REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN'. 15 



The library now contains 18,220 bound volumes which come 

 under the category of books and serials, about seven-eighths being- 

 serial volumes. There are, moreover, 38,000 reprints, 13,000 of 

 which were catalogued this year. The number of current serials 

 regularly received is 628; although the actual count shows nearly 

 i, 200 titles in our list of serials, nearly half of these are not now 

 continued or are received at rare intervals. Of the 628 serials 

 coming regularly, 204 are paid by subscription and 424 by ex- 

 change with the BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN and by gift. 



The budget of the library aside from the special appropriation 

 from the General Education Board totalled the same as in 1925, 

 namely $6,750.00 aside from the regular salaries. The entire 

 amount spent was $6,827.13. 



The items under the apportionments as estimated in August, 

 1925, and as actually spent during the year 1926 are given. The 

 estimated budget was: books, $500; serials, $1,500; binding, 

 $1,000; supplies, $500; service, $50; express, $200; back sets, 

 $3,000. Actually spent, the accounts stand as follows : books, 

 $746.54; serials, $2,730.75; binding, $1,841.44 (current serials, 

 $700.44; back sets, $1,141.00); supplies, $692.23; service, 

 $1,486.22; express, $186.74; and back sets, $352.83. 



The increase of the expense of current serial subscriptions is 

 the chief concern of the librarian. Before we secured the special 

 gift from the General Education Board, at the request of the Di- 

 rector of the Laboratory, the Librarian mapped a chart showing a 

 schema for an even and uniform expansion of the library, and the 

 expense attached thereto under each item, through the years 1926- 

 1930. By this scheme the item of " serials " was to change from 

 the requested appropriation for the year 1926, the amount of 

 $1,500, to $2,283; in 1 9 2 7> to $2,4995 in 1928, to $2,742; in 1929, 

 to $2,985 ; in 1930 and on, to $3,228. It will be noticed that this 

 year (1926) an amount ($2,454.42) was reached which was much 

 more nearly that planned for 1928. It can be seen by referring to 

 last year's report that the same occurred in 1925, for current seri- 

 als. There are two reasons for this: (i) the increase in prices, 

 and (2) the increase in numbers of the serials we are pressed to 

 secure in current issues. One of two things must be done. A 

 finer discrimination in choice must be exercised to cut out new 



