College and Research Libraries B y R O S E L . V O R M E L K E R Developing Library Facilities for Business Research Miss Vormelker is head of the Business Information Bureau of the Cleveland Public Library. INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH, u s u a l l y i d e n t i -fied w i t h c h e m i s t r y , physics, a n d e n g i - n e e r i n g , h a s l o n g been r e c o g n i z e d as o n e of o u r o u t s t a n d i n g a n d s i g n i f i c a n t n a t i o n a l r e s o u r c e s . I t has been r e p r e s e n t e d in p u b l i c a n d u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r y c o l l e c t i o n s by a v a s t l i t e r a t u r e a n d s p e c i a l i z a t i o n in t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n of science, e n g i n e e r i n g , a n d t e c h n o l o g y d e p a r t m e n t s . I n d u s t r i a l re- s e a r c h w o r k e r s k n o w h o w i n d i s p e n s a b l e is a " l i t e r a t u r e s e a r c h " o n t h e i r p r o b l e m b e f o r e it b e c o m e s g r i s t f o r the l a b o r a t o r y m i l l . B u s i n e s s r e s e a r c h , h o w e v e r , is a m o r e r e c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t . I t is k n o w n by m a n y o t h e r phrases, some of w h i c h a r e e c o n o m i c r e s e a r c h , s t a t i s t i c a l r e s e a r c h , c o m m e r c i a l r e s e a r c h , f i n a n c i a l r e s e a r c h , social science r e s e a r c h , m a n a g e m e n t r e s e a r c h , a n d m a r k e t r e s e a r c h . F r e q u e n t l y , too, the w o r d " a n a l y s i s " is used in p l a c e of " r e - s e a r c h . " I t is n o t easily d e f i n e d b e c a u s e m a n y of its f a c e t s h a v e i n t a n g i b l e c h a r - a c t e r i s t i c s . I n an e f f o r t t o define t h e f i e l d as a w o r k i n g basis f o r t h e s t u d y of busi- ness r e s e a r c h as c o n d u c t e d in this c o u n t r y , r e c e n t l y d i r e c t e d by D r . J o h n H . C o v e r , 1 the f o l l o w i n g c r i t e r i a w e r e a d o p t e d : ( i ) a n a l y s i s of f a c t o r s l e a d i n g t o w a r d g e n e r a l 1 Report of an A d v i s o r y Committee of the Social Science Research Council to the National R e s o u r c e s P l a n n i n g Board. 1941. p r i n c i p l e s a n d i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p s ; ( 2 ) re- l a t i n g the d e r i v e d c o n c l u s i o n s or dis- c o v e r e d f a c t o r s to e c o n o m i c ( o r o t h e r ) p r i n c i p l e s . B u s i n e s s r e s e a r c h c o n c e r n s itself w i t h w h a t has been r e f e r r e d to as t h e " f i v e m ' s , " m a n a g e m e n t , m e n , m a t e r i a l s , m a r k e t s , a n d m o n e y , a n d i n v o l v e s s t u d y in the f i e l d s of e c o n o m i c s , statistics, f i n a n c e , i n d u s t r i a l a n d l a b o r r e l a t i o n s , p s y c h o l o g y , g e o g r a p h y , f a c t o r y p r o d u c t i o n , t r a n s p o r t a - t i o n , g o v e r n m e n t r e g u l a t i o n s a n d l e g i s l a - t i o n , business a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , t h e business f u n c t i o n s of p u r c h a s i n g a n d d i s t r i b u - t i o n , e d u c a t i o n , a n d o t h e r f i e l d s , a l l of w h i c h a r e r e p r e s e n t e d b y a v o l u m i n o u s a n d r a p i d l y g r o w i n g l i t e r a t u r e . B u s i n e s s r e s e a r c h e r s a r e n o t as a w a r e of the l i t e r a - t u r e of t h e i r f i e l d as a r e i n d u s t r i a l re- s e a r c h e r s . T h e y a r e n o t a l w a y s p r o d u c t s of c o l l e g i a t e business s c h o o