards this very point We hear it said mall can't find his cigar humidor. What I often of almost every line of activity, that a am getting at is that this policy of move-the- person must use pIa~n"horse sense," but it piano-to-another-corner was never meant, in seems to me that the special librarian, to do my estimation, for special libraries. The his job well, must be supplied with a double fewer changes in mechanical methods and dose of colnmon sense, solidly founded on in filing technique, the better, and tho more his library policy so that he spends his all- changes in methods of selling the servlce ot propriation where it will (lo the most good the library to the various departlnenrs ol a for his particular "custon~ers." He must sell business, the better. In other words, it goods that meet 111s customers' needs. He seems to Ine the efforts of a special librarian must not stocli up on silks and satins if his should not be expendccl in changing the ma- trade demands and w~llpay only for ging- chinery in his own little factory, but To- hams. It would be equally a ~nistalreto take cussed upon Bettcr operation of the machin- the opposite stand. ery thore, with a view to turning out a qual- Now 1 am going to give a few "don'ts" ity product, and above all, a product which about a special service library, based upon is advertised to its legitimate customers in our experience. Frankly, we have used our every possible way. library as a training school for executiws Now it has been said, with a good deal of in the editorial department of our buslness. truth, it seems to me, that if you are talking If I were not myself a graduate of this train- to an audience of college professors, you ing school, I might he more free to state that should talk business, and if you are address- I now am, that this plan has been a good ing a group ot business men, you should talk one from the editorial point of view. I can the theory of economics. So you see on that say, however, with emphasis that it is a dis- basis I am taking nly life in my hancls whet1 astrous one from the library point of view. I attemgt to talk special libraries to special The reason it is good from the editorla1 librarians, but ~~rominentbusmess Inell Say point of view is that the librarian has an ex- that worth-while ideas sonletimes come from cellent opportunity to familiarize himself rank outsiders, from people who are suffi- with the publications, with outside business, ciently removed froln the details of a bus^ and with every branch of our own organixa- ness not to have their vision blurrecl by it. tion. But what of the library? It is true ivlost of this may be old stub to yam, Lo use that new blood and fresh enthusiasm are editorial garlance, but if there 1s a s~ngle brought In, but after the librarian learns of idea here worth talm~gnote of, T shall count the history of former librarians, is it to be the tr~ghere not lost wondered at that he has his eyes on an edi- torial job and begins to fret under the, neces- sary consistencies of a librarian? He lilres LITERATURE ON FOREIGN TRADE to believe with Emerson that "a foolish con- sistency is the hob gohblin of little minds, By E. E. Pratt, President of E. E. Pratt adored by little statesmen and philosopllers and Company, Incorporated, New York, and divines. With consistency a great soul and Formerly Chief Unlted States has simply nothing to do." There has been one saving grace in this Bureau of Fore~gnand Domestic training school policy, and the constant Commerce changing of librarians which it involves. I Tho material on foreign trade is no1 refer to the fact that we have a standard volun~inous,in fact those who seek inEornla- practice book applying to the library as in tion about foreign trade In print are apt Lo fact we have one applying to all branches of he disappointed. As is the case with so our editorial work. In this book is set down many other practical subjects, the material in black and wh~teevery single piece of is written by those who know little about 11, routine dnties that the librarian has to per- because of the lack of writing ability or lacl~ form. And so, as many put it, who r~sited of time on the part of those who really lrnow. our organization and saw the book, "if your There is very little llrnctical informin:, librarian has agpendicitis tonight, and fails printed material on the subject of toreign to reappear, the job goes on just the same." trade proper There is a great (leu1 of slush In this book 1s a sample of every card and masquerad~ngunder L'oreign trade titles. It every form that is used, with instructions as IS,thcrcfore, the first duty of the careful Iibra- to how it is filled out. In fact, the speci- rian to separate the wheat from thc chaff. nlans which are placed in the book are them- How that is to be done I can hardly say, selves fllled out. although I may venture a few sugjicst~ons. Now while I am preaching, here is one My somewhat random remarlis will be more don't. I suppose every one lilres a made largely from tho po~ntof view oC the change. You know how the housewife, about export house or of the manufacturer engaged every once in SIX months, moves the plano in export trade and sufficiently interested to from the northeast corner to the northwest have a forelgn trade library. corner of the room, and otherwise readj~ists For the sake of convenience only, let us SPECIAL LIBRARIES divide all the worlrs on this subject into ful and illustrative; for example, there is an four main classes: excellent two volume work on Sweden pub 1. General Descriptive Worlrs. lished by the Swedish Government in 1914; 2. Foreign Trade Technique. an excellent book on Japan has heen pub- 3. Reference Material. lished by the Bank of Japan; and a remark- 4. Current Material. ably interesting, although badly translated, set of pamphlets on the Dutch East Indies 1 published by the Colonial Government of The most general, and perhaps the most Holland at the time of the San Francisco important, of all descriptive material are Exposition. maps. I should say that every foreign trade The various hand boolrs on China, Japan, library should begin with a collection of Australia, South America, etc., are too maps; good big wall maps giving in detail familiar to all of you to need further com- the countries or territories which are of the ment at this time. They also form indis- greatest interest. There are several good pensable sources of information in a foreign co~nmercial atlases available, and several trade library. map manufacturers, here and abroad, are specializing on maps that will meet the needs of the business public. It is under the general head of Foreign Next should be mentioned the comnlercial Trade Technique that our printed literature geography, such