Lantern Slides
There are two methods of filing slides. One is to file slides in a cabinet containing drawers similar to a card catalog case, the slides being filed horizontally rather than vertically. The other method is to use a specially designed filing cabinet containing sliding file leaves which pull out at right angles to the cabinet, which is designed on the sectional unit plan for growth; the leaves have each a capacity of about fifty or sixty slides which are held in place by means of channel grooves which provide for examination of the slides without handling, and also permit of quick removal of each slide as needed. Complete descriptions of such cabinets may be obtained from the Multiplex Display Fixture Company, St. Louis, Missouri, and from G. S. Moler, 408 University avenue, Ithaca, New York. Both makes have been satisfactorily used by a number of business organizations.
The Moler lantern slide cabinet
The drawer method of filing slides costs less than the cabinet with sliding file leaves, and also takes up less space. It has been found in the experience of libraries handling large numbers of lantern slides which are used freely that they are not as fragile as they appear to be; they do not break easily and can be fingered as rapidly as a card index file in a similar drawer. A piece of white paper can be easily slipped behind the slides in the drawers to bring out their details when they are being consulted.
Lantern slide cabinet made by Multiplex Display Fixture Co.
Lantern slides may be classified and card indexed for business purposes in the same way that photographs are and care should be taken to have the file number and title of the slide plainly lettered along the top edge of the face of the slide.
Collections of lantern slides for art and architectural purposes require more elaborate classification and cataloging but such requirements do not come within the scope of this treatise.
In some business libraries where the slides are loaned out of the city it may be advisable to index them on a 4 by 6 inch catalog card, instead of the standard 3 by 5 inch card, in order to allow room to paste on it a photograph of the lantern slide which will show its detail when the slide itself is not immediately available.