Ij  C  ARMY MEDICAL LIBRARY
           Washington 25, D. C.

ORGANIZING SMALL MEDICAL LIBRARIES
      IN MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
           (Revised August 1951)
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ARMY MEDICAL LIBRARY
   Washington 25, D. C.
        ORGANIZING SMALL MEDICAL LIBRARIES
              IN MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
                   (Revised August 1951)

 A.  Introduction

    1. This procedure has been prepared to answer requests from
 persons assigned to organize or re-organize  small military medical
 libraries containing up to 2, 500 titles.  It will probably be of most
 assistance to those who have not had previous medical library
 experience.  The aim of the procedure is to provide the simplest
 possible plan for organizing your library's materials.  Questions
 on related problems not answered in this outline may be addressed
 to the Catalog Division, Army Medical Library,  Washington 25,  D.  C.

    2. The Department of the Army Special Regulations 735-80-1
 Property Accountability - Libraries  (28 March 1951) prescribes the
 way in which you must account for the books in your library.  This
 regulation should be studied carefully before  you make or change
 any records.

    3. This regulation does away with the use of accession numbers
 in books because the identity of each book is plain from its  own
 author-title-date information,  unless your library has  more than
 one copy of a title.  When you have two or more copies of a book,
 mark the 2d,  copy  2; the 3d, copy 3;  etc. so that you will know exactly
 which copy is which and your shelflist will show how many copies you
 have.

 B.  Selection and Acquisition of Books and Journals.

    1.  General.   In Code Letter IX-506, DA,  SGO, MEDDE-A
 (12 Oct 1950) The Surgeon  General prescribed procedures  for
obtaining books  and journals and for disposing of excessesc  This
letter should be in the files of your medical supply officer or in the
post purchasing and contracting section.

   2.  Selection. In the same letter mentioned in B, 1 above, par
2,  a,  (2), (b), describes lists of books  and journals having  the
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 approval of The Surgeon General's Board for Review of Medical
 Service Books and Journals.  These lists are mimeographed at
 the SGO in Washington and sent to the depots for subsequent
 distribution to medical units based on them.  Present plans are
 to issue the lists in July of each year  and to bring them up to
 date with replacement pages the following January.  Lists for
 July 1951 have been published.  There is no compulsion to buy
 the books or journals listed, but they  serve as comprehensive
 guides  to medical publications and thus offer a good source of
 suggestions for purchases for your  library. The lists are in-
 tended  for your library but may have been retained in your
 medical supply.  Your depot should be contacted through medical
 supply  if latest issue is not on hand.
        a.  In par 2, a, (2), (c),  The Surgeon General says,
 "Each installation which receives a monetary credit for the
 purchase of books and journals  should  establish a board of
 review for books and journals. "  This  paragraph goes further
 to prescribe the organization of the board.   Recommendations
 for purchases made by individuals on the staff should be
 channeled through the library officer,  where there is no librarian,
 to this  board  for approval or disapproval.

    3.   Purchase.  Recommendations for books and journals that
 have been approved by your organization's Board of Review
 will be turned in to the medical supply officer.  He will
 consolidate them on purchase requests that are forwarded to the
 purchasing and contracting section for buying.  While the
 librarian or library officer has little to do with this process
 it would be well to know the following.
        a.  The Armed Forces Medical Procurement Agency
 annually lets a contract with a book  jobber for medical books.
 Because of the discount rates secured it is  mandatory that
 medical installations buy from the contract source whenever
 possible (Code Letter VII-203, DA,  SGO, MEDDE-A,  31 Aug 50).
 Only books issued by publishers that he does not stock may be
 bought elsewhere,
        b.  Par 2,  a, (1),  (b), of Code Letter IX-506 states,
 "Subscriptions for journals are  placed during the second
 quarter of the fiscal year ..."  Before this time your Board
 of Review should approve a subscription list.  Many of your
journals are listed in the  Federal Supply  Schedule, Class 35,
 Part II, and you are required to buy from the dealer noted
opposite each title, unless a price advantage will result if
a single agent supplies all your  journals.  It will be worth
your while to test the single agent method because of the
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cost=saving features of one purchase order, one source for
correspondence on missing issues, and because agents
usually offer a better discount rate on a specific list.  For
this single agent method copies of your list of journals and
the names of at least three agents should be sent through Medical
Supply to the purchasing section.  This office will ask for bids
and let  a  contract if the aggregate cost is less than the FSS
cost.  It is a convenience and saver of time and money to have
all subscriptions begin in January and end in December.  If
yours are not on this basis it would be well to arrange them
in this manner.

