REFERENCE BOOKS FOR THE BUSINESS LIBRARY
All business organizations, whether they employ a librarian or not,
have need of some reference books for general information as well as
for special information along the lines of their individual work. If
a librarian is not employed the reference books are not so valuable
as they might be, because there is generally no one at hand so
skilled in manipulating their indexes and contents, that the exact
information required is immediately forthcoming; for it is in the field
of reference books particularly that the business librarian acts as
"Open Sesame" to the business man. The ability to find information is
a matter of training; it does not suffice merely to possess books or
to be told of existing resources. This truth was stated in a homely
fashion some time ago by a practical engineering journal, which said:
"Books are just as much engineering tools as wrenches, hammers,
or cold chisels, and it takes practice to successfully manipulate
them. We have all probably laughed at the novice's first attempt
to use a monkey wrench, a can can be just as clumsy with the books
that he consults to assist him in solving his problems. Just as it
took considerable time to acquire skill in handling tools about the
plant, it also takes a lot of time to acquire the knack of getting
information out of books," or to state the case in the words of the
founder of the famous Poole's index system, "The facile proficiency in
the use of books does not come by intuition."
It is the purpose of this chapter to make some practical comments on
the best reference books for business libraries, from which each
individual business library can make a selection according to its
special needs.
The list aims to include only such reference books as have been found
to be of actual use, and to exclude all references to books which
although excellent in their lines, have no place in the work of the
business library, and no further apology will be made for their
omission.
Bibliographies
No attempt is made to describe bibliographically the books listed. This
has been well done for most of them in =Kroeger's Guide to the Study
of Reference Books=, third edition, published by the American Library
Association, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago, 1917, price $2.50.
The few business men who have time to give to the detailed study of
reference books will find this guide an authoritative treatise on the
subject, and on file at the Public Library. Another useful aid in the
selection of books for business libraries, both reference books and
books on general business subjects, is entitled =2400 Business Books=,
third edition, issued by the H. W. Wilson Company, New York City, 1920,
price $5.00. This volume is very useful in showing what literature
is in print on various business subjects, but as the entries are not
annotated it is not a guide to the relative value of the books listed.
Three excellent lists of worth while books on business subjects are
=A Select List of Books for Business Libraries=, by Paul H. Nystrom
in "National Efficiency Quarterly," May, 1918, =A White List of
Business Books=, by John Cotton Dana, printed serially in "The Nation's
Business," November, 1917-July, 1919, and =Five Hundred Business Books=
published by American Library Association 1919.
Some publishers of business books whose catalogs may be had for the
asking are as follows:
D. Appleton & Company, New York City.
Macmillan Company, New York City.
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
Ronald Press, New York City.
A. W. Shaw Company, Chicago, Ill.
Two bibliographies on financial and economic subjects of value to
business men are =The Stock Exchange Business= and =Corporation Finance
and Investment=, published by The Investment Bankers Association of
America, 111 West Monroe Street, Chicago, price $1.10 each.
Selecting Reference Books
In selecting reference books for a business library it is wise to
keep in mind the following facts. It does not necessarily follow that
because a book is printed on a subject it is therefore authoritative
and worth while purchasing. Examine and test the credentials for
worthiness of every reference book carefully. Even the best reference
books fall down at some point and must be used with judgment. No
matter how excellent a reference book appears to be in its accuracy
and completeness, remember it is of no value to the business library
unless that library has particular use for it. It is almost as serious
a fault in a business library to have more books than are needed as it
is to have too few books to meet the needs. A good purchasing rule to
follow, is to buy only after it has been clearly demonstrated that the
library has no book which will give certain information desired, for
it has been found that a few well selected reference books will answer
a multitude of questions, and some of the business libraries doing the
best work have comparatively few working tools of this class. It must
be remembered also that it is not sufficient to buy a copy of an annual
publication once, but that the latest edition must be purchased each
year in order that the information may be kept strictly up to date.
