294 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of bureau librarians was in the Bureau oi Crop Estimates. The 

 former librarian, Miss Louise Hayward, resigned in September, 1915, 

 and was succeeded by Miss Helena C. Spraker. 



LIBRARY MEETINGS. 



Library staff meetings were held each month from October, 1915, 

 to March, 1916. At the December meeting a talk on the work of the 

 department was given by the Assistant Secretary of the department. 

 At the January meeting Mr. W. T. Swingle gave a talk entitled 

 "Bibliographic notes on a recent trip to Japan and China." The 

 other meetings were devoted to discussions by the members of the 

 Library staff. Special attention was paid to the subjects of binding 

 and mending and the systematic acquisition of free material. 



The Library was represented at the annual conference of the 

 American Library Association in Asbury Park, N. J., in June, by the 

 Librarian of the department, the librarian of the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology, the assistant librarian of the Bureau of Chemistry, and two 

 assistants from the main library. 



BUREAU, DIVISION, AND OFFICE LIBRARIES. 



The work of the branch libraries in the bureaus, divisions, and 

 offices was carried on along lines similar to the work of previous 

 years and there were no changes in organization. 



The Bureau of Chemistry library was moved from rooms on the 

 fourth floor to rooms on the second floor, since the crowded condition 

 of the bureau made it necessary to reduce the space for the library. 



For the quarters of the Bureau of Plant Industry library an addi- 

 tional room was provided in the past year. This additional space 

 was needed on account of the growth of the work in connection with 

 the mailing lists of the bureau. 



The libraries of the Bureau of Chemistry, the Forest Service, and 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry have charge of the records in con- 

 nection with the purchase of books and periodicals for the field 

 laboratories and stations of their bureaus; that is, for the laboratories 

 and stations located outside of Washington. During the past year 

 294 volumes and 1 map were purchased for the field laboratories and 

 inspectors of the Bureau of Chemistry at a cost of $1,178.80. About 

 $2,000 was spent for books and periodicals for field libraries of the 

 Forest Service, which now number 176. There are 93 field-station 

 collections in the Bureau of Plant Industry, containing a total of 

 1,900 volumes; the periodicals subscribed for by the bureau for use 

 in the field stations number 224. Books and periodicals for filing 

 in laboratories and stations outside of Washington are paid for from 

 the funds of the bureaus by which the laboratories and stations are 

 maintained. 



The following table shows the approximate number of books and 

 pamphlets contained in the various bureau, division, and office 

 libraries, the number of current periodicals which are sent to them 

 regularly for review or filing, the number of registered borrowers, 

 and the number to whom periodicals are regularly circulated. The 

 statistics in regard to the use of the books in the various libraries 

 and an account of the bibliographical work and other activities are 

 given on preceding pages of this report. 



