538 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



able for current periodicals has been planned, but not yet provided. 

 The changes have unavoidably caused a certain amount of incon- 

 venience to patrons of the library, as well as to the library staff. 

 They have at no time, however, interrupted the library service even 

 for an hour. 



The persons in charge of the different lines of work of the library 

 were as follows: Miss Emma B. Hawks, assistant librarian, in general 

 charge of reference and bibliographical work and circulation; Miss 

 Ellen Hedrick, reference librarian (August 16, 1922, to June 15, 1928) ; 

 Miss Helen M. Thompson, chief, catalogue and order division; Miss 

 Lydia K. Wilkins, chief, periodical division ; and Miss Ethel E. Smith, 

 secretary to the librarian, in charge of correspondence, files, and per- 

 sonnel records. The names of the librarians of the various bureaus 

 are given on page 5. 



ACCESSIONS. 



On July 1, 1923, the library contained 168,468 accessioned books 

 and pamphlets, of which 5,111 were added during the past year, 

 while 34 publications no longer needed were discarded, making the 

 net addition 5,077. There were also catalogued 4,181 which did not 

 receive an accession number because they were later to be bound in 

 volumes with other numbers of the same series, or for some other 

 reason. The total accessions numbered 9,258. Of these there were 

 added by purchase 2,040 volumes, 94 pamphlets, 300 serials and 

 continuations, and 13 maps. The additions by gift and exchange 

 were 720 volumes, 847 pamphlets, 3,684 continuations, and 15 maps, 

 and 1,545 volumes were added by the binding of periodicals and 

 serials. The periodicals received currently numbered 3,251, of which 

 2,277 were received by gift or exchange. Detailed statistics of 

 accessions are given in Appendixes 5 and 7. 



In the report for the fiscal year 1922 mention was made of a gift 

 to the library of $150 from Dr. Henry C. Taylor, Chief of the Bureau 

 of Agricultural Economics, which was notable as being the first gift 

 of money ever received by the library aside from the regular con- 

 gressional appropriations. During the past year the library was again 

 mdebted to Doctor Taylor for a gift of 1100 for the purchase of books 

 on economics. In addition, gifts were received from two other mem- 

 bers of the staff of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, namely, 

 $30.35 from V. N. Valgren and S20 from Miss Caroline B. Sherman. 

 These gifts evince an interest in the library which is greatly ap- 

 preciated. 



As in previous years, the library was the recipient by gift and 

 exchange of a great number of books, periodicals, and pamphlets 

 from American and foreign institutions, societies, agricultural officials, 

 publishers, and private individuals. It is regretted that space does 

 not permit the printing of a complete list of the donors who have 

 aided the library in this way. Special mention should, however, be 

 made of a unique collection of pamphlets, catalogues, articles, and 

 correspondence in regard to the peony, which was made by the late 

 Hon. James R. Mann, of the House of Representatives, and which, 

 after his death, was given to the library by Mrs. Mann. The collec- 

 tion, which consists of 25 scrapbooks, is valuable for the information 

 it contains, and, in addition, is of much interest for the side light 

 which it throws upon the character of a man prominent in the political 



