IO MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



now reached so considerable a size that it has become necessary 

 to adopt a definite system of classification and to revise the 

 catalogue so as to make it a useful instrument for finding a book 

 or in searching the literature on a given subject. After careful 

 consideration of the various schemes of classification in general 

 use, it was decided to use, with some modifications, the Dewey 

 Decimal Classification. The main reason for adopting this 

 system was that it seems to be the one most familiar to biologists. 

 During the spring the bound volumes were rearranged and 

 roughly classified according to this system, and during the 

 autumn this work has been continued. The classification is 

 nearly completed, and the corresponding numbers have been 

 placed on the books and on the cards in the catalogue. It is 

 hoped that this work will greatly facilitate the use of the library 

 during the coming summer. 



The old arrangement of the pamphlets, alphabetically by 

 authors, has been retained, and in order to aid in finding them, 

 numbers have been assigned to them and have been placed on the 

 catalogue cards; the Cutler notation being used for this purpose. 



For the bound volumes a new catalogue has been started on 

 the dictionary principle, author, title and subject entries being 

 arranged in one alphabet. 



Much work has still to be done, but it is hoped that the books 

 and the catalogue may ultimately be arranged so as to make the 

 resources of the Library as quickly and easily available as possible. 



Another important aim for the future is to complete the sets 

 of important periodicals, and to gather together a complete set 

 of the reprints of investigators, so that the library will fully 

 represent the work done directly or indirectly in the Laboratory. 

 And finally it is hoped that it may be possible to develop the 

 Library symmetrically, so that each branch of Biology may be 

 equally well represented on its shelves. 



In conclusion, grateful acknowledgment should be made of 

 the many generous gifts to the Library. Gifts of money have 

 been received from Dr. M. M. Metcalf, $50.00 toward the pur- 

 chase of volumes of periodicals to complete sets; and from Dr. 

 A. G. Mayor, $10.00 for subscriptions to current journals. 



