EEPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of the Librarian, 

 Washington, D. C, October 29, 1912. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith the executive report of 

 the Library for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912. 

 Respectfully, 



Claribel R. Barnett, 



Librarian. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Sea^etary of Agriculture. 



GENERAL. 



The statistics given in the follomng pages will, it is believed, indi- 

 cate a satisfactorv growth of the Library during the past year. The 

 stalT has rendered faithful and efficient service, the number of acces- 

 sions was greater tlian in any previous year, and the usefulness of the 

 Library has been extended. On account of the pressure of the routine 

 work, no new work has been attempted with the exception of the 

 inventory. On Januarv 19 of the present year the Secretary ap- 

 pointed a departmental librar}^ committee, composed of Dr. N. A. 

 Cobb, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, chairman, and Dr. E. W. 

 Allen, of the Office of Experiment Stations, and Dr. Albert Hassall, 

 of the Bureau of Animal Industry, associates, to cooperate with the 

 Librarian in carrying out the recommendations of the Departmental 

 Committee on Economy and Efficiency in regard to the libraries of 

 the department. The first question dealt with by the committee was 

 the question of whether or not it would be ad\dsable to transfer to the 

 Librar}" of Congress, on account of lack of space, the files of the less- 

 used agricultural journals. Lists of the agricultural periodicals con- 

 tained in the Libraiy were accordint'ly sent to a large number of the 

 scientists of the department with tlio request that thev check the 

 periodicals which they would wish to have retained in this Library. 

 The results of the inquiry indicated conclusively that it would not be 

 wise to transfer to tlie Library of Congress any of the files of agricid- 

 tural periodicals. Their retention in the Libraiy has, therefore, been 

 apjiroved. It was gratifying to learn from the expressions of opinion 

 on the general policy of the Library called forth by the above inquiry 

 that there is a strong sentiment on the part of many of the scientists 

 in favor of the present policy of making the Library's collections not 

 merely working collections, but as complete as possible in the subjects 

 pertjuning to the work of the dei^artment. 



Meetings of the Library staff, comjirising all engaged in library 

 work in the department, were held each month from October, 1911, 



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