Chapter I: Preface: To the First Edition

This handbook has been written with the purpose of giving brief comprehensive information to the business man on the subject of the business library as an indispensable earning factor in the conduct of business enterprises. It aims to tell how to organize and maintain a business library, what to do in order to get the best results from it, and to show by concrete illustrations, gathered from the experience of firms maintaining library service, what the business library is worth as a financial asset.

The subject matter is not designed to set forth the work of any one class of business libraries, but is a composite study of many. It records business library facts as observed by the author during ten years of service as a business librarian, and as such, may be also of value to librarians contemplating the undertaking of business library work.

The references given at the conclusion of each chapter have been selected from a large mass of printed material on the subject, on the basis of practical supplemental reading only and are not designed to be exhaustive reference lists.

The author makes grateful acknowledgment to her Library School class-mate, Renee B. Stern, now Editor of "The Woman's Weekly," for most helpful advice, and to her friend, Virginia Fairfax, Librarian, Carnation Milk Products Company, Chicago, for generous criticism and correction of the manuscript.

L. B. K.

October 1, 1919.
Chicago, Illinois.

CONTENTS

PAGE

I THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BUSINESS
LIBRARY 7

II THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE BUSINESS
LIBRARY 23

III PERIODICALS--HOW TO USE AND HOW
TO FILE THEM 30

IV GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND THE
BUSINESS LIBRARY 50

V TRADE CATALOGS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND
LANTERN SLIDES 59

VI CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGING IN
THE BUSINESS LIBRARY 70

VII MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE BUSINESS
LIBRARY 81

VIII REFERENCE BOOKS FOR THE BUSINESS
LIBRARY 95

IX THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE
BUSINESS LIBRARIAN 110

INDEX 123

THE BUSINESS LIBRARY

WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT DOES