as that published by J. is weakest. The list properly begins with Russel Smith. B. Olney Ilough's "Practical Exporting"; js They are more or less alike and a pot- enriched with Filsinger's "Exporting to pourri of useful but not too valuable in- Latin Amcrica," and practically ends with formation about the countries and their the "Course in Foreign Trade," published products. There is, in this class, a vaat by the Business Training Corporation. To multitude of books and pa~nphletsthat must the man who would get a complete picture bulk large in any foreign trade library, ex- 01 foreign trade, ant1 who would entirely tending from the merest guide books like omit the usual unilnportant items to which Baedeker to the scholarly worlcs of N. D. learned authors devote so much time, let Harris on "Africa," and the volunlinous him cleave to these three. The "Co~~rsein work of Henry D. Baker on "India." These, Foreign Trade" has been unusually effective with Worcester's, "The Phillipines"; Ross' at long distance It consists of twelve vol- "The Changing Chinese"; Bryce's, "South umes, is accurate, brief and informing. Old America" : Reade's. "Finland and the Finns" : heads at the export game have found it as Bonsal's, ' "The ~merican ~editerranean"i useful as the beginners. Millard's, "Our Eastern Connections"; and There are other publications which deal a host of others, fortn the baclrground for with particnlar specialties in foreign trade, the whole field of foreign trade. Guide such as, Foreign Exchange, Shipping Port books and travel books even find a practical Operation, etc. It is difficult to suggest par- con~mercialvalue where travelers are being ticularly good titles under these headings, sent abroad. because here again we find that the practical There are entirely too few boolts that give is rare and the theoretical and descriptive in any comprellensive way a political setting abundant. Some of the banks have recently for modcrn commerce. Harris, in his "Col- gotten out very useful publications dealing onization and Intervention in Africa," has with the financing of foreign trade, and have set a higher standard than has been at- attached to their publications specimens of tained, so iar as I am aware, by any other the docume~itsused, which are particularly writer. He gives us the political antecedents valuable. of modern commercial life in Africa, and it There are also a considerable number of is of the greatest importance alike to stu- publications dealing with foreign trade in dents and practical men. particular lines of business or which refer A more specifically descriptive work is that to particular lines of mechandise. The of Henry D. Baker on "India," published by Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- has been specially prolific with regard to cerce. It is voluminous and verbose, but full this class ot material; in fact, the only really of real information. The Bureau of Foreign practical worlrs on the exporting of special arid Domestic Commerce publishes many lines of merchandise from the Unlted States works of this kind particularly valuable, are to be found among the publications of among them are the worlrs "South America the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com- ae an Export Field," and "Central America merce. No better discussions of export trade and the West Indies as an Export Field. are to be found anywhere than those dealing Such publications shodd form the backbone with the export of cotton textiles prepared of the geographical section ol' every foreign by Ralph M O'Dell. There are many others trade library. dealing with export markets for hardware, There are quite a few publications pub- machinery of all kinds, drugs and chemicals. lished by foreign governlnents that are use- food stuffs, furniture, And &ell going so far SPECIAL LIBRARIES as to include the ol~portunitiesfor American librarian seeking information on foreign capital in foreign countries. trade. There are a few publications to be found 111 outside of those of the Bureau along this same line, as, for example, Copeland's study An extremely useful part of the foreigrl on "Wool" in the Harvard Yerics. There are trade library are the worlrs of reference, and also numerous worlrs dealing wit11 raw mate- particularly the directories. Kelley's Direc- rials that are imported into the United tory is well known, as is also Thomas' States, such as, rubber, tea, coffee, wool, rice, Directory of America11 Manufacturers. Both tin, etc., but in the main the works on these of these are indispensable to the export su~bjects,that I have seen, deal almost en- house, or in fact to any export organization. tirely with descrigtlve ~naterialdescribing The directories published by the Bureau of caonditions in the producing countries, and Foreign and Domestic Commerce, of which g~vinga pretty comprehensive picture of therc was a world trade directory now Very local conditions, but scarcely ever clealing much out of date, and later publications on with the rcally fundamental questions in- South America, Central America and the volved in the nlarlceting of their products in West Indies, have been extrenlcly useful. the chief centers of the world, These publications, however, have bcen with- drawn since the beginnillg of the war, and Tariffs and Trademarlis are another class the I3uresu will probably And it necessary of Export Techn~que. The ordinary exporter to issue new ones 111 the very near future. is not usually concerned with the question Special general relerence boolcs, as State- of tariffs; he permits h~sforeign customers man's Year Book, Export Trade Directory, to worry about tariffs. Ile is, howcver, in- and others, should 11e Eound in every library terested in Trademarlis, and nlany inanufac- on I'oreign trade. Many export organiztltions turers, particularly of trademarlred, pa- have necd for directories of forelgn coun- tented, and internationally advertised arti- These can be obtained without great cles, are constantly seeking inSorma.tion tries. with reference to tradcmarlr registration in dificulty. foreign countries Here again the Rnreau 1 place statistical information along with of Foreign and Doinestic Co~nmerceis ~ub- other reference works. The amount of lishing practically the only literature on the statistical information to be oblnmcd Prom subject, and their stud~esof tarifl's in par- our qovernment is vcry consideral~le. The tlcular lines of business are exceedingly use- monthly and annual reports oC the Dellart- ful and represent a vast amount of research ment of Commerce give the general statisti- and study. cal information needed by most exporters. Some of the most valuable material on the The "Statistical Abstrnct" of the [Jnlterl subject of Foreign Trade