Library Handbook - Frontier School Division

PICTURE FILES
Pictures can be a valuable resource for students and staff. They are easy to use and are often
inexpensive or free. The pictures you collect will depend on the needs of your school.
Guidelines for Selection:
Pictures should represent the subject clearly.
Hand drawn pictures should be accurate, not “cute”.
Pictures smaller than 6”x8” are not very useful. (however if the only picture available is
small, use it until you can locate a larger one)
Choose pictures in realistic color, rather that black and white.
Collect pictures, which represent all races, religious groups, ethnic groups and males and
females in non-traditional occupations.
Store pictures in a filing cabinet or legal size boxes.
Record the source of each picture on the back or center the information in the bottom margin.
Brand names and text should be trimmed from advertisement pictures.
Identify the subject of the picture and print it in block letters on a white self-sticky label.
For horizontal pictures, place the label on the front upper left corner (1/4” from top and side)
For vertical pictures, place the label on the front upper right corner along the length of the right
margin.
Pictures that will get used a lot will last longer if they are laminated or mounted. It is recommended
that mounts should be standard size.
Holes can be punched in each corner of the mounting board for hanging.
Stamp the back of the picture or mount with your property stamp.
VERTICAL FILE
The vertical file (also called the pamphlet file) is a valuable resource on a variety of topics. It must
be well organized and up-to-date so that items are easy to locate.
Sources of vertical file materials are numerous and best of all, they are inexpensive or free. Vertical
file materials are available from many societies and organizations on current, social and economic
questions. Provincial and Federal governments issue a wide range of reports, bulletins and
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