If wood cabinets are selected, care should be taken that these are purchased from a manufacturer who will guarantee that the woods used are well seasoned and perfectly kiln-dried so that there will be no shrinking, swelling or warping. These are necessary qualifications which can not be assured when purchasing the lower priced cases on the market.
Double face unit wood shelving, 6 feet 10 inches high with adjustable shelves, 3 feet long and 8 inches wide. By courtesy of the Library Bureau.
Wood cases are preferable to steel for library use, not only because of the appearance, but also because they are less noisy. Steel cabinets, despite the rubber protectors or buffers which do not wear for any length of time, are noisy. The fire resisting qualities of steel are negligible as an argument for their use in the average business library.
Card Catalog Cabinets and Cards
All card cabinets for library use should be made for the standard centimeter size library catalog card which is approximately 3 by 5 inches and should be purchased with round rods to pass through the lower margin of the card, so that the cards can not be accidentally spilled out or carelessly removed and misplaced.
A good quality of card should be selected, for experience proves it is a waste of time and money to put permanent records on a poor grade of cards; guides with celluloid tips are more durable than bristle board ones.
The best cards on the market have both evenly cut edges and sufficient stiffness to permit rapid fingering and are made of durable stock. These points are particularly emphasized because one of the faults of many business offices is the buying of cheap card supplies without taking into consideration the reason why more expensive cards are really the most economical.
No matter by whom the equipment and supplies of a business organization are ordered, the business librarian should always have the privilege of specifying grades and makes if the best results are to be obtained. It is never advisable for the sake of general office uniformity to force supplies upon the business library which are not best suited for its work, and the librarian is always the best judge of the most suitable ones by reason of trained judgment, and experience.
The ordering of books and periodicals should always be done by the librarian, who is thoroughly acquainted with the publishing field, and under no circumstances by the general purchasing department of an organization.