Techunque is to be States condenses much of this infqymntion, found in rel~ortsof conferences on the sub. and there was once published tl Foreign ~ectof foreign trade which have been held Statist~cal Abstract," which, however, 11ns from time to time. I\Tuch valuable ~nforma- since been discontinued. The bcst compila- tion is to be founcl in the reports of the tion of world wide statistical inl'or'malion Foreign Trade Conferences held uncler tile is now to be obtained in the Statistical Alp auspices of the National Foreign Trade stract of Great Britain, pul~lishrd I)!: tho Council. These publ~cat~ons,of which. there gonrcl of Trade. are now five and a sixth coming along short- Statistical inlorlnntion yul~lishctl by for- ly, forin a, valuable body of foreign trade in- eign counlries is difficult to obtain, and i~ formation. In this connection, the report of usually so inco~~lparablewith thal pull- the International Trade Conferencm, held lished in this country as to he of conlparn- under the auspices of the National Assoda- tively little value except Lor purely statisti- tion of Manufacturers, shou,ld be mentioned. cal purposes. I should say that in general The reports of other conferences, such as it is hardly worth while for the librurinn in the Pan-American Con~mercialConferences, export houses or manufacturing establish- and the meetings of the Export Managers' nlcnls to endeavor to malre u~ a complete Association in New Yorlr, are also valuablc collection of foreign statistical material. sources of information on foreign trade If, however, a concern is interested in o~lly technique. one or two territories, it woulcl probably he Some of the best and nlost practical worth while to get all the statistical infor. material on foreign trade operat~on, and matioil available from those countries. l~articularlywit11 reference to the conduct of foreign trade business, is to be found in magazines. "System" has from time to time Some of the most valual~le ~nlormation published material with reference to foreign with reference to loreign trade is to be ob- trade that is particularly valuable, and there tained from current sources. First in im- are other articles that appear from time to portance is "Commerce Reports," published time in periodicals such as, Scribners and by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic the Saturday Evening Post which are well Commerce of the Departnlent of Comn~erce. worth special attention on the part ol' the "Comnlerce Heports" is published daily and SPECIAL LIBRARIES brings to the esporter from day to day much mation with reference to special line# OC information which he can secure in no other nlerchantlise and special pllases of foreign place. The material published in "Commerce trade, such as foreign tariffs, shipping, ter- Reports" is usually concise and generally ac- minal facilities, etc. curate, and should be carefully carded and This is a rough, and very ullsatisfactory, indexed; in fact, I would suggest to every discussion of foreign trade literature, but it foreign trade librarian that not less than may give librarians an idea, of the scope of three copies of "Commerce Reports" be the subject and the scope of thc literature taken, md that at least two of these copies that is needed in foreign trade. be cut up and pasted to sheets of paper and indexed in such a way as to be most useful to that particular organization. June 26, 1919 There are numerous other periodicals that are of special interest and importance to the GOOD G.OVERsNMENT A.ND BETTER CITI- exporter. As in the case of the books on the ZENSHIP VIA THE CIVIC LIB'RARY subject, we have periodicals devoted primar- ily to travel and description, as, for example, By Dorsey W.. Hyde, Jr., Librarian New the very excellent magazine "Asia" and the York Municipal Reference Library very interesting "Scandinavian Review." Out of the stuff ot' war-time struggle and There is also "The South American" with self-sacrifice has come a new vision of the its complimentary paper published in Span- possibilities of commmnity effort, and the ish, "El Norte Americano." American citizen has develol~eda broader There are also the publications dealing conception of his duties and responsib,ilities with foreign trade all over the world, such as a memlber of his community. I-Ie served as "Dun's International Review" and inse elfishly to "help win the war" and "World's Markets," also published by R. G. learned to crave for such service. He rec- Dun 6t Conlpany. The "American Exporter," ognized a similar unselfish craving on the "Export American Industries," and other part of his neighbors and respected them for export periodicals are lilrewise very valwa- it. He worked w,ith such neighbors oa war- ble to the exporter, principally, however, to time committees, strove side by side with keep him in touch with the advertising of them in numerous money-raising "drives": his competitors. ho saw the widow give hey mite and suc- House organs are already beginning to ap- cessful business men cast aside personal pear in foreign trade, and one of the very interests in the effort to "do their bit" to best publications in the whole fleld is the insure the success of democratic ideals. "Americas" published by the National City Hand in hand with this spirit of gatriotic Bank. The publication entitled "Russia," service has come a new interest in the af- gotten ont by the firm of R Martens & Com- fairs of government-in the administration pany, also deserves a place in the foreign of public services and i11 the rewards and trade library. efficiency of government oiflcials. Elvery By reason of its foreign trade information, American waxed entlius~asticover the suc- as it undoubtedly is the best publication in cess of government war-timc undertakings the United States, the Christian Science and learned a deeper appreciation of the Monitor deserves a place on the desk of Patriotisn~ and high average emciency of every export executive. There is no other underpaid government employees. But some- available paper or magazine publishing as times close contact with government depart- much or as accurate foreign information. ments and bureaus, and with "omcial" red Every foreign trade library should also be tape and ceremony, led him to ask himself a subscriber to important periodicals, chief whether our much-advertised democracy is among which are "The Economist" and "The RS effective as he had imagined it to be. He Statist" published in London, and in fact at doubts, for example, the efficiency of a de- least one newspaper published in each im- mocracy which spends more money for the portat city in the world should, be found in eradication of hog cholera than for the care the foreign trade library. of tubercular children. In closing