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.