Slides present problems of retrieval which have not always been solved by those responsible for their organisation. Each image can be seen, sought, and labelled in a variety of ways. Organisation of the slides themselves according to subject is essential to facilitate browsing, which is the normal method of selection on the part of borrowers, and which generates ideas and reveals new or alternative material. The borrowing of slides is a major problem which tends to be solved most effectively by relatively informal systems. The slide collection should be conveniently located so far as the user is concerned; even when this can be achieved the development of private collections by individuals or teaching departments should be regarded as complementing the central collection. An ‘ideal’ organisation is proposed, based on conclusions drawn from a survey of slide collections which included interviews with curators, users, and non-users (British Library R.&D. Report no. 5309, 1976)

In 1975 the Library at Preston Polytechnic undertook the task of reorganising and developing a collection of slides previously in the custody of the School of Art and Design. Circumstances dictated that the collection be organised for maximum use and minimal maintenance. The slides have been classified by 18th Dewey and housed in transparent sheets of pockets suspended in filing cabinets, enabling borrowers to browse and help themselves.

The slide collection at the Bibliotheque Forney is an extension of this library’s documentation of the decorative arts and crafts for the benefit of the craftsmen and public of Paris. The collection consists mainly of sets of slides, copies of which are available for loan.

Mackintosh was for long neglected in Britain, in spite of the efforts of some architectural writers to draw attention to his achievement. Thomas Haworth and the Glasgow School of Art did much to document and preserve his work; following the appearance of Howarth’s monograph in 1952, and an exhibition in 1953, interest in Mackintosh began to revive. Further exhibitions and publications, and reproductions of his furniture, contributed to the continuing growth of Mackintosh’s reputation, but many of the architect’s buildings remained under threat and a Society was formed to campaign for their preservation and to foster interest in his work. Recent years have seen additional publications, with more in prospect, and including the Mackintosh Society’s regular Newsletter, together with some television productions.