l s w h e r e its d e v e l o p m e n t m i g h t h a v e been i n t r o d u c e d to t h e m . B u t p e r h a p s of m o r e s i g n i f i c a n c e f r o m the s t a n d p o i n t of p u b l i c l i b r a r i e s , t h e y h a v e i n h e r i t e d o p i n i o n s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of m a n y b u s i n e s s m e n of the past, t h a t n o b o o k c o u l d h a v e a n y p e r t i n e n t v a l u e f o r t h e i r w o r k a n d , as l i b r a r i e s a r e i n s t i t u t i o n s of books, it n a t u r a l l y f o l l o w s in t h e i r t h i n k i n g t h a t t h e r e is l i t t l e in p u b l i c li- b r a r i e s in the field of business r e s e a r c h w h i c h is of use to t h e m . B u s i n e s s b r a n c h e s s u c h as those estab- l i s h e d in the business c e n t e r s of B o s t o n , I n d i a n a p o l i s , N e w a r k , P i t t s b u r g h , a n d MARCH, 1944 161 S a n F r a n c i s c o h a v e h e l p e d t o f o c u s a t t e n - t i o n o n this t y p e of l i t e r a t u r e , a n d so g r a d u a l l y t h e y h e l p dispel t h a t e r r o r of t h o u g h t . W h i l e a l l of these b r a n c h e s e m p h a s i z e q u i c k r e f e r e n c e a n d c i r c u l a t i o n s e r v i c e r a t h e r t h a n m a i n t a i n i n g e x t e n s i v e files of d a t a f o r e x t e n d e d r e s e a r c h , t h e y s t i l l a r e p o t e n t i a l c e n t e r s f o r s u c h r e s e a r c h . L i b r a r i e s w h o s e m a i n b u i l d i n g is in a business c e n t e r h a v e a d i s t i n c t a d v a n t a g e in h a v i n g v a s t r e s o u r c e s f o r r e s e a r c h a t h a n d , b u t it is s t i l l n e c e s s a r y t o f o c u s a t t e n - t i o n o n these f a c i l i t i e s in s o m e special w a y . I n t h e C l e v e l a n d P u b l i c L i b r a r y it w a s d o n e b y e s t a b l i s h i n g a B u s i n e s s I n f o r m a - t i o n B u r e a u w i t h i n the m a i n b u i l d i n g , t r a n s f e r r i n g t o it some of t h e m a t e r i a l s of business r e s e a r c h f r o m o t h e r d i v i s i o n s in o r d e r t h a t t h e y m i g h t be as r e a d i l y a v a i l - a b l e as t h o u g h s e g r e g a t e d in a business b r a n c h a n d , a t t h e same t i m e , r e m a i n p a r t of a h u g e o r i g i n a l c o l l e c t i o n c o n s t i t u t i n g r e s e a r c h d a t a . I n a l i b r a r y o r g a n i z e d i n t o d i v i s i o n s o n the basis of a m o d i f i e d D e w e y D e c i m a l C l a s s i f i c a t i o n this w a s n o easy task, f o r p r a c t i c a l l y e v e r y d i v i s i o n c o n - t a i n e d s o m e m a t e r i a l s n e e d e d f o r business r e s e a r c h . I t r e q u i r e d k e e n v i s i o n , i n f i n i t e p a t i e n c e , a n d a g r o w i n g r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t , b y s e t t i n g u p a f o c a l u n i t f o r c a l l i n g a t t e n - t i o n of t h i s s p e c i a l i z e d c l i e n t e l e t o the l i b r a r y , the s i g n i f i c a n c e of a l l l i b r a r y u n i t s , h a s b e e n e n h a n c e d . The Collection T h e l i m i t a t i o n s of a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d m a r b l e h a v e n o t y e t b e e n o v e r c o m e , a n d a n i n s t a n t a n e o u s o b s e r v a t i o n of e v e n a c a s u a l v i s i t o r is t h a t t h e space a l l o t t e d t o t h e b u r e a u , w h i c h is on t h e s e c o n d floor of the m a i n l i b r a r y b u i l d i n g flanked o n e i t h e r side b y the s o c i o l o g y d i v i s i o n a n d the t e c h - n o l o g y d i v i s i o n , is m o s t i n a d e