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Special Libraries, 1929 Special Libraries, 1920s
5-1-1929
Special Libraries, May-June 1929
Special Libraries Association
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This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1920s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1929 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 20 May-June, 1929 No. 5
21st CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS Part 1.
- Government Statistics Recent Economic Changes Oxford Conference Report Acting President's Address Convention Items Departments Officers' Reports Library Field
Enterad as second class matter nt tho Post Oflice, Prov~duncc, R. I. under the Act of hfarch 3, 1879 Acceptance lor mailing at apec~nl rato of postage prov~dedfor In section 1103, Act 01 October 8, 1917, authorized October 22, 1921. Ratea: $6.00 a year. Foreign $6.60; ample coplea 60 c~nta. Contents
ARTICLES Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux. Report of Oxford Conference by Angus Fletcher...... 169 Government Statistics. By Dr. Lawrence F. Schm- eckebier ...... 164 Recent Economic Changes. By Edward Eyre Hunt 162 Acting President's Address. By Angus Fletcher.... 1 59
CONFERENCE
Anniversary Dinner. . 1 84 Executive Board Meet- Chatting about the ing...... I82 Convention ...... 1 74 Impressions of the Con- Conference Notes .... 1 76 ference ...... 1 73 Convention in Retro- Resolutions...... 1 8 1 spect ...... 1 73 Secretary's Report .. 178 Editor's Report...... 180 Treasurer's Report ..... 177 DEPARTMENTS NOTES- Associations ...... 186 Adult Education ...... 184 Editorials ...... Government Publica- Events and Publica- tions ...... tions ...... Municipal Reference.... Population Problems,, Institutional Members Sections or Round Mail Bag ...... Tables. ... Personal Notes...... Smith and Smith Ref- President's Page... 1 72 erence Service 185
Special Libraries Published Monthly September to Apr~l,bi-monthly May to August by THE SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION Publication Office, 11 Nisbet Street, Providence, R. I. All payments should be made Lo Special [.ilmries, AssociaLion, 11 Niabct Street, Providence, R. I. SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 Institutional Members
California Metcalf & Eddy, Boston Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles Old Colony Trust Co., Boston *Standarc1 Oil C't~tnllany of Calilo~nia,Sau Social Law Library, Boston l:ranc~sco Stone Rr n'ebster, Boston 'I'ex'ls Co., 1.0s Angeles Michigan Connecticut Detroit Ncws, Detroit Phoenix Mutual Life Insuri~nceCo., IIartford *Uetro~tPul~l~c Lihrary, Dctroit Yale Universily Librdry, Ncw I-l~vcr~ General RIotors Corporation, Detroit Delaware Missouri du Pont dc NCIII~U~L,E. I , W1l111i1i~ton District of Colunlbia
ll,ur~.~ucli I'l~l~llcI<~r:trls, \~':IS~III~~~IIII New Jersey Illinois *Atlanlic Crty Press-L:n~on, \tlantic City Bakelite Corporation, Bloomfield. Allyn, A C. & Co., C:hicqo Comhust~onLrtilitics Corpor:rtinn, Linden, Byllesbp & Co , 11. ill., Chicago N J. Chicago Tnbunc, Cl~~cago New Jerscy Bell Telephone Company, Newark Com~nonwenl~ltEclison Con~pany,Cl1ica~;o Newark Public Library, Business Branch, Elizabeth McCorn~ick Memorial Fund, Chi- Newark cago Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, Illinois Chan~berof Commerce, Chicago Newark Standard 011 Development Co., Elizabeth Insurance Library of Chicago Rosenwald Inclustrial Museum, Chicago New York Indiana Alexander Hamilton Institute, New York Lincoln National Life Insurance Co., Fort American Rankers' Association, New York Wayne American Electric Railway Association, New Maryland Yorlc Consolidated Gas, Electric Light Rr Power Alnerican Geographical Society, New York Co., Baltimore American Institute of Accountants, New York Maryland Casualty Co , Baltimore American hIanage~nentAssociation, New York Massachusetts Arnerican Museurn of Natural History, New Baker Library-Harvard School of Business Yorli Administration, Boston American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Boston Elevated Railway, Boston New'York Boston Globe, Boston Amencan Telephone Rr Telegraph Co., Genera1 Christian Science hlonitor, Bos~on Library, New York Ed~sonElectric Illun~inatingCo , Boston American Telephone & Telegraph Co., Law Federal Reserve Dank of Boston Library, New York First National Bank, Boston Association of Life Insurance Presidents, Ncw Insurance Library Association of Boston York Jackson & Moreland, Boston Baker & Taylor Co., New York Library Bureau-Remington Rand, Boston Bankers Trust Co., N. Y. C. ~I~ssacl~usettsInstitute of Technology, Li- Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, New York brary, Canlbr~tlge Beelcr Organization, New York
*New member8 joined ainee laat issue of Spsctal Labraries. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 157
Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York The Port of New Yorli Authority, New Yorlc. Blacknian Co., New York United States Rubbcr Cotnpnny, New York British 1-~braryof Information, New York Westcrn Union Tclegr,lph Co~npan~,New York Brooklyn Edison Company, Brooklyn White Rc ICcmble, New York Brookmire Economie Service, New York Wilson Co., H.W., New York Child Study Association, New York 0 hio Cleanliness Institute Library, New York Gencrnl Electric Co., Iiescdrch I,aboratory, Consolidakd Gas Co. of Ncw York naviswnn, AIanicc, Ncw Y~rli Clevclanrl Ohio Oil Co., Findlay Dollcrly, Hct~ryL. & Co., Nc\v York Proctor Rr Gamble, Cincinrlat~ Electric Bond S: Sliarc Co., New York Federal Rcswve Bc11iIi oi Ncw York Oklahoma Fle~srhtn.~nnC'~III~,III~, Nrw J'r~k Ford, Bacon S. Ihv~s,New Yorl, General Elcct~ic. Co, hlnin l.ihr.\~-y, Sche Pennsylvania neclady Armstro~~gCork Co.. I.c~nc;ls~er Grant Co., W. T., New York Fral~klinInstitute, I'l~ll~ttlcl~)l~ia Grosvcnor Library, Ruffalo Houghton, E.F. & Cu.. IJhiladelpl~~a Guaranty Company of New l'orl; Haskins & Sells, N. Y. C. Jonr:s & Lnughlin Stcel Company, Pittsburgh Industrial Relations Counselors, New York RIellon Institute, Pittsb~~rgh. John P~iceJones Corporation, NCWYork Ncw Jcrscy Zinc Co , l'.~ln~~rtan Longmans, Green h Company, New J'ork Pliiladelphia Collegc of I'~I,I~I~I,IC~and Science, McCall Company, New Yorl: Pliilatlclphin Merchants Association of New York I'hiladelpliia Electrtc Co r~lll~r~y,l'll~ladelphia Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Philatlelpt~ia Rapid TrnnsiL Conipany, Phila- Metropolitan Life Insurance Cornpimy, New delphia York Pitlsbw gh Railways Conipany, Pittsburgh Provident Mutual Life 1nsur:uicc Co., Phda Municipal Reference Library, New York Scliool of Fine Arts, Univ. Pennn., Phila. National Association of Manufacturers, New Westinghouse Electric Rcscarch Library, E York Piltsburgh National Au~otnobileChamber of Commerce, \Vyoniissing Tratlc Scllc~ol.\\'yomissing New York National City Financ1.11 I.il)rary, New York Rhode Island l'Nat~on:~lIII\~~~II~S C'III.~)IJ~:L~~IIII, NCWY(~rli Iil~oileIslantl State Libr,lrp, P~ovidence New Jersey Zinc Company, New jVorli New \'ark Telcpllone Cornpan y, Ncw York Wisconsin New York Timcs, 'l'lie, New Yolk First Wisconsin National Dank, hlllwaukee North American Company, Ncw York Marshall Ilsley Bank, RIilwaukee Price, Waterhouse & Co , New York Canada Putnani's Sons, G. P., New York III& tiit11 I 1, N('\v I-Iydroclec~rir Power Con~nl~ssionof Ontarlo, Yorlc Toronto Russell S,IK~I;o~~~~tli~lioti, New York Imperial Life Assurance Co. of Canada, Toronto S~nclairRclirrir~fi. C'o., New York Jnsurancc Instit~~teof Montreal, Montreal. Standdrd S~atisticsComp:~ny, Ncw York Royal Bank of Canada, hIontreal "Sr~trot+ ('o~ii~~:~ny,New YIII~, Toronto Transportation Commission, Toronto
*New mernhrrs loined nince last Isnun 01 Sprrznl Lihrarirs. Special Libraries
Vol. 20 MAYaJUNE, 1929 No. 5
EDITOR, Herbert 0. Brigham, State Library, Providence, R. I. Associate Editors D. N. Handy, Insurance Library Association of Boston; M. E. Pellett, Librarian, The Port of New York Authority; Rebecca B. Rankin, Municipal Reference Library, New York City. Department Editors Charlotte L. Carmody, Department of Commerce Library, Washington, D. C. Ethel Cleland, Business Branch, Public Library, Indianapolis, Ind. Elizabeth 0. Cullen, Bureau of Railway Economics, Washington, D. C, Mary C. Parker, Federal Reserve Bank, New York City. Margaret Reynolds, First Wisconsin National Bank, Milwaukee, Wis. A. A. Slobod, General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y.
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We print as the leading article the address 01 Vicc-President Fletcher, who served so graciously in the absence of President Cady. It was a Iceen dis- appointment to all of us that circutnstances prewntcd the attcnilance of President Cady, who has so effectively conducted the association for the past two years. Thc formal proceedings which will appear in the next issuc record the friendly message of regret which was ior~wdeclto President Cady during the Confcrence.
Acting President's Address By Angus Fletcher, Librarian, British Library of Information, New York, N. Y. is a pleasure to be able to record forestall the interest of that report by once more that the Special Libraries quoting any figures, but I desire to take AssociationIT continues to grow in stature this opport~rnityof congratulating the and to develop in activity. It is not my membership conlmittee upon the results intention to survey the progress of the of their labours. The increasing mem- Association during the year, because bership is an eldquent testimony to the you will shortly hear in detail from the value and prestige of our Association, officers and committees immediately but let us not forget that it is also responsible to you in that regard. But evidence of the vigour of those who go perhaps I may be permitted to draw out and secure for us this most practical your attention to some matters of un- form of recognition. In these days there usual interest to the Association as a is not time to wait while sheer merit sells whole, and if in so doing I refer par- itself. We must advertise our Association ticularly to the work of some com- and we must sell our Association or the mittees and not to others, it is only great world will pass it by and it will because I am touching here on matters soon become a mere relic and ruin, of of general rather than specific or tech- interest only to the curious antiquarian nical interest. or collector of extinct associations. The You will have the pleasure of hearing Membership Committee may indeed a particularly satisfactory report from be regarded as our annual rejuvenator, the membership committee. I shall not preserving the Association from the 160 SPECIAL LIBRA R IES May-June, 1929 insidious onset of senile decay. Surely This leads me to speak of the work of I need not plead with you to support a another committee, namely, the Com- committee engaged it1 a task so vital to mittee on Publications. The benefits of our interests. an association such as ours to its mem- I cannot leave this subject without bers are not to be measured solely or referring to the question of institutional even chiefly by the publications which it membership. This class of membership issues. That indefinable strength and represents in an important degree the support which is born of community recognition by business and research of effort, of which we are always especially our work as an association. I believe conscious at our annual conferences, that if we can maintain or increase our ranks first, to my mind, among the bene- present activity and thus prove with fits of association. Nevertheless, it is growing conviction the great value of largely by its publications that such an the S. L. A. to the business world, we organizalion is judged by the outside shall find it in turn ready and indeed world generally. Publications are, more- anxious to offer its support and en- over, an unrivalled means for the couragement. On our part we should interchange of information and ideas. regard it a great privilege to provide so This is a field to which we cannot pay essential a service as is provided by spec- too much attention, both for our own ial libraries and the Special Libraries itnmediate advantage and for the ad- Association in particular to the great vantage of the association as a whole. driving forces which propel the eco- Miss Morley's report, which you will nomic life of this country. It is true shortly hear, makes it clear that our that the business man does not induce Publications Committee was able and that state of philosophic calm, which, ready to carry on its duties. The list of as an environment, we might prefer and compilations suggested for publication which seems to he the happy lot of our indicates that this committee must be colleagues in the academic world. He not merely active but discriminating in is prone to demand proofs of value re- its labours, if our publications are to add ceived which are often difficult to give. to our prestige. We have had the ser- He is sometimes silspicious that as- vices of a highly competent committee sociations and conventions may be and this is all to the good. But, if we better business for those who run the as members think that having appointed former and attend the latter than for the a committee and applauded their labours company that pays the bill. But we we have played our part we deceive our- can understand and forgive these limita- selves and the truth is not in us. It tions. We know that the business man, takes very much more than a cast and and especially the successful business an audience to make a good play. Let man, is the great pioneer of our genera- me say, therefore, that no cornmunica- tioti, who has long since learned that tion or call for co-operation from the there are more things in heaven and committees engaged in the preparation earth than were dreamed of in the of work for publication should be laid philosophy of his predecessor. We aside or neglected for any reason what- know that while his grandfather would ever. Let us face correspondence on this have scoffed at a special library as a subject, yes even questionnaires, with gew gaw, of probably feminine origin, glad hearts, turning, if necessary, the and shunned an association as a gross other cheek. h-relevancy, his successor of today cheer- I cannot pass over without reference fully pays $15.00 per annum for the an event so interesting to us as the privilege of institutional membership. authorization on December 29th by the So I am confident that we may look to A. L. A. of a section to be known as the a still greater accession of strength in Business Libraries Section. I am aware that this is the climax to a controversy our relations with the business world, of long standing, a controversy which and I urge upon you one and all not to in its time was not without feeling. I rest from your labours until you shall mention it now only to add the observa- have brought' at least one institutional tion that I believe the S. L. A. attaches member to grace. great importance to the continuance of .- -.