Dictionaries
The first and foremost reference book which a business office needs is
an English dictionary, for the men who dictate and the stenographers
who write reports and letters must have an authoritative source to
which they can turn for definitions, spelling, synonyms, hyphenation
and pronunciation.
The two best single volume dictionaries, costing about sixteen dollars
each, are the latest editions of the =Standard Dictionary=, published
by Funk and Wagnalls, and =Webster's New International Dictionary=,
published by Merriam. Of these two dictionaries the preference of many
scholars is for Webster, although the Standard is considered most
excellent on present day words and their meanings. One of the drawbacks
in using Webster hurriedly is the divided page. In the upper part of
the page the main words of the language are given, and in the lower
part in smaller type are given the minor words, foreign phrases and
abbreviations.
In an office which prepares a great deal of advertising material, or
"copy" for publication, a thesaurus dictionary will be very useful.
=March's Thesaurus Dictionary of the English Language=, Philadelphia
Historical Publishing Company, "designed to suggest immediately any
desired word to express exactly a given idea; a dictionary of synonyms,
antonyms, idioms, foreign phrases, pronunciation, a copious correlation
of words," may be purchased for $15.00, if an elaborate dictionary of
this kind is to be desired. =Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and
Phrases= may be purchased in several editions, prices $1.25 up to $2.00.
The business library will do well to provide a few books on business
English, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations and correspondence
forms, a few of which are the following:
=Vizetelly Desk Book of Errors in English=, New York, Funk & Wagnalls,
$1.00.
=Putnam's Correspondence Handbook=, New York, Putnam, $1.75.
=Lewis Business English=, Chicago, LaSalle Extension University, $1.40.
=Manley & Powell Manual for Writers=, University of Chicago Press,
$1.25.
=University of Chicago Manual of Style=, University of Chicago Press,
$1.50.
=United States Public Printer Style Book=, a compilation of rules
governing executive, congressional and departmental printing,
Washington, Superintendent of Documents, $0.15.
If a business library finds it needs any foreign language dictionaries,
possibly French and Spanish, bilingual ones can be obtained in one
volume editions from any first class book dealer at a cost of not more
than $3.00 a volume.
Encyclopedias
The new edition of the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia is a luxury
for a business organization and need not be considered in this list,
but the business library must have a general encyclopedia, and the
best one for the American business office is without doubt the =New
International Encyclopedia=, published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 23
volumes, latest edition 1916. Price bound in library buckram, $7.50 per
volume.
Its advantages for business use over the new edition of the much
recently advertised =Encyclopedia Britannica=, are that the point of
view of the articles covers American needs better, that all information
is alphabeted under the most specific subject word, so that no index
volume has to be consulted as is the case in using the Britannica, and
that there are ample "see" references, if the subject looked up is
entered under a different terminology.
In regard to its authority, comprehensiveness, illustrations, maps
and bibliographical references at the end of the articles, the New
International ranks in the first class of encyclopedia productions.
It can be purchased printed on the much exploited India paper if the
saving of shelf space means more to the business office than does the
rapid turning of leaves. The India paper leaves are apt to stick
together and also crumple easily. The most desirable binding is library
buckram rather than flexible leather, which some business libraries
have been unwise enough to purchase. Dodd, Mead and Company also issue
an excellent annual encyclopedia entitled the =New International Year
Book=, as a supplement to the New International Encyclopedia, which
brings the Encyclopedia down to date at a cost of $6.50 per volume.
=The World Almanac and Encyclopedia=, published for the New York World
both in cloth and paper binding at 50 and 35 cents per volume, is
an invaluable addition to the business library, no matter how well
supplied it may be with pretentious encyclopedias. It is strong on
statistics of all kinds which are brought down to date and contains a
wide range of miscellaneous information which cannot be found readily
in more expensive handbooks. It has an excellent index and is generally
the best book to consult in a hurry in answering the many miscellaneous
questions which arise in a business office. It has been estimated that
it will answer 25% of the questions which come up in every day business
experience.