q u a t e . T h o u g h t h i s is a l l t o o t r u e , it s t i l l is sig- n i f i c a n t to n o t e t h a t w i t h these l i m i t a t i o n s t h e r e h a v e b e e n a s s e m b l e d to d a t e a p p r o x i - m a t e l y s i x t y t h o u s a n d b o o k s ; one t h o u s a n d A m e r i c a n t r a d e d i r e c t o r i e s ; f i f t y t r a d e d i r e c t o r i e s of f o r e i g n c o u n t r i e s , l a r g e l y f o r L a t i n A m e r i c a ; t e n t h o u s a n d t r a d e c a t a l o g s ; f i f t e e n h u n d r e d t r a d e , m a n a g e - m e n t , a n d l a b o r p e r i o d i c a l s , i n c l u d i n g f i v e h u n d r e d h o u s e o r g a n s ; f i n a n c i a l r e p o r t s f r o m a p p r o x i m a t e l y s e v e n t h o u s a n d c o r - p o r a t i o n s ; a n d s e v e r a l h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d p a m p h l e t s , t y p e w r i t t e n or m i m e o g r a p h e d s p e c i a l r e p o r t s , a n d c l i p p i n g s . O f t h e t r a d e p e r i o d i c a l s r e c e i v e d , a b o u t h a l f a r e b o u n d f o r p e r m a n e n t files w h i l e t h e r e s t a r e k e p t f o r v a r y i n g p e r i o d s or c l i p p e d a f t e r the c u r r e n t y e a r . O n e g r o u p of r e s o u r c e s u s u a l l y i d e n t i f i e d w i t h business l i b r a r y s e r v i c e — n a m e l y , t h e c i t y a n d t e l e - p h o n e d i r e c t o r i e s — i s in t h e g e n e r a l r e f - e r e n c e d i v i s i o n , w h i c h h o u s e s also an e x t e n s i v e m a p c o l l e c t i o n . B o t h g r o u p s a r e a v a i l a b l e to the b u r e a u as n e e d e d , as a r e a l s o o v e r t w o h u n d r e d n e w s p a p e r s o n f i l e in t h e n e w s p a p e r r o o m . M a n y o t h e r e x - t e n s i v e sets in o t h e r d i v i s i o n s w h i c h w o u l d c l a s s i f y as business r e s e a r c h m a t e r i a l u n d e r a m o r e a d e q u a t e c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s y s t e m h a y e n o t been d u p l i c a t e d f o r , n o r t r a n s f e r r e d to, the b u r e a u b u t a r e m a d e a v a i l a b l e as n e e d e d . T h e s e a r e d u l l a n d c o l d s t a t i s t i c s b u t t h e y s e r v e to i n d i c a t e , q u a n t i t a t i v e l y , t h e e x t e n t t o w h i c h f a c i l i t i e s f o r business r e s e a r c h , as w e l l as f o r q u i c k r e f e r e n c e , h a v e been s e g r e g a t e d a n d c o r r e l a t e d w i t h the w o r k of o t h e r d i v i s i o n s in C l e v e l a n d ' s m a i n l i b r a r y . B u t d i s c o v e r y a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n of m a - t e r i a l s in this f i e l d , as in o t h e r s , is b u t the b e g i n n i n g of the l i b r a r y ' s o p p o r t u n i t y . F o r r e a s o n s m e n t i o n e d a b o v e , t h e r e is a g r e a t e r n e e d of l i v e l y d i s s e m i n a t i o n of t h e i n f o r m a t i o n so a s s e m b l e d t h a n is g e n e r a l l y r e a l i z e d . T h e business r e s e a r c h l i b r a r i a n s v 162 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES m u s t b e c o m e i d e n t i f i e d w i t h the p r o f e s - s i o n a l • associations in this f i e l d ; e.g., t h e A m e r i c a n S t a t i s t i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n , the A m e r i c a n E c o n o m i c A s s o c i a t i o n , t h e Spe- c i a l L i b r a r i e s A s s o c i a t i o n , a n d t h e A m e r i - c a n M a r k e t i n g A s s o c i a t i o n . T h i s t h o u g h t has been f r e q u e n t l y e x p r e s s e d in p r o f e s - s i o n a l l i b r a r