REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN. 



291 



ranged alphabetically by author. There were added to the main 

 (dictionary) catalogue 25,980 cards, and 4,357 were withdrawn, 

 making the net addition 21,623, an increase of 1,888 as compared 

 with the preceding year. It is estimated tliat the main (dictionary) 

 catalogue now contains approximately 347,300 cards. 



The number of titles prepared by the library for printing by the 

 Library of Congress in what is known as the u Agr" series of catalogue 

 cards, compared with the fiscal years, 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1915, is 

 as follows: 



Titles prepared for printing catalogue cards. 



The total number of titles prepared by this library since 1902, in 

 which year the printing of cards was begun, is 28,534. 



The amount of uncatalogued material on hand July 1, 1916, was as 

 follows: 190 volumes, 381 pamphlets, and 89 continuations. 



During the past year a revised edition of the classification of the 

 library was printed. This third edition was made necessary by 

 reason of the great number of changes and additions made in the 

 classification since the publication of the second edition (1906) and 

 because the supply of the second edition was entirely exhausted. 

 Considerable progress was made during the year in reclassifying 

 certain classes to correspond with the new classification, but there 

 is much work still to be done. 



BINDING. 



Fanny L. Parker, in Charge. 



The number of books and periodicals sent to the Government 

 Printing Office for binding was 3,363, a decrease of 469 as compared 

 with the previous year. This decrease was due in part to a lack 

 of funds for binding and in part to the fact that less assistance was 

 available for the preparation of the books for the bindery. In 

 addition to the books and periodicals permanently bound, 1,689 

 were laced in temporary binders. No record was kept of the large 

 number of reports, single numbers, etc., added to volumes already 

 in temporary binders, nor of the number of pamphlets stapled in 

 pamphlet binders. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND REFERENCE WORK. 



During the past year work was begun by the main library in 

 cooperation with the bureau, division, and office libraries, in index- 

 ing the articles by department scientists appearing in nondepart- 

 mental publications since April, 1913. This index supplements the 

 record of the department's work as shown by the printed cards for 

 department publications. 



The work of the libraries of the Bureau of Plant Industry, the 

 Bureau of Entomology, the Dairy Division, and the Office of Mar- 