=Lippincott's New Gazetteer of the World=, a geographical dictionary,
Philadelphia, Lippincott, 1906, price $10.00, is useful but much out of
date in its statistics.
The United States Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce publishes
each year the =Statistical Abstract of the United States= at 50 cents
per volume, paper binding, or it may be had in cloth. This abstract
gives tabulated statistics covering a number of years on the natural
resources and various economic activities of the United States. This
Bureau also publishes annually a valuable volume of statistics entitled
=Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States=, which gives
statistics of imports and exports of different classes of merchandise
with rates of duty, quantities and value.
For commercial, political and statistical information about foreign
countries the =Statesman's Year Book=, a British publication issued
annually by Macmillan, at $7.50 per volume, is a valuable addition to
any business library. It also gives a list of the best books on each
country and its most important government publications, and includes a
list of books relating to the war and a diary of its principal events.
Maps of the different countries are also included.
=The American Newspaper Annual=, a directory published by Ayer and
Son, Philadelphia, price $10.00, gives a list of all newspapers and
periodicals published in the United States and territories, Canada,
Cuba, West Indies, arranged by states and cities, with maps of the
states and information about the industries and institutions of each
city. It gives the population of cities and towns of the United States
and Canada whose population is over 3,000. It lists all publications in
foreign languages printed in different states of the United States and
also gives a list of trade papers for certain industries. A mid-year
supplement is free to subscribers.
=Rand McNally's Commercial Atlas of America=, published annually, price
$35.00, is the best atlas of its kind on the market for a business
office. The maps are indexed, and information on population, express
offices, United States money order stations and the railroads of each
town and city are given. This atlas has maps of the largest cities.
Steamship and interurban lines are also shown.
Another valuable guide is the =Official Hotel Red Book and Directory=
of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Hawaii, West Indies and
South American cities, published annually by the Official Hotel Red
Book and Directory Company, New York City, price $6.00. This guide
lists hotels under cities with brief notes on accommodations and rates.
Another similar guide is =American Travel and Hotel Directory=,
published annually by Harold W. Phillips, 1133 Broadway, New York City,
at $5.00 per volume.
=The Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines= of
the United States, Porto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, also time tables
of railroads in Central America, is published monthly by the National
Railway Publication Company, New York City, $14.00 per year. It gives
the current time tables in effect and the maps of the various railroads
with indexes of their stations, and a general alphabetical index of all
railway stations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, showing on what
railroads a given place is located, with a similar index for points
reached by water routes.
=United States Official Post Office Guide=, issued annually with eleven
monthly supplements at $1.00 per year, gives information about mail
rates and post office rulings, and also gives a complete list of the
post offices in the United States.
The business library will find it helpful to obtain a single volume
published by the Census Bureau entitled =Abstract of the Thirteenth
Census of the United States, 1910=, which may be procured from the
Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C., at the cost of $1.00.
This abstract gives in condensed form with explanatory text, statistics
to be found in the eleven volumes report of the 1910 census covering
population, agriculture, manufactures and mining of the United States
as a whole, individual states and principal cities. This abstract
volume is issued in special editions for each state of the United
States, which give special statistics pertaining to that state.
In regard to population figures, it is probably not generally known
that the Census Bureau has issued bulletins giving estimates of
the population of cities for each year subsequent to 1910, so that
population figures for 1910 need not be considered as the latest
official figures available. The 1920 census is being compiled as this
volume goes to press.
The reference collection of a business library must be strong in books
which will serve as directories of persons and industries, in order
to answer questions on "who is who" and "where and what" are certain
business organizations. The important point for consideration in
selecting directories for a business library is that they must be not
only accurate but as nearly up-to-date as possible, to be of real value.
=Who's Who in America=, a biographical dictionary of notable living
men and women of the United States, giving brief biographical data and
addresses of over twenty thousand Americans prominent in business and
public affairs, professional life, or as authors, published biennially
by A. N. Marquis and Company, Chicago, $7.50 per volume.
