THE N. W. HARRIS PUBLIC SCHOOL EXTENSION 



The circulation of Museum exhibits among Chicago's public schools 

 and the many other schools and institutions in the city that have 

 been accredited for lending service continued through the year in 

 accordance with routine procedures. These traveling exhibits, 

 which are installed in portable cases of standard sizes, have been 

 especially planned and prepared over the years in the workshop of 

 the department as supplements to the science program of the 

 schools of Chicago. 



Five hundred and seventeen schools and other institutions were 

 being served by the department at the beginning of the year, when 

 each held on loan two of the portable exhibits. Exchanges were 

 made at two-week intervals during the months when school was in 

 session so that within the year each school received 34 different 

 exhibits. Pick-up for summer storage in the Museum began on 

 June 5 and ended on June 20, and on September 8 deliveries were 

 resumed for the school year. The two departmental trucks were 

 active during 167 days and traveled 11,057 miles in delivering, 

 exchanging, and picking up the exhibits. At the close of 1958 the 

 circulation list numbered 516 (service to four schools had been dis- 

 continued and three schools had been added to the list). 



Damage to the portable cases in circulation was light. Fifteen 

 had to be withdrawn temporarily for repairs, but in only four was 

 there any damage to the installation. Following the summer check- 

 up in the Museum, maintenance repairs were made on an additional 

 348 of the portable cases, of which 56 required some restoration of 

 the installed exhibit material. 



The department made 35 nonroutine loans to various schools, 

 garden clubs, and television studios and to such institutions as the 

 American Indian Center and the Boy Scouts of America. These 

 special loans were of individually selected materials from the depart- 

 ment's study collections (bird and mammal skins, mounted animals, 

 insects, shells, soil samples, rocks and fossils, and bird nests) or of 

 specially requested exhibits available in the standard portable cases 

 provided by the department. 



There were several trips into the field to make color notes and to 

 gather specimens essential to preparation or renovation of the 

 exhibits worked on during the year. All were one-day excursions 

 within the environs of Chicago. Five exhibits of the marsh marigold 

 were prepared and installed in portable cases for circulation. Each 

 of the new exhibits consists of a replica of the plant in natural size 

 and enlarged models of the flower and seed capsules. 



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