of the States. A volume on North Carolina has already been issued. This was prepared in cooperation by the State departments, the University of North Carolina, and the Southern Division Office of the Red Cross.

There are some institutions which might possibly be termed national which, however, it has been thought best to omit from the national Handbook as being in the main regional in service. For example, schools of nursing, schools of social service, public health and sociological departments in colleges and universities, general hospitals, homes for children, and homes for the aged have been left to the Division Information Services as drawing more especially from 'their own States and Divisions though many of them are to some extent nation-wide in scope. Exception has been made, however, in the case of a few which render a nation-wide service of unique character such as the Federal Leprosarium, the Columbia Institution for the Deaf, and the like.

It will be understood that to obtain information in regard to social resources available in any given State, Red Cross workers will need to consult both National Headquarters Information Service material and the information material of the Division Office.

The Handbook is a digest of social resources of the U. S. and does not furnish descriptions of agencies operating abroad and having no organization in this country except to support their activities elsewhere.

No attempt has been made to include in the Handbook the great number of fraternal, mutual benefit, pension fund, and related associations, which do not render service outside their membership. Beneficiaries are familiar with their activities and will not need to be informed regarding them. Maternity insurance organizations, however, because of their relation to infant welfare, are made an exception to

this rule.

Omission from the Handbook in no sense implies disapproval. In many cases, agencies giving important and valuable service are omitted because Red Cross workers and others need to make contacts with the

State or regional sub-divisions or affiliated bodies and not with the national organization. To include a description of the national organization might cause workers to take the unnecessary step of writing to the national office with the result only of being referred back for the service desired to the regional or State sub-division or member or affiliated body. Some agencies also are omitted from the Handbook because the service they render is of a technical character and offered

to technical experts in their field who will already be familiar with it. Inclusion in the Handbook is not to be construed as endorsement of either purpose or methods. Should a Red Cross worker desire information regarding the standing or efficiency of any national or interstate agency engaged in social, civic, or philanthropic work, and appealing to the public for funds, inquiry should be made of the National Information Bureau, 1 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y., the work of which is described on page 210. The Bureau does not investigate local, political, or denominational groups.

Information supplementary to that in the National Handbook may be obtained by Red Cross workers from the files of National Headquarters. Information Service at National Headquarters has material, in some cases preliminary and in others very comprehensive, regarding over 1,700 agencies, of which only a part are described in the Handbook.

The space given to an agency does not necessarily bear any relation to the importance of its work. An agency having a large membership and extensive service may have a simple form of organization. An association carrying on a much smaller work, on the other hand, may be very complex.

The statements published have been compiled with the cooperation of the agencies listed. The information is current and is authoritative except in one case where an asterisk and footnote indicate that it was not possible before the book went to press to obtain the official approval of the agency for the description as finally corrected.

For the convenience of readers, the descriptions in general follow a definite order.

The headquarters address has been given for organizations maintaining a national office. Because of the shortness of time in which such information becomes out of date, the names of officers and their individual addresses have been included only in statements concerning those agencies which do not maintain a central office and which could not be located otherwise.

Endeavor has been made to include for each organization mention of its general program; its specific activities; the annual meeting, and whether it is open to the public; the names and work of special and standing committees and commissions; field work and lecture service, to whom available and on what terms; information service and clearing house work, and how this service may be secured; reference and library facilities; survey and investigational activities.

Information is supplied concerning those publications which would

seem to be of value to workers in the field of health or social service. The names of individual pieces of literature of temporary character have not usually been included; instead are stated the general topics discussed and the form in which they appear, as bulletins, books, or circulars. For periodicals the title, frequency of publication, and the price to members and to the general public have been given. When the periodical is issued from an address different from that of the organization, there has been included the editorial, publication, or subscription office address to which correspondence should be sent.

Wherever possible, requirements for active membership are stated and methods of support are indicated.

Distinct departments and divisions which are conducting work of social service or health interest will usually be found described in paragraphs following the statement covering the general work of the agency. Addresses are given only for those units which are not located at the headquarters offices.

Criticisms and suggestions together with important additional matter will be gladly received by Information Service at National Headquarters of the American Red Cross.

It is a pleasure to acknowledge our indebtedness in compiling material for the Handbook to the aid given by the National Information Bureau, the Russell Sage Foundation Library, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ, the National Catholic Welfare Council, the Survey, the National Social Workers Exchange, the Foreign Language Information Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the U. S. Bureau of Education.

The labor of writing the Handbook fell to Miss Genevieve P. Hendricks, Assistant Director of this Service, to whom is due the major credit for any usefulness the volume may have. A considerable part of the work on the Index, which has also an important relation to the value of the book, was prepared by Miss Harriet E. Dart.

EMILY W. DINWIDDIE,
Director

Social Resources Information Service

HOW TO USE THE HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL RESOURCES

If the exact name of an agency is known the description can be found in its alphabetical place in the body of the text.

If the character of the work of an agency is known but not its exact title, it can be found by consulting the Subject Index, page XIII.

If the address of the headquarters of an agency is known but not its exact title nor the character of its work, it can be found under the State and city in which it is located, in the Index by Locality, page LXV.

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