There are also similar brief biographical dictionaries published for
certain states and cities which will be well known to the public
libraries in those particular localities, and which will not be
listed here as they are not of general interest to all localities;
for example, =The Book of Chicagoans=, =Who's Who in New England=,
=Directory of Directors in the City of New York=.
Every business library will need the latest edition of the
=Congressional Directory=, as all business firms have at some time
correspondence with, or need information on, congressmen, committees,
departments and bureaus of the Government, also diplomatic and consular
service. This volume may be purchased from the Superintendent of
Documents, Washington, D. C., for 60 cents, in cloth binding.
The membership lists of national organizations representing
different professions and industries are also very valuable, such
as the membership of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers,
American Society of Civil Engineers, and other associations devoted
to business interests as well as to professional work. The city
directory and telephone list of any community must not be forgotten as
helpful reference aids, also state gazetteers, and the collection of
directories of various cities to be found at the public library will be
found most useful.
G. P. Putnam Sons, New York City, publish a handbook called =Directory
of Mailing Lists, Obtainable in Book or Pamphlet Form=, price $2.50,
which tells where printed mailing lists of certain industries or
classes of people may be obtained free or at a reasonable price.
=Public Affairs Information Service=, a weekly or bi-monthly cumulated
service, according to the needs of subscribers, and cumulating in an
annual volume, published by the H. W. Wilson Company, New York City, is
a subject index to articles in current periodicals, pamphlets and books
covering current economic problems. Price upon application. It is a
valuable index to consult at the public library, as it is too expensive
for the small business library.
=Thomas' Register of American Manufacturers=--"first hands in all
lines"--is an indispensable directory. It is published annually by the
Thomas Publishing Company, New York City, price $15.00. The entries are
in three main sections. The first section classifies the manufacturers
according to their products, in an alphabetical subject list; the
second section lists the manufacturers alphabetically by their names,
gives addresses, branch offices and officials for many of them; the
third section lists all the popular trade names alphabetically, and
there is an alphabetical index of subjects at the beginning of the
volume, with plentiful cross references to all the subjects listed in
section one.
=Hendricks' Commercial Register of the United States= is similar
to Thomas' Register, but is especially devoted to the interests of
contracting and construction industries. It is published annually by S.
E. Hendricks Company, New York City, price $12.50.
Exporters and importers will find most useful, =Kelly's Directory
of Merchants, Manufacturers and Shippers of the World=, 1921, Kelly
Publishing Company, 70 Fifth Avenue, New York City, price $20.00.
The organization, personnel of management, earnings and financial
history of industrial corporations in the United States are given
in =Moody's Manual of Railroad & Corporation Securities=, published
annually by Poor's Publishing Company, New York City. The publisher
expects to issue the 1921 edition in four volumes as follows:
Vol. I--Railroads.
Vol. II--Public Utilities.
Vol. III--Industrials.
Vol. IV--Mining and Oil Companies.
The 1921 price will probably be $15.00 per volume.
=Moody's Analyses of Investments= is published in four parts as follows:
Part I--Steam Railroads.
Part II--Industrials.
Part III--Public Utilities.
Part IV--Government and Municipals.
These volumes cover much the same ground as the manuals just noted with
the addition of ratings. They are published by John Moody, 35 Nassau
street, New York City, at $15.00 per volume.
=The Manual of Statistics Stock Exchange Handbook=, similar in contents
to the Poor & Moody volumes but not as full, is published annually by
The Manual Statistics Company, New York City, at $12.00 per volume.
=Investment Bankers and Brokers of America=, issued annually by Sites
Publishing Company, 441 Pearl Street, New York City, $17.50 per volume,
is a useful directory to be used to supplement =Rand McNally Bankers'
Directory=, issued semi-monthly in January and July, Chicago, price
$25.00 per year, or the =Bankers' Encyclopedia=, issued semi-annually
in March and September, New York, price $10.00 per volume.
=Money and Investments=, by Montgomery Rollins, "a reference book for
the use of those desiring information in the handling of money or the
investment thereof," is an excellent dictionary of financial terms,
published by Financial Publishing Company, Boston, Mass., edition 4,
price $3.00.