May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 161 those cordial relations with the greater can and do undertake such co-operation sister Association which we mark tri- with complete success. We should also ennially at our joint sessions with the Promote the formation of libraries in A L. A. I cannot do better than quote industry and elsewhere, and profiting the words used by our President in by such esperience as that of Mr. writing to me recently. Mr. Cady then Handy's library and Mr. Armistead's said that had he been able to deliver this library, we should stimulate where Annual Address he would have made necessary the formation of joint or "a strong slateinent on the importance centralized libraries. We have always of devoting our time and efforts to the before us, before each one of us, the building up of the S. L. A,, making it so opportunity to assist the Public Li- valuable and important that no Special braries with their larger technical pro- librarian could afford to step out of it." jects and in a smaller way with our He deprecated as pure waste "all time special sources of information. Finally, and effort spent in attempting to cir- we have a duty towards our journal, cumvent work which looks as if it might SPECIAL LIBRARIES. This is one oE undermine the strength of an associa- the outward and visible signs of the tion, for that objective, if desired, can inward and spiritual grace of the be accomplished with far more effective- Association. By it we are very largely ness by attending strictly to our own judged. Here again it is not sufficient business, working hard to solve our for us to rest satisfied because in Mr. problems and extending the sphere of our Rrigham we are so fortunately pos- activities." Finally Mr. Cady said : sessed of an able and active editor. Mr. "We have a wonderful start and should Brigham can do little or nothing without strive to maintain and increase our al- our constant interest, or even, for that ready established reputation. If we do matter, our constant criticism. He our work properly nobody can take that should be in a position always to pick reputation away from us, and it will and choose from anlong a mass of con- speak for itself .I' tributions and letters. He should find Mr. Cady's words seem to me to be advertisements for SPECIAL LI- sound both as to the principles involved dRARIES in every Saturday morning's and as an espression of practical politics. mail. I commend them heartily to the incom- Of all these obligations you have heard ing President and Executive Committee. before, and you and I will continue to Turning to the future, the tasks which hear of them as long as we are members we leave to the incoming esecutive to of the Association. complete or carry on should be stated, I will close with a theme which has though they present little that is new in been running in my mind ever since I substance. They are indeed the daily have been able to observe the Association round of an Association such as this. at close quarters. The status of the We have to carry on the work of or- special library is being established before ganizing locals and unifying groups in our eyes. It is being established because many of the large cities. UTe have a the library is recognized as an essential constant duty to help those locals which part of the equipment of the large units already exist with their programmes and in which modern business and research their projects so that they in turn may is organized. Upon what plane is that extend the usefulness of the Association. status to rest? The answer to that We have to offer our co-operation to question, while it affects the well being other associations which may include the of each one of us, affects also all the ideals same general objectives as ourselves, and purposes of our association. It such as the great scientific and learned calls for constant striving towards higher societies, the associations of medical professional standards and attainments. and law libraries, and the organizations It calls for all our devotion and loyalty engaged in research in various fields. to the Association which we have I say offer advisedly, lor I believe we brought into being. Lastly, it calls for should not be backward in taking the a deep and real sense of responsibility initiative. I say it confidently because to each other as members of the same as our committee reports will show, we body. 162 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1919 Recent Economic Changes
By Edward Eyre Hunt, Department of Commerce, Washington, D. C. arians you must have been The National Bureau of Economic AS~mpressed Libr with the change which is Research, Inc., was engaged to organize going on in the attitude of the American and to direct the research. Funds were people toward economic information. provided by the Carnegie Corporation It is not many years ago that the and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller devotees of the dismal science of eco- Memorial, and work began in January, nomics were looked upon as impractical 1928. The chapters cover consuinption if not purely theoretical. In the "good and the standard of living, changes in old days" Wall Street would never have new and old industries, technical changes heard of an Atlantic Monthly article by in manufacturing, changes in the physi- a Harvard professor, or if they heard of cal organization of industry, construc- it would have shrugged their shoulders tion, transportation, marketing, labor, or ignored it, but only a few months ago management, agriculture, price move- such an article by Professor W. 2. ments, money and credit, the national Ripley won the complete attention of income and its distribution, and a Wall Street, and what has beell going review. on in the Street has been going on in the This is the most important and far American home. The newspapers, reaching investigation ever undertaken magazines, the radio-all of these as in this country. That the results appear well as books, carry an extraordinary in the first months of the Hoover ad- flood of economic information to the ministration is the result of chance, but general public. a happy chance. We are seeing something of the effect Foreign and domestic observers alike of this in the interest which is being have been impressed with the immense shown in the Hoover study of Recent advance of the last decade which many Economic Changes, which will be pub- believe has made the United States the lished tomorrow. A week ago the "first power in the world." publishers wrote me that 2,200 copies Of course this is not our first pros- of the two volumes report had been sold. perous period. Thirty years ago there I think it quite likely that the entire was a period somewhat like this. In first edition will be sold before the book an article called "The New Prosperity," appears. This, I suggest, is a new thing by Mr. Ray Stannard Baker, in in America, and is to be attributed at McClure's Magazine for May, 1900, the least in part to the persistent efforts of "marvels of growth, expansion and the President to educate all of us to prosperity" of the year 1899 were think in economic terms. summed up in a sentence: "And every Secretary Hoover as chairman of barn in ICansas and Nebraska has had Unemployment Conference of 1921 set a new coat of paint." Mr. Baker wrote up in 1922-23 a committee on Business that after paint comes "a new front Cycles and Unemployment to esplore porch, the piano, and the boys off to the possibilities of controlling booms college." The country was buying new and slumps in business; in 1924-25 he set top buggies. The top buggy, invented up a study of Seasonal Operation to by Thomas Jefferson, had taken nearly explore the ways in which seasonal ups 100 years to reach the American farmer! and downs in building and construction Farm prosperity in 1900 was the key might be controlled. In 1927 he or- to prosperity in every line. As Mr. ganized the Committee on Recent Eco- Baker wrote: "It is curious and wonder- nomic Changes in the United States ful to see how exactly the industries of under his personal chairmanship to the world tread in lock-step, and how survey the possibilities of stabilizing the the man of the soil, the farmer, towers American economy as a whole. huge and powerful at the head of the Address before joint meeting S. L. A. and A. L. A., May 14, 1929. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 163 line." If we contrast our post-war period ours, the purchasing power of these two with that described by Mr. Baker we great groups of consumers has steadily see in the first place great activity in advanced. His period prepared the way which the farmer has not towered at the for the "trust busting" era and class head of the line. Anxiety about food has consciousness; ours has been notable for practically disappeared. There is no social and econon~icsolidarity. agitation over the "high cost of living;" I am not at liberty to discuss the no talk about the "full dinner pail." Committee's findings in detail because Branches of agriculture have been suf- the report is noi released until tomorrow fering by reason of shifts in demand for morning, but in the statements which foodstuffs. Indeed, the relative position have already been given to the press of agriculture is an outstanding dif- t,here is some striking information. ference between "the new prosperity" For example, radical changes have of 1900 and that oI 1922-29. occurred in our consuming habits. In Instead of the new front porch we see the use of food stuffs, manufactured an annual construction program of 7 goods, the dramatic growth of the billion dollars. automobile and radio, the volume and Instead of the piano the radio. quality of housing, changes have been Instead of the top buggy, the auto- most sweeping. Indeed, the chapter on mobile and tractor. "Consumption and the Standard of Instead of thousands of boys off to Living" is an extraordinarily interesting college, one nillion girls and boys going picture of American life and progress. in for higher education every year. Turning to another factor, the chapter Mr. Baker's "new prosperity" was in on "Management" by Henry S. Denni- part the result of the Spanish and son, says that there is today not only American War and the South African more production per man, more horse- War. It was a period of sharply rising power per man and more wages per man, prices. The immense wheat crop and but that there is also more management big cotton crop of 1898 together with per man as well. an increase in the domestic production The section on industrial research of gold had set the stage for a boom. shows the huge volume and variety of The stock market manufactured stocks work in this field. As to the ratio of for "rabid speculators." Promoters profits to the amount of expenditures, organized the trusts ad they have or- numerous estimates range from 100 to ganized mergers in our day. In 1899 300 per cent. One firm reported its call money reached 40y0',. There was a profit as 1,000 to 1. short "prosperity panic." George E. Contrary to public impression, the Roberts, Comptroller of the Currency, report shows that manufacturing is remarked on the great deinand for becoming less concentrated in particular smaller denominations of coins and centers and there is at the same time an bills. And Mr. Baker concluded his increase in the movement of plants away description of the new-model prosperity from larger cities to smaller centers or of 1900 "All the indications are for its rural areas First, there has been subs1antial continuance." development of the backward areas, We know how that prosperous period second, the development of rural sections closed. \;\'hat about ours? and a decline in the cities, and third, Ours has not been a period of 1111- a breakdown of local concentration in precedented production, but of un- the most historical centers of specific precedented productivity. Ours has industries. been a period of an unprecedented influx The Committee has endeavored to and outllow of gold, the shock of which discover a simple pattern for our has been cushioned by the Federal Re- econonlic life; something aimlogous in serve. Ours has been a period of scien- si~nplicityto the globe which any child tific management, and has been notable can hold in his hand and which pictures for the relative scarcity of labor troubles. the world in which we live. To make that As Mr. Baker's "new Prosperity" ma- globe thousands of explorers had to tured, the purchasing lower of labor and spend their lives in mapping strange the farmers was steadily impaired; in countries, in observing and recording 164 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 what they found. The wisest geographer globe so beautifully illustrates. But we on the earth a few centuries ago knew believe that a beginning at least has less than many a little child today about been made, and that popular interest is the world we live in. The Committee on R~~~~~ ~~~~~~i~ changes and its SO great that this beginning will help us experts have made only a beginning all to a clearer understanding of OW towards the simplicity which the toy economic life. Government Statistics* By Dr. Lawrence F. Schmeckebier, Institute for Government Research, Washington, D. C.
N the classical world all roads led to Census of 1790 was the first actual I Rome, but in the special library I enumeration of an entire people. This am sure that all roads lead to statistics. collection of statistics was also the result Whether the library is devoted to bank- of an express mandate, as the Constitu- ing, to industry in a broad sense, to a tion provides that an actual enumeration particular industry, to education, to of the population "shall be made within religion, to railroads, or to any other three years after the first meeting of subject, the first request as well as the the Congress of the United States, and last one is for statistics. within every subsequent term of ten The demand for statistics is to be years." expected from the careful student of any The purpose of these statistics was problem, for good statistics represent the purely political in that they were to total of knowledge on the subject ex- afford the basis for the membership of pressed in numbers instead of in words. the I-Iouse of Representatives. Not- You will note that I have said good withstanding the fact that the Constitu- statistics. I do not know of any polite tion provides that representatives "shall word that adequately describes bad be apportioned among the states accord- statistics. I will restrain myself and ing to their respective numbers,'' no ap- merely say that they are a delusion and portionment was made after the Census a snare. of 1920, and the membership of the The earliest statistical compilation of House is still based on the Census of which I have any knowledge is one of the 1910. most available I know of, but I doubt The import and export statistics were whether it will be found in many special started in the same year as the first libraries. In the first chapter of the census, although some figures on exports Book of Numbers you will find the in- are available as far back as 1697. struction "Take ye the sum of all the For many years the foreign trade and congregation of the children of Israel, the census statistics were the only series after their families." This injunction collected regularly, although there were was obeyed and there follows an enum- isolated collections on other topics. eration of the adult males of eleven of Some statistics of manufactures were the twelve tribes. collected at the censuses of 1810, 1820, This was apparently an actual count and 1840, but the first comprehensive of the population, and according to the attempt to collect this class of material annotation in the copy in our library was made in 1850 They were then it was made in 1490 B. C. So far as I collected every ten years to 1900, every know there elapsed a period of 3,200 five years from 1904 to 1919, and every years before another real count of an two years beginning with 1921. entire nation was made. The history of the statistical work of During this interval numerous esti- the government may be divided into mates were made but the United States three well defined periods: *~ddressbefore the Special Librariee Association, Waahington Confcrence. May 13, 1929. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL L IBRARIES 165