y l i t e r a t u r e , b u t an e x a m - i n a t i o n of the m e m b e r s h i p lists of these associations s t i l l r e v e a l s c o m p a r a t i v e l y f e w l i b r a r i a n s . L i b r a r i a n s w o u l d f i n d t h a t n e w p o i n t of v i e w n e e d e d if t h e y w o u l d h e e d the u n e x p r e s s e d c a l l , " C o m e o v e r i n t o M a c e d o n i a a n d h e l p u s " — u n e x - pressed, f o r they h a v e so l i t t l e c o n c e p t i o n of the e x t e n t of d a t a a v a i l a b l e o r of the a b i l i t y of l i b r a r i a n s to f i n d t h e m . L i s t s a n d b u l l e t i n s h e l p , of c o u r s e , b u t a r e m o s t e f f e c t i v e w h e n a r r a n g e d t o a p p e a r a t t h e p s y c h o l o g i c a l m o m e n t w h e n need f o r the i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d t h e r e i n is e x p r e s s e d . I n t h e p o s t w a r p l a n s the need f o r this t y p e of r e s e a r c h c a n s c a r c e l y be o v e r e s t i m a t e d . W h e t h e r in the p o s t w a r w o r l d t h e r e be m o r e g o v e r n m e n t r e g u l a - t i o n a n d less f r e e e n t e r p r i s e or m o r e f r e e e n t e r p r i s e a n d less g o v e r n m e n t r e g u l a t i o n , t h e f a c t r e m a i n s t h a t m a n y m e n a n d w o m e n w i l l be s e e k i n g j o b s , w h i c h in t u r n w i l l be g r e a t l y a f f e c t e d by e c o n o m i c f o r c e s w h i c h l e n d t h e m s e l v e s to s t u d y . Securing Ephemera O f t e n the l i b r a r i a n m u s t s e a r c h f o r t h e possible e x i s t e n c e of m a t e r i a l s n e e d e d b y c o n s u l t i n g p r i v a t e a n d g o v e r n m e n t o r g a n i - z a t i o n s r a t h e r t h a n d e p e n d w h o l l y u p o n p u b l i s h e d t r a d e list sources, i n d i s p e n s a b l e as t h e y a r e . F o r i n s t a n c e , m a n y o r g a n i z a - tions c o m p i l e e m p l o y e e m a n u a l s w h i c h in- c l u d e discussion of i n c e n t i v e p l a n s a n d s u g g e s t i o n systems. V e r y f e w of these e v e r r e a c h the c o l u m n s of l i b r a r y i n d e x e s or p u b l i s h e r s ' t r a d e lists, y e t it w o u l d be d i f f i c u l t to f i n d m o r e a u t h o r i t a t i v e or p r a c - t i c a l l y p r e s e n t e d i n f o r m a t i o n o n the sub- j e c t . O n e m i g h t g o on i n d e f i n i t e l y a l o n g this l i n e a n d m e n t i o n s u c h t i m e l y s u b j e c t s as c o r r e s p o n d e n c e m a n u a l s a n d b u l l e t i n s , b u d g e t p r o c e d u r e m a n u a l s f o r g o v e r n m e n t a g e n c i e s , pension p l a n s , w a g e a n d s a l a r y s u r v e y s . F o r g u i d a n c e a n d d i r e c t i o n to this e l u s i v e e p h e m e r a , it is n e c e s s a r y to " l i s t e n i n " o n n u m e r o u s c o n f e r e n c e s a n d t o scan t r a d e , c o m m e r c i a l , p r o f e s s i o n a l , t e c h n i c a l , a n d g e n e r a l m a g a z i n e s , n e w s - papers, a n d s e r v i c e s f o r a n n o u n c e m e n t s of r e s e a r c h in p r o g r e s s or of r e p o r t s , copies of w h i c h m i g h t be m a d e a v a i l a b l e . A m o n g the m o r e i m p o r t a n t p u b l i c a t i o n s f o r this p u r p o s e a r e : Advanced Management Advertising Age American Economic Review Babson's Reports Banking ( A m e r i c a n B a n k e r s A s s o c i a t i o n ) Barrons Business Week Chester IVright's Labor Letter Domestic Commerce Dun's Review Economic Notes ( L a b o r R e s e a r c h A s s o - ciation) Harvard Business Review Journal of Accountancy Journal of American