FEB. 19, 1921 sosman: distribution of scientific information 79 



Contrary to what might logically be expected, the efficiency of 

 distribution of books made and sold for profit appears to be greater 

 than that of books distributed free or at cost. The reason is perhaps 

 that the life of the business, in the former case, is absolutely dependent 

 on efficient advertising of the books produced. The carrying of an 

 adequate stock to meet the demand is also necessary. On the other 

 hand, institutions distributing books free or at cost do not always 

 feel the necessity of advertising or of carrying stocks, or even of 

 providing adequately for the prompt and business-like handling of 

 requests. As to their use in libraries, my few observations lead me 

 to believe that books are valued and cared for by librarians, just as 

 by individuals, approximately in proportion to what it has cost to 

 obtain them. 



To summarize : As a means for the distribution of information 

 among its producers, books are relatively effective, those published 

 for profit rather more so than those published at cost or distributed 

 free. For distribution to the public they are less effective, the disparity 

 between profitable and philanthropic also being markedly greater ; but 

 they still probably exceed in present effectiveness any other form of 

 printed matter. With respect to both classes of consumers, scientific 

 books are not so numerous but that the desired information is rea- 

 sonably accessible; and they serve the invaluable purpose of sifting 

 and sorting the new knowledge as it comes out of the mill. But they 

 are under the disadvantage of being from one to twenty years behind 

 the times. 



Scientific and technical periodicals and bulletins. — It is difficult to 

 visualize the tremendous volume of printed matter which is daily made 

 available to the reading public. The greater part of it consists of 

 newspapers, general periodicals, and popular books, but even the 

 small fraction of it which is devoted to science is impressive in its 

 bulk. The American Chemical Society, for example, printed about 

 250 metric tons of reading matter during the year 1920. It distrib- 

 uted to each of its members 15.0 kilograms of chemical information, 

 contained in about 8400 printed pages exclusive of advertising. 



I might tell you, in the customary manner of statisticians, how 

 many times these pages could be made to girdle the earth, except 

 that such comparisons are about as meaningless as the original figures, 

 since nobody has any concrete^ picture of the size of the earth. A 

 much better realization is had of the bulk of this one year's chemistry 

 if I point out how long it would take to read it aloud. 



