THE LIBRARY. 811 



used for their maintenance, and they have certain definite relations 

 with the different branches of the National Government. Their 

 relati(nis with the Department of Ao;riculture are closer than with any 

 other cle])artment of the Federal Government, and it is felt that they 

 have, therefore, a just claim to a share in the services of the Library of 

 the department. In its general relations with the land-grant colleges 

 and experiment stations the Department is represented by the Office 

 of Experiment Stations, which, as a central agency established for 

 their special benefit, has aided them in a variety of ways and has 

 sought to promote cooperation between them and the Department of 

 Agriculture in their various undertakings. A glance at the publica- 

 tions of the office shows how close a relationship exists between these 

 institutions and the Department. The publications of the Bureaus of 

 the De])artment in recent years also shows that thenumberof coopera- 

 tive undertakings on the part of these State institutions and the 

 Department is steadily increasing. 



Through the Association of the American Agricultural Colleges and 

 Experiment Stations and the Office of Experiment Stations the vari- 

 ous State experiment stations, as well as the colleges with which they 

 are connected, are brought together so as to form, with the National 

 Department of Agriculture, a national system of agricultural educa- 

 tion which is often referred to as the most complete in the world. 

 There is, however, one link lacking in this system, namely, the 

 libraries, which, except indirectly, have taken little part in the work 

 of cooperation among these institutions. This is especially to be 

 regretted, since the libraries of the various State land-grant colleges 

 and experiment stations are to a large extent alike, are all interested 

 in the same literature, and all have very much the same problems to 

 solve. Mention was made in the report of the Library for last year of 

 the Agricultural Lil)raries Section which has recently been formed 

 in connection with the American Library Association. This section 

 should to some extent be able to do for the libraries of the agricul- 

 tural colleges and experiment stations what the Association of the 

 American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations has done for 

 the colleges and stations themselves. It is hoped, in addition, that 

 a relationship may in time exist between the Dej^artment Library and 

 the libraries of the agricultural colleges and experiment stations some- 

 what similar to that existing between the Office of Experiment Sta- 

 tions and these institutions, and that through this relationship, com- 

 bined with the work of the Agricultural Libraries Section, a closer 

 cooperation may be brought about between the agricultural libraries 

 which will be productive of good results. 



Mention has already been juade of the efforts of the Library to 

 serve the agricultural colleges and experiment stations through the 

 printing of cards for department publications and for the accessions to 

 tlie library', through the loan of its [)ooks, and by the distribution to 

 them of its duplicates. It has also attempted, in a limited way, to 

 supply bibliograpliical information relating to the literature of agri- 

 culture. The Department of Agriculture as a whole may be con- 

 sidered a bureau of agricultural information as well as an institution 

 of agricultural research. Each inireau and division of the depart- 

 ment is called upon to answer recjuests for specialized information 

 in its own particular field. The ((uestious wliich the Library has 

 received in tne past would seem to indicate that it is regarded as the 



