Secretarial practice

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1828236004

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-249926

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Secretarial practice

Edition:: fourth edition

Place of publication:: Cambridge

Publisher:: W. Heffer & Sons Ltd

Year of publication:: 1930

Scope:: viii, 987 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XXVIII. Filing

Collection:: Economics Books

FILING 345 An index of the main subjects and their sub-divisions 1s, of course, an indispensable part of a numerical system. Where the nature of the business permits, and the corre- spondence is of sufficient magnitude, a printed alphabetical index of files is to be recommended, particularly if a central filing room serving all departments forms a part of the office organisation. In other circumstances, the expense of a printed index would probably not be justified, and in this event, either a manuscript register or a card index register would meet the requirement of the office. If due regard is given to future needs, the card index will be found to give greater elasticity, as the index may easily be kept up-to-date by the addition of cards as required, and the labour of providing a new manuscript index from time to time is avoided. Further, as correspondence becomes obsolete and is destroyed (the question of a ‘time-limit’ for corre- spondence. is dealt with later) the superfluous cards may be removed from the drawer, thus always rendering the index a ‘live’ one. The difficulty of keeping a manuscript register free from entries which, through lapse of time, have become useless, is obvious. It may be well here to indicate, on broad lines, the equip- ment required for the filing office. The vertical filing cabinet (of which many patterns abound) large enough to accommo- date papers of foolscap size, is undoubtedly the most satis- factory receptacle for general correspondence. The old- fashioned pigeon-hole cupboard harbours dust, and its contents are not accessible with sufficient ease; congestion is a fatal weakness. The vertical cabinet, not built up too high, is free from these faults; the contents of a drawer may be seen at a glance, and the desired papers obtained without delay, while a properly constructed cabinet is virtually dust- proof. The card index drawers should be placed with the cabinet. Each main subject of correspondence with its sub-divisions should be kept in flexible cardboard folders, and each division separated by means of a ‘guide,’ i.e. a sheet of stout cardboard bearing the main number or letters in a metal frame. The main reference is thus easily visible, and affords facility in obtaining required files with a minimum of trouble. Where the business of several companies is dealt with in one office the folders should be of different colours, to allow of easy identification, the name of the company being printed or stencilled on the side of the folder so that it appears horizon- tally to the eye when the drawer is opened. The folder should bear the names and references of all the files which it Index of Files. Equipment.

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