(g) As to the accession book: I mention this because everyone does, and therefore, lack the courage to pass it without remark. Some library reports say that they save the time of one assistant by doing away with it. The fact that practically all of them say it, no matter what size the library in question is, makes one suspicious. I think they are just copying each other's reports, which is not fair. If, however, the accession book is abandoned, and the bill-date, source and cost for each copy of a book are added to a shelf-list card which contains author, title, publisher and perhaps date of publication, much writing is saved and all necessary information is preserved. In the Minneapolis public library, which makes the closest estimate I have seen, four hours per 150 books are said to be saved by such a method. No small matter! It is my personal opinion that the accession book is superfluous in a library which is completely cataloged and shelf-listed.
(h) An interesting change due to the study of motions is recommended in the procedure for shelf-listing by the Minneapolis public library: "Formerly one person marked the call number on the back of the title page, and assigned the copy letter, then the book was taken by another assistant who marked the book slip, the pocket and the label. This meant two people handling the book, the second doing only the mechanical work of copying; hence the work must be revised by someone else, or many mistakes occurred in the work of even our best markers. Now, the shelf-lister, who knows the meaning of the number and has it already in her mind, marks all books as she lists them, and the work goes through faster and more accurately."
(i) Trying to save money by omitting the yearly inventory, particularly for open shelves, is a mistake, I believe. One does not save money by gaining discredit for failing to keep track of his wares.
(j) It is doubtless superfluous to recommend throwing away antiques, like withdrawal books.
(k) The use of the multigraph for writing catalog and shelf-list cards is certainly economy if the number of catalogs is large enough to require pretty large duplication. The shifting of much mechanical work to a less highly-paid class of assistant and the saving in revision of all but the first copy of a card, are distinct gains.
(l) There are doubtless many mechanical devices which will be adopted to advantage in cataloging in the next few years. Many machines of different sorts have greatly changed bookkeeping methods, making the bookkeeper an initiative force in administration of business houses, and certainly similar economy systems will be developed for the cataloger.
5. Efficiency of the individual in the department.
The routine work of cataloging brings fatigue sooner than an occupation involving more variety, although the effects of this form of fatigue may not cumulate so rapidly. It is consequently of special importance that the executive pay particular attention to the application of the principles of scientific management to the efficiency of the individual. The utmost care must be taken that energy shall be carefully directed and not be over-expended. Unduly prolonged attention to a particular kind of work resulting in the long run in nervous exhaustion is a familiar phenomenon of cataloging. Dr. Richardson says that for correction and verification work, two hours a day is the maximum for highest efficiency. My observation is that continuous work at the typewriter should not exceed three hours. Although filing is largely mechanical work, it is also very wearying because of the decided monotony of it, and there is a marked tendency to tire quickly. Since errors rapidly increase with fatigue, the service is directly injured, as well as indirectly through the ultimate effect on the health of the individual.
In general the carefully trained assistant not only knows how to go about his work with more dispatch, with less need for supervision, with more real efficiency, but also with less wear and tear on his nervous energy. An added argument for the economy of paying higher salaries to obtain adequately trained assistants! I have had excellent opportunity to observe the effect of the graded salary on the efficiency of a cataloging staff. The increased interest, the new energy, and the altered spirit are marked when a graded service is installed, particularly when it is realized that efficiency, as well as length of service, is considered.