For the business firm who wishes to keep up to the minute on the latest
information of what is going on in the world as affecting trade and
finance, the Standard Statistics Company, 47 West street, New York
City, issues =Standard Daily Trade Service= at a cost of $120.00 per
year, which delivers each morning by first class mail a conveniently
indexed and itemized digest of the important news regarding crops,
commodities, countries, legislation, taxation, Federal trade
regulation, transportation, etc., and in addition gives the subscriber
the benefit of a Personal Service department for special information
of value to him individually which does not appear on the daily report
sheet.
In addition to the Daily Trade Service, the Standard Statistics
Company also issues a similar daily service entitled =Corporation News
Service=, which summarizes all the corporation news of the country. It
also issues a =Corporation Card and Bond Card Service= which furnish
daily revised card descriptions of corporations and bond issues.
The =Federal Trade Information Service=, 31 Nassau street, New York
City, is similar in frequency and form of issue to the standard Daily
Trade Service but is not as comprehensive in scope, as it covers only
the activities of the Federal Government.
There is scarcely any industry which has not put out a reference
handbook or directory covering its special field, and it is impossible
in a brief treatise to list all of the reference books which pertain
to a large number of industries. The best printed list from which to
determine what directories and handbooks have been issued for certain
industries is =2400 Business Books=, which has been previously noted.
Consult also the trade journals, and above all, do not forget to use
the reference facilities to be found at the public library.
CHAPTER IX
THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE BUSINESS LIBRARIAN
Thoughtful consideration of what the business library does will
inevitably lead to one conclusion, namely, that the librarian, who is
the director and inspiration of the work, must have greater educational
qualifications than can be found in the average office employe who
is engaged either in the capacity of stenographer or file clerk. The
qualifications which are necessary to make a successful business
librarian may be definitely stated as follows:
1. A college education or its equivalent.
2. A library school education or its equivalent.
3. Certain innate mental and social traits.
4. The business man's point of view.
1. A College Education or Its Equivalent
The business librarian, no matter how well educated, will never have
a superabundance of knowledge for the prosecution of the task, for
the ramifications of business subjects are innumerable and touch the
sum total of human knowledge; and while no one person can be master
of all subjects, yet a college education, and the mental training
which it implies, should give not only a wider knowledge, but a power
of adaptability and versatility in working with information, which
constitute an indispensable asset in the prosecution of business
library work.
The type of college graduate who makes the best business librarian is
the one who is able to exercise a high degree of concentration, think
clearly and quickly, analyze subjects, understand cause and effects,
make logical deductions and wise discriminations, express ideas clearly
and to the point, and be able to discuss intelligently the information
which he passes along to the business man.
It is only just to state at this point that some college graduates do
not measure up to the standards which have been indicated, and that
there are many well-educated men and women without college degrees who
do; every man or woman must be judged on the basis of individual merit.
A business organization, however, can make no more serious mistake than
to think it can put its library work into the hands of some one of
limited education, who, although he knows the work of the particular
business by long apprenticeship, has not the important requisite of
a larger point of view which is the result of a broad education, no
matter by what means obtained.
W. H. Cameron, when general manager of the National Safety Council,
writing of library work as an aid to that organization, stated
the facts exactly when he said: "The problem of the industry, the
application of the library's information, the method of presentation
and the utility of the service, all require trained minds."
2. A Library School Education or Its Equivalent
A liberal education, however, is not sufficient in itself to make a
business librarian, unless that education has included the second
requisite in the list of qualifications, namely, education in approved
methods of library science, according to the standards taught by
accredited library schools.
What is meant by library science, and why is it necessary that
a business librarian should be trained in it, in order to do
adequately the work of the business library? Library science is the
standardization of the most approved methods of doing library work,
based on the results of many years of study and practical experiment by
librarians of large ability who have given their full time and energies
to the task. In brief, methods of library work have been standardized
by library experts and reduced to a practical, economical, effective
science.
