LIBRARY. 545 



LIBRARY STAFF. 



There were 8 resignations and transfers from the bureau libraries 

 during the year, as follows: 1 librarian, 1 assistant librarian, 3 

 library assistants, 2 clerks, and 1 messenger. 



The loss, previously mentioned, of Miss Marjorie F. Warner, libra- 

 rian of the Bureau of Plant Industry, is severely felt. 



The Bureau of Agricultural Economics sustained serious losses in 

 its staff, including the transfer of its assistant librarian to one of the 

 other offices of the bureau. 



In the main library there were during the year 7 resignations and 

 4 transfers. Of these 11 who resigned or were transferred 1 was the 

 reference librarian, who found it necessary to resign on account of 

 family affairs, 6 were library assistants, 2 were clerical assistants, and 

 2 were messenger boys. Of the 6 library assistants who left the 

 library, 2 resigned on account of illness in their families, 1 resigned 

 to be married, and 3 were transferred to another bureau of the depart- 

 ment. The 2 clerks who left the library were offered more remuner- 

 ative positions, one in another Government department and the 

 other in a library outside of Washington. 



For three months one of the library assistants of the main library 

 was assigned to the Bureau of Animal Industry library in exchange 

 for a member of its staff, and the experience thus gained has been 

 beneficial to both. 



The number of employees on the main library staff at the close of 

 the fiscal year was 36. Of this number four were temporary assist- 

 ants. The number employed by the bureau and office libraries was 

 45. Of the total number employed in the main library and the 

 bureau and office libraries 68 were women and 13 were men, divided 

 as follows: 14 in administrative work, including the librarian of the 

 department, the heads of divisions in the main library, and the libra- 

 rians of the bureaus and offices; 34 library assistants, 18 clerical 

 assistants, 11 messengers, and 4 charwomen. 



Staff meetings, including the forces of both the main library and 

 and the bureau libraries, were held monthly from October to June, 

 and were addressed by Col. W. B. Greeley, Chief Forester, on the 

 work of the Forest Service; by Dr. T. S. Palmer, of the Bureau of 

 Biological Survey, at three different meetings, on bibliographical 

 subjects; by Prof. A. S. Hitchcock, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, 

 on books and taxonomic investigations; by C. A. Reed, of the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, on his trip to China; by W. C. Markham, of the 

 American Association of State Highway Officials, on the highway 

 situation and the work of the Bureau of Public Roads; and by mem- 

 bers of the library staff, who reported on the annual conferences of 

 the American Library Association and the Special Libraries Associa- 

 tion. The former conference was attended by the assistant librarian 

 of the department and by the librarian of the Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics, the latter conference by the reference librarian of the 

 department and by the librarians of the bureaus of Public Roads and 

 States Relations Service. 



The librarian of the department library has served throughout the 

 year as chairman of the committee on professional problems of the 

 District of Columbia Library Association and as a member of the 



