Following Mr. Luce's paper, Mr. Jesse Cunningham, librarian of the School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Missouri, reported as the Chairman of the clipping committee his investigation of the use and methods of handling and filing newspaper clippings. A very careful digest of a questionnaire sent to over thirty selected libraries, discussed the matters of obtaining clippings by these various libraries, the arrangement of the material for clipping, the service rendered by the clipping bureaus, classification and methods of filing, as well as the indexing and eliminating of dead material, closing the report with a discussion of the use and value of clippings, their disadvantages, the purchasing of clippings on special subjects and the several conclusions arrived at by the committee. A most excellent report was rendered. The committee was continued and requested to extend its inquiries along the lines indicated.
In the absence of Dr. J. Franklin Crowell of the Wall Street Journal, his paper upon the "Clipping methods of the Wall Street Journal library" was read by title.
Mr. H. W. Wilson of Minneapolis, followed with a paper entitled, "Problems of printed indexes in special fields."
"The need for printed indexes in special fields has been made manifest by the thousands of fugitive scraps of indexes that libraries here and there spend their time and energy in producing for temporary use.
"First steps toward printed indexes are both fragmentary and inadequate. It seems to be time to take the next step in the development of index-making, a step which involves concentration of scattered ideas—a step which should be successful because it means comprehensiveness, thoroughness, uniformity, economy and efficiency.
"The special fields of literature in which printed indexes are most likely to succeed are thought to be as follows, in about the order mentioned: Industrial arts, agriculture, education, social problems.
"It will scarcely be necessary to defend here the alphabetical index as opposed to the classified arrangement. While a classified list of articles has its value in informing specialists what has been published in their respective fields in one particular month, or year, it is almost useless as a book of ready reference in a library—useless even to the technically trained, exasperating to the layman.
"In a classed list the responsibility for finding an article rests with the searcher."
The great difficulty caused by unsatisfactory nomenclature especially in rapid-growing new technical fields, was dwelt upon at some length. In conclusion, he said, "At least one new field should be opened up each year."
In the general discussion which followed, the questions of paper for clipping mounts, adhesives, and preservatives, were touched upon.