286 



ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Boohs and periodicals charged by the main library and the bureau, division, and office 

 libraries during the fiscal years 1915 and 1916. 



1 Statistics include circulation in all bureaus and offices not mentioned below. 

 s No records kept. 



3 Circulation statistics included in statistics of main library. 



4 No bureau library is maintained. The statistics of circulation of books are included in those of the 

 main library. 



INTERLIBRARY LOANS. 



In addition to the use of the library in the department, books are 

 lent to libraries and institutions in and out of Washington. There 

 were 15 libraries, institutions, and Government departments in 

 Washington which made use of the library's resources during the 

 past year. The records of books lent to institutions outside of 

 Washington are given in the following table, from which it will bo 

 seen that, with three exceptions, books were lent last year to every 

 State in the Union. The number of different institutions to which 

 they were lent was 91, and in addition 9 business firms and 5 indi- 

 viduals made use of the Library, making a total of 105 different bor- 

 rowers from outside of the city. To the total number of books lent, 

 namely, 1,240, should be added 129 photostat copies and 9 typewrit- 

 ten copies of articles which were furnished, making the total use out- 

 side of the city 1,378. The installation during the latter part of the 

 year of a photostat machine in the Division of Publications for the 

 general use of the department makes it easier now for the library to 

 have photostat work done, as it was formerly obliged to rely upon the 

 generosity of one of the bureaus for this work. Whenever the articles 

 in periodicals requested for use outside of Washington are short enough 

 to warrant it and the copyright laws allow it, photostat copies are 

 made instead of sending the books. In this way the possibility of 

 the book's being needed in the department while it is outside of the 

 city is avoided. The number of books requested which were not con- 

 tained in the Library was 175. The number which could not be sup- 

 plied because they were in use or at the bindery was 59. In addition, 

 27 could not be supplied because the references could not be identified. 



