802 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



USE OF THE LIBRARY. 



Diirinf; the past year tlie cliarfiji^s recorded at the loan desk of the 

 main Library immborod 38,112, an increase of 1,8'62 compared witli 

 the previous year. The record of similar cliarges for the past five 

 years is as follows: 



Number of books borrowed from the main Librarij ^ for the fiscal years 1908 to 1912. 



Month. 



July 



August 



September 

 October... 

 November. 

 December. 

 January... 



Fiscal year. 



1907-8 1908-9 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 



1,375 

 1,446 

 1,270 

 1,789 

 2,051 

 1,918 

 2,621 



1,642 

 1,455 

 1,893 

 2,714 

 2,406 

 2,682 

 3,061 



2,490 

 2,334 

 2,540 

 2,610 

 3,567 

 3,315 

 3,364 



2,357 

 2,381 

 2,2.J9 

 3,118 

 3.08:5 

 2,952 

 3,535 



2,397 

 2,42.5 

 2,517 

 3,404 

 3,465 

 2,962 

 4,094 



Month. 



February.. 



M arch 



April 



May 



June 



Total 



Fiscal year. 



1907-8 1908-9 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 



2,380 

 1,969 

 1,609 

 1,981 

 2,001 



22,470 



2,798 

 3,000 

 3,109 

 2,913 

 2,873 



30,606 



3,221 

 3,310 

 2,804 

 2,708 

 2,917 



35,180 



3,340 

 3,668 

 3,805 

 2,589 

 3,163 



36,250 



3,851 

 3,614 

 3,415 

 3,208 

 2,760 



38,112 



' These figures represent the number of books taken from the main Library for use in the ofTices of the 

 department. 



The above statistics indicate only in part the extent to which the 

 Library was used. The figures do not include (1) a record of the 

 circulation of single unbound numbers; (2) a record of the use of the 

 books deposited in the various bureaus; (3) a record of the books 

 used in tJhe Library. The figures are merely a record of the number 

 of books cliarged at the loan desk of tlie main Library and include 

 not only the charges for books belonging to this Library, but also 

 the charges for books borrowed from other libraries. The records of 

 the bureau and division libraries, in so far as they have been kept, 

 have in the following table been combined with the records of the 

 main Library, and represent the total number of books and periodi- 

 cals charged in the main Library and the bureau and division 

 libraries. 



Number of books and periodicals charged hy the main Library and the bureau and division 



libraries ^ in the, fiscal year 1912. 



Main Library 



Bureau of Chemistry library 



Bureau of Entomology library. .. 



Forest Service library 



Bureau of Plant Industry Ubrary 

 Dairy Division 



Total 



38,112 



11,674 



2,021 



3,131 



14,474 



1,243 



70, 655 



Current 

 numbers 

 of peri- 

 odicals. 



•70,000 



19,507 



500 



1,600 



26,576 



* 10, 700 



128,883 



> No statistics of the circtilation of books and periodicals have been kept in the libraries of the Bureau 

 of Statistics, Bureau of Biological Survey, Office of Public Roads, and Office of Experiment Stations. 

 " Approximate figures. ... . -^ ■ ^ 



The Bureau of Animal Industry and the Bureau of Soils do not maintam libraries, as their offices are in 

 close proximity to the main Library. 



The above figures, as kept from year to year, show the increase in 

 the work of the loan desks, but do not accurately represent the actual 

 use of the books. In order that the records of charges might repre- 



