=5. Catalogue Indexing.= The principal value of a file of catalogues lies in the index. A miscellaneous lot of catalogues is of very little value unless it be properly indexed. True, most catalogues contain an index, but this is not the sort of index required by the purchasing agent. He does not care for an itemized list of every article manufactured by John Jones & Co., but he does want an index that will show him where he can find descriptions and prices of machines of a certain class. A catalogue may list thousands of articles in which the purchasing agent has no interest, where it lists ten that are of use to him. These ten articles are the ones which should be shown in his index. [Illustration: Fig. 1. Subject Card for Catalogue Index] The principal index of the catalogue file is one arranged by subjects. A card used for this purpose is shown in Fig. 1. At the top of the card is listed the subject. Below this is given the names and addresses of all manufacturers supplying the goods listed. In the columns at the right are recorded the section number, catalogue number, and page. The section number refers to the section in the file where the catalogue will be found; the catalogue number to the catalogue itself; and the page to the number of the page in the catalogue. In making up such an index, it is unnecessary to include a long list of articles of no especial interest, but simply those which the concern is obliged to purchase. If an entirely new subject comes up, it can then be listed after suitable investigation. These cards are filed alphabetically, according to the name of the subject. While in some large concerns a more elaborate file will be necessary, this index can usually be kept in a small card tray in a desk drawer. [Illustration: Fig. 2. Title Card for Catalogue Index] When the numerical system of filing is used, another index is necessary to locate the catalogues by name. In most cases our chief concern would be to locate the catalogue by subject, but there are times when it becomes necessary to locate a catalogue by name. To provide for this cross─index, the card shown in Fig. 2 is used. It will be noted that the arrangement of this card is just the opposite of the subject index, the name and address of the manufacturer being given at the top of the card together with the reference to the section and catalogue numbers. On the lower half of the card are listed the names of articles, made by that manufacturer, in which we are interested. This card is also filed alphabetically, but, of course, under the name of the manufacturer. When the number of cards is limited, both forms can be filed in the same index by using contrasting colors. For instance, a buff color might be used for the subject index, and salmon for the name index. SPECIAL QUOTATIONS