(Reprinted from Illinois Central Magazine, July, 1917) Specialists and Special Collections By Eugene F. MoPike, Manager, Perishable Freight Service, Illinois Central Railroad, Chicago We live to learn, that we may learn to live. Knowledge is power. The man who knows is useful and will be increas- ingly useful in the days to come which may be very close at hand. This is true not only in the relatively narrow sense of the individual and the activities with which he may come most closely into contact, but also in that larger sense which is represented by the flag we call our own. Our vision must be extended to still more distant horizons because knowledge is cosmopolitan ; it knows no boundaries either of geography or of politics. It cannot be court-martialed for including all humanity within its scope, even during a time of war. Yet he best serves humanity who serves best his own country because in order to pre- serve any good within us we must be true and loyal to our ideals. Duty, like charity, begins at home. We live to learn, that we may con- tribute what little we can toward the happy solution of the problems con- fronting the race to which we belong. The strength of a nation is in the sum of its energies. Hence we must corre- late specialization with generalization. The ambitious and serious student of any subject frequently experiences dif- ficulty in getting into touch with the sources of the particular knowledge which he seeks. His home may be far from any large public library or other facilities for study. He may be quite j uninformed as to the ways and means 1 which are at his command if he were only sufficiently industrious to use them. There is great need of a general guide to, or a directory of specialists and spe- cial collections relating to technology and other useful information. Such a work ought to be compiled and pub- lished in the form of a “Year-book,” which, in some measure would be a key to the world’s knowledge of today and tomorrow, just as printed literature or bibliography is a key to the knowledge of yesterday. The world in which we live is moving fast. It is ho longer enough to know how or why a certain thing was done in a certain way yester- day, but we desire to know and often must know how and why it is being performed today or indeed may be per- formed tomorrow. Progressive knowl- edge is in the immediate custody of those specialists who are creating it. They are busy men whose hours and minutes are filled with work of a highly specialized character. From such duties they cannot be diverted by any idle in- quiries, but the serious student will find that generally speaking where there is a will there is a way. The specialists themselves often re- quire and seek information outside their chosen field. All knowledge must be in- terrelated for its parts are interdepend- ent upon each other. This proposition in one form or an- other is receiving serious consideration in England, France, Russia, etc. An excellent editorial article relating to the establishment of a Central Informa- tion Bureau was published in the Lon- don Engineer of May 25, 1917, urging the establishment of such a Bureau in England based upon the program of the International Restitute of Bibliography in Brussels, fflgium. Similar action is about to be commenced in France for the organization of a “Society for the Promotion of National Industry.” It is furthermore reported in the public press that some active steps are being taken in Russia for the organization of a new “Association for Development and Dis- semination of the Positive Sciences.” It would appear, therefore, that in the United States where technology has 27 28 ILLINOIS CENTRAL MAGAZINE been so much developed and used, it is high time that some definite action be taken in the direction of establishing a general clearing house or Central Infor- mation Bureau to promote the inter- change of technical and other useful in- formation. As a very small contribution toward the proposed Directory of Specialists and Special Collections, the following list has been prepared and arranged accord- ing to the Dewey decimal classification of knowledge as used by many Amer- ican librarians : 000. GENERAL WORKS. 001. Research and Intercommunica- tion (general). (1) The Library of Congress, Wash- ington, D. C., often furnishes very use- ful information or suggestions (gratis) to serious investigators or students in response to reasonable and brief in- quiries which are clear and to the point, relating to almost any branch of human knowledge. (2) The Chicago Daily News Infor- mation Bureau, Washington, D. C., an- nounces that it will undertake to answer any inquiry when accompanied by a two cent postage stamp for each question presented. The replies generally consist of bulletins or other material obtainable from the governmental offices. (3) The American Library Associa- tion (Geo. B. Utley, Secretary, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago) has ap- pointed a special committee to investi- gate and report upon a plan known as “Sponsors for Knowledge” originated by Geo. W. Lee of Boston. Under this plan certain librarians and specialists accept direct responsibility for the col- lecting and furnishing conformation on designated subjects. preliminary lists of “Sponsors for Knowledge” ap- peared in the Bulletin of the American Library Association for January and March, 1916. (4) According to The Library Jour- nal (U. S.) for August, 1912 (vol. 37, p. 478), the Library of Congress ; Cali- fornia State Library, Sacramento; John Crerar Library, Chicago ; and the Hall of Archives, Ottawa, are equipped with photographic apparatus (“photostat”) by which copies of pages in books, man- uscripts, etc., can be made, at small cost, for students and others. The Library of Engineering Societies, New York City, was also considering the installation of such apparatus. (See entry No. 19.) (5) A Society for the Advancement of Knowledge is being organized with headquarters in Great Britain and a branch in the United States. It will be devoted to the promotion of ways and means to