let me again refer to the work Questions such as the above, far fro111 of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic rendering him less patriotic, havc tended Commerce. Every foreign trade l~brary rather to increase his patriotism and to en- should begin and end with the publications hance his waving for opportunities to ren- of the Bnreau of Foreign and Domest~cCorn- der unselfish civic service. Rut with the nierce. They comprel~endthe whole field of war now happlly over, the number of such foreign trade. They include "Commerce Re- opportunities has greatly diminished. This, ports," the daily newspapers on foreign of course, was the inevitable result of the trade; practically all of the statistics of the termination of the various special war-time United States Government relating to for- activities. But the silencing of the guns on eign trade; trade directories of foreign coun- the Western front has by no means an'ested tries; descriptive material with reference to the individual citizen's desire to be of serv- foreign markets, and technical trade infor- ice to his community. He is demanding SPECIAL LIBRARIES rather, new ways to satisfy his desire for The function of the Clvic Library today self-expression, and to his demands are may be sumnled up in three words: Infor- added those of the home-comlng soldier and mation, Education, Interpretation. The sailor and of the newly-enfranchised woman. Civic Librarian must diligently collect, clas- Faced with such pleas it devolves upon pub- sify and file all books and other data on lis administrators and civic workers gener- civic subjects and have such materlal read- ally to create a new vehicle for community ily available for the use of Library patrons. self-expression through which these ideals But he must not merely collect and classify. and strivings nlay become articulate. Through the mediumship of library bulle- The demands for a new vehicle for civic tins, the public Dress, and public addresses. self-oxpression of late have c~~ystalizecl,and he should endeavor to educate oficials and are now generally referred to under the citizens generally regarding civic and mu- term Reconstruction. Throughout the coun- nicipal matters. Lastly, the Civic Librarian, try American citizens are feeling that there as the official interpreter of his city's history and achievements, should endeavor to awak- n~ustbe a change-a re-formation of the en In the citizenry, a renewed civic con- political, econoinlc ant1 social fabric. The sciousness. A prominent government omcia1 Secretary of the Interior recently voiced this recently said: "The people will give con- Peeling when he daid "We shall recon- fldence to a govenment if they are satis- struct, build anew, for a broader democracy, fied that it is doing the best it can undar in which men will learn more perfectly to circunlstances of which they are fully an:] ~orlctogether, not for the maliing of a great fairly apprised." The Civlc Librarian, by state, but, on the contrary, for the making mnlcing existing information more readily of more self-omnecl and growing individuals." available, can do much towards the dc\l>lop- The new feeling for reconstructioa grows ment of this popular confidence In the gov- more deflnite every day; governmental ernment of the city. changes advocated for years take place al- Civic Library service is by no means, ns most ovor night; in the business world there some have supposed, a new development is talk, and actual experiment, with new methods of employee relationship aiming a1 to be credited to the lmasent day ~nunicipal clemocracy in industry, ancl in social life a expert. Fubl~cLibraries since their origin new spirit of neighborliness has been de- have been important agencies in the spread veloped Lhrough war-time recreational serv- of civic lrnowletlge and it was only within ices. If further evidence be needed we. have recent years that the necd for more hi~hly but to refer to the reconstruction program specialized service became al)parent. The and activities plannecl and now being prose- flrst suggestion for a service of th~skind cuted by federal, state and city governments must be creclitecl to Melvil Dewey-the and by the various civic o~ganizations father of so mnny n~odern11brary idms - throughout the country. One c~tyraises a who In 1890 us Director of the New York million dollars to solve its labor ~roblem; State Library, appointed Mr. A. B. Shaw a another city draws up a program to guide legislative reference lib~arianfor service future community development, ant1 hun- in Albany. The New York precedent was dreds of others plan the expenditure of huge followed eleven years Inter by Dr. Charles sums to beautify thew city, to furnish work McCarthy who estahlishecl the Wisconsin for the unemployed, and to build n better Bureau of Legislative Reference at Madi- place for the citizens that are to come son. One day in the State Library at RIadi- Any Reconstruction program ilnplies two son, ProCessor McCarthy, aflect~o~~ately things-Good Government and Better Citi- called "Mac" by many grateful stuclents, zenship-and among the public agencies con- witnessed the difficulties of a legislator who cerned with these two subjects, there is no had asked for data on "Railroads." Later agency so well fitted for constructive serv- he found a little-used room in the cul~aloof ice as the Ciric Lihrary. From the start the State Capitol bnilding and gathered to- the Civic Library has been loolred upon as gether certain reference books and other a clearing-house for civic information and data. The services rendered were of such its character as an agency to serve not only value that the Governor becanse interested municipal officials but all citizens as well, and the result finally was a small appropria- has been increasingly emphasized. Thus tion and the official creation in 1901 of the in his address at the opening exercises of Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. the New York Municipal Reference Library But the above-mentioned bureaus were the Hon. William A. Prendergast, then City created primarily for service to state rather Comptroller, said: "Public officials, public than ~nunicipalofficials. In 1907 there wns employees, civic organizations and citizens established in Baltimore, by Charter Amend- generally, should be able to appeal to the nlent, a Departlnerlt of Legislative Refer- Municipal Reference Library for informatiol1 ence and three years later a similar degart- on any subject that nlay be reasonably con- ment was established by ordinance in Kan- sidered mithin the domain of municipal per- sas City. The St. Louis Municipal Refer- formance." ence Library and this plan, providing for nd- 174 SPECIAL LIBRARIES ministration by the City