    4«   Withdrawal. Removal of dead wood from the collection
is negative book selection and equal in importance with the
selection of new materials, particularly for the small working
library.  Shelves should be examined for superseded editions
and only the latest ones retained.  The same is true of old
texts that have been out-moded by different titles.  The
library officer, or the librarian if there is one, should enlist
the aid  of the  chiefs of services and heads of sections to
assist him in  a careful job of weeding the collection.  This
work should be done continuously thereafter. All material
selected for discarding should be referred to the organi-
zation's Board of Review before any  records are changed=
Alterations to records for discards will be in accordance
with SR 735-80-1.
        a.  Methods for disposing of excess books and journals
are recorded  in the letter mentioned in B,  1 above,  and also
in the section on books in the manual of the depot  on which
your organization is based0

C.  Circulation Records

    1. You will need to set up a circulation record in order
to keep track of books and journals borrowed for use outside
the library.  Two kinds of loans may be made, temporary
loans (usually two weeks for books and three to seven days for
journals) and indefinite loans.
        a.  A system for temporary loans may be  accomplished
by having the borrower sign his name on the book cards of the
volumes borrowed if they are so equipped.  If not, a charge slip
should be made for each book or journal borrowed.
           (1) For each book, note on the charge slips  author,
title, copy number, and date to be  returned.  Have the borrower
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sign his name on the slip,
           (2) For each journal borrowed,  note its title, volume,
number or part,  date of publication, and date to be returned.
           (3) These will constitute your official charge records.
They should be filed according to the date on which the material
is due to be returned, so that you can remind your borrowers of
overdue items.
           (4) Before filing the official charge slip,  make a
duplicate to be filed under the name of the borrower,  (The
duplicate need not be signed) The file under name of borrower
will enable you to quickly issue a library clearance record when
an officer's station is being changed,
        b.  Books that must be immediately available at all times
in the office of a chief of service, or at some other such location,
may be made as  indefinite loans on memorandum receipts.  Care
should be exercised in making such loans to insure that other
staff members will not be deprived of literature that is important
to them, although perhaps less frequently needed.  In the case
of medical dictionaries, other reference works, and basic texts
it would be wise to assign the first copy to the library. If the
chief of a service or other official thinks a copy stiould be
assigned to him permanently a duplicate copy may be bought.
There is nothing to prevent purchase of the library and duplicate
copies at the same time.
           (1) Indefinite loans must l?e recorded on Property
Issue Slip (DA AGO Form 446) and returns on Turn-In Slip (DA
AGO Form 447).  See par 7, SR 735-80=1 for exact procedures
to be followed.
           (2) It is also advisable to prepare a charge as  in
C,  1,  a, recording author, title, copy number, date lent  and
location.  These charges should be filed alphabetically by author
under the heading "M/R Accounts. "  Such a file will make any
books located outside the library available to any user and will
serve as an index to single copies not duplicated in the library.

D.  Arrangement of Books.  Journals, Pamphlets

    1. Assuming that you have some library materials and that
shelving of some sort is available (even though it may consist of
stacked packing cases), sort your printed materials by type.
       a.  Monographs.  These  are books published as separate
titles.
       b.  Journals.  These are periodicals, journals, reports,
and other titles published in parts,  or volumes,  over a period
of time.
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        c.  Pamphlets.  Miscellaneous, small, unbound titles.

    2.  Arrange the Journals alphabetically by title, or name
of organization responsible for the publication.  Arrange all
pieces or volumes of a single title chronologically beginning
with the lowest number or the earliest date.
        a.  This material will be used as currently received,
and through periodical indexes, and therefore is most easily
available if kept on the shelves in alphabetical order.  No
further work need be done on the journals until the other
materials are  in order.   As new pieces or issues of a title
are received,  they can just be added to those already arranged.