1. From 1790 to the establishment the war, and I do not decry the import- of the permanent Census Office in 1902. ant part played by these agencies, but 2. From the establishment of the no one has described how statistics won permanent Census Office in 1902 to the the war. The rationing of neutral pow- outbreak of the War in 1917. ers, the allocation of raw materials to 3. The war period and thereafter. the industries, the granting of priorities Although the statistical work of the in transportation and a host of other government had many developments acts were dependent on knowledge of during the last quarter of the nineteenth conditions, and such knowledge of century, they were in the scattered conditions was best expressed by sta- bureaus or establishments dealing with tistics. The war organizations that were particular phases. For twelve censuses most efficient were those that had good a new organization was set up at the statistics on which to base their de- beginning of each decennial period and cisions; those that depended on scientific new personnel was recruited for the guesses and figures evolved from their planning and management as well as for inner consciousness were not so suc- the routine work. cessful. The creation of the permanent Census The push for markets to absorb the Office in 1902 insured continuity in surplus capacity created by the war gave organization and resulted in the creation an imtnense impetus to the use of of a staff of supervising officers as well statistics, and the realization that sta- as of trained subordinate employees tistics had an economic value undoubt- who served as a nucleus for the greatly edly had its part in obtaining legislative expanded force required for the decennial sanction for such post-war activities work. It also gave an opportunity to as the biennial census of nlanufactures collect statistics periodically at various and the quinquennial census of agri- intervals during the intercensal periods. culture. For, some series the interval is ten years, Statistics are of varying degrees of for some five, for manufactures it is two accuracy and the table headings are years. For some time the only series necessarily generally so condensed that collected annually were those on births they serve merely as a rough guide to the and deaths; recently statistics on a significance of the figures. The favorite limited number of other topics have method of using a statistical report is been collected not only once a year, but to find the subject in the index or table also quarterly and even monthly. of contents and then turn to the page When the permanent Bureau of and obtain the figures. If you are Census Office was created in 1902 it was familiar with the ramificati ns of the wisely decided not to transfer to the new statistics this is a safe mett od, but if unit all the statistical work of the several you are not it is esseniial that you read bureaus of the government. It is no the accompanying text or the intro- reflection on the Census Bureau to say ductory matter which esplains the terms that specialized statistics can be better used and the scope of the compilation. collected and interpreted by an or- There is considerable variation in the ganization in immediate and co~ltinual extent to which definatory matter is contact with the industries or the social given. The Census publications phenomena for which figures are desired. generally are excellent in this respect. The war gave a great impetus to Others are not so good. Several moilths statistics, in fact it resulted in a veritable ago, a delegate to an international orgy of statistical effort in Washington. stat~stical conference was giving an The country was flooded with ques- account of the work of the conference in tionnaires good, bad, and indifferent, planning for comparable statistics for until the tired business man began to different countries. I asked him what wish that statistics had never been steps the conference had taken to thought of. furnish definitions so that a person who But statistics did have an important had not been tutored by an expert could part in the successful prosecution of the obtain some idea of what the figures war. Books have been written on how represented. I mentioned that the food won the war, and how ships won statistics of his own bureau were 166 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929
particularly bad in that respect. He industry and the value of specified replied that he was then engaged in commodities. revising the definitions and preliminary In the field of foreign trade statistics matter. So we have some hope of ad- conditions give rise to many baffling vancement in that direction. problems, due to circumstances over I will give a few illustrations of how which the statistician has no control. this works out. One day a former For instance the export statistics show Cabinet officer came into my office and the country of destination, but this is asked for certain figures. I thought I the country shown on the export would give him a word of warning so I declaration and not the country in which said "You know the Bureau that com- the goods may be consumed. Thus we piles these statistics says that they are find cotton gins esported 10 Great no good, it collects them only because Britain, and it is manifest that cotton it is required by law to do so, and it has gins are not used in that country. repeatedly recommended that they be Whether the machinery was shipped discontinued." All of this information from Great Britain to Egypt or to India was readily available in the introductory is a matter on which every one may rkiake pages of the several volumes. He replied his own guess. that he did not care whether the figures Cotton is likewise shown as exported were accurate or not. to Germany far in excess of the con- sumption of that country. The answer Of course you cannot do anything here is that cotton goes to a dealer in with a person in that state of mind. He Germany, who afterwards sells it to a was not interested in the real facts, all manufacturer of cotton goods in Poland, he wanted was figures that would bolster Czechoslovakia, or other neighboring up a premise. If the figures supported countries. his premise he probably used them with- While these puzzles in international out comment, if they did not support trade are unavoidable, there are other his premise he probably said they were misleading features of the foreign trade no good. Fortunately such deliberate statistics which might be remedied. use or rather misuse of worthless You will find in the monthly and annual material is rare, but there is no doubt reports figures on imports by customs an appreciable amount of u~iconscious districts. Do these figures indicate the misinterpretation due to lack of under- customs district in which the goods are standing. landed or the border district at which In using the Census of Manufactures they reach the country. By no means. it should be borne in mind that the They indicate the district of entry. But classification is by industries according is not the district of entry the place of to major products. Thus there are entrance. Assuredly not, for the term included in the candle industry all es- entry as used in the trade statistics tablishments in which candles constitute means the formal process of clearing the over 50 per cent of the product in value. goods through the customs. Under our The figures on the candle industry there- system goods landed in one district fore include data on products other than may be transported in bond to another candles which are manufactured by district, where custom inspection is establishments producing candles as a made and the duty if any is paid. This major product. But candles are also by second district is the district of tech- products of other industries; thus in nical entry. Whether the goods are 1921 the value of products of the candle cleared through the customs in the industry, including subsidiary products district of landing or are transported to was $3,777,000. Candles to the value of a second district is a matter entirely $2,492,000 however, were produced by within the control of the importer, and establishments classified in the he makes the choice to suit his con- petroleum refining, soap and other in- venience. The only thing these statistics dustries. These facts are all brought show is custonl house business. out in the report but it is essential that In their zeal to give the public what it there be kept in mind the differentiation desires my good friends at the Bureau between the value of the products of the of Foreign and Domestic Commerce May- June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 167
have within the last few years compiled National Government which was pub- statistics of esporis by states or origin. lishecl by the Institute for Government Fortunately these utterly worthless fig- Research. This volun~ecovers primarily ures have not been printed, but ase current statistics, but ii contains al~o available only in minleograph form. reference to earlier series and special They show neither custom house busi- inclividual compilaiions. As this is ihe ness, interest in foreign markets, move- only book on the subject I think I ment of comn~odities,or anything of can say wit11 becoming moclesty that it value to the serious stuclcnt is the hesi, by the same token it is also The so-called staie of osigin is de- the worst. termined solely by the way the goods 'Thcre has heen comparatively little are shipped. Talte for instance two lots change in the material that was being of Kansas wheat in an elevator in Kan- issued when that book: was published sas. One lot is sold to a I~iverpoolhouse but there have been some in~portant and moves on a through bill of lading additions, and the librarian desires to to Liverpool by way of Baltin~ore. The obtain new material as soon as issuccl. export declaration is prepared in Ibn- The issues of the Monthly Catalogue sas and the shipment is reported as of Public Docu~nentspublisbecl since esported lrom Kansas. The second lot 1925 will give references lo whal has is sold to a broker in Balti~noreand been printed since that yeas. To lreep shipped to him. He also sells it to a in touch with new printed material ilze Liverpool firm, either after it is placed libraries should be on thc mailing list in an elevator in Baltimore or while it of the departments for both the reports is moving from Kansas to the seahoard. and the announcements, and a check In this case the export declaratinn would should be made againsi the weekly list be executed in Baltimore, and tlie ship- of the Superintendent ol Documents ment would be reported as an csport and the Monthly Catalogue. from Maryland. Hcre are two identical These methods will enable the li- lots of wheat, grown in the same state, brarian to keep in touch with the moving on the same railroads, loaded on printed material, but cluring recent years vessel at the same port, and having the there has appearecl an increasing number same foreign destination, but reported of mimeographed statements. Many of as of different states of origin. these are advance su~nmarics,but an These so-called statistics may furnish appreciable quantity presents tnaterial good copy to local papers, but I have that is not available in any other form. never been able to ascertain their real I read somewhere that librarians value. They furnish about the only fosmesly despised pamphlets, but that examples of utterly worthless govern- now they only hate thcm. If the li- ment statistics tliai have come 1-0 my brarians despised adtllelt hated pamph- attention. lets I clislilce to think of what their I shall not go further into the pitfalls feelings are towasd mimeo~raphccl of statistics, as I could probably spencl material. It is hard to obtain, clifficul~~1.0 the rest of the clay on this topic, and even file, and easy to lose. if I told all I know there would prob- The growth in the volutuc of mim- ably be some points uncovered. eographed material is due to two maill To the librarian who is dealing out causes. The first is the fact that a books, the most important thing is tlie mimeographed statement may be issued identification of the books containing much cluickcr than a priniecl one, and the information desired. I do not as tirnclincss is a ,dcsideration in the suppose that you have many requests for case of many statistical stateownts, the a red or green book containing statistics, use of the mimeograph is justified. but you probably have many requests The second cause for the growth of for statistics old or new on a particular mimeograph material is the fact that topic. As government statistics have money is available for mimeographing, been and are published by a number of but not for printing. Under the present organizations it is not always easy to system of making appropriations all tell where to look. In 1925 I prepared a printing must be paicl for out of an volu~neon the Statistical \TTork of the appropriation for that purpose, but 168 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 mimeographing may be paid lor out of Agriculture. As this is not confined to appropriations for makmg invesciga- statistical material it will be useful to tions. any one interested in the many activities The obvious remedy for the flood of of that Department. mimeograph material-is to print more About the only way to keep abreast and mimeograph less, but this remedy of all the mimeographed material is to is not easily applied as Congress is loath write to the several offices and reqLlcst to change existing methods, and in to be placed on the mailing list for all some quarters there seems to be an issues. This will also make available opinion that there is already too much press releases and other announcements printing. There is no immediate pros- which are not of a statisiical character, pect of additional printing, and there is Just a few words in regard to foreign every likelihood that the quantity of statistics. Late in 1928 the League of mimeographed material will continue to Nations held an international con- increase. lerence relating to economic statistics, Another remedy which will at least and the result of that conference was an enable the librariar~sto keep track of international convention prescribing in the material and to complete their files broad terms the statistics that should be is to list all mimeographed material in collected by the signatory powers.* the Monthly Catalogue of Public Docu- It is gratifying to note that the United ments. This remedy also is not easily States is already collecting and publish- applied. To put it into effect the ing the greater part of the material Superintendent of Documents must ob- called for by this convention, and in tain the material, and at times he has some fields at more frequent intervals. as much difficulty as the librarians. In the field of Agriculture and rnanu- An Executive Order requiring all the factures a general census is proposed departments and establishments to send every ten years; the United States is to the Superintendent of Documents a already taking a general agricultural copy of each mimeographed product will census every five years and a census of put him in possession of the material. manufactures every two years. Whether he has suficient force to In only the fields of forestry, fisheries, catalogue it is a question 1 cannot and commercial establishments does this answer. I suggest to this body the country fall short of the requirements of passage of a resolution reques.ting the the Convention. We have statistics Superintendent of Documents to list on forest products and fisheries, but not all mimeographed material in the to the extent established by the con- Monthly Catalogue. ~ention. The United Slates Dazly, which is a In the field of commercial establish- private publication, is now listing daily ments we have done little. Within the all new government printed publica- last two years experimental work has tions. I suggest that a resolution be been done in 18 cities by the Bureau of adopted requesting the United States the Census on what has been termed a Daily to list mimeographed material, census of distribution but which is particularly that pertaining to statistics. really a census of wholesale and retail Your own association is also compiling trade. Mimeographed abstracts of the a list of periodical mimeographed issues, results have been issued by the Bureau but this will also soon become out of of the Census, and the complete reports date unless supplements are prepared. have been issued in mimeograph form Each issue of the monthly mimeo- of the Chamber of Commerce of the eographed publication entitled "Agri- United States. The results were so cultural Library Notes," published by satisfactory that plans for making a the Department of Agriculture contains nation-wide enumeration of this char- a selected list of the new mimeographed acter in connection with the Census of publications of the Department of 1930 were begun.
*Tho convention has been pubhshed by the League of Nations under the title "International Conference Rolatmg to Economic Slat~stics,Novcmbor 26 to December 14, 1928. May- June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 169 The Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux Report of Oxford Conference By Angus Fletcher, Librarian, British Library of Information T the request of President Cady I The Direct Reproduction of Books anc, A represented the Special Libraries Manuscripts. Association at the 5th Conference of Certain ~spectsof Agricultural Re- the Association of Special Libraries and search. Information Bureaux, generally known The Literature of Scientific Manage- in English library circles by the initial ment. letters as ASLIB. There was an at- Existing Types of Indexes to Tech- tendance of 160, representative of the nical Periodicals. leading special libraries and research Cartography and the Research Work- organizations of Great Britain. er. The Conference was held at New College, Oxford, from September 14th The Librarian as Archivist. to 17th. New College, I might explain, Vocational Selection and Guidance. was "new" in the fourteenth century. Unification of the Library Resources It was founded in 1379 by William of of London. Wykeham, who also founded Winchester Scientific Abstracts. College and bequeathed to both a motto Civic and Regional Surveys: their which might with advantage be adopted relation to Information Bureaus. internationally: "Manners Makyth A Book Review Digest. Man." The College and its lawns are The Durability of Paper. singularly beautiful even in "that sweet Information on Accident Prevention. city with its dreaming spires," that The Necessity for the Standardization "needs not June for beauty's heighten- of Bibliographical Methods. ing." Whether surroundings so rare in beauty and restfulness are suitable to Like o~~rselves,the British association the hurried deliberations of a modern was much concerned with the scope and convention is a point on which I am not character of future activities. They satisfied. The temptation to forsake recognize that their work is only just the meetings for a corner in the ancient beginning. The Directory, of which city wall that bounds the gardens was they are justly proud, must be kept often irresistible. up-to-date or the organization for the At the opening dinner, which was held collection of sources of information which in the venerable dining hall of the they have built up will be wasted. The College, I was invited to deliver a greet- financial burden of this task is a prob- ing from the Special Libraries Associa- lem in itself, though I may say that the tion. This I did with great pleasure, Directory has had a good reception in taking the opportunity to congratulate England, and I believe when it is known the Association on the production of the will be appreciated also in the United ASLIB Directory, a copy of which I States. I understand that over a have brought back for your inspection. thousand copies have been sold and dis- My message was warmly applauded, tributed. The Carnegie United King- and the courtesy I was able to pay to the dom Trust, whose generous help has Conference on behalf of the S. L. A., made the undertaking possible, was greatly appreciated. responsible for a large free distribution. The proceedings are available in The cost of preparing and printing the printed form from the Secretary, and Directory was about '$15,000T-the price I have two sets which I shall gladly lend 1 guinea, with a cheaper edit~onat half to anyone interested. The discussions a guinea for the benefit of students. included the following topics:- Among the outside activities in which Patent Law Reform with special the Association had been able to CO- reference to the Search for Novelty. operate to good advantage were:- 170 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929
