A vertical file (sometimes referred to as a clippings file or pamphlet file) is a collection of material, such as news clippings, booklets,

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

pictures An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' or it may consist of a ...

s, tourism brochures, or other

grey literature Grey literature (or gray literature) is materials and research produced by organizations outside of the traditional commercial or academic publishing and distribution channels. Common grey literature publication types include reports (annual, rese ...

, created and maintained by

libraries A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

and other organizations. The materials are typically loose, separate pieces organized in folders and arranged by subject. Vertical files are used as ready reference material to supplement other collections on topics not easily covered by conventional material such as books. The name comes from the fact that these collections are often stored in the ''vertical'' style of

filing cabinets A filing cabinet (or sometimes file cabinet in American English) is a piece of office furniture for storing paper documents in file folders. In the most simple context, it is an enclosure for drawers in which items are stored. The two most commo ...

(as opposed to the ''lateral'').

Vertical files have been created since at least the early 1900s, however, their use and maintenance have waned in recent years due to the availability of information on the web. The vertical file is related to the picture file, which is a collection of similar nature except that the contents are primarily images.

References

Reference works {{Library-stub