facilitate the interchange of useful information. Its official organ is i( The Link.” (See entry No. 11 in this series.) Membership fee: $3.00 per year. (6) A “University Extension Club” may be organized by Mr. Ernest Briggs, Steinway Hall Bldg., Chicago, whose tentative plans contemplate a central office with ways and means to promote intercommunication or the direct inter- change of useful information. The membership fee will probably be fixed at $3.00 per year which will include the official organ to be published at stated intervals. (7) Kosmos, International Corre- spondence Alliance, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, publishes, in January of each year, a directory of its members throughout the world, with an indica- tion of the subject of immediate inter- est to each, so as to encourage di/ect intercorrespondence between them, when desired. Membership fee : $1.25 per year, plus a cash guarantee of $1.25, which is refunded on termination of membership. 026. Libraries on Special Subjects. (8) Special Libraries, organ of the Special Libraries Association. Editor: John A. Lapp, State Library, Indian- apolis, Indiana. Monthly; $2.00 per year (10 numbers). 050. General Periodicals. (9) Notes and Queries, Bream’s Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, E. C., England. Weekly 1849-1917, in half-yearly volumes with index. Also General Index to each series of twelve volumes. Includes a wide range of sub- jects within its scope. Is in public ILLINOIS CENTRAL MAGAZINE libraries of larger American cities. (Monthly since April 15, 1917.) (10) LT nt er me diair e des Chercheurs et Curieux. 31 bis Rue Victor-Masse Paris, France. Thjrice monthly since 1864. General Index to 1896. A set in library of University of Chicago. Relates chiefly to French history, etc. (Sometimes called the “French Notes and Queries.”) (11) “The Link ” official organ of the Society for the Advancement of Knowledge (see entry No. 5 in this series). A directory of its subscribers with their varied interests, is published in Great Britain. Appears quarterly in March, June, September and December. Is in Chicago Public Library, Library of University of Chicago, New York Public Library, etc. 080. Collections (general). (12) “Special Collections in Libra- ries in the United States” by W. Daw- son Johnston, librarian of Columbia University, and Isadore G. Mudge, ref- erence librarian of Columbia University. U. S. Bureau of Education, Bulletin, 1912, No. 23. Government Printing Office, price ten cents. (140 pages, in- cluding index.) 300. SOCIOLOGY. (13) Infant Welfare Society, 104 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. 361. Red Cross. (14) American Red Cross, Wash- ington, D. C. (Official Organ: The Red Cross Magazine, monthly ; Double- day, Page & Co., Garden Citv, Long Island, N. Y.) 400. PHILOLOGY (LAN- GUAGES). (15) Students of French, Spanish or other foreign languages would find it profitable to correspond, if possible, with some one knowing that language as his mother tongue. This may not be easy to arrange in the present interna- tional situation. (See entries Nos. 5, 6, 7, 11, 16, 17, in this series.) 408.9 International Language. (16) The British Idistic Society, J. W. Baxter, Secretary, 47 Limes Grove, Lewisham, S. E., London, England, is making good progress with its propa- ganda of “IDO” (pronounced: ee-doh), in Great Britain. Lord Northcliffe has thrown open the columns of his news- paper, “The, Daily Mail ” for that pur- pose. (17) The International Language Society of America, G. W. P. Gibson, Secretary, 5610 Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, will answer inquiries regarding the practical application of “IDO” in the world of commerce, etc. 540. Chemistry. (18) The Chemists’ Club library, New York City, has been consolidated with the Library of the Engineering So- cieties, same place, for which see entry No. 19 in this series. 600. TECHNOLOGY. (19) Library of the Engineering So- cieties, 29 West 39th St., New York City (with which the library of the Chemists’ Club has been consolidated) will, for reasonable compensation, un- dertake special researches, not only for members, but for any one, by securing information, copies, transcripts, transla- tions, etc. Address W. P. Cutter, Li- brarian and Secretary. (20) “Technical Information Bu- reaus,” by Miss L. B. Krause, librarian, H. M. Byllesby & Co., Chicago. In “Engineering Record” (U. S.), for June 22, 1912, page 690. , (21) “New Technical Books,” a quarterly bulletin issued by the New York Public library, New York City, and distributed gratis. (22) Society of' Technical Associa- tions’ Secretaries ; Harry D. Voight, 95 Liberty Street, New York City. (23) The Vocational Education As- sociation of the Middle West. Secre- tary : Albert G. Bauersfeld, instructor pattern making department, Lane Tech- nical School, Chicago ; address Sedg- wick and Division Streets, Chicago. Issues an interesting and instructive “Year-book.” Membership only $1.00 per year. 630. Agriculture. (24) The U. S. Department of Agri- culture, Washington, D. C., and its sev- SO ILLINOIS CENTRAL MAGAZINE eral Bureaus, will supply, on request, much information concerning any spe- cific phases of agriculture, horticulture, plant diseases, etc. The same is true of many of the State Agricultural Experi- ment Stations. 655. Book-dealers. (25) “The International Directory of Booksellers,” edited by James Clegg, Aldine Press, Rochdale, England, 1914 (644 pages with Index). Copies are in principal public libraries of U. S. Is useful also as an indirect means of find- ing a new correspondent in a foreign country, through whom to conduct spe- cial studies and investigations. 656. Transportation : Railroading. (26) Bureau of Railway Economics, 429 Homer Building, Washington, D. C. R. H. Johnston, Librarian. 659. Advertising. (27) Advertising Association of Chicago, Advertising Building, 123 West Madison Street, Chicago. 700. FINE ARTS. 710. Gardening (landscape). Town (city) Planning. (28) The City Club of Chicago (315 Plymouth Place) has made a special study of town-planning.