If this be the case, what possible justification can be found for
business firms who waste time and money, in addition to getting no
adequate results, in devising original methods for doing their library
work? Trade periodicals, for several years, have published a number
of articles treating of original methods adopted by various firms for
filing and indexing their printed information. These original schemes
reveal many weaknesses and discrepancies and also that many business
men are entirely ignorant of the fact that library science has already
produced much more excellent ways of working. No man is competent to
work with any principle of science, much less modify it, until he is
first master of it.
The structure of the business library must be built on the solid
foundation of established library science, and there is no fact which
business men need to realize more, than that library science as taught
in professional library schools is not a simple code summed up in a
few text books to be readily mastered by a novice and improved upon at
will, but, on the contrary, that it covers a wide range of material,
and must be studied by the use of many books devoted to classification,
cataloging, reference work and other related subjects. True, there are
primers of library science, but as well give a novice a primer on the
steam engine and expect him therefore to be adequately equipped to
run a power plant, as to put a novice with a library primer in charge
of a business library with its highly specialized needs. A business
organization would not think of engaging either a stenographer or a
bookkeeper who is not trained to do his particular work; how much
more, therefore, should a business librarian measure up to recognized
standards of library training in order to perform adequately the
difficult and important work which he is called upon to do.
The argument for the employment of a trained librarian can be briefly
summed up in five words: the trained librarian knows how.
The trained librarian knows how to get and how to use sources of
general information, how to keep up with the latest data on business
subjects, how to use quickly and accurately the facilities of large
city libraries, how to use all kinds of printed indexes, how to
classify, catalog, and index material according to standard practice,
so that no time or money is wasted in experimenting with inadequate
systems, and last but not least, knows how to have a place for
everything and everything in its place, so that desired information is
immediately available.
As has been intimated, some college graduates cannot grade up to
business library requirements, so also, some library school graduates
are not suited for business library work, and rarely is a library
school graduate, who has not been seasoned first by some thorough
library experience, before coming into business library work, fitted
for the task. Some trained librarians get so obsessed with the red
tape and detail of their library training that they never dare to be
original in modifying and adapting their fundamental library principles
to new conditions and business problems, and therefore cannot create
the type of service which is essential for business.
Some of the advocates of business libraries, having seen library
trained people who have "fallen down on the job," speak slightingly
of library training, and go to the other extreme, saying that the
successful business librarian is born and not made. This is not true,
because no innate qualification ever carries with it the ability to
succeed in the absence of the proper training. "Both the heritage and
the training of the faculties must go hand in hand to insure success."
Trained librarians should be estimated by business men in the same
manner as they estimate other skilled workers. When an engineer, or
in fact any professional man, fails on a piece of work, his employers
do not condemn engineering or professional schools as a whole, but try
another trained man on the job. If a business man has made a wrong
estimate in selecting his librarian, he should not quarrel with library
training, but get a higher grade librarian.
The failure of some business librarians who have had both college
education and training in library science is due not to inadequate
knowledge but to lack of personal qualifications, and while personal
qualifications alone will not make a successful business librarian,
neither will a college education and training in library science make a
successful business librarian without certain innate mental and social
traits.
3. Mental and Social Traits
The mental and social traits required for success in any line of
business work apply with equal force to the business librarian, and
it is not necessary to enter into any academic discussion of them at
this time. Everyone knows that good health, accuracy, thoroughness,
common sense, good judgment, tact, integrity of character, and memory
(particularly in library work) are indispensable to success in any
career, but there are certain traits which a long term of service in
a business library and an intimate acquaintance with many business
librarians have made clear to the writer, as necessary to success in
the business of being a business librarian.
The business librarian must be an executive; he must have not only
a balanced view of every detail of library work in relation to its
particular whole, but he must especially have an adequate vision of
library work in relation to the whole work of his organization, and
he must have the ability to see this relationship without waiting for
some one to point it out to him. Finally, he must be able to relate the
particular business and its existing service, to the work of the world
at large.