The World List of Scientific Periodicals. an organization, and have a small expert Central Library for Students and its staff to keep in touch with the various O~rlliersystem. channels through which information is The Science Library: notably the greaf received, and to know to whom it should increase in its supply of scientific be distributed. Loss of time occasioned periodicals. through every member of an organiza- The Report of the Public Libraries tion seeking his or her own facts is, Commzttec: The first movement in the aggregate, enormous, not only towards a Central Building for on account of the time waste involved, kindred library bodies. but because the average person only dimply appreciates the technique of Dr. Hutton pointed out that the two information searching and information problems of coinrnon interest anlong the recording." members which most frequently re- As to the need of an association, Mr. curred were (a) the task of securing Pearce continued :- reasonably complete information for some specific purpose, and (b) the "Varied as is the scope of such in- presentation of the information so se- telligence services, it is obvious that cured in useful form. they have much in common such, for England is not supposed to be given instance, as the methods of purchasing to conventions, so that the following and collecting of fact information and tribute to the Annual Conference was its treatment, methods of staffing and an interesting confirmation of our own staff training. There is considerable point of view :- scope for mutual co-operation." "The Annual Conference has become They were also confronted with the quite an important fixture in the life of problem of the relationship of the many of our members. We look forward special library to the public and munic- to it because it forms a unique gathering ipal library. They recognized, as we of individuals engaged in the most do, that the special library is not a unit diverse professional occupations." unto itself. To quote Mr. Pearce again:- May I now remind you that ASLIB "The special- library or intelligence was formed in England in 1924, just bureau extends and supplements, but fifteen years after the S. L. A. was formed does not replace the municipal or in the United States, and it is significant national library. . . . It must tnalte that immediately before Mr. J. G. systematic and organized use of all Pearce, Director of the British Cast esisiing information services. . . . It is Iron Research Association and Chair- conlplenlentary to the Public Library, man of the first British Conference had which aims at the provision of material, attended the S. L. A. Conference at whereas the special library aims pri- Atlantic City, there can be no doubt, marily at circulation for a particular to my mind, that Mr. Pearce derived purpose. It does not cater for the great encouragement and inspiration in casual reader, but for the specialist, the work of forming ASLIB, which was and it forms in vital sections of the then under way, from what he saw of our activities of the community an important Association, and it is interesting to link between the Public and other great observe that at ihe beginning our libraries at one extreme and the actual British friends had to answer the prospective reader at the other." questions which are sometimes asked The same point of view was adopted even today ,"Why special libraries?'' and by the Public Libraries Committee ap- "Why a special libraries association?" pointed by the British Government, How did they answer them? I shall whose report in 1927 refers in the quote Mr. Pearce. following rather generous language to "Unquestionably these agencies have the rale of special libraries :- an economic value. The ordinary "Special libraries can, if they are technical officer, in industry or else- willing, greatly advance the common where, is frequently a highly paid cause of the advancement of civilization specialist, and it is an obvious economy by co-operation with the Public Li- to integrate the informational needs of braries and taking their place in the May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 171 national organizaiion of the library ser- public library, and we co-operate very vice which we desire to see established." closelv. ' ' The special librarian, this report ~h;special library, it has been sug- pointed out, was able to acqirire an gested, enlists the sympathy of the intensive bibliographical knowledge of business man for his public library, a the material in the library, and by virtue sympalhetic understanding which is, of of constant association with the subject course, of value in the formation of matter was enabled to deal with en- business branches in public libral-ies. If quiries with great rapidity. The Com- this is so, the special library is playing a mittee proposed to grapple with the larger part in the community than is at obvious need of co-ordi~lation which first apparent. seems to be felt by special libraries But even if we agree that the special everywhere, through a national central library is an accepiecl unit in the modern library operating as a bureau of ex- library world the problenl of co-ordina- change for all libraries. tion still remains. This is certainly the My ohject in drawing your attention sphere of the two associations repre- to these British views of the question is sented at this conference. President not because there is anything new to us Cady has already pointed out that the in them, but rather to show their sim- constant growth of the special library ilarity to views espressed on this side of departments of the larger public li- the Atlantic. braries make the closest co-operation As Mr. Dana has said desirable, and he indicated the S. L. A. -- as the medium for this work on the "From the ficld of business itself has special library side. I understand that come an insistent demand for all the aid there are many snlaller industrial cen- that the art of librarianship, the mastery tres where the public library might be of print, can give. In this country now expected to develop a technical or we find several thousand libraries de- scientific department or service to pro- voted almost solely to the promotion of vide for the particular industrial interest business wisdom." of the community. This seems to be a Or as Miss Rankin has put it .- field of activity in which existing special "The business man, the scientist, the libraries, with their unrivalled resources manufacturer, the public administrator, and esperience could perform a great all seem to have realized quite abruptly national service. that printed inlormation or experience It is not for me to carry the subject crystallized in print is a tool-and if he further. The fact is that we are still on used it in his business success was apt to the threshold of 0th work of coordinat- attend him." ing library resources though many As to the relationship of the special valuable suggestions have been made library to the Public Library, I cannot and some epoch making works have do bctter than juote MI-.Dana and Miss been underlaken. Those s~~ggestionsare Rankin again :- matters lor careful and detailed con- "Public libraries," says Mr. Dana, sideration by those competent for the purpose, of whom I do not pretend to "will never be able to gather and be one. The undertakings now under arrange for ready use, all the material that every great business must use daily way claim our support, one and all, as if it is to keep ahead in the new inter- a matter of principle, if not on grounds of national competition." self-interest. The task of co-ordinating the vast Miss Rankin, speaking at Oxford, resources which modern civilization has England, pointed out that- opened to us is staggering in its im- "The special libraries supplement the mensity. But if my observation of the general and public libraries of the coun- American character is accurate, we try, particularly in the field of research may console ourselves with the knowl- and reference. We are often dependent edge that on this side of the Atlantic upon the resources of the public libraries. the greater the undertaking the keener and make use of them constantly. the zest with which it is tackled and the "The usefulness of the special library more faithful the application with which would be handicapped without the it is carried to a conclusion. 172 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 1909 Special Libraries Association 1929 Executive Board Prc~s~n~,v~-M'ill~ai~iAlcott, Libralian, Boston Globe, Boston, ;\lass. FIRST~ICC-~RLSI~)EXT-~~~SS Florencc l Our Second Twenty Years PECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION has completed its first twenty years of S esiqtence. The little group of librarians who met at the A. L. A, conference in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in 1909, and who there voted to or- ganize an association to discover and develop special libraries, "builded better than they knew." At the end of twenty years the association has a membership of 1,129, serving in forty States of the Union, and in Canada and fifteen other foreign coun- tries; local associations or chapters have been formed in populous centers from the Atlantic to the Pacific; librarians of particular interests, like those of civic-social, commercial-technical, financial, insurance, museum, and newspaper libraries, have been brought together in co-operative groups of vigor and value. For these twenty years the association has published a magazine that has made an enviable name and place for itself in the library and business worlds. The association has become incorporated, has established permanent headquarters, and now employs a paid secretary. When one considers that the American Library Association, with a membership now exceeding 12,000, at the end of its first twenty years had a membership of 512, the position of S. L. A. is more impressive. In the business library field S. L. A. has been especially active and successful. The first president of the association was that pioneer advocate of the busmess library, John Cotton Dana of the Newark Public Library, and in the year just ended one vice-president of S. L. A. was in charge of a business library in a large mid- western city, and the secretary of S. L. A. was the business research librarian in one of the most progressive public libraries in the United States. Throughout these two decades S. L. A. has constantly devoted its energies to the intxrests of special libraries and special librarians. It has pursued the policy enunciated in one of its earliest publications to undertake no work already under- taken by another library association. That is still its policy. The special library field is large and distinct and worthwhile, and the task of developing it is big enough to challenge the best effort of every member of S. L. A. As the association enters upon its second twenty years, it will continue to devote itself, as in the past, to making the special libqary more useful, and the special librarian more efficient and more valuable. WILLIAM ALCOTT, president. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES The Convention in Retrospect HE TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION has gone into the annals of S. L. A. as a conference with a high record. In three busy days were com- pressedT twenty meetings, including the general sessions, the gatherings of the various Groups, breakfast conferences, special dinners and joint meetings with affiliated associations. Many remained for the meeting of the Commercial-Tech- nical group on Thursday morning. The pressure of the week was greatly in- tensified by the fact that the A. L. ,4. and its various Sections and affiliated or- ganizations were also meeting in Washington during the week. \Ye were fortunate in our speakers. Leaders in econon~icsand government work all presented interesting addresses, which aroused keen discussion after their presentation. The brief remarks of Mr. Bowker and Dr. Hill were a pleasant surprise. The dinner was a notable success with Miss Eastman's gracious greetings as president of the A. L. A., Mr. Haskin's laughable recital of his experiences in the lecture field and in information service duties and finally the genial remarks of Senator Capper, who as farmer, publisher and statesman had accumulated a fund of interesting facts gleaned from many sources. The national capital was most attractive and the rare charm of the city impressed everyone. The magnificent parks, the Tidal Basin with its beautiful vistas, the Lincoln Memorial best seen at twilight with the figure of Lincoln seated as if en- throned, and the long shaft of the Washington monument completed a picture which is not easily forgotten. Washington was at its best in spite of a sharp shower which nearly interrupted the photograph taken with President Hoover. HERBERT 0. BRIGHAM, Editor. Impressions of the Conference HE MAYFLOWER HOTEL seems to me to be one of the best places we have yet had for our sessions, and particularly good for sitting out and holding in- formalT talks; and it would seem to me worth while for our association to write the Hotel concerning its advantages with suggestions for still further improvements. The Commercial-Technical Group is the one I belong to, and I felt that it was making progress in solving its complex problen~scaused by the variety of its sub- committees. Notable is the tendency to have these meet separately, which should be encouraged in seasons to come. How about a "Petroleum" Breakfast, an "Eng- lish" Tea and an "Illumination" Supper? Otherwise some of our committees are i likely never to meet in groups, though they abound in enthusiastic memberships. The general sessions (apart from the joint: sessions, which would seem to me very satisfactory) are what we need in order to know one another and see one another as members of the same association. The two that we held separately brought out various individualities and enabled us to see, if not to know, who's who in the organization. The fact that the Superintendent of Documents was present at our first session and gave us a chance to talk with him was worth a great deal. The fact that various representatives of the Government, for example, Mr. James of the Department of Commerce, came before us in the general or special sessions, gave personality to organizations with whom we have to correspond. The more we can see in the flesh of these representatives of the Government and of large organiza- tions the better, and when we have a chance to quiz them, that is better still. How many of the members of our association were able to take advantage of the invitation to see the movie and talkie "The Bridge of San Luis Rey?" This was an inspiration to me, and I hope it was to others that saw it. GEORGE W. LEE. 174 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June,19 29 Chatting About the Convention HE HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE made a special effort at the Convew~ion T this year to see that every special librarian should feel at home and enjoy meeting and knowing his fellow-librarians. An air of comradeship prevailed at all our meetings. As one member, Mrs. Alice F. Fitzgerald of thc National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, Vt., writes: "I have come to have a speaking acquaintance with many of the members of S. L. A. and found them invariably cordial. The members of our insurance group are especially congenial, and I always look forward with pleasure to our meetings." Mrs. Louise P. Dorn of the Detroit Edison Company, tells me that despite the fact that her time was so occupied- "I did renew most of the acquaintances I already had, however, ancl everyone with whom I spoke seemed to be having a wonderful time." Perhaps the kernel of the matter of hospitality is as well said as it can'be by Mrs. Geraldine Carlisle, librarian of the Air Corps Tactical Scl~ool,Langley Field, Va., when she says: "It really is up to each one of us to get as much as one can, and to meet everyone. I met a few wlion~I especially enjoyed and hope to see again. The dinner was pleasing and I enjoyed my dinner companions." And did you notice that practically everyone assumed this responsibility of introducing people-not only the hospitality committee? Everyone was cordial and socially inclined. Miss Margaret Locke, librarian of the College of Business Administration of Boston University, says: "Special librarians are surely a live energetic group. I hope another time to get acquainted with more of them." We are sorry you did not do it this year, Miss Locke, but be sure not to procrastinate at our next con- vention. The adjectives "live" and "energetic" were applied by many librarians in speaking of our Convention, and we appreciate this good opinion of us. Miss Marie C. Brace of the Newark Business Branch, referred to the special librarians in just that way. And weren't we delighted to greet Miss Marian Manley, librarian of the Newark Business Branch, at Washington, this year? She has played "hookey" from a number of conventions lately and we missed her. One of the main concerns of the Hospitality Committee is to see that new mem- bers, or members aitending a convention for the first time, should have an oppor- tunity to get acquainted with the old members. This is a hit diificult unless the new members present themselves to the committee. We received a few sug- gestions along this line: "I'm wondering if it would help any if the new members were to wear some distinguishing label? Or perhaps a special reception for the new members might help to make them feel that they do belong," writes Miss Minnie W. Taylor, librarian of the Cleveland Museum of Natural I-Iistory, that enel-getic person who helped so much to form the new Museum Croup. I remember several years ago when the Newspaper Group had so much business to attend to that some bright person proposed "breakfast" meetings, and they became a fact. And some of us laughed at the idea! But did you notice how contagious the idea has become? The Civic-Social Group had a breakfast meeting this year and the Federal Rescrve librarians adopted the same idea Now comes this suggestion: "An extension of the group breakfast idea might be pleasant. It seems that if a table were reserved for each group to which members of the group might come, it would promote a lot of contacts in a most informal way." Bernice M. Foster, librarian of Keane, Higbie & Company, in Detroit, who at- tended S. L. A. for the first time, also feels that some opportunity might be given to meet the librarians in your group socially. Here is an idea for all the Groups. We might relax from our business of librarianship in these Group Meetings oc- casionally and have a good social time. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 175 Our dinner, under the able direction of Elizabeth \Yray, as chairman, was a huge success, to which everyone will attest. But Mr. Hydc's afterthought of a dance, while a good idea, did not run "to dizzy heights" for lack of the stronger sex as partners. One of our alert newspaper librarians has the temerity to suggest: "Those of us who enjoy dancing do bemoan the fact there are not enough dancing partners to go 'round. Perhaps the only solution would be to have co-operation given an even broader scope and get the Chamber of Comnlerce of the cities where the conventions are held, interested prior to each convention. (A nice broad smile right here-comma-pause:)" Here is an idea lor I<. DoroLhy Ferauson to use when she and her cohorts entertain us nest year in California, where we have always heard the stronger sex prevail-in numbers, too. Mr. Angus Fletcher, our Acting-President, did himself and 11s proud. He seemed to meet and greet everyone. He breakfasted, lunchconed, tea-ed and dined with a different group of spccial librarians every time. He "spread" himsell but not too thin. He was not only our gracious presiding-officer, but lie was our social leader, our humorous host, and our diplomat. Mr. Joseph Sheridan, librarian of the Akron Beacon Journal, has the right attitude when he says: "Attending conventjons is a hobby with a relaxation for me. I always enjoy myself." And he adds: "It might have made me somewhat con- ceited when many greeted me, calling me by name and I was at a loss, for the mo- ment to recall their names." He might lay that to our friendliness and good memories. Miss Mary S. Allen, librarian of the Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company, expresses the general feeling when she says: "The three days while I was in Wash- ington were so full in attending both general sessions and group meetings, and between times getting something to eat and a little sleep that it was difficult to ac- complish more." Nevertheless, we all had a mighty good time as these expressions of opinion affirm. Boston comes to the front! Mr. Alcott was busy every moment at Washington and he chatted with everyone. He knows us all, I am sure. And he has made himself familiar with S. L. A. problems and is the ideal man for the presidency this year. The Association is fortunate indeed! As Miss Louise Lucas of the Fogg Art Museu~nof Harvard University, tells me, "Our Boston group has had one in- teresting meeting since the national oi?e. LI7e are, of COUI-se,pleased to have the new president one of us and feel that it will mean much to our local group, as well as to all of S. L. A," REBECCA B. RANKIN, For the third consecutive time, Miss Eleanor S. Cavanaugli, librarian of the Standard Statistics Company of New York, served as chairman of the Prograln Committee, and she produced another great program. It was a remarkable attendance for the annual dinner on the closing night.of the conference, and many went direct from the banquet room to the union statlon for the home start. Perhaps another year the dinner will be held earlier in the con- ference. The conference of the British Association of Special Libraries and Information Bureaux, better known as ASLIB, will be held at Trinity College, Cambridge, dur- ing the week end commencing Friday, September 20th. Miss Isabel L. Towner, Assistant Librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, will be accredited representa- tive of the Special Libraries Association. It is hoped that other librarians from the United States may be present. SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 19 29 Conference Notes Mrs. 0. P. R. Ogilvie of Canada, upon ar- Nora A. Shreve of the Lincoln National Life riving in Washington, was unable to attend Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana, meetings, due to the serious ~llnessof a relative was prevented by illness from attending the We extend our sympathy Convention. She assures us she is anticipating the 1930 conference right now. *** We ~nissed many of our old friends and To Mrs. Brigham, our executive secretary, standbys who were not in attendance this goes niuch appreciation for the efficient way year-arnong them Margaret and Marion in which she handled registration and all the Reynolds from the Middle West; Hclen Rankm details of arrangement. The machinery ran of Philadelphia; Gertrude Peterkin and Ruth smoothly, which is the best proof of no faults. Savord of New York. *** Her patience must have been tried as there was considerable shifting of the registration desk. The Federal Reserve liljrar~answere being **+ entertained so often that it was hard to keep We were highly amused over the recital of the track of them. Of course, we were all envious difficulties Jane Henderson of Lazard Freres of their breakfasts, oh not because it was encountered with her baggage on the return breakfast-but some kind angel provided so trip. But we certainly admire her persistence many "financial researchers" that the bank and pluck in untangling it so quickly. She librarians continued "researching" most of the showed herself a capable specialist. Conference. Needless to say these "research- *** ers" were not of the gentlesex. Some of those at the Conference followed it *** with a trip over the week-end into the Blue Did any of you meet the Major? No, we did Ridge Mountains and the famous caverns in not either. We understand "he was so in- the vicinity. Florence Wagner of Wall Street teresting," but it seemed to us he was interested Journal; Ethel Baxter, American Bankers in a certain New York special libratian. Association; Marguerite Burnett of Federal Reserve Bank; Elizabeth Baxter of Haskins & Mildred A. Burke, director of the Research Sells, and Rebecca Rankin of the New York Department and Library of the Chicago Tribune municipal Reference Library, formed one had intended to be at the Conference, but at the party. Miss Burnett distinguished herself by last minute was prevented from coming, though joining a hiking party and reaching the top her name appeared in the printed list of of the trail at Skyland-and how! registrants. * * * *** Yes, a number of special librarians had a Mary Louise Alexander of New York, "flight" over Washington. We learned last seemed to keep that Lincoln of hers very busy year how much fun it was-and did it again. in the evenings as well as the day-time. It Miss Margaret Kehl of the New York Muni- may have been Pierce's Mill in Rock Creek cipal Reference Library and Miss Isabel Park that was the attraction for dinner. Cubberley of the Western Electric Company Library, even managed to have a photograph of thcir flight. Elizabeth Baxter had her first Elizabeth Wray takes the record for short thrill in the air, also Miss Hilson of Trenton stops at Conferences. She flew down in time Public Library. for the banquet, saw it through successlully * * * and returned to New York at midnight, There We greeted some new hiends in Detroit: is devotion to duty for you. Mrs. Ada Mosher of the Public Library; * * * Miss Ione Ely, Cecil Betron of the News; Two special librarians from New York Miss Elva Clarke of the Employers' Associa- seem to have a flair for doctors, especially tion; Mrs. Dorn of Detroit Edison Company; specialists. The cause-oh, an ear-ache or a Miss Hicks of the Ford Motor Company; mote in the eye-but the cure necessitated Miss Lutz of General Motors; Mr. Pettit of the several automobile rides in the doctor's News, and Louise Willis of the Public Library. Packard-and dinners oh yes-! Ask them Grace England is an old standby that we were how they turn the trick. glad to greet again. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 117 At the first General Session on llonday McCrea's fascinating program at the Order morning dur~ngthe discussion of the Report of and Book Selection Round Table called the Committee on the Revision of the Con- "Paving the Roads to Knowledge." Ilad it not stitution, Miss Rankin made a plea for a change conflicted with our S. L. A. ~nceting,nlore of in the articlc on "Dues," argulng that the right us would have attended as we were anxious to make a change in the amount of thc clues to do so. But mind you, when one of our special should rest with the members, and such power librarians, who was on the program, ,lrr~ved should not reside only in the Executive Board. at the n~ecting and lienrd llr. Charles I3. The Association responded heartily to the sug- Shaw entertaining the audience so poetically gestion and the article on "Dues" was changcd that he even I~urst~nto song, she lost her nerve in accordance therewth. The Chairman, Mr. and saicl-"th~s is no program for nlc to take Fletcher, thereupon remarked very aptly- part in " "this appears to be another case of 'tax'aiion without representat~on.'" * * * The Wedncsday afternoon program of the On Friday, following the nleeting of the Civ~c-SocialGroup was so splendd that it was Business Libraries Section, we heard con- a crying shame the entm Association could not siderable comment on that meeting The have been in attendance. Miss Mary Anclerson, greatest interest centered about the secret director of the Women's Bureau, under De- meeting held preceding its regular session. partment of Labor, made a splendid talk; Miss As stated in the Lzbrary Jozlr~lnlof June 15, it Harlean James, secretary of the An~erican mn: "At a meeting of the signers of the Civic Association, described The City Plan of pet~tionfor the Business Libraries Section, a Washington so vividly and attractively, and constitution and by-laws was adopted and the Congressman Ketchurn of Michigan, gave a lollowing officers elected"-No one was in- speech on Law Observance that was common terested in the officers but that a meeting had sense and humor mixed in the correct pro- been held unannounced to any except the portions. The small room where we mct was signers of the petition was good. The general cro\vcled to overflowing. opinion prevailed that thc action was at least * * * unprecedented and it was thought to be illegal A number of the special librarians were or unconstitutional according to A L. A. enticed away from our Banquet to Miss Bess constitution. R.B.R. Treasurer's Report, 1928.29 Told Recezpts Total Disbiuseme?tts Printing Infor~nationBulletins. .. Balance on Hand.. . $2.972.93 ...... Printing Special Libraries ...... Dues, 1927...... Supplies, letterheads, etc ..... Dues, 1928 ...... Travel ...... Dues, 1929...... Salaries...... Dues, 1930...... Convention ...... Spec. Lib. Dir...... Budgets, Groups, Locals...... N. Y. Directory ...... Secretary...... Cahfornia Directory...... Editor ...... Boston Directory ...... Tel. & Tel. Expressage...... Advertising ...... Postage ...... : ...... Convention...... , . M~scellaneous ...... Rubber Bibl~ography ...... Steam Ry. Transp. Bib ..... Total Receipts ...... $11,911 63 Inf. Bulls., nos. 6 and 8 ...... Total Disbursements...... 8,770 11 Miscellaneous Publications ..... -- Reprints...... Balance...... $3,163.32 Miscellaneous...... ROSEL. VORMELKER, Interest from Bank...... Treasurer SPECIAL LIBRARIES May- June, 1929 Secretary's Report, 1928-29 Mcmbcrslrip A new ~nagazincentitled Edzlorial policies, The men~bership on May 1, 1929 was as plans, n~rd mclhodr, issued by the Editorial follows. Ad\ Isor1 Committee, has invited thc S. L, A. to beco~ncn regular contributor In tlie first Institutional ...... 121 Issue about one-third of the matcrd \\,IScon- Active...... 557 tributed by S. L. A mcmbe~s 'This worl, is Associate ...... 289 being directed by Miss Alma MiLchell, chail~~~nn -- of the Commercial-Technical Group. It may l'o~alpaid ...... 967 interest tlie association to know that Nr. Unpaid...... 155 Feilter, who is rnanaglng dlrector and secretary of the Association Business Papers, Tnc., con- Total...... 1,122 siders S. L A. on a par with the IJ S Supreme Of these sixty-six are in foreign countrlcs. Court, and the League of Nations, as an cclu- The two prcvious years in which we Iind these cation=~lfactor in this new project oi his. three types of membership the figures were as At the Chicago meeting of the A. L. A,, a folIows: business library Round Table was held, Miss Carrie Jones, librarian of the National Associa- 1927 1928 tion of Real Estate Boards, being responsildc Institutional 27 102 ...... for the program. Individual Subscriptions. ... 524 614 Through the courtesy of Mrs. Perk~nsof the Associate 15 193 ...... National Association of Manufacturers, it was possible for the Association to be 01 service in Total 566 910 ...... connection with the Lihrary Session, held at the This shows a net gain of 57 over 1928, although National Association of Manufactures Con- the actual gain is probably more as during the vention in October, 1928. previous year subscriptions were included in Two of our members presented papers at this the memberihip figures. conference: Mr. Pellett, librarian of the Port Local Associaliom and Crol~ps of New York Authority, an unusually perlinent one, entitled "What Can a Library Accomplish One new local chapter has been organized for a Company?" and Mrs. Wetmore, librarian mithln the year in Detroit, Michigan, making of H. L. Doherty Rr Co , on "How Can a COIII- a total of 8 local chapters in the n,~tlonal pany Library Increase Public Appreciation of association and one dfiliatocl local association. Industry." Miss Mitchill, chairman of our An outstanding piece of work in the New Exhibit Committee, presided over an exhibit of York Local Chapter has been the publication n "hIorlel Lihrary" at this conference. of a news bullclin for its members. This bul- For the first time in several years we are to letin has also been scnt to thc Presidents of all have n joint session with the A L. A., the locals in the country and been greatly ap- general theme of which is "Co-operation preciated by them. Between Public and Special Libraries." Two new groups are being or have becn or- The invitation to S. L. A. of the Ame~ican ganized:-the Civic-Social and the Museum Assoc~ationof Law Librar~ansto join in the Group, mnking a total of 6 groups. discussion on the Biennial Index of State 1,cgislation has been evidence that the con- tribution of this association was valued The Petroleum Committee, (Commercial- Another ~ndication of this type of co- Technical Group), under the leadership of operation has been the request to have the Mr. F. Brown, has co-operated with the D. S. L. A represcnted on the National Corn- American Petroleum Institute and thc U. S. mittee on Calcndar Sinlplificat~on Bureau of Mines in compiling a most com- prehensive monthly bibliography on petroleum. Exhibzts Although this bibliography has been published for several years, it is only since the American Exhibits were held at the American Bankers' Petroleum Institute and S. L. A. have been co- Association, under the auspices of the Financial operating that it has been possible to cover the Group, and at the National Association of entire field of literature pertaining to petroleum Manufactures, under direction of Miss Mit- and its uses, and to annotate the references. chill, chairman of the Exhibit Comn~ittee. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 179 Conslitulion Inkrnalional Relations The constitution has been revised and will A set of our information bulletins was re- be presented to the Association for adoption quested and sent to the Science Library, at this session. Science Museum, South Kensington, London. Missing issues of the file of SPECIAL LI- General Ofice BRARIES in the office of the Association of All billing for dues, filling and shipping of all Special Libraries and Information Bureau of orders for publications has been done in the Great Britain were also supplied. General Office. It is a pleasure to repo' that Miss Adeline In connection with the bills the relations Macrum, librarian of the Tuberculosis League between the General Office and the secretaries of Pittsburgh, has been appointed to represent of local associations have been clarified by S. L. A. at the International Library and sending the yellow copies of membership bills Bibliographical Congress in Rome. to the local secretary or treasurer, upon re- Publications ceipt of the money, thus automatically giving the local association a check upon the status of Our publications arc listed from time to time its membership. in the journal, but these cannot be dismissed In the absence of an active national Member- without special mention of the monumental ship Committee during a part of the past year work of thc Transportation Committee, under the executive secretary has followed up all Mr. Pellett's direction. membership prospects and has act&das liaison Questionnaires have been sent to many officer between such prospects and the re- agencies requesting co-operation in checking spective local association or Group involved. lists and making suggestions for the most com- This co-ordination between inquirer and the prehensive bibliography on water transporta- Association has also been applied to the Com- tion ever attempted. (More on this will be mittee on Classification and that on Publica- forthcoming from Mr. Pellett.) tions and to various other committees in lcsser The Financial Group compiled and had degree. printed a most useful list of "Books for a Bank Library," which was distributed at the Ameri- Through the courtesy of the Committee on can Bankers Association. Revision of the Constitution the executive secretary had a small part in the revision. Suggested Future Projects This work touched upon the functions of the 1. Aid to corporations undertaking or- General Office and the executive secretary. ganization of libraries. Tn the publishing of SPECIAL LIBRARIES By this is meant not only supplying lists of the General Office has assisted in the editing books on specific subjects, but also giving very and has cared for the billing of advertisers. definite suggestions concerning the administra- The annual index was prepared and submitted tion of special libraries in business and the staff to the editor for additions and corrections. required. During the heaviest part of the editor's legis- The secretary has gone into great detail on lative duties, two issues were completely pre- this with a few corporations and the apprecia- pared by the executive secretary. tion of these concerns has been most gratifying. Much of the detail preliminary to the con- 2. Developing the special library field by vention has been worked out in the General encouraging rclated industries in a com- Office. This included preparatory work on the munity to unite in establishing a business convention directory. library for their use. e.g. The Boston Elevated A dictionary catalog and a group file of our Railroad offers its facilities to all related indus- membership have been completed. tries in its community. 