Library authorities, data for its Informal~onBureau nnd sent seems now to be most generally favored. representatives to local Community Councd meNew York Municipal Reference Library meetings. was fathered by Comptroller Prendergast But the great opportunity for the Civic and because of early opposition the Library Library has come with the signing of the was started under the auspices of the De- peace, and the nation-wide demand for a partment of Finance. Omcia1 services took comprehensive program of Reconstruction. place March 31, 1913 when the Library mas Civic Libraries throughout the country re- opened, with 6,000 books and pamphlets on its shelves, in rooms provided for the pur- port a constantly increasing demand for pose at 280 Broadway. During the six years civic information and it is becoming more of its existence the collection has more than and more generally realized that intelligent tripled in size, the personnel has increased civic action must be based upon a knowledge in numbers from two or three to twelve, and of the facts. Mr. Rex of Chicago, for ex- a Public Health Division, with an extensive ample, reports: "We have aggressively at- collection of health books, has been opened tempted to place the information obtained in the bullding of the New York Department on Reconstruction at the disposal of appro- of Health At the request of the Municipal priate comnlittees and members of the Art Commission plans are now being worked Chicago City Council, municipal departmenls out for the establishment of a Civic Art Di- and bureaus and other organizations and in- vision. The main offices of the Municipal dividuals." In this connection it is interest- Reference Library are located in three large ing to note that the Chicago Plan Commis- rooms on the fifth floor of the new Munici- sion was one of the Arst municipal bodies pal Building. to come forward with a suggested local pro- Dut adequate equipment is but a start toward the upbuilding of effective Civic Li- gram of Reconstruction. brary service. The Civic Librarian today is There has been talk of late of discord and faced with the necessity of "selling" library radical propaganda as a menace to social service to patrons most of whom are indiffer- ideals and to the democracy of the future, ent and few of whom realize their need of There is a French maxim which says: "Tout his assistance. Every Library patron must coniprendre est tout pardonner"-to under- be made to feel that he is getting a definite stand all is to forgive all-and the Civic service and that that service is valuable. Librarian knows that such discord as may The Librarian should study his clientele, exist is traceable to ignorance of Amencan classify them according to their interests history and of the development of her public and needs, and collect data in advance of institutions. It is hard for the migratory specific requests and send it to them. He should visit the various departments and citizen of today to understand or to appre- organizations which he serires and establish ciate ~nstitutionsin the creation of which personal relationship with his patrons. In his hand has placed no part, and there is the publications of the Library the scope of urgent need for the dissemination of knowl- its service should be emphasized and every edge about such institutions. Tho Civic effort should be put forth to awaken an in- Librarian, therefore, must endeavor to ob- terest in the Library as an integral ant1 tain a broad gauge conception of the history necessary part of civic economy. and development or his city. FIe must learn The special services upon which the to have real affection for his community and Library may embarl; are without number. faith in its future development, and he must If the Mayor or some department head be able to transmit this feeling to the per- evinces an interest in some contemporary sons with whom he comes in daily contact. movement it is sometimes a good idea to send the interested person perodic reports In his speech at the opening of the New on the subject. At the present moment great York Municipal Reference Library Dr. Jnhn service can be rendered to women's civic or- H. Finley recalled the story of Promethus ganizations. The Civics course in the Public who brought down fire from heaven, so that SC~&& oder interesting opportunities for there might be procured to the many that constructive service. In New York City the which was formerly the prerogative ol' the Municipal Reference Library is cooperating few. The Civic Library today is a torch of with Frank A. Rexford, Su~ervisorOf Civics knowledge in the dal-1~colltinent of partizan Courses-the Librarian visited Some 30 High politics and civic indifference, and the Civic Schools with Mr. Rexford, addressed meet- ~ib~~~~~~can, if he wills it, become ings of civics teachers and distributed 6,000 Aescl,ylus of the nloderll Promethian drama or more civic documents. A special room in the Library, call be in ad- of gover1lmenL and interpret to his commun- vance by telephone, has been placed at the ity the significance of her political institu- disBosal of Civics classes. The Library co. tions, the vision and self-sacrifice of former operated, Anally, with the Executive Com- public servants, and the glory of the recon- mittee on Community Councils, gathered structed democracy that is to come. SPECIAL LIBRARIES

THE LIBRARY AND THE LEAGUE OF able data on conlmunity houses as war MUNICIPALITIES. memorials, or to select from letters and By Homer Talbot, Executive Secretary of periodicals material of current interest for the New Jersey State League of use in items in the iMunscipal DO~ILOSdepart- ment of the league periodical. These duties, Municipalities in addition to classification and indexing of 111 order properly to assess the value of boolrs, pamphlets, reports, magazine articles the library to the league of municipalities, and newspaper clippings. it is desirable first of all to define the pur- The labors of the librarian of a league of poses for which a league of municipalities municipalities are varied, and call for a con. is formed. siderable use of trained imagination, ccmcen- These purposes may be said to be three- tration, resourcefulness, power of analysis, fold. First of all, the cities and towns of a common sense and pleasant persistence. state organize a league of municipalities to The services of such a librarian may be inspire and encourage efforts for better of very great assistance to the manager of municipal government, the league's bureau of municipal informa- A second object of a league is to furnish tion, and to the meinbership cities, boroughs, information on municipal subjects to the towns and villages-their officials, and the officials and citizens of the