 | A survey of research materials in Virginia libraries, 1936-37 |  |
Section D. Economics and Commerce.
Of books on the subjects of commerce and economics the Virginia
State Library has a general collection of approximately
20,000 volumes. There are files of eighty periodicals dealing
with or indirectly related to these subjects; there are also sets
of Moody's and Poor's service publications and of Thomas's commercial
directory. The collection of corporation reports is
chiefly limited to the Commonwealth of Virginia, including its
railroads. Emphasis has not been sought in any special field;
but as the collection has so far developed the subject of taxation
is perhaps most adequately represented.
At the library of Washington and Lee University there are
about 11,500 books on these subjects. The standard journals are
subscribed to, as are also the commercial services bearing the
names of Babson, Moody, and Poor. As in the case of the State
The collection at the University of Virginia Library numbers
almost exactly 5,600 volumes, in addition to which there
is a sizable accumulation of pamphlets. There are sundry
early publications relating to economics; and economic history,
banking, and taxation are given some emphasis.
At the College of William and Mary there is a total of
3,300 volumes in commerce and economics. Here too can be
found a number of the earlier publications. The materials on
labour and finance are perhaps the most important sections of
this collection.
A somewhat smaller collection (2,684 volumes) at the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute is notable for its effectiveness.
There are forty-seven current periodicals, some good runs of
corporation reports, and commercial directories by Hendricks,
by Kelly, and by MacRae. The emphasis in this collection is
on the subjects of rural economics and of business management.
In Richmond there are three specialized financial collections
that are worthy of notice. The Federal Reserve Bank
Library contains about 3,100 volumes dealing with corporations,
banking, auditing, accounting, and taxation. It is well
organized and has a full-time librarian, but it is commonly
accessible only to employees of the Federal Reserve Bank. The
Scott and Stringfellow Library, on the other hand, is open to
the public. This contains a useful collection of statistical
manuals and financial periodicals, and its records of bond
issues local, national, and foreign are extensive. The State
Corporation Commission Library contains 3,000 or more volumes,
chiefly dealing with corporations.
| A survey of research materials in Virginia libraries, 1936-37 | |