Sources Of Information (5bf805a8-20cc-4fa4-b25b-75de01197858)

If the reader finds that the basic information in a commodity chapter is insufficient, he can consult the appropriate sources in this chapter to find more detailed or more up-to-date information. In these days, technology develops so rapidly that this 5th edition will be somewhat out of date even by the time it is distributed. A comparison of this edition with the 4th edition (1975) of Industrial Minerals and Rocks will clearly demonstate how rapidly the scene changes. One of the best sources of new information, of course, is attendance at technical meetings. For example, the papers presented at the national and sectional meetings of AIME usually discuss new developments in the respective divisions of the society. Frequently this information is available in Preprints. In addition some are printed in Mining Engineering and/or the Transactions of the Society of Mining Engineers of AIME. Furthermore, other professional and trade journals contain articles pertinent to the field. A journal introduced in 1967, Industrial Minerals, published by the Metal Bulletin, Ltd., London, is an excellent source of information. The Mining Journal, Ltd., also in London, publishes a weekly journal, a Mining Magazine (monthly), and a Mining Annual Review. The latter covers the field from three aspects: (1) by commodities, (2) through technical developments, and (3) geographically. The Industrial Minerals Directory 1977, 1st ed., Metal Bulletin Books, Ltd., London, provides addresses of organizations in the field. Other useful magazines and periodicals include Engineering and Mining Journal, Pit and Quarry, Rock Products, and World Mining, all published in the United States. In addition many new books related to industrial minerals have been published since the 4th edition of Industrial Minerals and Rocks. Most of these are included in the bibliography of each chapter in this volume. Another excellent information source is the proceedings of the Forum on Geology of Industrial Minerals. This group, which held its 18th annual meeting in 1982, is sponsored by a state geological survey or another mineral agency on a rotational basis. The proceedings have been published by the various sponsors and are available as indicated in Table 1. Two major sources of basic industrial mineral and rock data in the United States, and also a good source for many foreign countries, are the US Geological Survey and the US Bureau of Mines. The two agencies publish many reports and maps on a variety of geological and mining subjects. In addition, each agency has an indexed list of all their publications with a free service announcing new publications: New Publications of the Geological Survey, US Geological Survey, 329 National Center, Reston, VA 22092 and New Publications-Bureau of Mines, Publications Distribution Branch, US Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The US Bureau of Mines (USBM) publishes annually Minerals Yearbooks which provide statistical data on mineral products including production, consumption, imports and exports, as well as information on new developments. Another very useful USBM series is called Mineral Facts and Problems. Editions were published in 1960, 1965, 1970, and 1975. Four major series of publications by the Bureau are Information Circulars, Reports of Investigations, Mineral Trade Notes, and Minerals and Materials. The last two are particularly good for news of foreign developments. The Bureau of Mines Employee Directory, available at all USBM offices, lists addresses and telephone numbers for all offices as well as same for all commodity and area specialists.