A librarian serving a prominent business organization was recently
asked by the writer, what was the scope of the work of their publicity
department in furthering the interests of the organization as a whole,
with the result that she could not tell. This librarian only knew that
her business was to catalog, classify, put away and be able to get out
again the material which was assigned to her care. The executive head
of another important business organization has often complained because
his librarian was afraid to take any initiative and always waited to be
told what detailed policy should be pursued by the library; he was too
busy to have to carry it on his mind, and more than that, he really did
not know, and needed a librarian who did.
The business librarian must see the need, make the plan, and get all
the mechanism necessary for its accomplishment into thorough working
order, and have backbone enough to hold the point and have power to
make others see it. There is no place in a business library for the
mere "bookkeeping" methods of a recorded and finished job, for the work
of the business library is never finished; it is a living force, and
like all living things, it is subject to constant change and progress
and never gets to the finished stage which suggests the orderly quiet
calm of a graveyard!
What the business man wants from his librarian is results, and it is
the business of the librarian to know the best way of getting them. The
well qualified librarian can give results abundantly, if the business
man will delegate authority to act independently in matters of detail,
conferring on his librarian as he should, the freedom of action which
he gives to the well qualified head of any department, and trusting his
librarian to come to him for a conference when the occasion demands.
There is no greater handicap to a well qualified librarian than the
type of business man who does not delegate authority, and who because
of his success in other lines of business, attempts to guide his
librarian in matters of library policy about which he knows absolutely
nothing.
The business librarian must be unusually resourceful and know how to
meet an urgent need for information with quick decision and immediate
action. He never says "impossible" until he has tried every possible
source of supply.
Probably one of the finest compliments ever paid a business librarian
was given by the executive head of a large institution who, having
seen the resourcefulness of a certain business librarian in several
difficult situations, remarked, "I am confident that if a twenty-story
building fell down on Miss B----, she would find a way to get out from
under it," and he might also have added truthfully, "and she would
also keep a spirit of enthusiasm in the venture," for to the true
business librarian the fascination in the game of finding things never
wears out.
The business librarian will not be punctilious about adhering to a time
schedule for work or to any standard of rights or privileges; he will
put the demand of his work first and his personal interests second. If
it is necessary to break an important personal engagement made for his
free time, because business of importance has arisen in the office, he
will do so without any question or irritation. If he can best serve the
company in an urgent need, he will not wait to be waited upon by an
office boy, but will go himself rather than trust a boy who cannot be
relied upon to hurry. The business librarian will not be old-maidish or
fussy over any irregular demands which upset his routine work; there
is no place in business for the trained librarian who tells a busy man
of affairs he cannot have what he wants until certain regular routine
has been carried out, and in return the business man should trust his
librarian with a freedom of action which is not subject to a time clock
or a time schedule.
The business librarian must be able to work harmoniously with "all
sorts and conditions of men," and he must convince every one whom the
business library serves of honest good-will and impartiality to all,
and genuine loyalty to the organization which he serves. He will be
discreet and will not gossip about company business on the aside in the
office, or on the outside, and last but not least, he ought to have a
saving sense of humor. These qualifications may seem exceedingly trite,
but the lack of them has been a severe handicap and a glaring defect in
many people filling different kinds of business positions.
The successful business man knows the value and power of acquaintance
as a business asset, and the business librarian must maintain a wide
acquaintance and friendly relationships with other library and business
workers, both for practical help and general stimulation. It is a real
part of the work of a business librarian to take time to cultivate
these outside relationships and attend library conferences, at the
expense of the business organization by which he is employed. The
importance of these outside relationships has been noted in the first
chapter, as helpful ways of getting information not in print.
The business man who keeps his librarian's nose on the grindstone
of routine work, so that he never has an opportunity for outside
fellowship and the stimulation that comes from it, soon loses more than
he gains by such a policy.
