As I moved through this week's section of discards, I encountered more business titles (quarterly dividend records, handbooks of private companies, corporate directories, bank directories, etc.), resume/career guides, and other vocational information. There were a couple titles that were interesting to me, and all are poster children for the hey day of the great and useful printed reference book.
The Secretary's Handbook
I totally get why we would be discarding this title, but its value as a cultural artifact is fascinating. To think -- young woman fresh into their first secretary position in the 50s or 60s had this title to standardize their methods and professionalism. I can imagine quite a few matronly, life-long secretaries preaching its canonization to the younger girls in the office.
The New York Public Library Business Desk Reference
This one nearly functions as a guide to life, assuming you have life business that requires managing an office of employees and traveling overseas to make deals and connections. I can see this book being used as a textbook in an undergraduate business class, but I wonder how many established CEOs would need it?
The Economist Desk Companion
My curiosity was piqued with this one because I read a whole issue of The Economist the other day, just because the main character in Rush's novel Mating spoke of it -- they relied on the periodical in the isolated dessert of Botswana. This reference book truly is a guide to "measure, convert, calculate, and define practically anything." Sure you can find all these conversion charts, etc., on the internet now, but I can't look away from the convenience of having it all in one book, from a source trusted like the Economist.
Also, I doubt students check out books about formulating resumes like I did when I graduated college 10 years ago, so I can understand those going by the wayside. My only lament -- the call numbers were close enough and tricky enough I often use that section when I train the student workers in LC classification!
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