The Business Library: What it is and what it does — Reading Companion

A Practical, Not Theoretical, Approach

Krause’s voice is that of a practitioner speaking to other practitioners. In the preface to the first edition (1919), she states that the handbook “records business library facts as observed by the author during ten years of service as a business librarian.” The second edition (1920) adds only minor revisions, updated prices, and three floor-plan drawings—evidence that Krause saw the book as a working tool, not a static treatise. She avoids sweeping claims about the importance of libraries; instead, she gives specific guidance on classification, cataloging, and vertical-file organization. For example, she explains that the Dewey Decimal Classification “will not fit all business libraries equally well” but notes its “elasticity of form” allows expansion by a trained librarian. The prose is direct, with sentences that often begin with “It will readily be seen” or “It must be remembered,” guiding the reader step by step.

Cataloging as the Core of Access

A substantial portion of the excerpt focuses on the subject catalog as the key to making a small collection useful. Krause insists that “no subject classification can bring together on the library shelves all information on a subject,” because a single book may cover several topics. Her solution is a detailed subject catalog with entries under the most specific heading—for instance, “Steam engines” rather than “Engines.” She illustrates with a pamphlet filed under “Safety movement,” showing how a card index can list multiple subject entries for one item. This method, she argues, “brings together all the information in the library on a specific subject, although it may not stand together on the shelves.” The emphasis is on practical retrieval, not theoretical perfection.

Voice of Authority and Humility

Krause’s narrative voice balances authority with modesty. She acknowledges that the Dewey Decimal system is not perfect and that “the much discussed question of new classifications … is not of so vital importance to the business library as might appear.” She also credits colleagues: her Library School classmate Renee B. Stern and friend Virginia Fairfax for advice and criticism. The prefaces show a writer who is confident in her experience but open to revision—the second edition’s changes are modest, suggesting the first edition was already well received. Throughout, Krause writes as a guide who has done the work herself, not as a distant expert. Her sentences are declarative and economical, rarely exceeding thirty words, which gives the text a steady, reliable pace.

Krause’s handbook is best read as a period document of early twentieth-century business practice, but its core argument—that organized information is a financial asset—remains relevant. Readers interested in the history of librarianship, information management, or corporate efficiency will find a clear, unsentimental case for the business library. The book’s value lies not in grand theory but in the specific, actionable details Krause provides, from classification extensions to vertical-file organization. Approach it as a practitioner’s manual, and you will see why it earned a second edition.

The rain drummed a steady rhythm on the window while I worked through Krause’s tidy schemes for classifying ledgers, her belief that order itself creates value. That quiet trust in systems made me restless. Setting her book aside, I found myself reaching for something older, messier, and picked up Hume's Political Discourses — A Closer Reading. Where she saw useful categories, he saw living, contradictory impulses.