4. The Business Man's Point of View
The business librarian must also have a genuine and intelligent
interest in current political and economic events, and in the kind
of information in which business men as a class are interested. He
must know the contents of the daily newspaper as well as does the
closest reader among business men, so that he will not do as one
librarian did--endeavor to give an inquirer an item three weeks old
when the latest news on the subject was in the yesterday morning's
paper, or waste time looking up statistics on a South American town,
which current news reports as having recently burnt down. He must be
a constant and thoughtful reader on subjects which pertain to the
business of his organization.
The business librarian must have the promoter spirit; he must see that
the information which he has on hand is applied and working, and he
must be alert enough to see in some measure the undeveloped sides of
an industry, and endeavor to bring into the organization, information
which may stimulate it to new activities.
To sum up all requirements for a successful business librarian: he
(or she, as the case may be) must have a liberal education, plus a
knowledge of library science, and a sympathetic understanding of
business needs, together with the vision and personal power necessary
to apply the field of print effectively in meeting these needs.
In conclusion, the business man must face fairly several facts, the
chief of which is, that in only a limited number of cases have business
libraries measured up to the standards which have been outlined in
this handbook, because business firms have not engaged librarians who
have the necessary qualifications for success. Some business men have
not recognized that there are librarians and librarians, and that many
so-called ones are not adequately equipped for business library work.
Business men are at fault also because they often do not give personal
attention to the selection of a librarian, but leave this selection
to an employment manager or a welfare worker who very often does
not know just what essential qualifications are necessary for such a
position. Sometimes the business man does not want to pay the price for
an efficient librarian, for no efficient librarian can be obtained for
the average file clerk or stenographer salary. One high grade librarian
will accomplish more work, both accurately and effectively, than two
mediocre ones can possibly do, and is therefore a money-saver.
If there is any doubt in the business man's mind as to whether there
is enough library work in his organization to keep a trained librarian
continuously busy, it may be said, that in no instance which has come
to the knowledge of the writer, has a trained librarian ever been
employed by a business organization which has not found there was
immediately developed a valuable library service which required the
full time and energy of the librarian.
REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL READING
=Bostwick, A. E.=
Some principles of business-like conduct in libraries 1920 30 p.
American library association, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago.
=Brush, M. C.=
The so-called librarian's real duties. Special libraries, June 1917,
p. 83-84.
=Greer, A. F. P.=
Professional ethics for the library worker. Library journal Nov. 1917,
p. 891-92.
=Kilduff, E. J.=
Necessary characteristics of the private secretary. (In his Private
secretary p. 293-17).
=Rathbone, J. A.=
Library school courses as training for business librarians. Special
libraries Nov. 1917, p. 133-35.
=Walter, F. K.=
Training librarians for business libraries or branches. Paper read
before Professional training section American library association
conference 1919. Library journal Sept. 1919, p. 578-80.
INDEX
Alphabetic-subject file, 73.
Catalog cabinets, 93.
Cataloging, 75.
Centralization, 11.
Charging records see Loan records.
Classification, 70.
Clipping bureaus, 48.
Corporation files, 75.
Cutter numbers, 74.
Cuts, 68.
Equipment and supplies, 94.
Floor plans, 86, 88, 89.
Government documents, 50.
Indexing see Cataloging.
Lantern slides, 65.
Loan records, 39.
Magazines see Periodicals.
Maps, 68.
Mechanical equipment, 80.
Organization, 7.
Pamphlet boxes, 44, 45.
Periodicals,
binding, 43.
checking, 33.
circulation, 37.
clipping, 43, 48.
Contents, 31.
filing, 43.
indexing, 35.
selection, 32.
Photographs, 62.
Public libraries vs. business libraries, 14.
Publicity department, 25.
Qualifications of business librarian, 110.
Reference books, 95.
Service rendered, 23.
Shelving, 81.
State documents, 57.
Subject headings, 76.
Trade catalogs, 59.
U-File-M binder strips, 48.
Value of the business library, 18.
Vertical files, 90.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected, but other
variations in spelling and punctuation are unchanged.
The half title immediately before the title has been removed.
Italics are represented thus _italics_ and bold thus =bold=.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Business Library, by Louise B. Krause