3. Closer co-operation between the National Many requests for employment have been Association and its Local Chapters. referred to the New York Chapter. The 4. Co-operation with other Associations. General Office, however, has handled some and 5. More Publicity.. has written numerous letters of introduction for applicants. We have a good product and an open market. Let's tell the world about it! The correspondence and other duties have become so heavy that it has been necessary Respectfully submitted, to employ a full time typist to assist with the ROSEL. VORMELKER, work. Secrefary. SPECIAL LIBRARIES May- June, 1929 Editor of Special Libraries Report, 1928-29 The editor herewith submits his report for As I stated in an editorial ih the February the period which has intervened since the last issue: annual mceting. "We realize fully the possibilities of the During that period nine numbers of the journal of the Association and also realize magazine have been issued, the lessened that after all, we only achieve a partial nurnber due to the fact that this year we have success. A casual survey of the library made the April issue the pre-conference num- and research field in our specific sphere of ber, while last year the May-June issue was influence indicates that it would require selected for that purpose. an extensive staff to properly cover the The nine issues sent to our tnembers have news developn~entsof this cross section of covered a wide range of interest. The issues the business and technical world. If our inlrnediately following the conference were editorla1 staff, the chairmen of the various devoted to the proceedings, including the prin- groups and committees as well as the cipal addresses, reports of officers, committees research members of our organization and groups. The October issue was the News- would send to the ~ditorthe numerous paper Library number, w~tha dozen articles items of interest coming within their selected from the proceedings of the Newspaper purview these items reproduced would Group. The numbers following October were require a magazine of tw~cethe present varied in type with an occasional address from pagination. In other words, we only cull the Washington conference of 1928, an address here and there from the great mass of before some local association, or a paper pre- prmted matter." pared especially for the magazine. Each reader makes a different demand upon Our readers thus obtained descriptions of the the magazine and the more widespread our Army Medical Library, the library of The activities, the greater the interest. We should Port of New York Authority, the Chase Bank appreciate comments upon the policy of the Library and the library of the Maryland magazine and suggestions for its improvement. Casualty Company. To indicate the varied We have been printing the magazine in subjecl-matter, articles appeared on reference Providence for over a year and have found work in the field of sanitary engineering, work the connection satisfactory inasmuch as we of a child welfare library, the value of bib- are enabled to proofread and examine the liographies, necessity for transportation li- magazine with more facility during the process braries, public utility hbraries as information of printing. sources, the music library of a broadcasting The editor has continued to act as business company, foreign filks in an agricultural li- manager and has kept in touch w~thadvertisers brary, selling service in an insurance library through correspondence and personal calls. and recataloging probletns in a utility I~brary. During the winter months, on account of The December number was devotcd to book professional duties, he was unable to continue reviews, including such topics as "Better Busi- this work, but in preparation for the pre- ness Books of 1928," "Books Relating to convention number he sent out over two Foreign Countries," "New Books of Sppcial hundred letters sol~citingadvertisements. The Interest to the Life Insurarice Librarian" and results were most gratifying, ovcr one-eighth "Notes on Recent Scientific and Technical of the correspondents answered in the af- Books." The March issue was a Classification firmative, and over one-third of the entire nurnber and, edited by Miss Rebecca B. Ran- group responded. If the canvass of the city of kin, assisted by h'liss Louise Keller, covered Washington is excluded, practically one-half the field of that important division of library of the correspondents responded. From this work. appeal will also come favorable results for the This brief surnlnarp scarcely does justice to future, several correspondents promismg ad- the magazine as it ignores the wealth of material vertising copy for the fall issues or early in furnished by the department editors, the 1930. notes and brief items which complete the The magazine is slowly taking its place as magazme. an advertising medium in spite of handicaps There is always a surplusage of copy and con- which are evident to any trained advertising stant pruning is necessary to reduce the maga- expert. The reorganization of the mailing list, zine to the size demanded by circumstances. mentioned in last year's report, has been May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 181 accomplished and there is now practically no better success in increas~ngour departmental wastage in the mailing. features. The advisory and department editors have The editor again appeals to the readers to rendered valuable assistance, but the depart- offer suggestions and comments concerning the ments have been seriously handicapped by conduct of the magazine. If our readers want want of space. New projects which have been a larger, better magazine, they must the~nselves planned in Transportation and Government help by giving us advice and counsel. Documqnts have not been accomplished for that HERBERT0. BRIGHAM, reason, but in the corning year we hope to have Editor Resolutions, 1929 Mail Bag Be it Resolved, That the Special Libraries D. C. Numbers in the Code for Classi$ers Association, now assembled for its 21st annual The attention of the compiler of the Code for Conference, in Washington, D. C., express its Classifiers has been called to a possible rnis- appreciation understanding of the function of the D. C. I. To the distinguished speakers who numbers printed in the margins of the pages, honored the delegates present, by giving their namely; these numbers may be mistaken to time-in welcoming the convention, and also for indicate the classification in the Decimal their highly instructive addresses. Classification of the topic discussed in the rules 11. To the program committee and the Dis- to which they are attached. Nothing could be trict of Columbia Library Association, who further from the intention of the author than helped to make this conference such a success, such an interpretation of these.nurnbers. we express our heartfelt thanks and especially In the foreword, after saying that the to Miss Elsie Rackstraw, librarian of the alpliabetical arrangement, used in the mimeo- Federal Reserve Board, chairman of the Dis- graphed edition of the Code in 1914, had been trict of Columbia Library Association Com- changed to a systematic one, the author says: mittee on Arrangements, for the S. L. A. Con- "The sequence of topics now follows the vention. sequence of classes in the Decimal Classlfica- tion of Dr. Mclvil Dewey so far as the char- 111. To Mr. R. R. Bowker and to Dr. acter of the topics has permitted." The sole Frank P. Hill, our very sincere appreciation for purpose of thc Dewey number is to enable their friendly visits and our warm thanks for the the classifier to locate readily the topic of which many good wishes which they, as members of he is in search, without recourse to the index. the A. L. A,, extended to us on our 21st con- Nothing is ~rnplied,or should be ~nferredfrom ference. the Dcwcy number, as to the disposition that IV To the management of the Mayflower the D. C. system makes of the topic in question, Hotel, its appreciation of the excellent service In many cascs-e.g. poetry (both poems and and splendid accotnmodations for the various criticism), iilliv~dualauthors, wars,-topics are group meetings. grouped together for comparison that in any V. To the officers and members of the systen~of classification would be scattered all Nat~onalPress Club, its gratitude for the kind through it. The Dewey number for the general invitation to hol? our annual banquet in their subjcct is added to keep these groups in in- spacious club quarters. telligible order. If the D. C. ruling is men- VI To Mr. Angus Fletcher, who so willing- t~onedat all, it is eithcr in the text of the rule ly and graciously took over the burden of or in a note. carrying on the convention, the Association In discussing some points of classification wishes to express its sincere appreciation for reference has occasionally been made to the diplomatic and successful manner in which possible cxpansions of Deaey numbers; or a heconducted the meetings. decimal figure has been used as a brief way of designat~ngthe ruling followed in the library K. DOROTHYFBRGUSON, reporting upon it. These numbers arc not Chairman, ollicial rulings of the D. C. Office. ELIZABETHCULLEN, JOSEPH SHERIDAN, Resolulions Committee. The Newberry Library 182 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 Executive Board The desirability of a closer supervision by the national Association of possible publications The new Executive Board held its first meet- by the Groups and their sub-committees was ing on Wedncsday, May Kith, at the Hotel discussed and it was voted that the President Mayflower, Washington, D. C. The newly write to the chairmen of the Groups with a elected members were all present with the view to effecting closer co-operation in this exception of Mr. Bostwick and Miss Reynolds. matter. In addition, the retiring Secretary, the retiring It was voted that the President appoint at Treasurer, the Editor, the Executive Secretary his convenience a Committee of Ways and and the Chairman of the Publications Com- Means to study the finances of the Association. mittec were present on invitation of the Board. The following persons were appointed chairmen of the following committees: Classification, Sections or Round Tables Miss Louise Keller; Continuation Reading, Miss Grace D. Aikenhcad; Co-operation with Conference week, states the Library Journal, the Library of Congress, Miss Elsie Rackstraw; for June 15, 1929, included not only sessions of Exhibits, Miss Alma C. Mitchill; Publications, the A. L. A. and affiliated or sister organiza- Miss Linda H. Morley; Training for Librarian- tions, as Special Libraries, the Institute, the ship, Miss Rebecca B. Rankin; News, Mr. Bitliographical Society, the League of Library Ford Pettit. Other appointmcnts on com- Commissions, the State and Law Associations, mittees werc deferred until the ncxt meeting but also those of elcven scctions of the A. L. A. of the Executive Roard. In addition the fol- and thirteen Round Tables, now thus bcconie a lowing coinmittecs werc selccted: Resolutions, thirty-ring circus, holding in total 77 separate Mrs. Jennie Lee Schram, Mrs. Acla M. Mosher, meetings, not inclusive of dinners, luncheons Miss Lois Heaton; Auditing, Miss Ethel L. and "pink" teas. There seems to be some Baxtcr, Miss Alta B. Claflin, Miss K. Dorothy danger lest the forest cannot be scen because Fcrguson. of the trees for these meetings of sub-divisions The place for the next annual convention of are likely to become confusing and exhaustirig. the Association was discussed by the Roard and The Council gave iks approval to the petition a tentative decision reached that the con- of those asking for a section on periodicals. ference should be held on the Pacific Coast. as in the previous year it had sanctioned a The 1930 conference committee was appointed, Busincss Section. The Collegc and Reference consisting of Mr. Angus Fletcher, Miss Eliza- Section, the Children's Librarians Section, the beth 0. Cullen, Miss K. Dorothy Ferguson Catalog Section, all cover such fields of work nnd Miss Mary Louise Alexander. It was as to alford special reason for the existence of voted that this committee should prepare a such sections. Sections under the A. L. A. conirnunicatior~to bc sent to the executives constitution reccive a charter for wcll-nigh of corporations having jurisdiction over li- independent qistence, with authority for braries, stating reasons why a meeting on the limiting their membership, collecting dues West Coast would be desirable and the benefits and printing publications. The Periodical to be derived from at'tendance at such a rneet- Section now increases the number to twelve, ing. Transportation, routing and costs were and it is fairly debatable whether this division left in charge of Miss Cullen. into sections has not already been carried ton far. The duties of the,Treasurer for the ensuing Certainly there shodd be two limitations, thal year were discussed and a methocl of approving sections should not invade the Peld of exzslang bills adopted. organizations, as the Business Section isin danger Miss Morley, chairman of the Committee on of doing with reference to the Special Libraries Publications, presented a list of manuscripts Association, or make a cross-section of mem- submitted to her committee. The Board bership in a field where all librarians are in. authorized thc sale of all remaining copies of terested, as in the case of the new Periodical: the 1925 Special Libraries Directory at half Section. In such cases Round Tables with thei~ price, and also authorized the disposal of the interested groups gathered in close discussior surplus stock of the Handbook on Commercial of specific topics seem preferable and less ope1 Information Services, 1924 edition. The Board to criticism, and this word of caution may no also recommended that the Committee on be out of place before division and subdiv~sio~ Publications consider a new edition of this latter are carried to still further extremes. volume. (Italics were not u.d in original article.-Editor.) May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 183 Government Publications Municipal Reference Mr. L. F. Schmeckebier, of tlie Institute for The report of the Municipal Reference Li- Government Research, Washington, D. C., brary of Chicago, Frederick Rex, librarian, for delivered an address before the Public Docu- tlie past year, indicates a sturdy growth. The ments Round Table of the A. L. A., May 16th, collection now numbers over 126,000 volumes on "Distribution of Government Publications and during thc calendar year served 23,000 to Libraries." Mr. Schmeckebier said in part: persons, including over 6,000 requests by telephone. The library distributed over 16,000 "Radical changes in the method of dis- municipal documents and rendered aid to city tributing government publications to libraries oficials and departments. A special biblio- are desirable if the public is to obtain the full graphy was prepared on smoke nuisance for the benefit of this activity and the government is use of a City Council committee. A type- to be protected against waste. For many years written report on the abatement of noise, wiih the law has provided that one library may be special reference to building construction, was designated by each Representative and each also prepared for a me~nberof the Council and Senator as a depository to receive all govern- a study made on the use of electric welding in ment publications if it desires them. This place of air riveting machines in the con- places the distribution essentially on a popula- struction of skyscrapers. Copies of the report tion basis, which is not a true guide to library of the Municipal Reference Library may be needs, as library development is the result of obtained upon application to the librarian. all the social and economic forces at work in the community. Population Problems The present distribution of depositories is defective because some important centers have The Journal of Political Economy has been no depositories, in many states the depositories printing a series of articles on population prob- are not well distributed geographically, and lems since the World War, by A. B. Wolfe. college libraries arc designated in places where In his concluding article, appearing in Feb- public libraries are in existence. ruary, 1929, Mr. Wolfe presents a list of or- ganizations concerned with population research To remedy this condition it is proposed to and adds: establish three classes of depository libraries as "One would like to look forward hopefully follows: toward the establishment in the United States 1. Twenty central depository libraries which (and Canada) of a centralized rcsearch or- shall agree to keep two copies of each publica- ganization of American workers, adequately tion-one for the use of readers and one to staffed and financed for con~prchensivework be circulated as needed through other libraries. on all aspects of the population problem. If 2. Five hundred general depositories which such a project is chimerical, we might at least shall have the right to select in advance -the propose a central clearing-house of research classes of publications to be received. work in progress, a central office to help co- ordinate the work of individual invesligators 3. One thousand restricted depository li- and specialized research institutes, and to map braries which shall be entitlcd to rcceive pub- out the whole field with a view to securing acl- lications on application. vance where advance is most needed. Popula- Definite requirements are reconimended for tion rcsearch is as yet too much at the mercy of each class as regards the budget for professional individual slants and intcrcsts services and hours of opening. Libraries of "The Social Science Rcsearch Council's Educational institutions of the grade of col- Committee on Population has been making a leges and lower should be omitted as it is as- survey, under the direction of R. M. Woodbury, sumed that the purpose of depository libraries of population research projects now under way is to make books available to the general public. in this country. It may be that thisis the much- If it is deemed desirable to subsidize scholastic needed preliminary step which will lcad to a education to the extent of allowing colleges to productive co-ordination of research projects. select government publications for their li- It would seem, however. that the present Com- braries, that purpose should be frankly recog- mittee should be enlargcd to include a repre- nized in the law, and there should be set up a sentative of agricultural and soil science and a separate class known as 'educational de- more liberal representation of the economic positories.' " aspects of the problem." 