504 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



returns will be even greater if the librarian can be more than these. 

 It is as true as it is unfortunate that many an investigator has had 

 relatively little training in the use of books outside his specialty, 

 and even less in the handling of the scattered and fugitive material 

 which he must take account of. Much can be done by the trained 

 librarian to assist him through the introduction of improved classifi- 

 cation and catalogue systems, and by helpful suggestions in looking 

 up literature such as come from an intimate knowledge of the pub- 

 lications themselves. In many cases the librarian could be of much 

 eventual assistance by the giving of instruction on the use of the 

 library to the undergraduate students of to-day who will become the 

 investigators of to-morrow. 



The station investigations may be even more facilitated if the 

 librarian can assist in bibliographical work, such as the looking up 

 of references, the making of excerpts, the preparation of indexes, and 

 similar matters. This work calls for a higher grade of service than 

 any of the foregoing, demanding as it does not only training in 

 library methods but considerable scientific knowledge as well. In 

 the past but little such service has been available, but the holding of 

 the Mackinac Island round table is in itself an indication that there 

 is now a considerable number of people w^ell trained for the work. 

 It is reasonable to suppose that with an increased demand an addi- 

 tional supply would be forthcoming. 



As the resources of the stations increase a more specialized organi- 

 zation is inevitable. More and more is it becoming manifest that 

 the main asset in their work is the working time of the investigator, 

 and that efficiency is to be sought by conserving his efforts and reliev- 

 ing him so far as possible of duties which can be done as well if not 

 better by others. The maintenance of a well-organized library, with 

 a trained bibliographical aid at its head, should be to him a material 

 assistance and to the station as a whole a positive factor for progress. 



The idea of the college as a center of investigation and of advanced 

 thought, as well as of routine teaching, has gained a firm foothold. 

 We have ceased to think of the college or university as being entirel}^ 

 to and within itself. The modern conception is that of an institution 

 which, in addition to giving instruction to its matriculate stvideiits, 

 carries on investigation as a basis for the foundation of teaching 

 knowledge, and reaches out to the people through various lines of 

 extension activity. 



This conception has found ready acceptance in the case of the agri- 

 cultural college, whose function is rapidly differentiating under the 

 three heads of instruction, investigation, and extension. While each 

 of these must be organized definitely for its specific effort, there is a 

 possible danger in a too narrow restriction of the field in its effect 

 upon the individual worker. The investigation branch is now repre- 