    3.  Monographs: For the small library (up to 1500 volumes
actually located in the library) that does  not have the services
or advice of a  professional librarian the  best arrangement for books
is alphabetically by author.  This arrangement makes for ease in
locating and replacing books.  (This  recommendation conflicts
with par 6,  c,  (1), (a), of SR 735-80-1 which says that the shelflist
will be by class number for books of non-fiction, and the arrange-
ment of a shelflist is supposed to correspond with the arrange-
ment of books  on the shelves.  Pending such time as adequate
assistance in classification of the books can be obtained,  arrange-
ment of books  and shelflist by author will serve the auditors
purpose in checking records and holdings)
        a.  In some instances,  immediate division into subject
groups may prove more desirable.  The  group of subjects listed
here have been selected for a general medical collection and you
will probably only need to use a part of them.   If you have a
library with a  highly specialized collection, this plan may not
be adequate.  In such a situation it is suggested that you request
a more detailed scheme of grouping your  books from the Army
Medical Library.
        b.  The subject headings are  briefly stated in the outline
but should be interpreted as including all  related material. (If your
acquaintance with medicine and medical terms is limited,  you will
find an up-to-date medical dictionary an  indispensable help in
arranging your books, as well as in the reference use of your
library.)
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                    SUBJECT GROUPS
Anatomy                            Nursing
Bacteriology                        Occupational therapy
Biochemistry                       Ophthalmology
Cardiology                         Orthopedics
Dentistry                           Otorhinolaryngology
Dermatology                        Parasitology
Endocrinology                      Pathology
Gastro-intestinal system            Pediatrics
Gynecology & Obstetrics            Pharmacology
Hematology                         Physical medicine
Hospitals                           Physiology
Infectious  diseases                  Psychiatry
Internal medicine                   Public health
Laboratory diagnosis                Radiology
Military medicine                   Reference books
  (Administrative aspects            Respiratory system
  of subject)                         Surgery
Miscellaneous                      Urology
Neurology                          Veterinary medicine
(For your  convenience a separate listing of these classes together
with a brief index are appended.)
        c.  As  you sort you will find it convenient to put temporary
labels on the shelves.  It will also make your plan of arranging
the books easier to understand, and the books  easier to use, for
you will probably be called on for reference service before the
organizing job is finished.
        d.  The subject for each book  should be pencilled neatly
inside the  front cover so that it will always be put back in the
same place.   Further numbering to identify individual authors
is unnecessary.

    4.  Sort the Pamphlets into  the same subject groups as the
monographs.  (In this re-sorting look for pieces which belong
in the journals group.)  Mark the subject notation in the upper
left corner of the cover so your work won't have to be done over
again every time the material is used.
        a.   The pamphlets may be shelved with  the corresponding
book material.  Pieces worth the trouble should be protected
by some sort  of a cover even though  only a manila envelope.
(Don't  forget to put identifying  information on the outside of
the cover.  ) The pamphlets will remain in better condition
and in  better order if you can keep them in a filing case
arranged by subject.
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E.  Card records

    1.  The next few steps cover the records needed for your
collection.  Do not make any record you can do without!
Records typed on 3" x5" cards should contain the fewest  possible
details.  Your cards need not be perfectly consistent in form
or content,  but remember that the resulting file will be
easier to use and will give more satisfaction to its users, if
its  individual cards are as neatly and accurately made as
conditions permit.

    2.  As the monographs will be harder to  keep track of than
the journals,  cards for monographs should be prepared first.
The monograph record (or catalog) will consist of an alphabetical
list of authors and titles and the shelflist required in SR 735-80-1.
The shelflist  may be an alphabetical list  by  authors or a list
by  subjects (see D. 3.  above)
        a. Samples of the cards you will need to make are
illustrated on pages
        b.  The cards  should be typed directly from the books
as  most of the information needed will be found on the title  page
and can be used as found.  Some suggestions on the various
items  of information are included  in the hope they will speed your
efforts.
           (1) Author's name.  If it is a personal name,  use only
surname and initials,  (if only one  forename it should be written
out) in the heading. If two personal authors, use only one
name in the heading and make an extra card for the  author
after the first.  (In the case of research reports,  there  is no
need to make cards for all names  listed.)
           (2) If an institution or corporation is the  author, use
its name in the heading.  (These are  called corporate names.)
Here you will have to be on  your guard to see that an insti-
tution is not sometimes put  under the name of the place  in which
it is located and sometimes under its own name.
           (3) Title.  Use the title given in  the book and shorten
long titles when "it  can be done without changing the meaning.
           (4) Edition.  Use number (e. g.,  2d ed.,  4th ed., etc.)
except where it is  necessary to use Rev. ed.  (Revised edition);
Rev.  & enl, ed.  (Revised  and enlarged edition).
           (5) Date of Publication. If date is  not on the title page,
look for it on back "of the title page or at the end of the preface
or  introduction.  Dates are  important for scientific publications
so  try to give one.  Use the latest date you  can find in the book.
          9 (6) Paging or Volumes. Give the main paging only,
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paying no heed to preliminary or supplementary paging,,  If
the work is in more than one volume, substitute the number
of volumes for the number of pages.  If in a single volume,
and the paging  is complicated, use lv„ instead of paging,
           (7) Illustrations.   The abbreviation "illus. ",
added after the paging, can indicate any and all kinds of
illustrative material,,
           (8) Tracing.  This is information added on the
back of your first author card,  listing all the extra cards made
for a title.  (The purpose of this is to make certain that you
can locate all the cards  should the book be  lost or withdrawn.)
           (9) Subject Notation.  This is the shelving notation
from the list of subject classes used in your library. It is
placed in the upper left hand corner of the card so you will
know where to  find the book.
        c.  No provision is made for an alphabetical subject
list of your books.   If the size of your collection warrants it
the books will be available on the shelves in subject groups
and the shelflist can be used as a subject list.