membcr corn. people. munities. A third purpose is to provide a means for Mr. Leslie Willis Sprague of the Commu- concarted action in matters in which the nity Motion Picture Bureau, speaking on cities of a state have a common interest. The first object mentioned-the encourage- "Americanization by Indirectlon," said: ment of efforts for better municipal govern- "Patriotism is a love of one's country that ment-is achieved through annual confer- expresses itself in service of the nation and ences, committee work and the gublication~ its ends. Love for country, like love for of the organization. persons, come not by force. It cannot be The third object-providing a means for driven in-it must be drawn out.. In the concerted action is largely cared for through nationalistic reaction which naturally follow the organization and activities oE the hoard the World War, there is danger of a too di- of directors and the committees. rect attempt to force Americanization upon The second purpose-the furnishing of in- the alien and foreign born. The result of formation on municipal subjects-has to do an insistence upon speedy nationalization, with a wide, and I may say a very intereat- the learning of English, may be to turn ing range of interests. The instruments and aliens against America, rather than to win instrumentalities of this activity are: A then1 to a patriotic love. director of a bureau of municipal informa- As a people our gates have been more tion, his assistants, a well organized flling open than our hearts and homes. We have system for ordinances, codes, reports, com- admitted the peoples of the earth to our pilations and special articles, and a wisely land without concern to invite and welcome selected municipal reference library. The them to our best life. Without emphasizing library required by a league of municipali- the danger of unwise attempts at Americani- ties is distinctly a special library. zation, I would confine myself to a few There is undoubtedly a real and important phases out of my topic "Americanization by fleld of public service in the work of the Indirection." librarian of a league of municipalities. You The way to get happiness, it has been said, will note the suggestion that there should be is to forget it. The way to achieve Arneri- a librarian as well as a manager of the canization is not to forget it, but to aim at leagues service. There is no doubt whatever its great and worthy ends which it is the in my mind as to the correctness of this glory and unique distinction of America to view, or as to the advantages resulting from have striven for and, in a measure, to have its acceptance in practice. achieved. The librarian of a leaguc of municipalities Democracy means more than equality and may be a man or a woman. The imllortant something different from the assertion "I things to be considered in the selection to am as good as you are." True democracy be made are: First, understanding Of the means the recognition of the worth of every significance and possibilities of the work; life. It declares "yoii are as good as I am." second, a genuine interest in it; third, a America is democratic in essence, scorn of good general training (including political aliens, hatred of races and classes, prejudice science and sociology, in particular) ; and toward anything is un-American. To' re- fourtll, special training in library methods deem our slums, improve housing and work- and in research. ing conditions, making the life of the alien The librarian may be called upon to "find brighter, more truly human, would be a sure everything on building zones ordinances;" way, though indirect, of achieving American- to prepare a compilation of t~xrates of all ization. the cities of a state; to a~sernbleall avail- A square deal, according to Doctor Henry SPECIAL LIBRARIES

VanDyke, is the characteristic purpose of Technical knowledge is the expert's fleld. America. Any exploitation that the alien The safe construction of a machine or a suffers must be corrected. He must be given plant must begin with the first draft of the a square deal, if he is to be won to a recog- design. The probleln is to think safety and nition of this part of the spirit of America. in terms of safety. The guarding of machin- Strict justlce to the ahen on the part of em- ery has very often been merely an after- ployer, landlord, tax gatherer, merchant and thought to rectify faults of construction court will win him to an allegiance which What the future machine designer and will Ire helpful to the country. builder will do and is doing now to some America stands for education and ecluca- extent, is to build safely from the start. tion is more than the English language. To With every speeding up process the dan- attempt to force Enghsh upon the alien as ger to the workman becomes greater, there a means of citizenship only is to attempt is less care, more speed. We know already less than America means to do. English is that the accidents for the war period will a tool to be used for education and educa- be greater than perhaps at any other period tion is an agency toward success and happi- in the history of this country. The reports ness. Every eclucational opportunity should for 1917 and 1918 as they are being received, be given to the alien and he ~houldbe en- show a tremendous number of accidents. couraged to avail himself of whatever will The toll of lives in the industrial plants will increase his life value. Incidentally he will probably be almost as high as on the battle be glad to learn English and in doing so wilf flelds, while the number of those perman- hecome an American. ently disabled by industnal accidents in the i\Iotion pictures have an nn-utilized po- last year will be almost as great as those tency, not only in general education, but in permanently disabled by war, if we figure the speciflc work of Americanization. They only on those wounded in battle, omitting are to be used to acquaint thc alien with the those who are killed or disablecl by sickness. interests, achievements, ideals and under- We shall never be able to conxpare them takings of the land which has become his exactly, as the statistics of war casualties home. In the use of motion pictures for are much nlore accurate and complete than Americanization the method should again those for industrial casualties. According to be that of ~ndirection,first of all malting one recent authoritative stateme~ltthe acci- recreation the ccnter purpose and incident- dents occurring in this country are equal to ally using educationnl material which mill two European Wars. lead the mind of the alien to an understand- The total annual number ,of industrial acci- ing of the meaning of citizenship and the dents has been estimated by both Dr