DEFINING YOUR TOPIC

The Vertical File:    

The vertical file is a cluster of filing cabinets located on the first floor by the photocopier.  Contained in each filing cabinet are individual folders filled with uncataloged, and sometimes unedited, information, much of which of local or regional interest.   Each folder is labeled with a Library of Congress Subject Heading and contains information representing only that subject or topic.  The folders are arranged in alphabetical order from the top of each filing cabinet to the bottom.  Typical information includes:

·        pamphlets from organizations, associations, federal or state governments, and foundations.

·        government documents which are not a part of a depository collection.

·        news releases from local chambers of commerce.

·        state and local visitor information.

·        annual reports of profit and nonprofit organizations.

·        newspaper articles concerning local issues and developments.

Retrieving the folders: 

You can retrieve material from the vertical file by using the Hartfield Library’s Vertical File Index. This is a file located on top of the Vertical File filing cabinets.  It contains 3x5 cards which list all of the subject headings used as titles for folders in the Vertical File.  All the subject headings are listed in alphabetical order.  If you see your topic listed, go to the specified file drawer and select the respective folder.  If your topic is not listed, go to the four-volume set of the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to find the correct terminology or broader subject headings.  Again, using your new subject heading, try to find your topic in the vertical file index.  If you still cannot find your topic, then the vertical file does not contain the information you are seeking.

Other libraries may have The Vertical File Index, which is published by the H.W. Wilson Company.  It is a general index, which is often too broad in scope for small libraries, but is accessed alphabetically by the LCSH.  So if you can use HCC’s index, you will be able to use Wilson’s.

Scope:

Many of the pamphlets are advertisements and brochures about products and/or services of an organization, so the information is frequently biased and subjective.  Please be aware of this shortcoming when citing information from the vertical file.  It is a good idea to cross-check these sources against those of a different publication for validity.