    3.  After you have  established control over your monographs,
it would be a good idea to make a record of your journals.
The journal record cards may be blank 3" x 5" cards, printed
form cards,  or visible record cards.  For each journal you
will need to record:
           Author and/or title
           Frequency of publication
           Source or other ordering information
           Pieces or volumes in your library
														
	-vol-	J a	F	Mr	A.P	My	»Tfi	Jv	Ap:	8	f)	N	D	
														
														
														
														
														
														
														
														
^														
i 1---------														
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        a.  On the card, list all the pieces you have and add
each new piece as received.  This will make it possible
for you to ascertain if a wanted issue has been received.
(Caution: Don't keep any of the older issues of a journal
which are no  longer used -- they just gather dust and
make your housekeeping harder.  Ask your medical
officers if they will need journals more than 5 years old,
and  discard on the basis of their replies.  Also don't
bind journals unless they are to be retained permanently.
Unbound volumes may be neatly arranged on shelves in
inexpensive pamphlet file boxes).

    4. Pull out of your  pamphlet group the larger pamphlets
which have personal authors under whose names they are
apt to be known.  Put them in covers of some sort and treat
them as monographs (see D, 3, above)  Probably nothing
further need be done to the remaining small items, except
to dust  them and weed out the unused ones occasionally.
Get  a filing case to keep them in if you can,

F.   Filing

     1. Arrange your alphabetical files in a straight alphabetical
sequence, using  the basic rule that "nothing files before
something. "  In other words, file letter by letter to the end
of the first word, then word by word to the first mark of
punctuation.   In filing,  ignore articles at the  beginning of titles.

    2. The shelflist cards should be arranged in the same order
as the books on the shelves, either alphabetically by author,  or
by subject notation, and then alphabetically by author within
each subject group.

