San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Special Libraries, 1935 Special Libraries, 1930s 4-1-1935 Special Libraries, April 1935 Special Libraries Association Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1935 Part of the Cataloging and Metadata Commons, Collection Development and Management Commons, Information Literacy Commons, and the Scholarly Communication Commons Recommended Citation Special Libraries Association, "Special Libraries, April 1935" (1935). Special Libraries, 1935. 4. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1935/4 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1930s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1935 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. I I SPECIAL LIBRARIES "Putting Knowledge to Work" - - VOLUME 26 APRIL 9935 NUMBER 4 University Press and the Special Library-Joseph A. Duffy, Jr.. 83 Membership Campaign-Your Share in It-Adeline M. Macrum . 85 To Aid Collectors of Municipal Documents-Josephine 6. Hollingsworth . 86 Reading Notes. .. 87 Special Libraries Directory of United States and Canada . 88 Special Library Survey The Banking LibraryAlta B. Claflin. 90 I Conference News. .. 93 Nominating Committee Report . 95 Snips and Snipes. '. , . , 96 "We Do This". 97 Business Book Review Digest . 98 Whither Special Library Classifications? . 99 New Books Received . 100 Publications of Special Interest. 101 Duplicate Exchange List. , . 104 indexed in industrial Arts index and Public Affairs information Service SPECIAL LIBRARIES published monthly September to April with bi-month1 isrues May to August, by The S ecial Libraries Assodation at 10 Fen streit Concord, N. k. Subscri tion Offices, 10 Fen &met, Concord, N. H., or 145 Hudson Jket fiey Yo&, N. Y. ~ditoriarand Advertising ofices at 345 Hudson Street, New York, N. Y. &bscrlptlon price: 55.00 a year? foreign 55.50; single copier, 50 cents. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Concord, N. H., under the act of March 3, I879 6t SPECIAL LIBRARIES MARIANC. MANLEY,Editor APRIL, 1935 Volume 26 Number 4 The University Press and the Special Library An Outline for Joint Action By JOSEPH A. DUFFY, JR. Columb~aUniversity Press HE university press and the special li- where it is assumed they will do the most good, Tbrary have a common heritage. Each is Then it is up to the special librarian to act. the result of a sort of refining process in the either to buy at once or to make a note for technique of transmitting information through future reference, or if additional information is the medium of print. Each grinds somewhat required get in touch with the press. There Nil1 finer than does the commercial publisher or the be no constant hammering or frequent re- general library. However, being specialists minders, the cost is too high. Very few of these does not of itself make them brothers and sis- books make money, but considered as a group ters under the skin. The problem of the special they present a gold mine to the special library. library confronted with the purchase of a book It has become the custom of many univer- lies in the book itself and not in the publisher. sity presses to conduct a joint book exhibit at Yet there is a relationship to be developed, the annual nieetings of such organizations as which if properly fostered will contribute to the National Education Association and the the greater effectiveness of both. American Library Association, as well as many The imprint of a university press upon a less prominent conventions. Anyone who has book is generally conceded to be the hall mark seen these displays may judge for himself the of scholarship. It is too often this very scholar- scope of activity. Recent Bowker statistics in- ship which prevents a wide circulation The dicate that 10 per cent of all new books pub- book is usually the result of an intensive rather lished in the United States in 1934 were the than an expansive approach on the part of the product of university presses. If we eliminate author; the very sort of treatment demanded fiction and children's books as not strictly by a special library. Consequently, unless the within the jurisdiction of the special library, special librarian is ever watchful, invaluable we find that the rate rises to about 15 per cent. material will slip by unnoticed. A too casual The first university press was founded in 1891 reliance upon general sources of book informa- at Johns Hopkins and shortly thereafter was tion will lcad to costly oversights; costly, that followed by Chicago and Columbia. Since then is, to the library's coniplete usefulness. The thc number has grown to about thirty in all, university press cannot afford to advertise or now joined in the Association of University circularize as lavishly as its colleague, the Presses. It is obvious from this that the uni- commercial publisher. A circular or seasonal versity press has become a corlsiderable source catalog is directed to the special library. An ad- of supply. vertisement 1s placed in the proper scholarly or The matter of utilizing this rich soil becomes technical journal. Review copes are placed a queslion of the interchange of information 84 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Apil, 1935 between the university press and the special ductive of a common good. The special library library. The extent to which a press may go in may contribute its share by reporting the needs publicizing its wares was suggested above, but in its own field. If some phase of its subject with the cobperation of the special library appears to be inadequately treated a report these methods may be greatly perfected. They should be made to the several presses to be, in may be pointed with direct reference to the turn, transmitted to that department of the needs of the library. In the first place, every university wherein the study may be madc. special library should file the latest informa- This may sound a bit far fetched, but it is not tion concerning its requirements with every unlikely that it may carry some weight in the university press. Let the presses realize that it assignment and selection of topics for doctoral is up to them to see to it that the libraries get dissertations. Also, with such notes at hand a book notices as near to publication date as press may guide its own activities and lay out poss~ble.It is also recommended that unneces- its publishing program with a definite object in sary material on non-pertinent books he mind. weeded out and thus save much time for the There is great diversity in all this s~ecializa- librarian. The special librarian ought to be tion. The many special libraries throughout the able to depend upon every university press for country each with its own problem makes it selected data and prompt service. This does difficult for one publisher to visualizc a unified not merely mean promptness in filling orders, market. Yet here is a unified market, not for but speed and thoroughness in searching out any one book, but for the product for the in- hidden material. It often happens that a chap- dustry as a whole. And when that market ter in a book under some classification foreign becomes articulate and calls upon publishers to to the needs of the special library contains the supply its needs it will be found that as a group very material required to round out a bibliog- the university presses are not only willing but raphy. The university press should be one of equipped to do more than their share of the the first places to which a librarian may turn job. for additional help in performing its duties. On As a start in the right direction it is sug- the other hand, the press is confronted with gested that all special libraries check over the the problem of keeping its mailing lists produc- following list, be sure that they are receiving tive. If the library is in the habit of purchasing catalogs and notices, in brief, be sure that they its books through a jobber or retailer rather are getting the full benefit of a form of special than direct, pass the word on, let it be known publishing. that the special information has not fallen on deaf ears. 'Clark University Press A university press is easily encouraged. Worcester, Mass. When it is serving the cause of scholarship it Columbia University Prees will go out of its way to perform those services 2960 Braadway which to a commercial publisher are eco- New York, N. Y. Duke University Presa nomically prohibitive. Publication of a press Durham, N. C. book is not undertaken for the sole purpose of Fisk University Press making money. It is a special service, an elabo- Nashville, Tenn. ration, if you will, of the same principle upon Harvard University Press which our libraries are based. No one can ap- Randall Hall preciate better than a librarian what it means Cambridge, Mase. to have an encouraging pat on the back. The Indiana University Press university press is delighted to extend its func- Blwmington, Ind. tion through the medium of the library into Johns Hopkine Presa the realm of special knowledge. If the special McCoy Hall Johns Hopkins University library finds that it is drawing more and more Baltimore, Md. on the presses for information which does not Loyola University Press directly result in the purchase of books, that 1076 West 12 Street may be due to a closer contact ultimately pro- Chicago, Ill. April, 1935 SPECIAL LIBRARIES New York Univers~tyPress *Un~versityof Michigan 32 li'averly Place Ann Arbor, Mich.