Fig. 25. Follow-up Card with Alphabetical Tab
To so file the cards that any one can be found by name, without interference with the automatic features of the follow-up system, is an important consideration. This can be accomplished by the use of a card like the one shown in Fig. 25. It will be noted that this card bears a small tab or projection, on which is printed the letter B. These tabs are cut 1/20 of the width of the card and are in twenty positions across the card. This allows for twenty subdivisions of the alphabet, the A tab being in the first position, B in the second, etc.
In filling in a card, one bearing the letter corresponding with the first letter in the name of the correspondent is selected—a B card for Brown, an S card for Smith. Now since B is always printed on a tab in the second position, and this tab is always the same distance from the end of the card, when the cards are filed, all B tabs will be in a straight line from front to back of the drawer.
No matter under what date it is filed, if Brown's card is wanted it will be found by looking through the row of B tabs in the second position from the left. Regardless of the number, all tabs printed with the same letter are found in one row, making it possible to file cards by date and cross-index by name.
Fig. 26. Follow-up Card with Movable Tab to Show Dates
Cross-Indexing the Alphabetical File. An improvement over the cross-index of the tickler, described above, is the method of cross-indexing an alphabetical file in a manner to insure a follow-up on a specified date. A card without tabs, as shown in Fig. 26, is used. Across the top of the card is printed a series of numbers representing the days of the month. This may include all of the numbers, from 1 to 31, or the month may be divided into five day periods.
In connection with this card a metal tab, which can be attached at will, is used. One of these tabs is placed over the number which represents the date on which it is to be followed up. The card is then filed, indexed by name.