184 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1919 Anniversary Dinner municipal development of the city. Mr. Haskins spoke of the reference department of The annual dinner was held on Wednesday his correspondence bureau, but that was only evening in the beautiful hall of the National incidental to an opportunity to tell a fund of Press Club, and the attendance reached 150. good stories which threw his audience into peals The guests included Miss Linda A. Eastman of of hearty laughter. Cleveland Public Library, p~esidentof A. L. A.; Hon. Arthur Capper, senior senator from The dinner arrangements were in charge of Kansas, and publisher of several newspapers, Miss Elizabeth B. Wray, librarian of the LJ. S. including Capper's Weekly; and Frederick J. Rubber Company of New York. Haskin, Washington correspondent for 100 newspapers throughout the United States. In addition, the former presidents of S. L. A. Adult Education during the twenty years of its history were in- vited to be the guests of the association, so John Cotton Dana, of the Newark Free Pub- that the head table had a distinguished com- lic Library, introduces his annual report of the pany. library for 1928, with a telling discussion of Angus Fletcher of the British Library of adult education, after wllich he writes-"All Information, New York, who, in the absence this has, perhaps, no proper place in the of President Cady was acting prcsiclent of Annual Report ol a I'ublic Library. My excuse S. L. A,, presided atthe dinner. Apart from the for its presence here is that it is in a measure head table members were seated at oval an advertisement of the uneasiness of mind tables with places for six, with a hostess at that has led me, in all these years in Newark, each table, and everybody was made to fecl to try out new lines, in the hope that among at home. The beauty of the banquci room w~th then1 may be found a few which will permanent- its arched ceiling and ~tsgilt cham with bright ly broaden the library's field and enable it to red upliolstcry, was further enhanced by the be of more value to its community. Hence our floral decorations on cvery table 'Picture Collection,' and our 'Fine Prints,' and our 'Framed Lithographs for Home Use.' Messages by wire and mail were received Hence also, our 'Business Brancl~,' our 'En- frotn John Cotton Dana, the first pres~dcnt, gineering Index' and our 'Lending Map Col- who was in Europe; Marion from Los Guy E. lection' and other innovations on conventional Angeles, Calif ; Willian~son,director of C. C. library activit~es. I wish I had been, in these the Columbia School of Library Science, at library years, more inventive and more rcvolu- New York; R. H. Johnston, director of the tionary. Bureau of Railway Economics of Washington, and Francis E. Cady of Cleveland. Those who "For I am positive that our library can be of wcrc present and responded to the roll call were more value than it has ever yet been to the boys Dantel hr.Handy of Boston, librarian of the and girls of our city, who have taken a job and Insurance Library Association of Boston, the now find that it would pay then1 to learn some- only man who has served four terms as prcsi- thing. We have been 'adult educational' dent; Dorsey W. I-lycie, Jr., of the Washington enough in our hearts, I'm sure; but we have not Chamber of Commerce; Miss Rebecca B. Ran- been imaginative enough. kin of the Municipal Reference Library of New "A plan I have in mind now along this linc Yorlc; Edward 1-1. Redstone, librarian of the calls for the aid of the newspapers and may Massachusetts State Library of Boston and appeal to then1 and prove worth while. Mention William Alcott, the president-elect, of the aid of the newspapers leads me easily to Col. C. Fred Cook, librarian of the i?~e.~rzng tell that one of my l~brar~ancritics more than Star, Washington, was toastmaster, and he put hints that I am 'nice to thc newspapers in the the company in good humor with his happy w~t. hope that they will be nice to me!' I arn glad There were only threc addresses. Miss Eastnian to be able to say that he who so hints might brought the greetings of A. L. A. and con- have said it outright-and have thus pleased gratulated S. L. A. upon its record of accom- me all the more. I am a public enlployee, run- plishment in its two decades of history. Senator ning a non-profit-making institution for the Capper spoke of his work as a member of thc good of its owners. If ever a man was so Committee on Foreign Relations and as chair- situated as to make it wise and proper and moral man of the Senate Committee on the District for him to be agreeable to the newspapers, it of Columbia, which has much to do with the is a man in my position." May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 185 Smith & Smith Reference Service Extra copies are furnished for only a small charge over the subscripfion rate. This is for The needs of reference workers, both amateur two reasons-first, so that a user who wishes to and professional, were constantly in mind when clip selected items for card indexing can still the "Reference Service" plan was being have a whole copy for reference use; and second, evolved. The aim was to provide a service so that laboratories having several or many which would perform three major functions for chemists can supply each with a monthly users of the literature of chemical technology: information bulletin at small expense. 1) to bring prompt information of current This n~onthlyinformation bullctin feature developn~ents; 2) to facilitate finding items once seen and wanted again; and 3) to provide is the foundation of the wholc idea; "Reference Service" is particularly planned to make a cumulative b~bliographyof selected subjects, available to all chemical industry, at low cost, in form for vertical, loose leaf or card index the benefits of a monthly bulletin provided in filing. such form as to perform the other functions It was desired to make these aids equally available to the individual technologist or tlie mentioned It was planncd to bring these benefits within reach of the indiviclual and the small laboratory or library, and to the large laboratory or library, the cost to the user being small organization, interested in only one or a few subjects, and to provide the large organiza- strictly commensurate wlth the amount re- tion will] a bulletin at a small fraction of the ceived. To accomplish these ends, and to gwe subscribers the widest possible range of choice, cost of private comp~ldtion Thus, to conlpile all of Refcrencc Scrvice would take the full chemical technology was arbitrarily divided into 36 classes, chosen mainly for the con- time of one reviewer, and to prepare it for dis- venience of specific industries. These classes tribution woulcl requirc considerable outlay lor cler~calhelp and stationery; but the suh- have their own sub-divisions called A (ab- stracts of periodic21 articles), B (abstracts of scription cost for a year is lcss than a month's salary for n high class reviewer. patents) and C (list of new books and painph- lets) For the sn~alluser the difference beconics even A subscriber is allowed to take any one or two more apparent; for instance, a subscriber can or all three of thcse divisions (A, B or C) in get the patent references in 3 classeb for a year one or more of the 36 classes. Those who take for less than the subscription cost of the all or part of more than one class are allowed Illustrated Oficial Journal of the British Patent a discount from the basic rate, ranging from Office; and the saving in time is of coursc 5% for a few classes up to 50% for all 36. grcater still. Personal Notes Mary C. Parker, Department Editor Miss Ruth Snyder has been appointed Miss I-Ielen Kranich became a member of the librarian of the Research Library organized staff of the First Wisconsin National Bank by the Silberling Business Service, at Berkeley, Library on February 11th. California. *** *** illiss Mildred A. Lee, formerly assistant in The announcement of the marriage of Miss thc library of Ford, Bacon & Davis, is now Virginia Hinners, librarian of A. B. Leach librarian of Sclectetl Industries, Inc., of 65 & Co., to Mr. Spencer B. Meredith on June Broadway, New York. eighth, has been made. *** Miss Anna Kerins has been nppointcd rcfcrence lihraridn for Ford, Bacon & Davis, Miss Wilhelmina Taylor, librarian of the Inc., 39 Broadway, New York City. Miss New York Telephone Company, is to be Kerins was formerly associated with Whitc married on May 11th to hlr. Murray Klingman & McGee, Inc., in the Stat~st~caldepartment. and will reside in Albany. *** Miss Sonia Wilderman, formerly of Oregon. Miss Dorothy M. Avery, formerly assistant is now librarian of the Commonwealth Club of librarian, has. been appointed librarian suc- San Fra~lcisco,replacing Mrs. Lois McVeigh, ceeding Miss Taylor. who recently resigned. SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 Associations Related rrports Iron1 the local Assoc~ations attcntl,lnt.r, antl was IIICCCI~~~~by '1 supper in a co~nplctcthc year's work. Next month we Bo) lslon Strcet rcstaurilnt. print tile oflici.ll reports subnlittctl at the Rash- Jliss Alma Savage, assistant trade branch ington Confercncr. Inan.i#er of the XIncn~illnn Co~npany, the I~OS~L'SS, welcomed thc .~ssociationto the pub- Boston lication house and cxpla~nccl Ixiefly the or- .\Ienlbers of tlir Special Libraries -4ssociaiion ganization antl its purposc. Reports from the of Boston net at the Insurance Library, on rccent library conferences in \\'ashington were Monday evening, April 2211~1,and considcretl presented I,y Willdrd E. Iceyes of the Boston the subjects of fire hazards of libraries and Herald 1-ibmry, for the Special Libraries the mattcr of insuring library properties. Association, and by Miss June R. Donnell~, D. K. Handy, librarian of the Insurance director of the Simmons Collcge Library School Library Association of Boston, was in charge for thc American Library Association. of the meeting. He announced that William B. Mrs. Frances R. Coe of the State Library, Medlicott, president of the Insurance Library for the committee on education, reported on Association, who was to spcak on the problem the coursc conducted the past winter on library of insuring library properties, was taken sick, methods, by Miss Loraine Sullivan; Miss but had sent his manuscript for the use of the Marion Bowman, of the Old Colony Trust Association. Company, reported for the committee on Rob. H. ?vIoulton, tcchnical secretary of the methods; Miss Myra E. White, of Northeastern National Fire Association, spoke on "Fire University, announced a gain of 19 new mem- Hazards of Libraries." Adequate protection bers; Miss Susan Meara, of the Bosion Ameri- against fire, recommended by Mr. Moulton, can, reported for the news committee; Miss included elimination of all rubbish, the use of Ethel Turner, legislative reference librarian of wire glass for windows, metal shutters, outside the State Library, stated for the registration water curtains, and automatic sprinklers. committee that five positions had been filled Following a question period, the appointment during the year; Miss Ruth Hedden, of the of a committee of five, of which D. N. Handy State Library, reported for the hospitality will be chairman, was authorized, to co-ordinate committee. the facts presented at the meeting for the use James F. Rallard, of the Boston Medical of members of the Association. Library, recounted the work of the special Howard L. Stebbins presided at the business committee on co-ordination of informational session. He announced the appointment of sources; the active co-operation of the Boston the following committee to co-ordinate the Public Library and Harvard Business Library, information sources of Boston, which were has hcen secured and it was proposed to pub- discussed at the previous monthly meeting: lish the index. James F. Ballard, Boston Medical Library; Oficers were elected as follows: Prcsidcnt, Charles F. D. Belden, Boston Public Library; Rev. Frederick T. Persons, Congregational Edward H. Redstone, State Library; Miss Library, vice-president, Miss Loraine A. Sulli- Blake Ucerns, Boston Medical Library; Miss van, Boston Public Library; treasurer, Miss E. BIanche L. Davenport, Cl~ristianScience Mowi- Louisc Lucas, Fogg Museum, Ilarvard Univcr- tor; Miss Marion G. Eaton, Federal Reserve sity; secretary, Miss Ruth Canavan, Metcalf Bank; Miss Gertrude Mcaley, Associated & Eddy; assistant secretary, Miss Dorothy St. Industries of Massachusetts. J. Manks, Massachusetts Horticultural Society; Mrs. Frances Rathbone Coe, chairman of the member of the executive committee, Howard Education Comn~ittee,reported on the com- L. Stebbins, Social Law Library. pletion of the winter course on Library Methods, which closed successfully on Monday evening. Detroit The meeting was preceded by a dinner at a The April meeting of the Detroit group was a nearby restaurant. luncheon meeting at the General Motors * * Corporation with Miss Lutz as hostess. Miss The Special Libraries Association of Boston Margaret Mann, Associate Professor of Li- held its annual meeting on May 27, in the new brary Science in the University of Michigan, office of the Ncw England branch of Macmillan gave an informal talk on methods of prepara- Company, 240 Newbury Street, with a large tion of material, "short cuts" in cataloging, May-June. 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES etc. The laboratories of the General Motors Philadelphia Research Corporation ncre opened to our The annual banquct of the Spccial Libraries inspection under competent guides-a really Council of Philadelphia and vicinity was held very unusual opportunity. There were fifty- on Friday evening, April 5, in the Stratford two persons present. Room of the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, at 6.30. This was one of the most delightful and best atiendcd affairs given by the Council, and The final meeting of the Detroit Chapter altogether a great success. Speakers and oficers was held on Friday, June 7th, at the Detroit- were seated at a table at the center back of the Hdison Company Library, with thirty-four room, while the members and their guests were persons in attendance. The program con- seated at round tables, each in chargc of a sisted of some brief reviews of the meetings in hostess. Washington, presentation of data about out- The speaker of the evening was Mr. David standing or forthcoming publications, ant1 new Lawrence, editor of the Uded Stales Daily. methods discovered in library visits. It was a Mr. Lawrencc was introduced by Mr. George practical, lively and entertaining discussion. A. Wiedcmann of the Eueizii~g Bulleh, who Mr. Ford Pettit, Rcfcrence Librarian of thc briefly sketched Mr. Lawrence's career as a Detroit News, was chosen as chairman for the journalist. coming season. Mrs. Ada M. Mosher presented Mr. Lawrence chose as his subject "The her address, which had becn previously given National Outlook." In discussing the political at the meeting of the Financial Group at and economic interests of the country, Mr. Washington. Mrs. Louise P. Dorn was re- Lawrence referred to the close relation between sponsible for the luncheon and progam and busincss and government, stating that at acted as hostess. Washington, "the seat of economic interests," business had actually superseded politics in Illinois importance. Pointing out the nced for original information for business, Mr. Lawrence stated The annual meeting of the Illinois Chapter, that the federal government is the biggest which was held on May 27, 1929, was a dinner- single clearing house for the purpose. Hc said meeting at the Eleanor Club in Chicago. Dur- that great progress is being made in the ex- ing the session thc following officers wcre tracting of this information for thc usc of busi- elected: President-Miss Mildred A. Burke, ness, and in developing channels through which Research Department and Library, The Chi- it should bc passcd. Mr. Lawrence stated that cngo Tribune; Vice-President-Miss Sophia J. n his opinion "thc Department of Commercei Lammers, Schnaffner Library of Commerce, is to-day the most important department of the Northwestern Univcrsity; Secretary and Treas- government in its relation to busincss." He urer-Joscph A. Conforti, The Peoplc's Gas referred to the work done by our ministers and Light & Coke Company. Mrs. Jcnnie Lce ambassadors in writing business reports for Schramm, of the Research Department of the industries in the United States, predicting that Illinois Chamber of Commerce, presented a in time the embassies and legations will be big splendid resume of the principal papers and businessorganizations. features of the recent Washington convention. "We are now in an era of prosperity," Mr. Lawrence said, "and the distribution of infonna- New York tion is the most vital