This chapter focuses on the importance of trade catalogues as a means of conveying useful technical information. The definition of a trade catalogue is a book or pamphlet, issued by a manufacturer or dealer, illustrating and describing his goods or products, and sometimes including, or accompanied by a price list. Trade literature is perhaps even more important in this field than in any other as
... [Show full abstract] delays in receiving foreign information, although greatly reduced at present by the greater availability of foreign journals in this country through the National Lending Library for Science and Technology and its translation services, are still inevitable. The other importance of trade brochures, from the information point of view, is the importance to individual firms of keeping a file of the literature they themselves have produced over the years. This gives a very clear indication of the way in which the company has developed and possibly how its interests have changed.