The scan‐column index
John Joseph O'Connor · American Documentation · 1962
Abstract The scan‐column index is a book‐form coordinate index. Each document is entered at just one place, and the documents can be in almost any order. A document identification may be anything from a serial number to several dozen words of description, depending on the amount of space used. Speed of searching might be anywhere from several hundred to perhaps one thousand or more documents per minute, depending to a considerable extent on column density, which depends in turn on the amount of space used. Error and fatigue also depend considerably on column density. Some possible format variations are described. Advantages and disadvantages of the scan‐column index are described and compared with some other common retrieval devices such as peek‐a‐boo cards, edge‐notched cards, etc. A number of possible applications for a scan‐column index are suggested. A motorized scroll form of scan‐column index and its possible use for subject‐searching microfilm reels are also suggested.