LIBRARY. 



429 



STATISTICS OF CIRCULATION. 



Books and periodicals charged hi/ the main library and the bureau, division, and offiia 

 libraries daring the fiscal years 1919 and 1920. 



' statistics include circulation m all bureaus and offices for which separate statistics are not given below, 

 ' .Vo records kept. 



' Circulation statistics for periodicals can not be kept in the Bureau of Markets because of the many- 

 corporate charges. 

 < For period July, 1919, to April, 1920. 

 5 For period May to June, 1920. 



The statistics of circulation ^iven above show that the total 

 recorded circulation of the main library and the bureau, di nsion, ancJ 

 office libraries for the year was 80,460 books and pamplilets and 

 approximately 122.000 periodi'-als. It is impossible tf) make any 

 satisfactory comparison between the circulation this }'car and last 

 year, since some of the bureau and division libraries wliich kept 

 statistics last year have not kept them this year, and vice versa. 

 The average number of books charfjed at the loan desk of the main 

 library each month was 3,191, as (•omi)ared with 3,038 in the i)revious 

 year. The average daily circulation was 126 as compared with 120 

 in the ])revious year. 



Tlu! fa"t that the aV(>raf!;e number of books charged at the loan 

 tlesk of the main library last year wjis greater than in the previous 

 year indi;'ates that there was some increase in tho use of the library, 

 but the circulation has not yet reached its pre-war figures, as is shown 

 by the following table, whi<-h gives the circulation statistics of the 

 main librjiry, by monllis and years, for the last 10 fiscal years, 

 exclusive of the circulation of current periodicals: 



