EEPORT OF THE LIBEAMAN-. 285 



directly from the publishers are received a few days before they are 

 received by the Hbrary. The delay during the past year, due to the 

 war, brought up this question more acutely. Correspondence with 

 university and reference libraries which receive a large number of 

 foreign periodicals has shown that none of those to whom the inquiry 

 was sent deemed it advisable to have periodicals sent directly from 

 the pubhshers by mail. They have reported that periodicals received 

 directly by mail very often reach the library in folded or rolled form, 

 which injui'ies them for binding and circulation. When periodicals 

 are ordered from a dealer and sent through the dealer, he can be held 

 responsible for complete files, but he can not be held responsible if the 

 periodicals do not pass through his hands. If periodicals are ordered 

 from and sent directly from the pubhshers, it involves a large amount 

 of correspondence and an increased number of small bdls, with a con- 

 sequent need of more assistants. This method of ordering, therefore, 

 is much more expensive. In the case of the Government the difficulty 

 in handling small accounts witii foreign publishers is greater than it is 

 for a private institution, owing to the complicated fiscal regulations. 

 The additional expense, therefore, connected with having foreign peri- 

 odicals sent directly from the pubhshers makes this method oi order- 

 ing of doubtful advisability for a hbrary ordering a large number of 

 periodicals. The disadvantages, at least from the library point of 

 view, more than outweigh the advantage of receivmg the periodicals 

 a few days earher by mad. However, the matter is stdl under con- 

 sideration. It may be decided to have sent by mail next year a few 

 periodicals of special importance to test the practicability of the 

 plan. 



During the past year the collection of horticultural trade catalogues 

 was arranged. These catalogues were formerly kept m several offices 

 of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Through the cooperation of the Office 

 of Economic and Systematic Botany of the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 the catalogues are now being shelf -fisted and indexed. The collec- 

 tion has been materially increased in the past few years by gifts and 

 exchanges, and now comprises approximately 20,000 catalogues, 

 being the largest collection m this country. It is arranged chronolog- 

 ically and alphabetically by dealer under the chronological arrange- 

 ment. Contributions to the collection will be welcomed, since the 

 aim is to make it as nearly complete as possible. 



In connection with the statistics of the use of the library, shown on 



Eages 6-8, an increase worthy of special note is that in the use of the 

 ooks by the scientists connected with the State agricultural colleges 

 and experiment stations. The number of books lent to the State 

 agricultural colleges and experiment stations and other institutions 

 outside of Washington during the past year was 1,196, an increase of 

 300 over the previous year, or approximately 33 per cent. To the 

 number should also be added 101 photostat copies and 12 typewritten 

 copies of articles from periodicals, which copies were sent in place of 

 sending the books. 



Several changes in organization and location of offices in the de- 

 partment have occurred during the past year and these changes 

 nave been reflected in the bureau, division, and office libraries. At 

 the time the hbrary was moved to its new location the Bureau of 

 Biological Survey was also moved to the same building. On account 

 of its proximity to the main hbrary, it seemed advisable to reduce 



