CHAPTER VIII

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: