400 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the main library temporarily to assist in incorporating the records. 

 All requests from the Bureau of Plant Industry for books are now sent 

 direct to the main library, as no charge records for them are main- 

 tained in the Bureau of Plant Industry library. This does away with 

 double charging. At the time the charge records of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry library were transferred to the main library the col- 

 lection of books in the bureau library was also considerably reduced 

 by returning a number to the main library. On account of the 

 crowded condition of the shelves of the main library it was not, 

 however, possible for it to take the sets of periodicals which had been 

 filed in the bureau library. Until these sets can be returned to the 

 main library the new plan can not work as well as could be desired. 

 The main library will probably be able some time during the coming 

 winter to care for all the books, as additional space will be provided 

 for the library when the motion-picture laboratory is moved from the 

 basement of the Bieber Building. The possibility is also being con- 

 sidered of maintaining in the main library the records of the circula- 

 tion of current periodicals to the bureau workers. This would be a 

 logical development of the general plan of centralizing the service 

 functions in the main library, and emphasizing the bibliographical 

 and reference research functions in the bureau libraries. 



During the year the librarian of the department prepared for the 

 use of the newl}^ appointed library committee a detailed statement 

 on the centralization of the libraries of the department. The state- 

 ment is available in typewrittefi form and may be consulted by any 

 who are interested. The members of the library committee are as 

 follows: Dr. E. D. Ball, director of scientific work, chairman; 

 Karl F. Kellerman, associate cliief Bureau of Plant Industry; Dr. 

 W. W. Skinner, assistant chief Bureau of Cliemistry; Leon M. 

 Estabrook, associate cliief Bureau of Agricultural Economics; Miss 

 Claribel II . Barnett, librarian of the department. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



The most important piece of bibliographical work carried on by 

 the main library during the year was in connection with the printing 

 of the list of serials currently received by the library. A list of the 

 current periodicals was prepared in the spring of 1921 and sent to 

 the printer in June, 1921. Later it was decided to enlarge the 

 scope of the bulletin by adding a separate list of the current serials 

 (annual reports, transactions, etc.), combining both the periodical 

 and serial titles in a subject list and a geographical list at the end. 

 As the slips used in the title lists after being printed were rearranged 

 by subjects, and later geographically, it delayed the printing of the 

 bulletin, which is still in press. It is expected from the press in the 

 next month or two. It includes 2,G91 periodicals and 2,895 serials. 

 United, States Government publications and the publications of the 

 State agricultural colleges and experiment stations are not included 

 in the list. 



Two additions were made during the year to the mimeographed 

 series of Bibliographical Contributions of the Library, namely, 

 Nos. 2 and 4. No. 2 is a ''Check list of publications of the State 

 agricultural experiment stations on the subject of plant pathology, 

 1876-1920." This list was prepared in the librar}^ of the Bureau of 