G.   Inventory.

    1. If you are  taking charge of a collection of books that has
already been organized, you will need to take an inventory to
determine what books are missing.  To  do this:
       a. Check the books on the shelves against the entries
             in the shelflist.
       b. Add a pencil notation for each volume located after
its own  copy or accession number in the shelflist.  (These marks
should be very small and carefully made as you will want to
erase them later.)
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       c„  When the volumes on the shelves are completed,
check volumes charged to officers, laboratories,  etc., and
consider them as found.
       d.  Make a brief card record for each missing book,
including its author, title,  edition, volume, and copy or
accession number.   Note on each card an explanatory phrase,
such as: Msg Aug.  '51 (Missing in August 1951).  As each
card is completed,  pencil the Msg Aug  '51 note on the
corresponding shelflist card.  If you wish you may now
erase the marks showing which volumes were on the shelves
or charged out as the missing notations provide the information
you need,
       e.  Arrange the cards for missing books alphabetically
and keep on the lookout for them.
       f. When a book is found,  erase the missing note in
the shelflist and discard its card from the file of books
missing.
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Endocrinology
Hoskins, Ra Go
  Endocrinology| the glands and their func
tionso  He v. & enlo edo  1950
  402 p.  iilus.
Author
 card
Title
 card
Title
Endocrinology
  Endocrinologyo  iy50
Hoskins, Rc Go
o
Tracing
Shelflist
  card
Endocrinology
Hoskins, RQ G„
  Endocrinology| the glands and their func-
tions o  Revo & enlo edo  ly50
  402 pc  illuso
copy number
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Pathology
Dible, J, 5#
. Pathologyj an introduction to medicine
and surgery, by J, H. Dible and T. B, Davie.
2d ed,  1945
  946 p.  illus.
i  Author
   card
Pathology
Davie, Tf B.
, Pathology* an introduction to medicine
and surgery, by J. a, Dible and T. B.  Davie,
2d ed.  1945
  946 p,  illus.
2d Author
  card
Pathology
  Pathology.  1945
Dible, J. H,
o
Davie, T. B.
Title  .   .
Pathology
Dible, J, H.
  Pathology; an introduction to medicine
and surgery, by J* H, Dible and T. B» Davle<
2d ed.  1945
  946 p.  illus.
copy number
o
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Nursing
Gamper, Margaret
  Nursing made practical«  1950
  1 v.  illus*
Nursing
  Nursing made practical,  1950
Gamper, Margaret
^
Title
Nursing
Gamper, Margaret
  Nursing made practical.  1950
  1 v*  illus*
i copy  number
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SUBJECT GROUPS
Anatomy
Bacteriology
Biochemistry
Cardiology
Dentistry
Dermatology
Endocrinology
Gastro-intestinal system
Gynecology & Obstetrics
Hematology
Hospitals
Infectious diseases
Internal medicine
Laboratory diagnosis
Military  medicine
 (Administrative aspects
 of subject)
Miscellaneous
Neurology
Nursing
Occupational therapy
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Otorhinolaryngology
Parasitology
Pathology
Pediatrics
Pharmacology
Physical medicine
Physiology
Psychiatry
Public health
Radiology
Reference books
Respiratory system
Surgery
Urology
Veterinary medicine
INDEX TO SUBJECT GROUPS
 Abdomen see  Gastro-intestinal system
 Accident prevention  see Public health
 Allergy see Internal medicine
 Anatomy
 Anesthesia  see  Surgery
 Arteries see  Cardiology
 Arthritis see  Orthopedics
 Aviation medicine  see Internal medicine
 Bacterial diseases see  Infectious diseases
 Bacteriology
 Biochemistry
 Biography see  Miscellaneous
 Blood  see Hematology
 Bones  see  Orthopedics
 Brain  see Neurology
 Breast  see Gynecology & Obstetrics
 Cancer  see  Pathology
Cardiology
Chest  see Respiratory system
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Deficiency diseases  see  Internal medicine
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diagnosis  see Internal medicine; Laboratory diagnosis
Dictionaries see  Reference books
Directories see  Reference books
Drugs see  Pharmacology
Ear see  Otorhinolaryngology
Endoc rinology
Eye see  Ophthalmology
Food inspection see  Public health
Gastro-intestinal system
Geography of disease  see Miscellaneous
Gynecology &  Obstetrics
Heart see  Cardiology
Hematology
History of medicine see  Miscellaneous
Hormones see  Endocrinology
Hospitals
Hygiene  see  Physiology
Immunology see  Bacteriology
Infectious diseases
Internal medicine
Intestines  see Gastro-intestinal system
Jurisprudence see  Miscellaneous
Kidney see Urology
Laboratory diagnosis
Liver see  Gastro-intestinal system
Lymphatics
Male genitalia see  Urology
Medicine (in general)  see Internal medicine
Metabolism (diseases)  see  Internal medicine
Military medicine
Mouth see Gastro-intestinal system
Naval medicine see  Military medicine
Nervous system  see  Neurology
Neurology
Neurosis  see  Psychiatry
Nose  see  Otorhinolaryngology
Nursing
Nutrition  see  Biochemistry
Obstetrics  see Gynecology & Obstetrics
Occupational therapy
Ophthalmology
Oral surgery  see Dentistry
15 
 
Orthopedics
Otorhinolaryngology
Parasitology
Pathology
Pediatrics
Pharmacology
Physical medicine
Physiology
Physiotherapy see  Physical medicine
Poisoning  see Internal medicine
Practice of medicine  see Internal medicine
Preventive medicine see  Public health
Prosthesis  see  Orthopedics; Dentistry; Ophthalmology
Psychiatry
Psychoses see Psychiatry
Public health
Radioactivity  see  Radiology
Radiology
Reference books
Respiratory system
Sanitation  see Public health
Shock  see Internal medicine
Skin see  Dermatology
Stomach see  Gastrointestinal system
Surgery
Therapeutics (general) see  Internal medicine
Thyroid see  Endocrinology
Toxicology see Pharmacology
Tumors see  Pathology
Urology
Venereal diseases  see Infectious diseases
Veterinary medicine
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