Statistical Associa- tion Journal of Commerce Kiplinger Washington Letter Management Record Management Review Mechanical Engineering Monthly Labor Review National Association of Cost Accountants Bulletin Nation's Business New York Herald Tribune New York Times Newsweek PM Personnel Journal MARCH, 1944 163 Planning for Post War ( G r i s w o l d N e w s - l e t t e r ) Printers' Ink Research Reports ( A m e r i c a n Institute f o r E c o n o m i c R e s e a r c h ) Sales Management Standard & Poor's Guide to Current Business Literature Time Traffic World Wall Street Journal Whaley Eaton Letters and others. Information afforded through government agencies is often first noted in mimeographed press releases. Therefore, it is necessary that these, too, be carefully scanned to learn of similar data available from this source. Several Classifications T o say that any piece of print or near print may logically classify in more than one place in any classification is falling into the obvious. Y e t the significance of this has great meaning for the field of library service under discussion. Recently a letter was received in this bureau which said in part: In a recent discussion, a question arose w h i c h w a s not s a t i s f a c t o r i l y a n s w e r e d and on which w e feel you may have some ideas. Is the history of an industrial or com- m e r c i a l o r g a n i z a t i o n , prepared f r o m the v i e w p o i n t of its economic contributions, of interest and v a l u e to the l i b r a r y or libraries located in the community or communities served by such o r g a n i z a t i o n s ? W e have never seen such w o r k s in public libraries and have o f t e n w o n d e r e d if l i b r a r - ies w e r e not interested. Here is a specific case which illustrates the need for making business research ma- terials available by form as well as by subject matter. There is no doubt that many libraries have found this kind of material very useful, but the experience of the inquirer shows how difficult it would be to locate when considered from the form standpoint. Consider Related Subjects In developing service according to group needs, such as the one under discus- sion, it is necessary to consider related subjects which will be constantly chang- ing. Indeed, there probably is no field to which one might apply more appropriately the word "change," in describing its most constant characteristic, than the field of business research. T i m e was when psy- chology and geography were primarily classroom subjects. N o w they are a vital part of any collection dealing with per- sonnel training or market studies. W h a t changes the present W o r l d W a r will de- velop for our future economic life are only being guessed and range from fears of widespread unemployment and dislocation of workers to miracles of development in industrial progress for both producer and consumer goods, assuring more of the good things of life for more people. T h a t these changes may be brought about sanely and with least distress will require pro- found judgment, which depends upon in- formation, much of which falls within the scope of business research. Information will be needed as never before on training and retraining of workers, potential markets, trading areas, transportation facilities, sources of raw materials, ware- housing, distribution, financial operations, cost studies, time studies, economic condi- tions, cost of living, industrial and public relations, and many other subjects related to these fields. T h e library has an unprecedented op- portunity on its doorstep. M a y it keep the faith! v 164 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES