THE LIBRARY. 673 



information. Thus unnecessary duplication is avoided. The accessions ac- 

 quired in this way by the bureau have reached almost 6,000 volumes. Author 

 cards are sent to the laboratories with the books, and a catalogue of these 

 accessions belonging to the bureau is maintained in Washington. Often the 

 persons in charge of these laboratory collections show considerable interest in 

 arranging their books and the Library furnishes advice and model cards in 

 these cases. 



Anne E. Dbapee, Librarian. 



LIBRARY OF THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



SCOPE. 



The library of the Bureau of Entomology is composed of approximately 5,000 

 books and 7,000 unbound pamphlets and separates dealing almost exclusively 

 with entomology. There au a few general reference books and a few general 

 works in botany, zoology, and allied subject.s, perhaps 3.10 volumes in all, be- 

 sides a collection of the publications of the Department of Agriculture per- 

 taining to the work of the bureau, and a fairly complete set of those relating 

 to entomology issued by the various State experiment stations. Of this mate- 

 rial about 1,500 pieces are more or less permanently charged to the workers 

 in systematic entomology, and the remainder forms an excellent reference col- 

 lection, very inadequately housed in one crowded room of the bureau's quarters. 



Books are recommended for purchase by the department Library for the 

 bureau collection at the suggestion of workers in the bureau upon the approval 

 of the chief of the bureau. The aim is to obtain as complete a collection as 

 possible of both American and foreign works on economic entomology, as well 

 as all systematic works on American entomology and the more importaat for- 

 eign systematic vrorks. Very expensive old books which are not needed for very 

 frequent reference, but which it is most desirable to have available in the city, 

 have been recommended to the Librai'y of Congress for purchase. By this plan 

 the more limited funds of the department Library have been reserved for mate- 

 rial in more constant demand. Taken as a whole, the department's collection of 

 entomological literature maj^ be said to be the best in the country on economic 

 entomology. On the systematic side it is not as strong, but it is a very good 

 working collection. 



USE OF THE LIBRARY. 



The aim of the bureau has been to make its collection one for reference 

 principally, therefore the books are circulated less freely here than in some 

 of the bureau libraries. Owing, however, to the scattered offices it has been 

 necessary to lend many books during the past year, and the circulation from 

 August, 1910, to July, 1911, was over 3,500 volumes, of which about 450 were 

 borrowed from the main Library and about 90 from other libraries both in and 

 out of the city. 



PERIODICALS. 



About 140 periodicals are received regularly, 60 through purchase and 80 

 by gift and exchange. It has not been our policy to circulate the current 

 periodicals. They are all available for reference in the Library. 



CATALOGUES. 



The Library maintains a dictionary catalogue of all books, pamphlets, and 

 " reprints " relating to entomology contained in the department. Cards for 

 " reprints " from entomological periodicals have been omitted, as the " reprints " 

 are usually small and are indexed elsewhere, as in the Zoological Record, on the 

 Concilium cards, and in the Entomologische Berichte. The catalogue now 

 contains about 30,000 cards. 



The Library has in addition a set of the Concilium Bibliographicum cards 

 relating to entomology. This index now numbers about 37,000 cards. It is 

 arranged according to the Concilium's scheme of classification, and is very 

 useful in that it brings together in one place the greater part of the current 

 periodical literature of entomology. 



23165°— AGB 1911 13 