Rubi- greatness of America. By the use of historic now and Dr. Hoffniann as about 2 million, in- incidcnls, great American literature, trave- cluding 22,500 fatal accidents. According to logues showing America's beauties, and pic- the Standard Accident T'able compiled by tures which declare the great heart throb Dr Rubinow, 4.8 percent of non-fatal cases of the American people much can be done retain some permanent disability, which add- to help the new comer into that inheritance ed up for 2 million cases results in 96,000 which always by indirect means contributes permanently injured men each year. The to- to the richness of the life of those who are tal number of fatal cases in our army omit- most loyal American citizens." ting those dead of diseases is over 60,000, Mr. Sprague showed some motion pictures but the number wounded, does not show how illustrating the ways in which motion pic- many permanent disabilities there will be. tures used for entertainment and general Up to April, the War Risk Bureau has had education may be so programed as to win nearly 50,000 applications from permanent- the interest of those who view them in the ly disabled men. ideals and undertakings of the nation. Persons who have followed the safety lllovelnent since its flrst inception in this INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND THE country some ten or twelve years ago, have LIBRARY'S PART IN THEIR been fully aware of this tremendous scourge in our industrial world. We have en- . REDUCTION acted compensation laws in all but seven By Estele L. Liebmann, Librarian, National states, nearly every state has some kind of Workman's Compensation Service a del~artrnentof labor or factory inspection, Bureau and large corporations and plants have There are three aspects to the problem of organized their own safety work. But laws industrial accidents, namely, the social, and rules can be written on the books and economic and technical. It is claim8ed that be of no avail unless the life and spirit is' from 25 to 65 percent of all accidents occur- there to make them vital and living. ring arc due to carelessness; 15 to 25 per- The economic side is even more important cent are due to structural defects and only a than the social. We know how much money very, very small percentage unavoidable. is spent for compensation but no one will The greatest problem is the education in ever know the exact costs of accidents, We safety of employees and en~ployers alike cannot figure the exact cost to the co~n SPECIAL LIBRARIES 177 munity, the employer and the vlctim of an builder of a macl~ine wants to lay the accident. We have never valued labor as it foundations of a well planned, safely operat- is being valued now. ing inaqhine, the seller of machinery wants Libraries of every description, whether a good selling project and so you see safety public or private, can be of the greatest is a far reaching problem value to this problem. Many have large and There are four libraries in the United extensive collections on labor questlolls but States that have made safety engineering I doubt whether more than a very small and accident prevention their specialty. number have even #given any special con- These are the libraries of the National sideration to safety literature. Plant libra- Safety Couilcll in Chicago, The Safety Tn- ries are nluch better equipped tlmn public, stitute of America in New York, The In- as so many large concerns have employment dependence Bureau in Philadelphia and the managers and safety engineers to whom National Worlrmen's Compensation Servics these questions are of vital importance and Bureau in Now Yorlr. The first two are who must know the latest and best informa- public or semi-public in character, depend- tion. It is largely due to some of the large ing upon their rnetl~bership for support. plants that safety has become a vital matter They have focused their attention largely The census of 1910 lists the number of upon con~n-~erc~alundertalrings but are now nlanufacturers employing 500 ancl more at extending their work to municipal and eAu- about 2,000, but the present estimate is cational activities. The other two arc about 2,500. There are very few plants em. special libraries connected with private ploying less than 600 that wouId unclertalre concerns. The Intlel~endent Bureau iu a to establish a separate safety department flrin of consulting engineers for flre awl with a safety engineer. The greatest num- accident prevention and industrial relations. ber of plants have some one who div~des The Nntional Workmen's Con~peasationSerr- his duties as safety engineer with other ice Bureau is a service bureau under the duties, or a co~nmittee organization is auspices of the casualty insurance com- formed, or perhaps the safety work is sirn- panies. None of these have been in exisl- ply a matter of physical inspections. There ence very long but all are organized and are about 2,600 special safety engineers in equipped. this country and between 10,000 and 50,000 The ten state rating bureaus for norlc- people whose duties are partly connected inen's com]~ensation rates are infornlation with safety work. To keep up the interest and effectiveness of safety work requires bureaus for their respective states Among constant pressure, enthusiasnl and a good these, Fennsylvanis ht~s a library. Thr Federal Labor Department, the Bureau of morale. The National Safety Council has a Standards and the Federal Board are also membership of about 4,000 representing about 7,000,000 worlrers. It is now reaching bmlding up collecllons that include safety out and organizing safety in public and engineering and accident, prevention. But technical schools and colleges and in pro- the four libraries 6l)ecifled are all wi!lins moting public safety. The Safety Institule to act as aids either in hclping other of America also reaches many by lectures libraries select boolcs or in answering qucs- and slides and gives advice on safe ~~racticestions. The most important thing for both and devices But there are still many industrial and public libraries is to know people in all conditions of life who are not the literature of safety, some of which is touched and it is only by constructive and undoubtedly familiar, a great den1 of which educational effort that these can be reached 113s been catalogued but very little of which has been tlistributecl Lo the people who Every library, no matter what kind, how ought to have it and who want it. small or how large, that has anything to do with the laboring element should have at. There are not half a dozen books thnt least the first aids in accident prevention treat adequately of safety. The gl-eater part and safety. Worlrmen, foremen, huilrler:; of of the literature is to be