thing in preserving that prosperity." The May meeting of thc New York Spccial Libraries Association was a dinner mecting, Mr. Lawrencc paid high tribute to the special library, and its important place in the business held at the British Tancheon Club. Thc mem- world. He foresaw a future with more recog- bers listened to the annual report of Miss Ruth nition of its value. Savord, President of the Association, which will be printed in a later issue of SPECIAL LIBRARIES, and afterwards the annual The eleventh season of the Special Libraries election of officers took place with Miss Council of Philadelphia and vicinity came to a Florence Bradley, President; Miss Margaret close May 3, with its annual business meeting Burnett, Vice-president; Miss Constance Beall, and election of oflicers, held at the library of Secretary-Treasurer; Miss Helen Craig and the American Philosophical Society. The visit Miss Ruth Savord, members of the Executivc to this most ancient and honored scientific Board. organiiation was one of the choice occasions 188 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 of the year. bliss Laura E. Hanson, librarian pa~ticulnrinterest a11c1 valuc as \\c depend to and hostess, gave a niost mteresting talk on the such n large extent on the activities of this society, the library and its many treasures. Bureau and it was a priv~lcpeLo hear of them Refreshments were served by Miss Hanson, from n representative direct fro111 Washingtoll, aidcd by her assistant D. C. The occasion afforded a splendid op- Reports of officers and committee chairmen portunity to co-opcrate with the business men were presented. Tlie May meeting was the of S:ln Pranclsco and is in line with our 1929 occasion of the annual banquet, held separately tlircct contact publicity program. from the annual I~usinessmeeting for the first time. The Budget Committee appointctl by thc Chairman in October, 1928, to study the A pre-vacation business meeting of the financial needs of the Council, presented its Special Libraries Association of Snn Francisco report, which consisted of a proposed budget was l~elclThurs'day, May 16th. At this time of expenditu~esto be used as a basis for further progress reports were madc on the various study. projects initiated at the January meeting and Mrs. Maxwell, in her report as Chairman of additional plans were made for the renlaintler the Council, reviewed carefully the work of of the year. the year, corlsidering the accomplishments Mr. Wortliington, of the Pacific Gas & Elcc- in their turn, and making helpful suggcstions tric Company, was chairnlan of a' most suc- for the future. cessful Special Libraries section meeting, held Tlie following officers were electctl for the in Sacramento, May 7Lh, In connection with year 1929-1930: Chairrri.ln, Miss Dorothy the annual meeting of the California Library Bemis, librarian, The Lippincotl Library of the Assoc~ation. Thc program inclurlecl spcakers Wharton and Evcning Schools, U,of P.; Mr. on business rcse.~rcli and the librarian, recent Alfrcd Rigling, librarian, The Franklin In- publications of particular interest, a rCsumk stitute; SecreLary, Miss Helen hI. Rankin, of special library development, ant1 a brief Head, Municipal Reference Div~s~on,The Free Inessage from the Southern California Chapter. Library of Philaclelph~a; Treasurer, Miss An exhibit \\-as prepared by the Special Li- Laura E. Itanson, librarian, American Philo- braries Association and clisplaycd In the lobb!. sophical Socict y. of the con\-ention headquarters hotel. A rlsmg vote of appreciation was given Mrs. Southern California Maxwell, the retiring Chairman The SIay meeting of the Southern California Pittsburgh Chapter was held at La Jolla, on Saturday, The annual meeting of the Pittsburgh Special May 2Sth, man)- of the members renlAiing in Libraries Association was held at McCreery's La Jolla or San Dicgo, until the folloning on Saturday afternoon, Junc Sth, with thirteen ewnlng, The meeting gave an opportunity to nien~bers present. The Secretary-Treasurer visil man). of the spec~allibraries in the vicinit), read a brief financial report for the year and the ~ncluilingthe library of the Scripps Institution following officers were elected: President-Miss of Oceanography, the private library of Ellen Jessie Callan; Vice-President-Miss Edith Booth Scripps at La Jolla, the La Jolla Public Portman; Secretary-Treasurer-Miss Esther Libla1 y, and the Scientific Lihrar? and Mu- Fawcett; Executive Con~nlittee-Miss 1Iary seum in Balboa Park, San Diego. Lynch, Mr. J. Oscar Emrlch. San Francisco Great Britain Through the courtesy of the Down Town As press run started the Editor re- Association, thc regular monthly meeting of ceived the preliminary program of the annu- the Special L~braries Association of San al conference of the Association of Special Francisco was a joint luncheon meeting held Libraries and Information Bureaux which at 12:15 Thursday, April 18th, in the Italian room of the St. Francis Hotel. will be held at Trinity College, Cambridge, The subject of "Changing trends in Distr~bu- from September 20th to 23rd, 1929. T,he full tion" was discussed by Dr. Frank M. Surface, text of this program will be printed in the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Foreign July-August fssue, but if anyone desires to and Domestic Commerce, in charge of the examine the detailed program a copy will be Domestic Comnlerce Division. His talk was of sent upon application to the General Office. May-June, 1929 SPECIAL LIBRARIES 189 Boston Group of Catalogers and Classifiers The Spring meeting of the Boston Group of importance of the proposed investigation of a Catalogers and Classifiers was held at the further extension of centralized cataloging Hotel Vendome, on the evening of April 11. servike and present an urgent recommendation Forty-seven members and guests assembled that funds be procured for this purpose." for dinner and thirteen more members came for Mr. Lee suggested that it would be well to the meeting. send copies of this resolution to the other As illness prevented Miss Cora A. Quiruby regional groups and to the library periodicals. from attending, Miss Mildred M. Tucker On the motion, it wab votcd that the secre- served as chairman. tary send a resolution of sympathy to the widow of h4r. Joseph L. Crandell, a charter After the reading and acceptance of reports member of the group, whose death occurrcd in by the secretary-treasurer, the officers for the February. year 1929-30 were elected as follows: for chair- Miss Tucker introduced the first speaker on man, Miss Helen Moore Laws of the Wellesley the evening's program, Mr. William D. God- College Library; for secretary-treasurer, Miss dard, librarian of the Woburn Public Library, Ethel M. Turner of the Massachusetts State whose subject was "The Classifier in the Small Library. Library." Mr. Goddard has had experience Mr. Currier, who had attended the meeting with several schemes of classification and has of the New York Group of Catalogers, held on worked out: a modification of the D C. that April 5, spoke on the need of the extension of answers the needs of his library. In his paper, co-operative cataloging among the larger 11- he outlined the procedure the classifier should braries. It was felt that the A. L. A, might follow in regarding the collection as a whole help by assigning a sum of money to make an and in deciding on the changes needed to make investigation. Two letters from Secretary the collection more easily accessible to the RIilam to the chairman of the A. L. A. Catalog public. section, were read, the first letter indicating Dr. Robert Malcolm Gay of Sirnnions Col- that no appropriation was likely to be made. lege, gave an mterestmg tdk on "The New The N. Y. Group had passed a resolution ex- Biography," contrasting the old methods with pressing its regret at this result. Mr. Currier the new. He feels that the reading of biography proposed the followirig resolution, which was today is due to the fact that writing biography adopted by vote of the Boston Group: has now become an art. An entert'iining select- "Resolved, That the Boston Group of Cat- ion from Boswell's Johnson, one of the earliest alogers and Classifiers bring to the attention artistic b~ograpliies in English literature, of the Executive Board of the A. L. A,, the shonecl many of the points emphasized now. Events and Publications Rebecca B. Rankin, Department Editor Miss Mildred B. Pressman, librarian of the book for persons interested in the eclucational National Bureau of Casualty and Surety field. A classified list of educational periodicals Underwriters, has prepared for the Education includes eight national library periodicals. Division of the National Safely Council, a bibliography of Camp Safety Hygiene and The Munic~pal Reference Library of New Sanitation. *L* York w~llcontinue its broadcasting of library The Export and Import Bureau of the Baltl- talks during the sumnler months. On Friday more Association of Commerce has issued a afternoons from 5:40 to 6 o'clock, over station Selected List of Books on Exporting, Import- WNYC, talks will be given as follows: July ing, Ports, Terminals and Shipping, prepared 5thf "Staten Island," by Ralph Gossagc; by the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore. July 19th, "Abroad in New York City," by A preliminary note emphasizes the value of James Katsaros; August 26, "Along the the library to the business men of Baltimore. Piers," by Ralph Gossage; August 16th, *** "How New Yorkers Keep Cool," by Margaret The Fifth Year book of the Educational ICelil; August 30th, "The Houslng Problem," Press Association of America is a useful hand- by Ina Clement. 190 SPECIAL LIBRARIES May-June, 1929 Thc Editor has an inquiry for the 1928 \-ear by memoranda and telephone calls, in bringing Book of the Tire and Rubber Association of to the attention of staff members of such library America and would appreciate receipt of the material as each is known to be particularly volume or inforniation concerning an available interested in." copy. *** *** Commerce Bulletin is a ncw bulletin issued "Paramount Pictures Library" is an in- by the Bureau of Commerce of the Port of New teresting article concerning this type of special York Authority, emphasizing the trend of library. It appears in the Publishers' Weekly commerce, changes in steamship services, of April 13, 1929, written by Frank H. Williams. improve~nentsin port facilities, and a digest of typical activities of the Bureau with especial reference to the Port of New York. "Selected Bibliography of Printing and *** Allied Subjects," compilcd by Utica Public Library and printcd through the courtesy of Miss Hollis W. Hering, librarian of the Typothetac of Utica and vicinily and the Missionary Research Library, New York City, Utica Club of Printing House Craftsmen, is a writes on "The Art of Annotating," in the splendid sample of this art and of the librarian's Wilson Bulletin for April. art of selecting the best titles. *** The Library of the Bureau of Railway L)o you receive the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Economics has added to its valuable biblio- Leaflets? The issue of April 3, 1929, contains graphies a list of references on "Electrification "A Selected List of Publications on Gardening of Railways," covering the period from Jan- and Wild Flowers," compiled by Miss Ray uary, 1926, to March, 1929. Simpson, librarian. Are not the commuters in your special library asking for such books this Mary G. Lacy, librarian of the Bureau of spring? Agricultural Economics, has compiled a new reading list on the subject, "Agricultural Economics," issued February, 1929, from that The World Peace Foundation, 40 Mt. Vernon Bureau. Street, Boston, Mass., issues "International *** Book News," wherefrom may be gleaned the titles of all recent publications on international Another mimeographed bibliography from affairs. The special librarian would do well to the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, compiled havc these lists from which he can check those by Mildred Wilson of the Library, December, of interest in his special field. The Foundation 1928, is "Partial Bibliography on Highway will gladly forward specific recommendations Finance." Though only partial, it contains 727 to any librarian who will outline the peculiar cntrics. It is classified and has an author index. needs of his institution. * * * A business branch of thc San Francisco Public Library has rccentlp been established Julia R. Kelly, librarian of the American in a central downtown location, with .Miss Electric Railway Association, has a good Anita Lcvy as the librarian in charge. It has article on her library entitled "A. E. R. A. met with immediate success and presents a Library fulfills a valuable function" in Aera, splendid opportunity for further co-operation April, 1929, p. 199-202. between the public and business libraries. * * Mr. M. E. Pellett, librarian of the New York The American Gas Associalion Monthly Port Authority, announces: "The necessity of devotes considerable space to research. The reducing the clcrical work in the Library has April number presents an article by Mr. H. C. resulted in a dccision to discontinue issuing the Abell, entitled "What Can Research Do for Bulletin twice a month. Although some of the Us?"; and the May issue shows that the half- members of the Port Authority staff feel that million dollar program of industrial research, it should be issued even oftener, we believe that conducted by the American Gas Association, adequate service can be rendered through a has already produced results in the develop- combination of the Bullelin, to be issued eight ment of a new brass melting furnace. This times a year, and a News Lelter, to be issued as research was conducted, under the direction of occasion requires, supplementcd as heretofore the Executive Board, by the Industrial Gas - - 1929 May-June, SPECIAL LIBRARIES 191 Research Committee of the Association with articles of all social science literature. It is a co- Mr. E. D. Milener, of Association Headquarters, operative enterprise sponsored by a board of as research representative. directors, a large number of consulting editors * and a central staff of eight specialists, headed A valuable addition to state publications is by F. Stuart Chapin, as editor-in-chief, with the "Finding-List of Books and Pamphlets offices at Columbia University, 611 Fayer- relating to Georgia and Georgians," compiled weather Hall, New York City. by Miss Ella May Thornton, State Librarian of Georgia. The listing is very liberal in the The Mid-Weslern Banker for May, 1929, selection of Georgia imprints, but does not contains an article entitled "Books are Working include routine documentary matter. *** Tools lor the Country Banker," by Tyler D. Barney, cashier, Bank of Sparta, Sparta. In the Classification Number of SPECIAL Wisconsin. LIBRARIES was mentioned the approaching publication of Mr. Henry E. Bliss's new book, "The Organization of Knowledge and the Sys- Mrs. Grace Child Bevan, librarian of the tem of the Sciences." It has been recently Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company, released by Henry Holt & Co. It has an has a good article in the April, 1929, issue oE admirable introduction by John Dewey. Li- Hartjord, the Chamber of Commerce periodical brarians are speaking highly of it. Mr. Charles for that city. Martel, Chief of the Catalogue Division of the *** Library of Congress, says: "I have no hesitation "The Con~merceof the Pacific: A Biblio- in saying that it will be among the most im- graphy," with short annotations, appears In portant, if not the foremost American contribu- the American Trust Review of the Pacif;~,for tion to library science . . . The first two parts May, 1929, on pages 113-119. This biblio- I think altogether admirable. In clearness it graphy will be continued in another issue. surpasses anything known to me in the literature of the subject." The Home Study Courses in Library Scrv~ce * * * have been launched by Colun~biaUniversity. From the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads Among these is one, "Business Library Ad- library comes another helpful bibliography, ministration, EI 26," prepared by Margaret "Highway Finance," by Mildred Wilson. Reynolds and supplemented and conducted by * * * Linda H. Morley. The Alumni Jollings, volume one, number *** one, which was issued in March, by the Wis- The Librwy, April, 1929, has an article by consin Library School Alumni Association, Marian Manley, of the Newark Business contains an article on "The Day's Work," by Branch on "Leeds and Newark." Many in- Margaret Reynolds, librarian of the First teresting comparisons arc made between the Wisconsin National Bank. *** English and American manufacturing centers. The Security-First National News-Bullelirr We overlooked a rcadable article in The for May 1, 1929, contains a two-column article Suruey, February 15, 1929, entitled "Europe entitled "The Department of Rcsearch and Looks at American Industry." The titles of the Service: A Good-Will Building Agency for the books reviewed might be of interest to our Bank Ready to Perform Many Services With- readers: in Increased Facilities." The manager of the department of research and service is J. R. "Le probl&me ouvrier aux Etatu-Unis." By Andre Philip. ParisAlean. Douglas, an assistant vice-president of the "Industrial Relations in the United States." Ry IF. B. bank. Butler deputy director of the International Labour Oflice. stud& and Reports Series A (Industrinl Relations) NO. * * 27. Pubiished lor the ~ntern~tionnlLabour Office~Y'P. S. King & Son, London. Social Science Abslracls is a new periodical "Report of the Delegation Appointed Lo Study Indugtrial that certainly will be needed in all social work Conditions in Canada and tho Umted States ol.henea." Prenented by the minister of labour- to Parhament by libraries. It began publication in March, 1929, Command of his Majesty. H. M. Stationary Office,Cmd. and is to be issued monthly, with a concluding 2838. London. "Amerikareise deutacher Gewerktlchaftsfuehrer." Ver- index issue. It is not a magazine as we usually lagsgesellschaft des Nl~emeinenDeutachen Gcwerkschait- know that genus, but is actually a rksume or bundea. G. m. b. H. Berlin. "Daily Mail Trade Union Mimion to the United Statea" series of abstracts of the important periodicaI London. The Daily Moil. Pages 193-196 deleted, advertising. &.&