Great Indices

A couple years ago I took a techno- logy class in which the professor opened the semester by asking us, “What forms of technology do you see around you?” And of course we adult students, like children with an eager eye to please, called out all those things we could see in the technology room including some in our own possession. It was a trick question – as we should have known – for she then proceeded to pick up a pencil and ask if this was not also a form of technology – her segue into the definition of technology: any tool that can facilitate and better our lives. The rest of the semester was devoted to computers and all that they can do for our lives, but the presentation of the pencil as a form of technology was one I could easily grasp and remember. I’m a big fan of the pencil, the paper clip, the pen, and the black and white composition book – technology at its best. However,

I’ve become greatly disturbed these past few weeks about the index card. The index card has also facilitated my life. They are good for note taking and list making, of course – but also for bookmarks, packing labels, recipe cards, vocabulary lists, signs, flashcards, to-do lists, notes to oneself or others . . . they can be cut into any size, shuffled, laid out on a table, stacked and rubber banded, paper clipped, grouped and regrouped . . . and they will last for many years . . . and you can write on both sides. I’ve never been without a stock of index cards.

At first I thought I had made a terrible mistake – that Good Friday, two weeks ago – when I came home and unwrapped my new pack of index cards. These were not index cards, but rather rectangles of paper no stockier than printing paper. They were flaccid, couldn’t be shuffled at all, and when held up to the window – the window panes shown through.

My to-do list fell to the side, and a Good Friday quest began . . . two superstores, two office supply stores, an old drug store, a grocery store, and one fancy pen and stationery shop . . . and no quality index cards. They are all made of paper-stock paper – and I don’t like the bold colors and odd stripes.

Once home, I cranked up my “advanced technology” to go online and see if I could perhaps order this “simple technology.” This is what I’ve learned: 1) I’m not the only one who has noticed the sudden lack of quality in index cards – there is at least one forum devoted to this topic – and people are angry. 2) The index card goes back thousands of years – its name derives from a Greek word, to show; and from the Latin, to point, to inform – much like our index finger. Medieval monks used them to jot down important points. 3) They are called index cards because they are made of card-stock paper. 4) The standard index card is 3x5 inches; wooden file boxes were made to accommodate this card when creating the first library card catalogue in 1820 – which was the google of its day. 5) The general public wanted these cards too – and so they became available to all. 6) No one knows exactly when the card was cheapened – but it’s been recent – and it has been pervasive – Mead, Oxford, all the office supply brands are now made of cheap paper-stock paper. 7) However, the original library card, Levenger, has not changed – but it’s hard to find even online, and then it costs plenty, about $28 per 500 cards – and it is currently backordered indefinitely. Another brand, Exacompta, can be bought for $8 per 100 cards, not including shipping charges from France.

It’s interesting that the iPad made its debut on the same day that I quested for index cards. They say that 120,000 iPads sold the first day, and upwards of one million sold by the end of the first week.  What does this indicate?  I’m tempted to conclude that the decline of the quality index card is indicative of the decline of a nation, its culture, its priorities – at least one computer for every man, woman and child in America – but not a single quality index card to be had. But I remember what one guy said in the forum on index cards: “It’s an index card! Get on with your life!” He then provided a five-paragraph review of every index card he’s ever tried, concluding that, for the price, the Oxford Pentaflex was good enough for him – "chopped up printing paper that it is," he said. And that gave me an idea . . .

If manufacturers can chop up paper-stock paper to make their cheap index cards, then why can't the common person cut up card-stock paper to make an old-fashioned quality index card?

The young man at Kinko’s knew exactly what I was talking about. He showed me his portfolio of card stock paper, adroitly calculated how many 3x5 and 4x6 cards he could cut from a standard sheet, asked me how many cards I’d like, which colors, gave me a price, cut the paper in two minutes, boxed them up.  I took out two cards, one in each hand, and snapped them in the air – yes, snapped – not flapped – but snapped.

"I never thought I’d have to make my own index cards," I said to him gratefully.

“Oh, believe me, you’re not the only one . . .” he said.

And that’s when I realized: 1) The common person does notice when our “little technology” has been made cheap; we cannot be hoodwinked by big manufacturers. 2) Big technology will never totally displace quality little technology. 3) If manufacturers cannot provide us with our little technology – we will make it ourselves – and they will lose an important market sector.