found in pam~hlets, machinery, sellers of machinery, manliftlc- clocuments and l~eriodicals. The most valu- turers in all lines, are Interested in the able government clocuments are those of the safety and care of their men ancl of them- Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington selves A workman invents a new safe- Some states publish excelle~lt standards, guard, does it com~lywith the law? A fore- some very poor onas. some none at all. For man cannot understand why one of his men the engineer arid technical man the safety constantly disregards the rules and others specifications published by the United States don't care until he finds out that he can Steel Corl:oration, tho Shipping Board and create an interest by forming committees the DuPont Company rank highest. The and starting a safety organization. The Bureau of Standards will eventually issuc 3 78 SPECIAL LIBRARIES safety staiidarBs. These are at present in very much. The engine room was nearly a tentative stage and it may be a few years wrecked The nineteenth flywheel of tho before the Anal draft is adopted. Not nmny generator exploded wlthout warning. libraries realize that the fire and casualty Sam Cady caught the end of his sleeve in insurance coml~tlnieshave large ancl expea- the set screw today. He never is neat about sive engineering departments whose business his clothes-says his old woman hasn't any it is not only to give the lneinbers of the time to sew for him. His right arm had to colnpang staff advice but also to give their be amputated. I wanted the management clients advice The Travelers Insurance to put safety screws in a long while ago ancl Company ancl the Aetna Insurance Company now they say they will do it. It would have are some that have ~~ublisheclsome excellent been cheaper to have done it before any one treatises written by authorities and contain- was hurt. ing ~eliabledata. The annual proceedings of the National Jimmy Watson was stealing a ride on the Safety Council contain articles by the best back platform of the plant railway when authorities. Seven voluines have been pub- Engine number 3 ran into the train and lished and they cover practically every in- Jilnnlie was lrillecl. He went all through the dustrial hazard. War without a scratch. d friend of mine who is a foreman in a Sanl ilIaguire who used to work in the machine shop and foundry has been keeping enaineling department came in to see me to- a diary for a good inany years. He let me day. I hardly knew him, he lost about read it ancl permittecl me to take out parts thirty pounds in a couple of months and he of it to read to you. He said: "Tell them trembled so that he could hardly shake librarians they may have boolrs but they hands. He has been away for over a month. ought to help us lellows more. We ought to Said the doctor told him he had lead porson- linou7 more so's we can help ourselves more." mg and that he should have quit the enamel- These acciclents dicl not all happen in one Ing shop long ago." month or even in one year but describe the Tlrhat is to be regretted is that there are ordinary every clay hazzard in a factory and no popular books on safety. Do you remem- were selected at random. ber tho tragic note in Dr. D. 1-1. Lawrence's "The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd" or the Extracts from a Foreman's Diary little play the Neighborhood Playhouse in New Yorlc gave a few years ago called "The Dan Pederson is in the hosl~italand will Price of Coal?" Do you remember the death l~robablylose the sight of one eye. He was chipl~ing and didn't wear goggles. Sad of Stephen Blaclipool in "Hard Times" and nfterwardu he was sorry, but he couldn't see his dying words as he is brought out of the so well with them on, ancl they bothered coal pit. "I ha' fell into the t11' pit, my dear, as have cost wi'in the knowledge 0' folk now him. livin, hundreds and hundreds 0' men's lives Annie Cslsey won't be so vain about her -fathers, sons, brothers, dear to thousands pretty hair after thls. She has been running and thousands, an keeping 'em fro' want an a machine since the war. Yesterday some- hunger. I ha' fell into a plt that ha' been wi' thing went wrong and instead of calling for th' Fire-damp crueller than battle. I ha' the mncliin~stshe removed the guard while read on't in the public getition, as onny one the machine was going. She wouldn't wear may read, fro' the men that worlrs in pits, a cn]~hecause it covered her curls. She got in which they ha' pray'n and pray'n the law- her hair caught in the belting and before makers for Christ's sake not to let their they could stop the machine she was scalped. work be imrder to 'em, but to spare 'em for She will live but will have to wear a wig. th' wives and children that they loves as well as ge~ltlefolfi loves thcirs. When it Jolin D~ln~browslcy,the new Pollak, didn't were in work, it lrillecl wi' out need; when understand the warning when the ladle 'tis let alcne, it Idls wi' out need. See how came arouncl with the molten metal and was we die an no need, one way an another-in terribly burned. He says now that if he a mu~cldle-every day!" That is what I mean recovers he will learn English as soon as by a popular book. The epic of labor has he can. not yet been written. Some day some one We were sitting in the front of the mill appear who will glve us the llfe of the power I~onsetoday at noon-Billy Watson. workman from the point of view of some Sam ancl myself. Suddenly we were hurled one who has really lived it-A Jean Chris- about twenty feet, ancl heard a terrific roar. tophe of the worlring classes. 'if'hen we came to, we rushed into the house. This is my messagt? of safety. Let every Found the engineer stunned but not hurt library containmg technical engineoring in- SPECIAL LIBRARIES formation, whether public or private, cle- velop its safety side Let every llbrary con- taining social and labor problems whether public or private, develop its safety side. Bring to the l~brarieswho are specializing on this subject your problems. They will be glad to assist you, advise you, and in turn take advice. They need you us much as you need them. -- Correctton--In the June issue appeared an article entitlet1 "The Financinl Library and the Stuclent" in which it was stated that Princeton University was given a veiy fine librwy that belonged to one of the down- town New Yorlc investment houses . . . collwted largely througl~the efforts of Miss Beatrice E. Carr. The library referred to mas that of H,a,i?rey Flsk .and Sons and was collected, we learn, not by MISS Carr but by Mi3.s Louise Erwin, at present lib~*ariand the Bankers Trust Co~apanyin New Yorlr. The! error was called to our attention bmy JIiss Carr and we are glad to nlalre the cor- rection. (The Editor.)