The number of releases produced and distributed directly by the 

 Public Relations Counsel totaled nearly 300. Many of these were 

 accompanied by photographs; others stimulated editors to assign 

 their own writers and photographers for follow-up stories and 

 pictures. Occasionally Museum stories resulted also in favorable 

 editorial comments in newspapers and magazines. 



Field Museum News (which, with the change of name of the 

 Museum, becomes Chicago Natural History Museum Bulletin), 

 was reduced from a monthly to eight issues, to conform with the 

 paper-saving program, and because of the absence in war service of 

 many members of the staff who normally are contributors. How- 

 ever, a special 40-page Golden Anniversary Number was published 

 as the September-October issue under the title, "Fifty Years of 

 Progress." 



Other work of the Public Relations Counsel included the prepara- 

 tion of folders, pamphlets, and articles for such publications as the 

 Americana Annual (of the Americana Encyclopedia). 



Various transportation companies and other organizations made 

 available to the Museum, without cost, the advertising facilities 

 they control. Among those which thus publicized the institution 

 are: the Chicago Rapid Transit Lines; Chicago, Aurora and Elgin 

 Railroad; Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad; Chicago 

 and North Western Railway, and Chicago Surface Lines. 



Library . . . 



Because of preoccupation with the war, and the large number of 

 students who have gone into the armed forces, there was a reduction 

 in the number of visitors from outside, and those who did come were 

 largely seeking information of types different from that normally 

 required. Consultations of the Library by telephone have shown a 

 marked increase. There were many readers eager to obtain material 

 about the natural history of countries to which they might be dis- 

 patched by Army and Navy, or to which friends and relatives had 

 gone. Naturally there has been a heavy demand for maps, and by 

 good fortune the Library recently acquired many unusually valuable 

 additions to its map collections. 



Especially useful has been the new edition of the Union List of 

 Serials which was received during the year. As this is one of the most 

 important tools of all libraries, and requires constant research to keep 

 it up to date, work was immediately begun for revisions and addi- 

 tions in anticipation of the next edition. 



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