B. P. I.— 673. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE CATA- 

 LOCUE OF iiOTANICAL LITERATURE IN THE 

 LIBRARIES OF WASHINGTON. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Two entalognes stand in the l^urean of Plant Industry library, 

 one desi^rnated the Plant-Industry Catalogue' and the other the 

 Botany Cataloofue. To give some idea of the scope of the latter 

 and of the special features \vhich it presents, in order that its use 

 by botanical workers may be still further increased and extended, 

 is the jiurpose of the present circular. 



The •• Botany Catalogue," as it is called for want of a better name, 

 has been develo})ed under the supervision of ISIr. Frederick V. Co- 

 ville and originated in an attempt, for which he was chiefly respon- 

 sible, to enlarge and coordinate the collections of botanical litera- 

 ture in the librai'ies of Washington. The nucleus of the jiresent 

 catalogue was the botanical part of the catalogue of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture library, to which it forms an extensive adjunct, 

 especially in regard to literature not included in the Department 

 collections. 



The examination of titles with reference to the cooperative 

 purchase of books among the difl'erent libraries necessitated some 

 kind of a check list showing what books were already available and 

 where they were located. Starting as a mere author list, chiefly used 

 for the assistance of the Department library in cooperative book 

 buying, it came to be generally consulted by Avorkers in botanical 

 lines, and as it grew it became necessary to enlarge its scope in many 

 ways and to develop a subject catalogue along with it. 



THE AUTHOR CATALOGUE. 



The author catalogue now consists of about 50.000 entries, includ- 

 inir botanical works contained in the Ijibrarv of Congress, the 

 libraries of the Department of Agriculture, National Museum, Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Geological Survey. Surgeon General's Office, and 

 the private libraries of Dr. Edward I^ee Greene and Capt. John Don- 

 nell Smith. The latter library is at ]iresent in lialtiniore. but it is 

 available to workers in "\^'ashington and Avill eventually form a part 

 of the Smithsonian library. 



[Cir. 87] 3 



